Rabbi's Sermons

Shabbat shalom!

Most of the Shabbat sermons focus on the reading of the Torah, but when I read this week’s Haftara Vayigash, I could not ignore the beauty that exists in the message of the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel. The prophet Ezekiel was one of those who went into exile in Babylon, he was a spiritual leader of the people of Israel and a prophet who kept the soul of the people alive in the difficult years of despair in the Diaspora. Ezekiel was a prophet, a Cohen, and a guide. He used a large number of symbolic allegories to convey messages to people.

The first verses 1 through 14 from chapter 37 to be read tomorrow at the Haftara during the Shaharit service, speak of the vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones that may be familiar to many of you. At that moment, Ezekiel saw the people of Israel spiritually resurrected. But from verse 15 with which the haftarah begins, Ezekiel prophesies the continuation of this national revival by declaring the unification of two kingdoms: Yehuda and Israel. He uses an allegory joining two sticks of wood in his hand that represent the two brothers. It is described as follows: "¹⁵ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, ¹⁶ “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, ‘For Yehuda and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write upon it, ‘For Yosef, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ ¹⁷ And join them one to another into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hand… ²¹ “And say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they have gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land. ²² And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be King to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all".

This message finds its counterpart in our Torah Parashat when Yosef and his brothers met again in Egypt. On one tree was written "Yehuda and for the children of Israel, his companions" and on the other was written "Yosef, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions", which symbolizes the ten tribes led into exile by the Assyrians after the conquest of the kingdom of Israel in the north. Let us recall that in just 70 years the political map was transformed. The Great Babylon was left in the pages of history when the Persians conquered the region. Ezra and Nehemiah brought those who desired to reach the Land of Israel, to build the second home with great joy and enthusiasm. Apparently, Ezekiel's prophecy was fulfilled and the people of Israel returned to their homeland again. But was this really so? Because in this scenario something is missing: What happened to the second stick? Why were no efforts made to search for and recover at least some of the lost tribes? After all, they weren't completely lost!

In the Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 17a we read about the topic of conversions to Judaism, and in it, some cities are narrated in the Gemara,identified as places to which the ten tribes were deported: “And since the time of the kings of Israel, there is only the tribe of Yehuda and Benjamin”. The big question to Ezra and Nehemiah was, why didn't they go to save them? No one in history has explained that mystery and we only know one fact: the second stick of the prophet Ezekiel remained lost for many years to this day.

This leads us again to ask ourselves: Was Ezekiel's prophecy fulfilled? Or should we understand it as a suggestion? If we start from the premise that all prophecy comes from a divine source, then we must accept it as truth and, therefore, the obvious conclusion is that the prophecy of the stick of woods has not yet been fulfilled. Our community is made up of some converts to Judaism. During my rabbinic work, it has been a great joy to be able to support, teach, lead and celebrate the ceremony of numerous converts to the people of Israel. In an investigation conducted in search of the Ten Lost Tribes, I have known many stories around the world: a religious community in India that uses the Star of David and teaches the moral principles of the Torah, although the Torah is unfamiliar to them. There are other examples in communities in Africa, China, and especially Native American communities in South America, such as the community in Peru that has a strange style of worship that mixes songs from "Shalom Aleichem" some translated into Spanish some including Hebrew, additions to the Bible and sometimes the New Testament, but not identified as "messianic" as the movement that has gained great momentum in the world.

I also knew the story of Rabbi Jackes Cukierkorn, who graduated from seminary in Argentina, and in preparation for his certification as a rabbi he carried out a great project. This rabbi established a new community and taught Judaism among the indigenous people of the Amazon villages in Brazil, who used to light two torches on Saturdays and sing psalms almost in complete parallel to traditional Judaism. After intense study and organization, they built their first synagogue, right in the middle of the Amazon!

Imagine anyone who had desired to be part of our Jewish people, in years past, when the people of Israel were going through extremely difficult times, that would have been completely illogical even crazy! But in the modern era, things have changed drastically, and the question of accepting the other, the different, has become a central discussion in much of the Jewish communities of the world.

This is very long a topic to discuss in a sermon. As a rabbi, I have been always opened to teach anyone who shows a genuine interest in learning about our faith and traditions. This recalls the verses from the 1^st book of Kings, chapter eight, at the inauguration of the first temple when King Solomon prayed and said: “⁴¹ Moreover concerning a stranger who is not of Your people Israel, but comes out of a far country for Your name’s sake ⁴² (for they shall hear of Your great name and of Your strong hand and of Your stretched out arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, ⁴³ hear You in heaven Your dwelling place and do according to all that the stranger calls to You for, that all people of the earth may know Your name to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name”.

The light of Judaism is burning in the hearts of millions of people today, who are just waiting for an opportunity to be part of our people. I honestly believe, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the lost tribes, will formally return to Judaism. It is amazing to discover how Ezekiel's prophecy begins to take a contemporary meaning! I pray that in our days we may have the privilege of seeing the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel fulfilled, when all nations know that the Lord is the God who sanctifies Israel, whose sanctuary is within us and in our hearts forever. Because "in that day there will be only one God, and his name will be one" ביום ההוא יהיה ה’ אחד ושמו אחד.

Shabat Shalom!

Rabbi David Laor

December 26^th 2025