Friday, September 08, 2006
Why Manhigut should break with Likud and join with NationalUnion,Hazit and Yemin
Monday, September 04, 2006
Parshas Ki Savo - Last years post
Sovereignty of Land is a function of keeping Mitzvoth. Being supreme and not the underdog.
The silence on behalf of Eretz Yisroel has been deafening.
How come no one is proclaiming that Eretz Yisroel is our Land. This weeks Parsha is not so silent.
It's pretty obvious that Eretz Yisroel was given to Am Yisroel. Moshe repeats it and repeats it again and again in this weeks Parsha. Moshe even sounds like a broken record.
Wouldn't once or twice be enough? I started going through the Parsha looking simply at pshat for sentences that mention "Eretz Shehinchalta laavoseinu" or "Eretz Shehinchalta Lanu" etc. I'm only in the middle. So far in Perek 26, it is mentioned independently in pasukim 1,3, 9,15. In Perek 27 in Pasuk 2,13. That is 6 times alone in a Perek and a half. It's like a father trying to drum something important into a child's deaf ears.
But the Parsha is also very clear on our obligations in the Land. I also started tracking the various Mitzvot that the Bnei Yisroel are required to do in the Land. The Brachos and the Klalos are contingent on the performance of Mitzvoth. That concept is drummed in again and again in the Parsha as well.
Here is a list of Mitzvoth that we are to do in the Land. The list is only in the beginning.
Pesukim 1-11 - Mitzva of Bikurim
Mitzva to be Happy with all the good that Hashem gave us
Pesukim 12 it mentions Maaser Rishon
Pasuk 12 mentions Maaser Ani.
In the Stone Chumash Commentary it says "By the day before Pesach of the year after each three year cycle, an owner must make sure that he has delivered all tithes to their proper destination and then on the last day of Pesach of the fourth and seventh year, he recites the confession in this passage (vs 13-15)."
This is the fourth year of the Shemittah cycle. Can anyone see if there is any connection between Pesach of this year and the decision to go through with the disengagement? Can we focus and evaluate on how well we fulfilled the Mitzvot of Maaser Rishon and Maaser Sheni or should we simply say it's not relevant to our day and age and let us not make any connection to the performance of Mitzvoth and to events that occurred.
Before you continue reading this I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not putting the blame on the people of Gush Katif and say that they deserved what happened to them because they did not keep the Mitzvoth. It is very painful to hear this especially in their current pain and grief. This is like pouring salt on a fresh wound. Let me preface my remarks by saying that the people of Gush Katif are the creme de la Creme. G-d expects a lot from them. He knows what they are capable of doing. However we must get to the root cause of the problem. If we don't, more expulsions are scheduled to occur Chas Veshalom. New settlements like Ir Emunah are to be built. How can we prevent another expulsion? We can blame Sharon for carrying out the decree but still G-d allowed it to happen.
Every night I have a Chavrusa with my seven year old son. Before going to sleep I try to read to him and translate a portion of Parashat Hashavua. So this week I am reading from Shlishi to Revei to him. It says in Pasuk 16 "This day, Hashem, your G-d commands you to perform these decrees and the statutes, and you shall observe and perform them with all your heart and with all your soul, You have distinguished Hashem today to be a G-d for you, and to walk in His ways and to observe His decrees, His commandments, and His statutes, and to hearken to His voice. And Hashem has distinguished you today to be for Him a treasured people, as He spoke to you, and to observe all His commandments, and to make you supreme over all the nations that He made, for praise, for renown, and for splendor, and so that you will be a holy people to Hashem, your G-d as He spoke."
So how can I explain to my seven year old son the desecrations of the synagogues in Gush Katif following the expulsion. If we were keeping all the Mitzvot (the ones previously mentioned before this passage about bikurim and Maaser Rishon and Maaser Sheni) would G-d have allowed such a desecration?
G-d is very explicit in this weeks Parsha that the blessings are a function and contingent on the performance of Mitzvoth. If that is the case, are the farmers of Gush Katif examining their performance of these Mitzvoth. Did they in fact recite the declaration in vs. 13-15 on Pesach this year? Did the poor people (Ger, Yasom and Elmana and Leviim get extra from Maaser sheni?) I cry when I even mention this because the precious Jews of Gush Katif are more worthy than I. Who am I to bring up a possible fault on their part? Yet it is a collective reckoning that is required. All those of us that are not farmers have we declared that Eretz Yisroel was given to us and that we in turn are required to keep the commandments or else we forfeit our right to sovereignty.
It is a time to review our actions. It is the time for Teshuva. Let us be circumspect.
Maybe this is all Hashem is waiting for. When we focus on the Mizvoth, and in our desire to keep them, Hashem will make us supreme rather than the underdog.
Let us break the silence.....
Monday, August 28, 2006
Torah as an Authentic Model of Government - In response to Shmuel Sackett's post
My comment to Shmuel Sackett's post.
Shmuel, I agree with you. The Torah is the key. I am glad to see that Manhigut and articles such as your own specifically mention the Torah rather than use words like "Jewish values" and historical right to the Land. Unfortunately, mentioning the Bible for PR purposes, even by the strongest supporters of Yesha, has been severely discouraged and suppressed. Any reference to the Bible is politically incorrect. There is a real fear of backlash that is quite virulent. Arutz7 and the leaders of Yesha opposed the Disengagement and Convergence publicly because of humanitarian and security reasons rather than on Biblical considerations. It is only now, where humanitarian and security concerns have in fact materialized and still talks of convergence are as strong as ever, that the Torah arguments are coming into the picture.
Talking about the Bible is like opening up the Pandoras box.
I feel that your party, Manhigut Yehudit has a special role to counter and undo the very real negative impression that believers in the Bible who attempt to put "Biblical precepts" into practice, are simply radical Messianic extremists, hate spewing racists, Nazi like, no different than radical Islamic fundamentalism. In Western society, the only existing acceptable politically correct model of government must be based on Democracy. Anything else is viewed as a threat against democracy and freedom.
The following points would be helpful to undo such negative brainwashing.
The Bible is a source of the modern day Republic. Yet over the years, there has been a cover up among Western Society to attribute any recognition of the contribution of the Torah to the political philosophy of government over the ages. From articles that I have read in Azure magazine, there were non Jewish Hebraist philosophers in the 17th Century whose political thought showed how the modern day Republic came about as a direct result of the influence of the Hebrew Bible. The reason I bring this up is in order to make politically correct the notion that a government based on the Bible is actually an authentic ancient model of Government.
Torah is relevant to our day and age and in fact we wish to revive the Biblical model. We believe it is the only appropriate government for the Land of Israel. The Biblical model of government precedes any of the forms of governments that exist in the world today. I would encourage philosophers, economists, and Biblical Scholars to open up this new body of discussion about how a government based on the Bible is worthy at the very least, to be studied, discussed and treated with respect rather than with disdain and marginalized as crazy dangerous radical extremism and the number one threat to Israel's society and to democracy. Please read further thought on this topic at http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2005/09/hebrew-law-manhigut-yisroel-not-party.html
Any comments are very much appreciated.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Re: Israelis or Jews? by David Wilder - Commentary- Shoftim and Shotrim
Aug 25, '06 / 1 Elul 5766
My Commentary:
Dear David, amv"sh
Sunday, August 20, 2006
East vs West-WWIII Chas Vechalila- Radical Islam vs. Materialist Western Culture
Correct the World with the Kingdom of G-d and all of humanity will call Your name.
TRUST IN G-D –
and you will have peace.
When the Jewish people will trust in G-d, that the Land of Israel belongs unequivocally to them, and are willing to declare this openly to the nations of the world, then “No one will contest the matter, and you will not need to go to war.” In fact, even weapons will prove unnecessary…” The Rebbe, (Likutei Sichos, vol. 34, p. 8)
In the beginning, G-d created the Heavens and the Earth
What is the reason the Torah begins with Creation? Because if the nations of the world say to Israel: "You are robbers because you have conquered with force the lands of the nations of Canaan" Israel can answer: "He created it and gave it to whomever was proper in His eyes. Of His own will He gave it to them and of His own will He took it from them and gave it to us."
-- Rashi on Genesis 1:1
the holy city of Tzfat.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60787498@N00/215011807/