"You shall be blessed above all the people." (Devarim 7.14)

"Rabbi Hiyah b, Abba said: The measure of a lady's praise is not when she is praised by her friends but by her rivals." (Midrash Rabbah)

In our generation we have seen the rebuilding of the Jewish state and the recognition it has received from so many nations. Whereas in the State's early years there were very few countries who recognized it, and many of those with only de facto recognition, today the modern State of Israel maintains embassies and cooperative agreements with countries in all corners of the globe.

Despite the State of Israel's increasing world recognition and status, it is still surrounded by hostile neighbors. Not only have they no praise for our moral, social, military, and economic achievements, but they seek to destroy what we have built. While we may wish for a peaceful coexistence with them, the golden path to that peace is as yet elusive.

The Torah advises us that we be "... blessed above all the peoples." to the point that, as the Midrash explains, we are praised even by our enemies. And how are we to achieve this? "And it will come to pass, because you obey these ordinances, and keep, and do them..." Our world standing will never be determined by our economic strength, or by our military might, but rather by the power we derive from keeping the Torah and the mitzvot. That is how we will establish our nationhood, our uniqueness, and our identity and that is how we will earn the praise of the enemies that surround us and that is how we will become "... blessed above all the people."