The Man on a White Horse
Gary Cooperberg
December 3, 2002
We human beings seem to always have a need to find someone who can solve our problems for us. We shun complexities and prefer simple solutions to difficult problems. But most of all we seek "a man on a white horse" to solve our problems for us. In the United States the ballot box provides us with an individual who is expected to fit this bill. It matters not whether this individual really can solve anything. What matters is that we have a human face upon which to place our trust, hopes and expectations of leadership. By having such a concept it is easier for us to forget about the impossible problems which confront us and just continue with our lives with confidence that someone is taking care of things.
The problem with this concept, as comforting as it may be to some, is that it is only an illusion. Just because someone is elected to a leadership position doesn't mean that he will be a good leader. All human beings are just that, human beings. No one has all the answers, and all of us do make mistakes. Unfortunately when a leader makes a mistake it has much more far reaching consequences.
In the vast complicated world in which we live there are many powerful and conflicting interests vying for control. Even the office of the President of the United States is affected by these interests. There are times when these "hidden powers" can direct nations to take actions which are against their own interests. I will not pretend that I can identify these powers, but clearly we can all recognize instances of decisions made which conflict with the apparent interests of those who make them.
President Bush seems to be a genuine man of faith. His intentions certainly seem to be honorable. I would venture to guess that he truly believes that the State of Israel is a Divine phenomenon and thus recognizes that the well being of the United States will be determined by how that country relates to the Jewish State. Yet, in spite of this, there are intense pressures which force the President to take extreme care not to appear too supportive of Israel. The Middle East is a powder keg about to explode. Terrorism is not new, but the United States has, since September 11, begun to take it very seriously. It is no longer terrible things that happen on the other side of the globe, rather right in the middle of the United States.
Everyone knows that the kind of open and free society that exists in the United States lends itself to exploitation by those who seek to employ acts of terror. No matter how vigilant and sophisticated we think we are, there is no fool proof guarantee that we can stop a suicide terrorist from his vile deed. It is easy to try and blame it all on one man, Osama Bin Laden, or Yassir Arafat. But the fact is that should either or both be executed tomorrow the problem will not disappear.
Why do you suppose that Arab terrorists go around blowing themselves to smithereens, killing innocent civilians? It is not because they hate freedom and democracy. It is not because they are "enemies of peace". It is because they refuse to believe in the True G-d of Creation. The Jewish State is a reality that Moslems cannot accept because it is fulfillment of Biblical prophesy and thus a negation of Allah. The founding fathers of the United States of America established that country on Biblical principles as well. They looked upon the United States as a new Promised Land. It is this, Biblical ideology, which infuriates the Moslem world today. It is precisely because Israel and the United States share Biblical ideology that we are both so hated by the Moslem world. Unfortunately both countries have been falling away from our Biblical foundations and seek to discard them for modern lifestyles which conflict with that ideology. This and only this is the genuine cause of terrorism. For when we try to be "modern" by casting away Biblical values and exchanging them for "the good life", what we are really doing is denying G-d. It is this kind of behavior which invites "terrorism".
In Israel we cannot seem to understand why, after Barak practically gave Arafat everything, we did not come any closer to peace. The reason should be clear. Peace will never be achieved by trying to bargain away our obligations. Unlike Esau, we cannot sell our birthright. Being G-d's Chosen People is not a reward, it is an obligation and a responsibility. We cannot give it away and we cannot escape our destiny. We are destined to bring Redemption to this world, and with it genuine peace. But this will only come via fulfilling our Divine obligations, never by our trying to negate them.
When we are called upon to negotiate Land for Peace, the only response must be that we have no right to negotiate our Divine obligations. Even if we want to give away our Land, we cannot. It is not ours to give away. It belongs to G-d and He commanded that we possess it, and live a holy life in it. Until this happens there will never be peace.
The above is not a political stance. It is reality and it relates to all of Mankind. There is One Creator and He is running the show. From the time of our first Redemption from Egypt until this very day the purpose of the Jewish People was and is to demonstrate that G-d is real and that His Torah is Truth. The most powerful nations of every generation tried to destroy the Jewish People to prove that there is no G-d. All of those nations have fallen from power and the Jewish People live on. What is more, after the most devastating blow in their history, the holocaust, not only did they fail to perish, they actually returned to their ancient homeland and reestablished Jewish sovereignty there, against the will of their overwhelming number of enemies!
Yes, we are all looking for a leader to show us the way. We have an imperfect system to elect leaders, but G-d arranges for us to get the kind of leaders we deserve until the day when He will send us His true anointed King to destroy our enemies and return us to the path of Torah. This will only happen when each one of us begins to look inward and seek ways to serve G-d by trying our best to do His Will.
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