Try to imagine: What does that person who knows nothing about Torah and commandments think of us when he sees us uniting the four species and waving them up and down?
He must be pointing his finger at us and saying to his companion: "What strange people are standing, taking a few leaves and one yellow fruit in their hands and shaking them at a steady, even pace.".
And when the great tribulation arrives, and that man watches the willow leaves hitting the ground, his mouth will surely open again in question, and his eyes will not take their eyes off what is before him.
When Simchat Torah arrives and he discovers the same one who first shook stalks, then struck them - finally embracing himself with a cloth cloak, which envelops something hidden, he is already certain that those before him - who perform these puzzling acts - are not at all sane.
And look at us, provoking wonder and questioning, we don't care how people look at us, how we express ourselves, what we say, what we think, how we react - we continue on our way, with great pride, and we don't let up.
They wave the flag, raise it, lower it, clap and hug.
Because when we are confident in ourselves, and know that everything we do is right and justified - we are not ashamed of it at all. On the contrary, we are proud of what we do, and even feel ourselves, thanks to these amazing deeds, to be special, extraordinary people.
With virtue.
If we were all strong enough in our stance on everything that proves our Jewishness, then none of us would be ashamed of our modesty: the boy would not be stingy with the size of his kippah, and the girl would not cut off the hem of her dress.
If we were all strong enough in our position, none of us would be ashamed of the quality of learning at our son's school, and none of us would ask for additional studies outside of the academic framework.
He was proud of the rules and restrictions that rabbis placed on his sons in yeshivahs, and that administrators placed on his daughters in seminaries.
He would understand and appreciate the complete prohibition on using the smartphone, even if it is properly blocked and censored.
If we were proud enough of our Judaism, then, without squinting, we would celebrate everything that preserves the virtuous people within us, without hiding anything.
Only when we know how to walk proudly, with the flag of Judaism in our hands, without thinking twice, and without fearing for our skin, will we truly succeed in maintaining our position, and in being a light to the nations in our Judaism.
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