Window of Opportunity

Guest Post by Reb Akiva of Mystical Paths:

It seems to me that there was a window of opportunity to leave to Eretz Israel, with maximum kavod (respect). All asset prices were up, and Nefesh b'Nefesh along with the Sachnut Yehudit are literally battling each other over who could do the most to get you to come.

But, like the Jews of Bavel, we didn't come. Interestingly, Ezra HaSofer (zs'l) returned from Bavel with 3,000. Nefesh b'Nefesh is now bringing 3,000 per year (which, btw, is a 90% increase from 5 years ago.) We build the beautiful beit knessets and yeshivot and mikvaot, and supported Israel from afar. (We did send our children, at least to learn, planting good seeds for the future though.)

So HaShem changed the situation... there might be a little to worry about, and if you were there you could make a difference. We still didn't come.

Ok, we didn't appreciate the opportunity, the tide began to swing. The Sochnut Yehudit stopped trying (their new idea is to put all their money into bringing reform Jews, who have no interest in coming.) Housing prices started to fall. Freak natural disasters started hitting major American cities. We didn't come.

Housing prices started to collapse. Freak natural disasters started hitting American cities every couple months. The stock market went wild, up, down, up, down. The situation in Israel cried for some Western Jew influence. We didn't come.

Housing prices collapsed. The markets started a steady fall. Major financial tremors began. Freak natural disasters starting hitting American cities every 1-2 months. We didn't come.

The mortgage market completely collapsed. Markets fell major percentages. The value of the dollar began collapsing. Freak natural disasters started hitting American cities every 3 weeks! No change, the Jews aren't coming.

It was about as easy as could be, but now is getting progressively harder to come. Assets may not be disposable anymore without major losses. Can't sell the house, maybe not even the car? Hopefully, Jewish communities haven't been buried in a snowstorm, hit with a hurricane, or with a freak tornado, or a flood.

I'm worried, my friends, for the window of opportunity to come easily seems to be progressively closing.