WWDD?

With all the opinions circulating regarding the death of bin Laden and whether the photos of the corpse should be released, I’ve thought a lot about King David this week and how he killed Goliath. What I’ve thought about most though, is the ending of the story.

I’m always a little amused at the somewhat nonchalant way the famed Bible story ends. After David cut off Goliath’s head we’re told, “David took the head of the Philistine, and eventually brought it to Jerusalem.” What does one do with a severed head during the “eventually” time? After the killing of bin Laden, it hit me. Duh! David didn’t have the Internet, CNN, or the Jerusalem Post to spread his news. He had a severed head. It was proof that he had indeed killed Israel’s #1 enemy at the time. Apparently, David thought the people had a right to know, and probably even needed to know, that the story was true.

So is it too far of a stretch to ask, “What would David do,” today? Not just about releasing the photos of bin Laden’s corpse, but about everything. David was a righteous warrior who became a noble leader. He was also described by Samuel as, “a man after G-d’s own heart.” Imagine having a leader today who could be described that way.

King David was promised that someone from his lineage would once again rule Israel. It’s been a long time coming, to say the least. I’ve noticed a small rumbling among Jews lately. They’re publically asking, “Where is our promised leader?” “Who and when will someone like David come forth?” With the leadership in Israel, and the world at large, it’s no wonder that people are yearning for a David-like leader. Not a panderer. Not a poll-driven politician. Not an appeaser. A real leader. One like Jeremiah described as, “a righteous sprout from David; a king who will reign and prosper and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.”

What made David a man after G-d’s heart, which in turn made him a great leader, and will make his long awaited successor a great leader? In a nutshell, David loved the Torah. Psalms 119 describes how David felt about the Torah. It’s the Psalm that goes on and on, literally, about how perfect the Torah is and how praiseworthy it is to follow the Torah. David made his decisions based on Torah. It was his compass. Imagine a leader in Israel today, with global influence, basing his decisions on Torah. That would change the world. Which is good. Because the world needs changing.

With all the governmental talking heads, not to mention all the talking heads in the media, I’m beginning to believe the joke regarding what the first public words from David’s successor will be. “Shtok!” Which quite unceremoniously means to "shut-up."

Whatever the Moshiach’s first words are, the world will finally listen to the words of Torah. Though sometimes it seems like a fantasy in this day and age, the prophets of Israel foresaw a time when the entire world would depend on the laws of the Torah to guide them. Imagine that. Not only Israel but the entire world recognizing the Torah as THE bottom-line answer for everything. The world won’t look to the Pope. The world won’t look to the President of the United States. The world won’t look to the United Nations. It will look to David’s successor, who will be in the company of a few good men; i.e. the Sanhedrin.

The Moshiach and the Sanhedrin, which are the councilmen of Israel, can seem as far away in our collective consciousness as other ancient Bible stories. How we need their wisdom to invade our consciousness, though, not to mention to invade our modern-day problems.

Isaiah foresaw a time when the Sanhedrin would function once again in Israel, along with the coming Moshiach. What’s fascinating, though, is that this time, their council and judgments will be sought by the entire world. Isaiah said, “It will happen in the end of days: The mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established, and it will be exalted above the hills, and all the nations will go there. Many peoples will go and say, ‘Come let us go up to the Mountain of Hashem, to the Temple of the God of Jacob, and we will learn His ways and we will walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will the Torah come forth [from the Sanhedrin], and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem. He, [David’s successor] will judge among the nations, and will settle the arguments of many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift sword against nation and they will no longer study warfare.”

Put that in your pipe and smoke it UN. Deal with that world leaders who dictate Israel’s every move. Take notice Israeli government who refuses to cut the puppet strings of attachment to other nations. The times they are a-changin.’

And since that change is destined to happen, the Israeli government might as well go ahead and start getting with Hashem’s program. Reconfigure. Become a prototype of Psalm 1. Be the praiseworthy men who don’t not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and don’t sit with the session of scorners.

Can Psalm 1 be any clearer? The counsel of the nations to Israel continues to lead to appeasement, which leads to the deaths of Jews. Is that not evil? And the UN can easily be called a “session of scorners” regarding its beliefs about Israel. If only Israel would permanently vacate its seat at the UN and instead build a seat, 71 seats precisely, for those who seek the Torah day and night.

The judgments of the forthcoming Davidic leader and the Sanhedrin will be the antithesis, the antidote, the bedrock of truth that will replace the lies and misplaced judgments of the UN and world governments. Indeed, per Isaiah 2, the Temple will become the one place the entire world will look to and ask, “What would David do?” Which in essence is asking, “What would Hashem do?” For David was a man after Hashem’s heart. And his successor along with the assembly of the Sanhedrin will all be men after Hashem’s heart. They will render judgments that will bring peace and security to Israel and healing to the nations. Imagine.

And to help you imagine, the following video is a production of the Temple Institute and Shmuel Balsam, architect. They are moving beyond the world of imagination, into the world of doing exactly what David wanted to do. Build the Temple.