Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Its All Good - Letter sent to Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky and Founder and Director Michael Rothschild of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation re: Chareidi Draft, Torah Solution: Elef L'Mateh, Elef L'Mateh: Rav Chaim Kanievsky Partners with Rav Kook and Rabbi Pesach Lerner to help fight War in 2006

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Tonight, in honor of the 8th Annual Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Dinner held in the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan are my thoughts regarding the recent Chareidi Rally in protest of the Chareidi Draft: 

Lichvod: Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky Shlita Chairman of the Rabbinical Board -  Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation
             Mr. Michael Rothschild Shlita Founder and DirectorChofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation

Thank you for your ongoing Leadership in the Torah world in America especially when it comes to teaching children and grownups the language of Ahavas Yisroel! Our generation has benefited greatly from your educational materials and programs. May Hashem and Torah be your guiding light in this period of darkness!

Please forgive me for addressing you in matters that are out of my league. The words that follow have merit of their own and comes from being influenced from having lived near Hevron and being very connected to Hevron.

I cannot in good conscience remain silent....

HKBH is way ahead of us ..

Let us try to reconcile the two sides.....

Is being a part of the Israeli Army such a problem from a Torah perspective?

Here in just the past 2 days in the news, is a stark reminder that if Hashem wills it, we can be drafted anywhere.

  • Haredim Being Drafted – to Ukrainian Army Will the Haredim escape to Israel before or after the gates are closed


"Unlike in the IDF, Jewish soldiers in the Ukrainian army cannot get kosher food, cannot have beards, and must work on Shabbat – which is the day they clean the base..."

Also please read the following article.
  • Americans in Israel Targeted by IRS for Tax Audits Published Monday, March 3, 2014
Suspected Child Credit Fraud Among Hasidim Prompts Scrutiny By Nathan Guttman

Even this leftist author feels the IRS is being overzealous... Is America truly a safer haven for Chareidim than Israel?

Mr. Rothschild, amv"sh

The choice of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a Holocaust Museum, as a venue for the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Dinner tonight is a wise one considering that Am Yisroel is now facing a threat from those whose ideology and leaders partnered with Hitler Yemach Shemo VeZichro and then denied the Holocaust happened. I am referring to our modern day Amalek, PLO/Fatah and Hamas who consider the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem yemach shemo their leader and hero.  I am also referring to our modern day Persian Amalekites,  Ayatollah Khomeini and Hassan Rouhani yemach shemum vezichrom who have made no secret of their intentions towards Israel (at least to their own people).

It is shocking to me and others that Chareidim gathered en-mass in the hundreds of thousands against the Jewish government of Israel consisting of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid to accuse them of  uprooting Torah because of the draft enlistment.

I do not wish to minimize the legitimate grievances of the Chareidim in any way which are indeed  painful, but honestly these grievances pale in comparison with the threat our Nation is facing, from such evil coming from Iran and Fatah/Hamas/Hezbollah aligning themselves with Nazi ideology. There is surely room to Dan Lecaf Zechus, judge favorably,Israeli government elected officials like the Prime Minister and his coalition for wanting Chareidim to be part of a Jewish army.

How did the Chareidim fail to acknowledge that Israel is facing an existential threat from our enemies which threaten Chareidm, Dati Leumi and/ or Chilonim alike right, left and center, (not to mention north and south) irrespective of political leanings?

Surely it is not too late to do so as I have been told that a rally is being scheduled for this coming Sunday in New York. Perhaps, we in New York, a bit removed from the fire, can channel the flames of passion in a positive direction.  Whether or not this rally materializes I hope both sides can unite to at least acknowledge that Israel is indeed facing the modern day Amalek.  As it says Bechol Dor veDor... 

The letter below from Rav Simcha HaKochen Kook might be extremely helpful as it was a collaborative effort with Rav Chaim Kanievsky and Rabbi Pesach Lerner - a true display of Achdus.  

We can learn from the war Moshe Rabbeinu waged against Midyon, a Milchemet Mitzvah,  as per how to combine those who are learning with those who are actually fighting into one unified army. Surely, the masses of Chareidim that attended the rally as well as those from the Dati Leumi camp are all interested in learning and implementing how a Jewish army must maintain a level of Holiness as prescribed by Torah while defending the Land and People of Israel from those who wish to annihilate us.

Rambam includes Milchemet Mitzvah within the count of Mitzvoth and I believe no one is exempt.

Surely the absolute best soldiers to fight Iran, Hamas or Hizbollah is a Holy army and those strong in Yirath Shamayim, as it says in the Torah "Vehaya Machanecha Kadosh!", Devarim 23:14-15 "For Hashem your G-d walks in the midst of your camp to rescue you and to deliver your enemies before you;  So your camp shall be holy" 

There is no disagreement that this Pasuk, Pshuto Kemashmao, it's plain and literal translation is referring to a military camp.

A quick glance in the Concordance of the word Milchama will bring pages of references throughout Tanach where we have clear precedents that fighting for Jewish survival is indeed considered  a Mitzvah. Purim and Chanukah are both examples of actual fighting in battles and being victorious and bringing forth a tremendous Kiddush Hashem!


Email Yanki Schneck
Assistant of Chief Rabbi of Rehovot itsallgood84@juno.com to get signed up.
 
Subject: REQUEST FROM RAV SIMCHA HAKOHEN KOOK
 
PLEASE SHARE WITH ALL YOUR CONTACTS, THANK YOU.  
 
DEAR COLLEAGUES
 
SHALOM ALEICHEM.
 
IT IS NOW 7:30 PM, THURSDAY EVENING IN NEW YORK,  2:30 AM, FRIDAY MORNING EARLY IN ERETZ YISRAEL.
WITHIN THE LAST 30 MINUTES I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM RABBI SIMCHA HAKOHEN KOOK, SHLITA, CHIEF RABBI OF RECHOVOT, A SPECIAL
INDIVIDUAL KNOWN TO MANY OF US, PERSONALLY. HIS CALL WAS FOLLOWED BY A FAX AND  PHONE CALLS  FROM HIS ASSISTANT, RABBI YAAKOV SCHNECK.
 
RABBI KOOK EXPLAINED TO ME HOW SERIOUS THE SITUATION IS IN ISRAEL, MORE SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS THAN ANY OF US CAN IMAGINE.
ERETZ YISRAEL NEEDS OUR CONSTANT AND SPECIAL TEFILLOS.
 
RAV KOOK SHARED WITH ME HIS VERY RECENT, WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS, CONVERSATION WITH RAV CHAIM KANIEVSKY, SHLITA
AND ASKED OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOUNG ISRAEL TO SHARE THE FOLLOWING TORAH INSIGHT AND TORAH REQUEST.
SPEARHEADING THIS EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN IS RAV KOOK AND THE BOSTONER REBBE, SHLITA.
 
I SHARE WITH YOU THEIR OPEN LETTER AND REQUEST. PLEASE SHARE THE LETTER, CONCEPT, REQUEST WITH YOUR CONGREGANTS THIS SHABBOS.
 
 
TO ACHEINU BNEI YISRAEL:
 
AFTER HEARING THE HEART-RENDERING APPEAL OF GEDOLEI TORAH TO INTENSIFY OUR TEFILOS AND TORAH LEARNING
DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR KLALL YISRAEL IN ERETZ YISRAEL, WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO JOIN AND ADD TO THEIR REQUEST.
 
THE TORAH INFORMS US THAT IN THE WAR THAT MOSHE RABBEINU AND KLALL YISRAEL WAGED AGAINST MIDYON, MOSHE "DRAFTED"
ELEF L'MATEH, ELEF L'MATEH---ONE THOUSAND SOLDIERS FROM EACH SHEVET/TRIBE. THE MEDRASH RABBA AND THE YALKUT SHIMONI EXPLAIN
THAT IN FACT, EACH SHEVET SENT ONE THOUSAND PAIRS, TWO THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS--ONE THOUSAND TO FIGHT AND ONE THOUSAND
TO DAVEN.  EACH SOLDIER HAD HIS DESIGNATED PERSON WHOSE TASK WAS TO DAVEN AND LEARN FOR HIS SPECIFIC SOLDIER COLLEAGUE.
AND THE TORAH TELLS US--V'LO NIFKAD MIMENU ISH, NO ONE WAS KILLED FROM AMONGST THE JEWISH ARMY.
 
WE BROUGHT THIS IDEA TO RAV CHAIM KANIEVSKY, SHLITA,. HE WAS QUITE HAPPY ABOUT THE IDEA AND POINTED OUT THAT
DOVID HAMELECH INSTITUTED THE PLAN, AS WELL. EACH INVDIVIDUAL WHO WAS IN COMBAT HAD A DESIGNATED PERSON WHO WAS
DAVENING AND LEARNING IN HIS MERIT.
 
THEREFORE, WE ASK OF EVERYONE --SOLDIERS, RESIDENTS OF CITIES AND TOWNS THAT ARE UNDER ATTACK, THOSE THAT ARE IN SHELTERS,
ALL THAT FIND THEMSELVES IN DANGER, TO CONTACT US, TO GIVE US YOUR HEBREW NAME AND THE HEBREW NAME OF YOUR MOTHER.
WE WILL FIND A JEW WHO WILL ACCEPT UPON HIMSELF/HERSELF TO DAVEN AND LEARN, SPECIFICALLY AS A MERIT FOR YOUR SAFETY AND SECURITY. 
 
WE CALL UPON THE JEWISH COMMUNITY--MEN AND WOMEN, ADULT AND YOUTH, IN THE DIASPORA, TO JOIN IN THIS HOLY
ENDEAVOR, ACCEPT A NAME OF A  SOLDIER OR CIVILIAN WHO FINDS HIMSELF/HERSELF IN DANGER. BOND WITH ACHEINU
BNEI YISRAEL IN ERETZ YISRAEL AND "PARTNER" IN TORAH AND TEFILAH WITH A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL, HAVE THAT PERSON,
BY NAME, INCLUDED IN YOUR TEFILOS, TORAH LEARNING AND ACTS OF CHESED.
 
IF YOU WISH TO PARTNER WITH A JEW IN ISRAEL, PLEASE CONTACT US AND WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU A JEW WHO WOULD BE HONORED AND
APPRECIATIVE TO BE PART OF YOUR TEFILOS AND TORAH LEARNING.
BY TELEPHONE, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8-10 PM IN ERETZ YISRAEL, 011-972-2-581-1911; BY FAX, 011-972-2-651-2950;
 
IN THE MERIT OF OUR CONCERN FOR EACH OTHER, MAY WE SEE A SUCCESSFUL END TO THIS WAR, AS IT SAYS IN THE PASUK, V'LO NIFKAD MIMENU ISH,
WITHOUT THE LOSS OF EVEN JUST ONE MORE PERSON.
 
--THE LETTER IS SIGNED BY THE BOSTONER REBBE, SHLITA AND RAV SIMCHA HAKOHEN KOOK
 
--IF WE AT NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOUNG ISRAEL CAN ASSIST IN MATCHING A CONCERNED JEW WITH A BROTHER OR SISTER IN ISRAEL,
A SOLDIER OR CIVILIAN, PLEASE DO CALL UPON US. TEL 212-929-1525 EXT 100/101; FAX 212-727-9526; E-MAILEXECVP@YOUNGISRAEL.ORG
 
--THANK YOU, TIZKU L'MITZVOT
 
 
Rabbi Pesach Lerner

from:
 Elisha Klausner
 Menahel
 Veitzener Cheder
Rav at  Kahal Tiferes Yisroel

"Osa Shalom bimromav ho yaesa shalom elaneu val kul yisrael bimeranu AMEN!!!!!!!!!!"

--
Sincerely,

Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch.  May their memories serve as a blessing.

Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com 

Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog. T

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