On Monday, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu introduced a new word into the political lexicon. At a conference of the Finance Ministry’s accountant general in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said,’ “Israel is in a sort of isolation, We will increasingly need to adapt to an economy with autarkic characteristics.”
Autarky is a state of self-sufficiency and independence, especially in economic terms, where a nation or entity functions without external trade or support. While North Korea is the most frequently cited example of a country that strives for autarky, its economy remains small and dependent on limited trade and aid, primarily from China.
“I am a believer in the free market, but we may find ourselves in a situation where our arms industries are blocked. We will need to develop arms industries here — not only research and development, but also the ability to produce what we need,” he said.
Faced with a scenario of “Athens and Sparta,” Israel would be “Athens and super-Sparta,” Netanyahu said. “There’s no choice; in the coming years, at least, we will have to deal with these attempts to isolate us.”
The Prime Minister’s vision of Israel’s isolation echoes a prophetic declaration spoken by the prophet Balaam, where he describes Israel’s unique and distinct existence as a people dwelling alone, not counted among the other nations of the world.
“As I see them from the mountain tops, Gaze on them from the heights, There is a people that dwells apart, Not reckoned among the nations. “Numbers 23:9
Yeranen Yaakov, a Torah blogger, explained the reference.
“This verse has always been a part of who we are. But in a sense, it is also a part of who we are destined to be. This verse is both a Jewish obligation and the reality of how we are treated by others. We use this verse to show how the Jewish people are separate and should be separate from the nations. And that we don’t count among them. That is very true.”
“However, it is also a prophecy whereby we are ostracized and isolated by the global community, for better or for worse. At first glance, it seems that it’s for the worse, but I claim that it’s for the better.”
Midrash Rabba, a classical Jewish source, explains the verse:
“For from the top of precipices I will see it” – this is to inform of the hatred of that wicked one, as from his blessings, you ascertain his thoughts. To what is the matter comparable? It is to a person who comes to chop down a tree. One who is not expert, cuts each and every branch and exhausts himself. But the clever man exposes the roots and cuts. So that wicked one said: ‘Why should I curse each and every tribe? I will go to their root.’ He came to harm them, but found that they were hard. That is why he said: “For from the top of precipices I will see it.”
“Another matter, ‘for from the top [of precipices]’ – these are the patriarchs; “and from the hills” – these are the matriarchs.”
“In other words, Bil’am tried to harm the Jews from their roots, but found the roots to be solid,” Yeranen Yaakov explained. “And who are the roots of the Jewish people? The Avot and Imahot (patriarchs and matriarchs), the first of whom are Avraham and Sarah.”
He noted that just as the nation wold be isolated and alone, Avraham and Sarah were isolated, alone in the world in their service of God.
Yeranen Yaakov applied gematria (Hebrew numerology) to the verse הֶן-עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן, וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב (There is a people that dwells apart, Not reckoned among the nations) using 600 for the Final Mems and 700 for the Final Nuns. The sum of the words comes to 3823.
He also noted that Avraham was born in the year 1948 from Creation.
“the year of his Bar Mitzvah was 1961,” Yeranen Yaakov noted. “Sarah was born in the year 1958 from Creation, but, like Rivka after her, did not reach early womanhood and become eligible for marriage until age 3, again in the year 1961.”
“Avraham became a nation and Sarah became an early woman in 1961. Add the 3823 from the gematria of the second half of the verse and we get 5784, the year of the October 7th Massacre. That was the year when we ironically started becoming more isolated from the world in our beliefs, and this isolation has only increased ever since.”
“Eradicating evil should not be controversial. And yet, Israel finds itself almost alone in this war. It seems as if Hashem is moving us closer to an Avraham-style isolationism of thought and beliefs. And this is a good thing for the Jews (not so for the rest of the world).”
“Why is it good? Because it shows the difference between the moral clarity of the (majority of the) Jews in Israel and the utter depravity of the nations.”
He then notes that Balaam uses the words אראנו and אשורנו (“I will see” and “I will gaze”) in the next chapter as well.
“What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star rises from Jacob, A scepter comes forth from Israel; It smashes the brow of Moab, The foundation of all children of Seth. Numbers 24:17
This verse is referring to Balaam’s vision of the Star of Jacob, the astronomical sign that precedes the arrival of the Messiah.
“Once the עם לבדד (lonerly nation) process is complete, Mashiah (Messiah) cannot be far behind,” Yeranen Yaakov wrote. “May we witness his coming very soon.”
