Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Shavua tov from Dubai! After a special Shabbat with the Jewish community here, I have a single message to convey: Dream big.
I looked around Qasr Al Watan, the magnificent presidential palace in the capital Abu Dhabi. Afterwards Rabbi Mendy Blau and his wife Chani gave me some pointers in preparation for my lectures in their community in Dubai. During Shabbat morning prayers, we also prayed for the leaders of the UAE. I thought to myself that all of this was unimaginable just a few years ago.
I never read a single political commentary that predicted anything like the Abraham Accords. Four new peace agreements between Israel and Arab countries. But now this is happening in a big way. And now everyone here is asking when more agreements like these will be signed.
We are used to hearing gloomy, pessimistic predictions and are supposed to believe them, yet here is a reminder that it's possible to break through these bleak prognostications and be surprised by positive developments -- proof that sudden good news for the nation of Israel is always just over the horizon.
Such breakthroughs may happen not only on the national level, but personally as well. And so, it might be the right time to ask: Do we limit ourselves unnecessarily? Are the dreams that we dream big enough?
