Rav Sacks on Shmot: Never Waste a Crisis

In October 2015 Israel was suffering's from a wave of terrorist attacks that saw Palestinians murdering innocent civilians in streets and bus stations throughout the country.
Luke Johnson wrote an article for a British newspaper:
"Israel is an astonishing country, buzzing with energy and confidence, a magnet for talent and investment. World class irrigation systems, software, cyber security, defence systems...
All this derives from brainpower, for Israel has no natural resources and is surrounded by hostile neighbours...."
What is the secret?

שמות א׳:ח׳-י״ב

(ח) וַיָּ֥קׇם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (י) הָ֥בָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (יא) וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס׃ (יב) וְכַאֲשֶׁר֙ יְעַנּ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כֵּ֥ן יִרְבֶּ֖ה וְכֵ֣ן יִפְרֹ֑ץ וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Exodus 1:8-12

(8) A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. (9) And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. (10) Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.” (11) So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor; and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. (12) But the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out, so that the [Egyptians] came to dread the Israelites.

Jews are the people who not only survive but thrive in adversity. Jewish history is not merely a story of Jews enduring catastrophes that might have spelled the end to less tenacious groups. After every tragedy Jews renewed themselves. They discovered some hithertho hidden reservoir of spirit that fuelled new forms of collective self expression as the carriers of G-d's message to the world.

From the destruction of the 2nd Temple came the immense literature of rabbinical Judaism.
Following the Spanish expulsion are the mystic circle of Safed
rom Eastern European persecution and poverty came the hasidic movement...and a seemingly endless flow of story and song
And from the Holocaust, came the rebirth of Israel, the greatest collective Jewish affirmation of life in more than two thousand years.

The Chinese ideogram for crisis means opportunity,
In Hebrew the word for crisis, mashber, also means "a child birth chair".
The pain of hard times is a collective form of contractions for a woman giving birth.

בראשית א׳:ה׳

(ה) וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ {פ}

Genesis 1:5

(5) God called the light Day and called the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.

בראשית ל״ב:כ״ו-כ״ח

(כו) וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵאָֽבְק֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃ (כז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שַׁלְּחֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י עָלָ֖ה הַשָּׁ֑חַר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲשַֽׁלֵּחֲךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־בֵּרַכְתָּֽנִי׃

Genesis 32:26-28

(26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.”

The Zohar says the Jewish people were on the 49th level of tummy when they were redeemed.

"Never waste a good crisis!"
Have you ever seen the blessings flow from the challenging times?
Next time you find yourself on a low, remember this is your opportunity to spring to a much higher level.