When the Patriarch Yaakov, on his way to the home of his uncle Lavan, stopped off at the site where the Beit Hamikdash would eventually stand, he gathered some stones which he placed at his headstead. Our Sages teach us that those stones quarreled with one another over which would have the privilege of having this saintly tzaddik use it as a pillow. G-d solved the problem by fusing all of the stones into one.

As we read about this in this weeks Torah portion we cannot help but reflect on the quarrels among political parties in Israel which have created the need for early elections for prime minister and Knesset.

But are these quarrels also over who will have the privilege of supporting the tzaddikim in the country whose study of Torah and observance of mitzvot provide the Divine protection for all of Israel? If that would be the sublime motive of their struggle for power, there would hardly be a need for elections because they would be fused into one solid rock.

The fact is, however, that neither Right nor Left has demonstrated a proper appreciation of the need to strengthen the spiritual backbone of Israeli society. What they are left with, therefore,is a frantic and futile power struggle which does not allow an elected government to last for more than a couple of years.

We must pray that G-d will open the eyes of our politicians to the need to support and encourage the activities and institutions of the nations tzaddikim so that they will be blessed with the unity of Yaakovs stones and stability for Israel forever.