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In Part One of this essay, published a few months ago, I described the growing tension between the chareidi and non-chareidi (secular and national religious) public. I contended that the chareidi community must acknowledge that the events of October 7 have dramatically transformed Israeli society and significantly affected the interactions between the chareidim and other societal groups, as the status quo will no longer stand.

As we enter the period of the Four Parshiyos, which ushers in the Pesach season – a time when we long for the G’ulah (Redemption) more than any other – we begin with Parshas Sh’kalim. This parshah mandates that every man in Israel, rich or poor, donate exactly half a shekel to the Sanctuary. Rav Hirsch explains that a half-shekel, rather than a whole, signifies that we cannot achieve our goals alone; only by partnering with others can we fulfill our fundamental needs, such as the daily Tamid offerings, the most crucial sacrifices brought by am Yisrael.

As I gaze at the lights of the menorah on the eighth night of Chanukah, I wonder: Was Beis Hillel right?

It is the beginning of the seven weeks of nechamah. We typically understand nechamah to mean consolation – something we, as a Nation, desperately need after the tragic events commemorated on Tish’ah B’Av.

The hostage “deal” – it is at the top of everyone’s mind here in Israel. As I write this essay, it is still not certain whether the deal will go through, but everyone is torn by it. I have long felt that being a responsible Prime Minister of Israel is the toughest job in the world, and it is particularly so in moments when faced with such terrible choices.

We arrive at Parashat Vayishlach during a week — during an era — in which the Jewish people again find themselves standing at a frightening crossroads. Antisemitism is erupting across European capitals, college campuses, major American cities, and international institutions. Israel is slandered with the gravest accusations — “genocide,” “ethnic cleansing” — even as the world closes its eyes to the barbarism of Hamas, the complicity of large segments of Gaza’s population, and far worse atrocities taking place around the globe.