The Great Betrayal
By: Dr. Alan A. Mazurek
Not since “Vayakam melech chadash al Mitzrayim”—a new king arose over Egypt—have the people of Israel experienced a betrayal so profound from a benevolent foreign leader.
As we all know from the Torah, Yosef was appointed Mishneh L’Melech, Viceroy over all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, who singlehandedly saved the Empire from mass starvation and poverty. Then, upon Yosef’s death, his deeds were forgotten and a new king arose “who knew not Yosef.”
Whether this was truly a new king or just the old king with a new policy is a matter of debate, but either way, the Children of Israel, who were living a protected life of wealth and freedom, entered a new era of oppression, taxation, mass hatred, and ultimately slavery and death. Of course we celebrate the miraculous geulah of Yetzias Mitzrayim on Pesach, but redemption came only after hundreds of years of suffering and misery.
Although the scenarios between what happened then and what is going on today differ greatly, the parallels are too stark to ignore. And as we shall subsequently see, this is not a rare occurrence in our long history, and it is one from which we can learn a valuable lesson. But more importantly, we realize the Torah is telling us these stories not to entertain us or give us a history lesson, but to teach us valuable eternal truths that may guide us today and tomorrow.
President Trump has always been our champion. He was an earthly ruler who defended the Jewish people everywhere: in schools, businesses, the courts, and most significantly, on the battlefield, not only in the United States but in Israel against its neighbors. Though Trump is not Jewish, he has halachically Jewish grandchildren and is proud of the fact. He has always surrounded himself with Jews, donated generously to Jewish causes, and has lavished praise on them. When the world’s hatred of Jews became normalized in the wake of October 7, Trump stood as a valiant opponent to the point that he marshaled the vast military and economic resources of the United States to defend them in a way that has never been done before.
So, what happened?
The U.S. was literally on the precipice of victory against Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, whose ballistic missiles, kamikaze drones, and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles have been launched against Israel in unprecedented numbers by their proxies in the form of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. While the U.S. was obliterating these terrorist organizations, none of the Arab Gulf states supported us. China and Russia, while verbally pledging support, did little materially. One more decisive blow and they could have been defeated. So why then, did Trump hold back or change his mind?
Before we answer that question let us look at another time in our history when geulah seemed at hand but was thwarted by non-Jewish leadership.
The year was 614 CE, roughly 1,410 years ago. The major academies of Bavel, Sura and Pumbedita, are flourishing, giving rise to the Babylonian Talmud. The Persian ruler, King Khosrow II, had decided to give the Jews some limited autonomy several years earlier and restored the reish galuta, literally the head of the Jews in exile, or Exilarch, who had traditionally descended from the line of King David.
King Khosrow was no lover of Jews, but he probably restored the position of Exilarch to gain Jewish support in the wake of the conquest of Jerusalem, which he accomplished in 614 CE. He wrested it without much of a battle from the Byzantine Christians, who then controlled Jerusalem. (There were no Muslims on the scene until 637 CE.) The reish galuta was Chushiel, whose son, Nechemia ben Chushiel, was appointed head of the largely Jewish army that won the battle of Jerusalem for the Persian Sassanids. As a reward, Nechemia was appointed administrative governor of Jerusalem and received permission to rebuild the third Temple on the Temple Mount. He began to do so, and contemporary reports indicate that a small synagogue structure and pedestal (possibly an altar for korbanot) were discovered. Unfortunately, a few years later, in an act of betrayal, the Persians abandoned their alliance with the Jews, joined their former adversaries, the Byzantine Christians, and ultimately Nechemia ben Chushiel was killed. The hoped-for geulah was murdered in its cradle. About 70 years later (685-91), the Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount and shortly thereafter, the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque. Two betrayals of the Jews, thousands of years apart, resulted in the deaths of myriads of Jews.
Now we have a third profoundly disturbing and disappointing betrayal. As to the question of why, no deep thought is required. In fact, President Trump told us openly. He was afraid the market would crash, the price of gas would skyrocket, and that he’d be another President Herbert Hoover presiding over another Great Depression. The fact that these scenarios were unlikely (especially in light of an astounding victory should he have finished the job) didn’t sway him. Also, his proud proclamation that his “good friends,” the Qataris, promised to invest $1.9 trillion in America also helped grease his capitulation. He had a price and he got it. The “senior partner” threw the “junior partner” under the bus.
But the “why” of this whole sad situation is not important. The question is: Is this the end of the story?
For the answer to that important query we can look to our parashah, Balak. The uniqueness of parashas Balak is noted by Chazal in that the entire parashah for the most part takes place outside the purview of Bnei Yisrael.
There are those who understand that even Moshe Rabbeinu is unaware of the danger that Balak and his malevolent agent of harm, Bilaam, have in store for the Jews. Hashem of course knows about it, and ultimately dictated the whole story to Moshe to include in the Torah. What parashah is more relevant to our current situation than Balak, with its declaration of “Am levadad yishkon”—a people that dwells alone?
Two weeks ago, Trump said Israel may find itself alone, warning, “Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon.” This was echoed by Vice President JD Vance only days ago, but in more vulgar and menacing language. And of course, the powerful missions of Israel’s Defense Forces termed their incredible and successful attacks on Iran, “Am k’lavi yakum”—a nation that rises like a lioness, a direct quote from Bilaam.
Unlike our forebears, Bnei Yisrael in the midbar, we are aware of the threat in real time, but we don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Yet that too is clearly by Divine Design.
We who, by Hashem’s infinite mercy, returned to our home as an independent Jewish Commonwealth 1,334 years after the last attempt to reestablish our Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and 1,353 years marking our return to Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount, now have agency and power. We are not helpless slaves in Egypt or even the Chosen people wandering in the desert, waiting to enter the land. We are once again in our own land with our own army and air force that He miraculously made possible. Therefore, we must act even if our human partners abandon us.
Yes, that sounds well and good, you say, but how’s that going to turn out? That is where emunah and bitachon come in. While the two are not identical, one way to briefly distinguish the two terms is to describe emunah as the belief and bitachon as the physical efforts putting that belief into action. It is interesting to note that in modern Hebrew, bitachon is the term used for security or defense. We must first have emunah in Hashem, our forces, and ourselves, and then act accordingly to ensure bitachon. But bitachon requires an act itself. “Yisrael betach baShem”—trust in Hashem—and “Al tivtechu b’nedivim”—put not your trust in princes or mortals, be they Trump or Netanyahu.
Chazal wanted to include all of Bilaam’s prophecies into the Kriat Shema, concluding that almost all were turned to blessings rather than curses. The only reason they did not was because it would make it too long. But one thing they did include in the opening to our davening was Bilaam’s famous “Mah tovu ohalecha, Yaakov”—How goodly are your tents, Oh, Israel. A paean to the modesty and unity of Israel. That would be a good place to start our displays of emunah and bitachon. Not by just saying those words, but acting towards each other with feelings of unity and understanding. That could be our most potent weapon against our enemies.
Shabbat Shalom.
Dr. Alan A. Mazurek is a retired neurologist, living in Jerusalem, and Florida. He is a former chairman of the ZOA.
