A Talmid a few years ago asked me point blank whether I thought Orthodox Judaism will last or will just wither away into the general society – he thought Orthodox Judaism had no chance135Sadly, the young man seemed to be projecting his own abandonment of Torah life onto the broader Orthodox community. The student also came from a community where, very sadly, there is a very large defection from Torah observance. The observance in too much of that community is shallow and very inconsistent. In such a community there is dim hope for Torah continuity. Sefer Daniel teaches that only the Kadishin, the holy ones, remain forever. Inconsistent observance is most definitely not a path of Kadishin and is hardly a formula for long term Jewish spiritual success. .
I responded that the struggle our generation faces is the same faced by every Jewish generation. In every generation there are Jews who sadly decide they will not run counter to the prevailing cultural winds. The Malach informs Daniel of this sad fact in Perek 11. Tragically, large numbers of Jews abandoned their eternal legacy and succumbed to the temporary glory of the Greek Empire, as foretold by the Malach to Daniel.
However, for more than three thousand years Torah has been maintained by those who muster the courage to stand apart. Our choice is whether to stand in the proud tradition of Avraham Avinu, Daniel, Chanania, Mishael, Azariah, Mordechai, the Chasmonaim upholding Torah, and Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav Soloveitchik upholding Orthodoxy in the twentieth century.
In the 1950’s there was talk of the vanishing Orthodox Jew. Today Orthodoxy is the only group of Jews growing in numbers.
Sefer Daniel concludes with Techiyat HaMeitim, the revival of the dead. Ibn Ezra (to Daniel 12:2) cites an opinion that sees this revival as also alluding to the revival of the Jewish people returning to their land after a long exile. We add that it also alludes to the revival of Torah observance of many eras including our own. In the 1950’s, the community of Torah learners was tiny. Today it is, Baruch Hashem, burgeoning with exponential growth.
Our choice is whether to take hold of Torah and eternity or succumb to the prevailing winds. Only by fully embracing Torah Hashkafa and observance do we plug into Jewish eternity.
Sefer Daniel inspires us to steadfastly maintain our grip on the eternal Torah despite any and all pressure to abandon it!!! It provides the proven path to Jewish eternity.