Thread by @ifyoutickleus

🧵 Though not too great a zionist myself, I challenge any Charedi to come up with a coherent argument why NOT to thank Hashem today on Yom Haatzmaut. I'm not getting into hallel and leining etc. You can hardly blame communities that haven't instituted any religious memorial...

...for the Holocaust for refusing to add a Jewish Holiday to the calendar. But Israel for all its faults is where Jews turned to after the great catastrophe and where any Jew can turn to in times of trouble. If you read of refugee problems in Ukraine, Sudan and other conflicts...

and of Jewish wanderings after the Spanish expulsion and in 1930s Europe, Jews nowadays no longer need to wander. And that is wonderous. See how selective the UK is with rescuing its passport holders but after 2 millenia a Jewish "passport holder" has a guaranteed home

As Reb Aaron of Belz who came to Israel having lost his family and community in the Holocaust said of Israel, it's where every jew can lay down their head. So tell me how and why this cannot be a cause for celebration and thanksgiving. And the Charedi will reply...

But the government isn't frum, shabbos, mitzvos, tznius and the usual retorts. Well I have news for you. Few if any Israeli states ever have been frum. The Israelites worshipped the golden calf shortly after receiving the Torah yet we still celebrate Pesach and Shavuos...

The great Shlomo Hamelech built altars to idols and if you said the Haftorah last week you'll have read Yeshaye comparing sarificing a mincho to the blood of a pig. Try saying that today. So without even asking about how frum the frum really are, that's no reason to demure.

And then there's the rebuilding of Torah institutions, scholars and literature in Israel which is (almost?) unparalleled in history and made possible only by a sovereign Israel prioritising Jewish history, teaching and culture. Again, how and why isn't this cause for celebration?

Charedim have in recent years added many days to the calendar which though not formal Holy Days have become minor holidays, be it Lag B'Omer which has hugely increased in scale, the rescue days that chasidim celebrate for their different leaders, yortzetis in Lizhensk & Kerestir

plus numerous mini ones, so why not at least acknowledge that today too deserves a huge place in the Jewish calendar as day of celebration & thanksgiving to Hashem and his countless agents from bringing this miracle about? So Israel doesn't always live up to its ideals. Who does?

And finally there's the extremist argument that it's not a miracle, that God doesn't help sinners and that Jewish sovereignty mustn't be restored to Israel before Moshiach and somesuch nonsense. Rather than debate these arcane points here I'll quote Tehilim and leave it at that

אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרַיִם לֹא הִשְׂכִּילוּ נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ לֹא זָכְרוּ אֶת רֹב חֲסָדֶיךָ וַיַּמְרוּ עַל יָם בְּיַם סוּף.
Our forefathers in Egypt didn't discern Your wonders, they didn't recall Your great kindness and they rebelled at the sea in Yam Suf

וַיּוֹשִׁיעֵם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ לְהוֹדִיעַ אֶת גְּבוּרָתוֹ.
And He rescued them for the sake of His Name to proclaim His might.

So I proclaim loudly:
הודו לה' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו
Praise the Lord for He is good, for eternity is His kindness.

HAPPY YOM HAATZMAUT🍷🥂🍻