As we concluded the Tishaa Bav service I was struck by an interesting proclamation. In the Aleinu prayer we state "Shelo Asanu Kegoyeih Haaratzos - that He did not fashion us like the peoples of the lands".
After hours of sitting on the floor and weeping for our national tragedies - and after the crushing realization hits home again and again - this has only befallen us because we are G-d's nation and we strayed from the chosen path that He laid out for us - should we not declare ( as we do to the bee) "Lo miduvshech velo meuktzech" - I'll have none of your honey so I will not risk your stinger ?!? Wouldn't it be better to have been one of the 70 nations who, while never rising to the heights of the Jewish nation, have never been afflicted so and have never been thrown to the same bitter depths ?
Lest we be drawn to this erroneous conclusion - we culminate the tefillah with Aleinu. For all the troubles that it can bring, and for the harsh - even cruel - punishments that may afflict us - we'd still rather be Hashem's chosen people. The higher the tightrope - the more disastrous the fall, but we wouldn't give up our rightful place in a million years.
The true nobility of the Jewish Nation.
May we all be comforted in the rebuilding of Zion and Yerushalayim - may we see the view from the top of the tightrope - speedily and in our days, amen.
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