What Kind of "Tsh'uva" Do We Need? (1995)
by Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane z"tl h"yd
Translated by Lenny Goldberg
Every schoolboy knows that Rosh Hashana is the time for us to do "Tshuva". Yeshiva halls are bursting with such talk, and in the month of "Elul", all religious newspapers have the concept of "Tshuva" plastered all over their pages. Every rabbi knows that "Elul" is the time to tell his congregation to do serious soul searching and find their way to G-d. Generally speaking, the concept of "Tshuva" is one of the few things that everyone agrees upon. And so, "Baal Tshuva" Yeshivas are in abundance, and the concept of "bringing someone to Tshuva" is accepted by all.
The question that arises is the following: If the Jewish nation is so involved in "Tshuva", why is the Jewish State in the worst situation it has ever been in spiritually, socially and from the point of view of security? The answer is the following: Obviously the "Tshuva" we see today is a positive thing that must be encouraged, but it is far from adequate. We must strive for a different KIND of "tshuva" - one that is much more comprehensive and far-reaching.
The time has arrived for us to be outraged at the cheapening of Jewish blood in the Jewish State. The time has come for us to open our eyes to the national disaster that hovers over the Jewish State and World Jewry as well, and to escape from the apathy of our tiny lives and the mud we are mired in. Anyone who has read the words of Rabbi Kahane, HY"D, concerning the period we live in today, cannot possibly remain indifferent. He stressed, especially before his death, the vicious hate and the awesome tragedies which will be unleashed against the Jewish People before the final redemption in the form of what the sages call "Bi-Eta" - the redemption that comes slowly at its fixed time.
This entire nightmare will befall us if we don't wake up and "DO TSHUVA"!! We're not talking here just about a "tshuva" of "Shabbos" and "tefilin", but rather one of deeds that express genuine "Bitachon" in Hashem - acts of Kiddush Hashem that will change the slow, painful redemption to a speedy and glorious one. We must have enough faith in G-d to do those "painful" and "difficult" tasks that Jews of old considered "normal". It is time for us to realize how terrible it is when Jews are murdered, and how much worse it is when the ones lucky enough to still be alive are too apathetic or fearful of the gentile or leftist reaction to do something about it. We must realize what "Tshuva" is in a broader sense. It is expressed in the belief that the Jewish G-d is stronger and more powerful than anything imaginable (even Bill Clinton!). It means not abandoning Jonathan Pollard and the rest of the Jewish political prisoners even though that is what the "boss" in the White House wants. Yes, a sweeping and global "tshuva" that transcends the personal "Mitzvot", and expresses genuine belief in G-d's Omnipotence.
G-d gives us a length of time to avoid catastrophe but this period has also come to an end. The time for "Tshuva" has arrived. May we merit to understand the type of "Tshuva" that is required of us, and to bring the redemption swiftly and gloriously without needless suffering.
