Tell me where you live and I will tell you who you are...

The Rambam (Deot 6.1) tells us that it is in man’s nature to be influenced by his environment, both in terms of his ideas and his behavior. This is why it is everyone's personal duty to come closer to righteous people and to distance themselves from those who are not.

What about the life of the Jew in Galut? How can we maintain our identity and our values, despite our daily presence among nations which have different values ​​than ours? The Maharal (Gevurot Hashem chapter 11) tells us that it is not by chance that Yosef was the first to be in Egypt. It is a proof of his qualities. Yosef was the first to be confronted with a very different and hostile environment in terms of his values, and he kept all the milestones that he received as a child intact.  Yosef is the model to follow regarding the behavior of the Jew in Galut.

What was the key to the survival of the Jewish people in Galut?

Let's take a closer look at Yosef's strategy. When his brothers arrived in Mitzrayim, Yosef asked them to tell Pharaoh that their only activity to date was to be a shepherd, so that he would give them the land of Goshen, a pasture land, because this activity was an abomination for the Egyptians. But why did Yosef want the land of Goshen so much? What did that land have that was so particular? The comments explain that the goal of Yosef was for him and his family to live separated from the Egyptians.

As Chazal tell us (Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer chap. 26) when Pharoh captured Sarah in the past, he promised her the land of Goshen as a gift in order to seduce her; and it is precisely this land that was to bring about a reconciliation, which later became the symbol of the "distance" Yosef sent us in his first message: To preserve our difference, we must first and foremost make the choice to live apart. This is the first step that will protect our identity. Moreover, Chazal tell us that the Bnei Yisrael were able to be delivered because they knew how to preserve throughout the Galut their difference by not changing their names, their clothes and their language, while preserving the lachone hakodech.

The Rampart of Torah

This geographical distance is only a starting point, it is obvious that for a Jew living in Galut, living separately is not enough; the influence of the outside world and its counter-values ​​remain a constant test; only the Limud Torah will allow us to strengthen our identity with all its inherent differences. Apart from the virtue of the Limud Torah to forge us on a daily basis, it is for us, Jews living in the heart of Galut, a real salvation that allows us not to be swept away by the opposing currents.

It is on the benches of the Beit HaMidrash that the essentials of the Jewish soul will emerge time and time again. Each slice of Limud awakens the Neshama, but also opens our eyes to our identity and our duties. It is through Limud that the Jew becomes a more solid man, develops a strong consciousness of reality as conceived by the Torah, and it is in this way that he will have the necessary resources to measure himself against a hostile entourage.

Everyday life

Yeshiva after the High School

Once the school cycle is over, graduation ceremonies have come and gone, independent life starts at last. It is essential that these first steps are made in the best conditions, because they will strongly influence the direction and the future choices of the young man. That is why one or more years of Yeshiva after graduation are absolutely essential. These years of Kulo Kodesh will allow you to fully immerse yourself in a world of Torah, as in a Mikvah, to have sure milestones, to become independent in Limud, and to have resources to measure oneself in the world of studies and work.

Graduate studies

For those who decide to pursue higher education, it is important that they also integrate special Kodech study structures for students. We all need to identify ourselves with a community or a circle of friends, especially when we are young. The aim of these study circles will be to enable students to identify with each other, to consider that their circle of friends is within this group and not elsewhere, and the risk of external influence will be thus greatly reduced. Beyond the interest of the purely formal study, it is especially the attachments to a group of determined young people like them who will be able to preserve them from destructive influences.

The Home

Finally, let us remember as parents the essential role of the house, which is the main legacy for our children. Avraham Avinu built Klal Israel essentially by the child he raised inside the walls of his home, through the education he gave him, and not through the many people he has brought together throughout his life.

From this observation, we retain the following message: nothing is more remarkable for a person than the education he has received at home since his youngest age. This is the living example he will have seen during his childhood that will mark him throughout his life.

An Exile that builds

Finally, let's learn to take a positive look at Galut.

When confronted with an opposing force, we are obliged to affirm our identity more than ever in order not to disappear. Either we strengthen ourselves and we will be able to maintain ourselves, or we are weak and we will end up being carried away by the current, becoming like others. Throughout its history, Klal Yisrael has retained its identity, through its vigilance, but also by its tremendous capacity for renewal through Limud Torah which has enlivened its Judaism and its identity.

Rav David Amsellem