Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf shares the second segment from his new book, The Absolutely Remarkable ... Story of Exile, Anatomy of Redemption, and Thrilling Challenge of Our Times. This week's segment focuses on the ever-present theme of galus and geulah (exile and redemption) in Jewish history.
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Open the file below to read the full segment.
Excerpt from the segment:
Galut, exile.
And geula, redemption.
In Jewish life, it seems like wherever one turns, you can’t help but run into exile and
redemption. When we stop and reflect, it’s self-evident that from the opening moments of
our history, exile and redemption have been the context in which the Jewish story has
unfolded.
In a pithy statement at the end of his essays on the Land of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo
Volbe says that:
“It’s not possible to conclude our discussion without reflecting on the remarkable
phenomenon of our either meriting to possess, or our losing of, the Land of Israel, for this
is the central point around which all of Jewish history revolves.”
R. Shlomo Volbe, Alei Shur, Vol. I, 285
The Land of Israel is the great fulcrum of Jewish history, and exile and redemption have
accompanied the Jewish nation along every step we have taken on the stage of human
history. In fact, the notion of exile and redemption were active forces in Jewish history even
before that history began. Further, exile and redemption even precede the creation of the first human beings.
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