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Anti-Semitism is created when there is a void. Allow me to identify that void.
That void is Asserting and Protecting our Identity as Jews. When one fails to assert or protect their identity properly, one becomes an easy target for identity theft.
The Palestinians, have recognized this void and have taken the golden opportunity to steal our identity. They claim that Israel is occupying their Land promised by Allah. It is their Land exclusively. It is a holy War, Jihad to destroy the Jews.
We are G-d's chosen people, chosen to keep His commandments and to live in the Land of Israel where the Commandments can best reach their potential. Through keeping the commandments of the H-ly Torah, we become a vessel to receive all of G-d's blessings. The nations of the world will be blessed since we are the conduit of blessings to mankind.
Therefore, the leaders of our generation, the Rabbis of our generation, must not be afraid to state openly that the Land of Israel is the inheritance of the Nation of Israel exclusively. The entire world belongs to the Creator of the World. The Nation of Israel by keeping the commandments of the Torah in the Land of Israel, will infuse the entire Land and subsequently the entire world with holiness. Failure to do so results in a void, in a chillul Hashem which is the meaning of anti-Semitism. (anti shem which refers to a nullification of G-d's name). We fool ourselves in believing that we can fight anti-Semitism in any other way other than to assert our true identity. Our identity and purpose and mission is defined in the Bible and spelled out in the Covenant between G-d and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to their seed. It is an everlasting Covenant for all generations.
Malcolm Hoenein and his organization the Conference of Presidents, are excellent in tracking anti-Semitism throughout the world. Unfortunately, they are blind to the fact that a Two State Solution, the Roadmap Plan following in the footsteps of Camp David and Oslo is the actual CAUSE of anti-Semitism.. Malcolm Hoenlein said that Oslo is an agreement that can not revoked. Yet any agreement is null and void if its foundation is based on a false premise. G-d's Torah on the other hand can never be revoked.
As I mentioned, Malcolm Hoenlein and the Conference of Presidents do a wonderful job tracking all the incidents of anti-Semitism throughout the world. Over the past few years they themselves recognize a significant increase in the rise of anti-Semitism.
Simultaneously, Malcolm Hoenlein and many of the Jewish organizations he represents, actively engage in activity that promotes and gives rise and perpetuates anti-Semitism! You are shocked no doubt! What is their specific activity that has brought a rise anti-Semitism? The answer is that they are actively engaged in negotiating the rights to the Land of Israel away to our enemies. This is in direct conflict with G-d's Covenant. G-d clearly gives exclusive rights to the Land of Israel to the Nation of Israel. The borders are clearly delineated. Malcolm Hoenlein may give the impression that this is a racist concept in today's modern world. The Jews are above racism he will argue. Us Jews do not act like our enemies. We do not stoop to their level. We treat all of humanity equally and humanely so we will give our Palestinian neighbors a fair share as long as there is reciprocity. Mr. Hoenlein, that is not what the Torah says. The Torah says that the borders of Israel are exclusively for the Nation of Israel. . The borders of Israel are clearly delineated in the Torah. The Torah is real and relevant and Malcolm Hoenlein's perception is not real or relevant even though he will convince others to believe that he knows how we must face and how to deal in the "real" world and work with reality. He will portray our position as being against progress for true and everlasting peace and goodwill with our neighbors.
So I beseech my dear Friends to call upon Malcolm Hoenlein and specifically JMINTHEAM
nachum@wfmu.org , and all the wonderful Young Israels under the leadership of Rabbi Pesach Lerner
plerner@youngisrael.org such as the Young Israel of Midwood, Rabbi Shulman
rabbi@yimidwood.org and the Young Israel of the West Side, Rabbi Dovid Cohen
cohen.dovid@gmail.com who so proudly hosts Malcolm Hoenlein (see this coming Shabbos Scholar in Residence December 21st) to look inward. Why can't they see that they too are giving Malcolm Hoenlein a forum to promote the Two State Solution, Roadmap Plan. True you may argue that Malcolm Hoenlein promotes an undivided Jerusalem and is promoting the United Coalition for an Undivided Jerusalem including all of the mainstream Jewish organizations under this banner. To this argument let me bring a Mishneh in Yuma Perek Gimel Mishneh Aleph. Translation is Artscroll Mishneh Series.
Here, the Mishneh returns to the original topic of the tractate which is the order of the Yom Kippur Service.
1.The administrator said to them [to the assembled Kohanim]; 'Go out and see, if the time for slaughtering has arrived.' If it had arrived, the one who sees [it] says 'Barkai.' Mattisya ben Shmuel says[He was the administrator of the lots, as mentioned in Shekalim 5:1;]; 'The whole of the east has lit up.' "As far as Hebron" and he says, 'Yes!'
2.Why was this necessary? Because one time the moon's light rose and they thought that the east had lit up, so they slaughtered the daily sacrifice, and then [had to] take it out to the place of burning.
There was a specially designated viewing station in the Temple where an observer went up to see whether day had dawned. In the Temple service, any slaughter performed at night is invalid, Day is reckoned from dawn - i.e. when the first shimmer of light is observed on the eastern horizon. The people in the Temple asked the observer "As far as Hebron?" i.e. Did you see the sky lit up as far as Hebron?' (Rambam, Rav) Yerushalmi (2:1) says that they mentioned Hebron in order to allude to the merit of the Patriarchs who were buried there.
When I read these Mishnayos it made me so happy to see that the slaughtering of the sacrifices in the temple could not begin until the sky lit up as far as Hebron. In fact once there was a mistake and the light of the moon was mistaken for light of daybreak and they slaughtered too early and it was invalid and had to be thrown away and burnt. It came to mind that we too can mistake the light of Galus (exile, night) for the real morning light and our sacrifices will be for naught. For the real thing we need to see till Hebron.
So when we speak of an undivided Jerusalem, for real service of the Temple, we must speak of an undivided Jerusalem extending till Hebron. Of course if we are merely speaking about a museum representing Jerusalem, Hebron is not that important. We are not striving to restore Jerusalem to the way it was but merely as a zecher LeChurban. A remembrance.
Once there was a beautiful house of charity. They had parties for combating Lung Cancer, and the Heart Association and Special Olympics and Meir Panim and Multiple Sclerosis to name a few. They sent relief to all natural disasters all over the world.
There was a homeless beggar outside this house that was clearly criminal. The owner of the house fed him and let him in the house on those cold nights. After all he liked the reputation of being charitable and was going to show the world that he was not cruel or inhumane to let that poor beggar suffer outside. So he let the beggar into the basement. After a while the beggar trashed the basement. The owner tried to explain to him that he took him off the streets and it wasn't nice of the beggar to trash the basement. The beggar seemed indifferent and grew stronger day by day from the good food and shelter. The beggar told him it's not fair that he, the owner, has this beautiful house and that the beggar was only stuck in the basement. The beggar demanded the upstairs as well. The beggar brought lots of friends into the house now. The owner was intimidated. He tried to negotiate with the new guests. He told them that he absolutely refuses to give them the kitchen. In this kitchen they had prepared the most beautiful parties for all these charitable causes. A fight broke out between the beggar and his "friends". Some felt that the previous occupier of the house should have absolutely no rights to the kitchen. The others argued that of course they would never allow the previous occupier to cook in the kitchen but they would agree to letting them have some access. In basic principle the interlopers agreed. The former occupier had to eventually leave. Allowing the museum of the kitchen was simply a tactic to easily take over the upstairs. Temporarily they would allow him to have a museum of the kitchen. It would give him the allusion of being in control. Cooking of course is out of the question. Of course after they take over the entire upstairs, they'll have an easier time to get rid of the occupiers from kitchen as well.
By now I hope you have seen the analogy. Where did the owner go wrong? He should have banished the criminal beggar at the very start from coming in close proximity to his beautiful house. He should have scared the heck out of him and if that didn't work should have gone one step further. The house was a place of charity and peace. By bringing in the criminal beggar he put the prosperity and peace of his house in danger. Not only that, he let down and actually abandoned all the worthy organizations that can no longer be helped by this wonderful house. He refused to assert his rightful ownership of his house and as a result, due to his own self righteousness and other vices destroyed all that he had. and ruined the goodness that he was capable of providing and actually did provide.
The following was sent to me by Evelyn Haies. Anti-Semitism is reaching new heights especially in France.
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 8:43 AM. What is our proper response. Shall we negotiate with the beggar criminal and cohorts? Or shall we proudly proclaim our identity as Jews and the rights to the Land. Lemaan Zion lo Echesheh!
Friends and Family,
I received this post from a friend in NY. One of his friends is living in
France and posted this to him with the request that Andy distribute it to
his American friends.
Andy prefaces with: "Once again, the real news in France is conveniently
not being reported as it should. To give you an idea of what's going on in
France where there are now between 5 and 6 million Muslims and about
600,000 Jews, here is an email that came from a Jew living in France.
Please read!"
"Will the world say nothing - again - as it did in Hitler's time? He
writes, "I AM A JEW -- therefore I am forwarding this to everyone on all my
e-mail lists. I will not sit back and do nothing." Nowhere have the flames
of anti-Semitism burned more furiously than in France: In Lyon, a car was
rammed into a synagogue and set on fire. In Montpellier, the Jewish
religious center was firebombed; so were synagogues in Strasbourg and
Marseilles; so was a Jewish school in Creteil - all recently. A Jewish
sports club in Toulouse was attacked with Molotov cocktails, and on the
statue of Alfred Dreyfus in Paris, the words "Dirty Jew" were painted. In
Bondy, 15 men beat up members of a Jewish football team with sticks and
metal bars. The bus that takes Jewish children to school in Aubervilliers
has been attacked three times in the last 14 months.
"According to the Police, metropolitan Paris has seen 10 to 12 anti-Jewish
incidents PER DAY in the past 30 days. Walls in Jewish neighborhoods have
been defaced with slogans proclaiming "Jews to the gas chambers" and "Death
to the Jews." A gunman opened fire on a kosher butcher's shop (and, of
course, the butcher) in Toulouse, France; a Jewish couple in their 20s were
beaten up by five men in Villeurbanne, France The woman was pregnant; a
Jewish school was broken into and vandalized in Sarcelles, France. This was
ju st in the past week.
"So I call on you, whether you are a fellow Jew, a friend, or merely a
person with the capacity and desire to distinguish decency from depravity,
to do, at least, these three simple things:
"First, care enough to stay informed. Don't ever let yourself become
deluded into thinking that this is not your fight. I remind you of what
Pastor Neimoller said in World War II: "First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the
Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the
Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they
came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me".
Second, boycott France and French products. Only the Arab countries are
more toxically anti-Semit ic and, unlike the m, France exports more than
just oil and hatred. So boycott their wines and their perfumes. Boycott
their clothes and their foodstuff s. Boycott their movies. Definitely
boycott their shores. If we are resolved we can exert amazing pressure and,
whatever else we may know about the French, we most certainly know that
they are like a cobweb in a hurricane in the face of well-directed pressure.
Third, send this along to your family, your friends, and your co-workers.
Think of all of the people of good conscience that you know and let them
know that you and the people that you care about need their help.
The number one best selling book in France is...."September 11: The
Frightening Fraud," which argues that no plane ever hit the Pentagon
Chaim David wrote the following comment in response to my first comment. This is my response back to him and to Avi Shafran:
Robin Ticker, consider this. Moshiach did not come yet. We are still in golus.
You claim that if the current state of Israel gives control of land back to the Palestinians the Jewish people lose it. This is simply wrong. We have been and will always be the rightful owners of Eretz Yisrael, regardless of the claim any Crusader, Turk or Briton. The State could never surrender that claim to anybody.
But until Moshiach comes and HaShem returns us in glory to our land, that claim will not be exercised. So long as the Jewish people remain in golus—where we are now—we will not be able to take over the land and use it fully with all our latent rights to it. The State of Israel cannot annul our exile by paper claims that the Jews have now returned to the land.
So the legal rights of who owns the land today according to the worthless laws of the goyim—whether it be the state or the Palestinians—are meaningless in Shamayim.
Do not worry. My inheritance, your inheritance, all our land of Israel, are protected and sure. Daven to HaShem and ask for redemption. Come and live here and commit the place you live to the place you value most—your land.
My unabridged to Chaim Dovid and to Rabbi Shafran:
There is a prevalent attitude that unless one lives in Israel, one should have no real say regarding who is chosen to represent Israel. Perhaps they are afraid that if religious Jews from the Diaspora want their voices heard and represented, then the voice of all the leftist secular Jews will also want to be heard and represented. My feeling is that the Torah is what gives us a right to the Land of Israel or rather stewardship. G-d owns the Land. By not claiming the Land as ours in order to keep the Commandments, we then don't deserve the land. In fact, the Land kicks us out. We will still eternally remain the rightful owners so long as we keep the Mitzvoth. That is the precondition. Yet, if we by choice give away our material, our candle, that can create the light, there is darkness. How can we keep the Mitzvoth Teluyot Baaretz when you give away the Land. Can one keep tefillin if they cut off their hand? At the Agudah Convention, Rabbi Malkiel Kotler and other Gedoilim BaTorah speak about Am Yisroel being One Neshama. One Guf. There is Areivus. So if the majority of Jews, chareidim and secular Jews, don't value Eretz Yisroel or the Mitzvoth of the Land, than collectively, we are all lacking. Does one have to make Aliya? That is the ideal. But as I myself painfully, G-d is in control, and actually living in the Land is a real zechus not possible unfortunately for many. However, at the very least, we need to say that Eretz Yisroel is our Land and individually do whatever we can in whatever capacity to help build, settle and do Mitzvoth teluyot Baaretz, ourselves or by helping those that have the zechus to live in the Land, for only this will bring the Moshiach. Why do some Jews think that we have to wait for Moshiach who will bring us to Eretz Yisroel. Maybe the opposite is true. Moshiach is waiting for us to show Hashem that we actually desire Eretz Yisroel. After 2000 years Hashem gives us Sovereignty and we disregard it. Hashem says if we act with happenstance then He will act to us with happenstance. How can we disregard the continuous miracles from Hashem from the beginnings of the establishment of Jewish Sovereignty till the present in Sederot? Was Kingship established in E"Y immediately after entering E"Y following the Midbar. First there was Yehoshua, then Shoftim and Shmuel. The people demanded a king too early in fact. All these Neviim Rishonim chastise Am Yisroel for not ridding their Land of the idolotry and the Goyim from the Land. These Goyim became the thorns in their sides as Hashem promised. They did to the Jews what the Jews were to do to them. In todays time they have actually stolen our identity. They claim that we are the occupiers.
In 1937 in Marienbad, the Third Kenessiah of Agudas Yisroel was held. Please read below an article from the journal HaPardes (volume 11, Issue 7, October 1937), 70 years ago, reprinted in Mishpacha Issue 179, 6 Cheshvan 5768, October 17,2007 Page 26)————————————————————————————————————-
"On Sunday, 16 Elul, the great Torah leaders discussed the question of a Jewish State, and reached the greatly anticipated decision of the congress. It was a stormy assembly, attended by the Rebbes of Gur, Ghorkov, Boyan, Sadigura, and the great Torah schoilars members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Rabbinical Council). A great battle took place, over seven hours, with struggles about every minute detail of the decision.
"Rabbi Wasserman, Rabbi Kotler, Rabbi Rottenberg of Antwerp, and rabbis from Czechoslovakia and Hungary were unanimous in rejecting any proposal for a Jewish State on either side of the Jordan River even if it were established as a religious state, because such a regime would be a form of heresy in our faith in the belief in the coming of the Mashiach and especially since this little Jewish State would be built on heresy and desecration of the Name of G-d.
"Arguing against them were the Rebbes of Boyan and Sadigura. Rabbi Tzirelson, the president of the congress, Rabbi [Aharon] Lewin of Reisha [the head of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah] and Rabbi Sorotzkin, [who said that] it is possible to agree, according to the laws of the Torah, to the establishment of a Jewish State in a portion of the Eretz Yisael without denying the belief in the coming of redeemer. There is no need to be concerned that the nonreligious would use the Jewish State to attack our religion. therefore, it is forbidden to reject entirely the matter of the Jewish State; rather we must pursue expanding its borders and ensuring that the laws of a Jewish State will be founded on religion and tradition, and we must protest that they did not consult frum Judaism and did not include its leaders in this discussion.
"Those in favor won the vote! All the decisions were accepted affirmatively."
Although the majority of the congress seemed to be in favor of the partition plan, the text of the resolution of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah contains the statements. " The foundation of the Jewish peoples right to the Holy Land is based on the Torah and the prophets…A Jewish State not based on the principles of Torah is a denial of Jewish origin, is opposed to the identity and to the true stature of our people, and undermines the basis of existence of our people…Any relinquishment of the Holy Land given to the Jewish people by G-d has no validity" (HaPardes 11:6)
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My question is how come when the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah saw that there was a possiblity to return to Eretz Yisroel, and felt they were too weak to take on the Chilonim? Why didn't they use all their influence to convince the Jews to go to Eretz Yisroel in order to make it a place based on Torah and Mitzvoth. Why did they allow the Chilonim to take over? Apparently, they did not want to join with those that were anti Torah. Had they in 1937 called all Jews to go to Eretz Yisroel, then perhaps these Jews might have survived the Holocaust. So now let's undo the mistake of not consulting with our Gedolei Batorah regarding a Torah Authority in Eretz Yisroel. It is my impression that if Rav Eliashiv and the other Rabbanim of Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah would be presented with the goal of setting up a Judean Authority based on Torah, they would welcome and support the idea with open arms. Hasn't this been our prayers for the last 2,000 years? In addition it would be advantageous to also bring unity with Rabbanim in the Religious Zionist camps and with the established Sanhedrin who clearly came out against the disengagement. Why not even join with Satmar and convince them that we are facing an enemy that is out to destroy us? Why can't we insist to keep the Mitzvah of Shemittah in E"Y. Why not believe that a Torah Authority is truly a possibility. It is only not a reality because the majority of Jews do not support it as a reality. If there can be a Palestinian Authority than for sure let there be instead a Torah Authority in Yesha. It's a catch 22. We need a majority of Jews to support a Yesha Torah Authority. We are not talking about physically moving to Yesha, though that is the ideal, but simply to support the idea, the dream. Not to label these G-d fearing Jews as extremists, or Messianic extremists. Many Jews say we will not support this idea because there is not yet a majority supporting this idea. Just the fringe. It is not politically correct. We will sound too racist, just like our enemies.
Let us remind our fellow Jew that Eretz Yisroel with a Torah based constitution with a Sanhedrin is Torah.
The moral justification of such an action (ceding from the State of Israel) needs support from the Jews. If the only objection is implementation, we are too weak etc, that is a seperate issue. If there is open support and backing for the moral legitimacy of the Jews of Yesha to cede from the State of Israel, that alone is a deterrent for the Government of Israel to execute any military operation against Yesha communities. Questions about how the Jews in Yesha should respond when the gov't asks them to relinquish their weapons should be seriously addressed since it's imminently relevant. Once weapons are relinquished it will be that much more difficult to defend oneself and that is why the government is being proactive. Shailoth regarding disobeying immoral orders such as refusing to expel fellow Jew from Judea and Samaria should be addressed. Soldiers who find themselves conscientious objectors for the IDF need another venue where their desire to truly defend Eretz Yisroel is actualized. You might argue that we are too weak to start our own Torah Authority. It's not practical. First of all, I am convinced that indeed it is very possible if there is desire by the majority of Jews. But look at the alternative. We are looking another Hitler in the face. It's either we put our trust in the Ribbono Shel Olam or we face another holocaust chas vechalila. What is the point in waiting to openly declare that E"Y is our inheritance. It may be too late later. We can say we davan and let Hashem fight out battles. I believe then that Hashem will fight our battles and we will survive. However, Chas Vechalila will just a small remnant survive? We want the entire Nation to be worthy. And for that the Nation must act on faith. They must say that we believe Hashem's promises in the Torah regarding Shemittah. We will endeavor to keep the Mitzvah. For that we need the Land. Heter Mechira is not an option and neither is actually giving the Land away. We put our faith in Hashem and He will provide.
Shavua Tov.
I'd be interested in your comments.
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