Torah as an Authentic Model of Government - In response to Shmuel Sackett's post

bs"d

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.

Re: Israelis or Jews? by David Wilder - Commentary- Shoftim and Shotrim

Israelis or Jews? by David Wilder
Aug 25, '06 / 1 Elul 5766

My Commentary:

Dear David, amv"sh

I read with interest your article. It seems that the Secular Israeli's have divided the country into two distinct parts. Israeli (Yisroel) and Jews(Yehudah). David, You know better than most that one year ago prior to the disengagement I suggested a similar separation. It wasn't because I wished to divide the Nation but I recognized that we could not and did not wish to coerce the Israeli population to be a Jewish Nation based on Torah and Mitzvoth. It was clear that majority of Israeli population supported disengagement and were simply not on the level and ready to live a life based on Torah and Mitzvoth. Such a life requires living on Faith - Kol Mitzvosecho Emunah.

The Settlers of Yesha have the right to live a life based on Torah and Mitzvoth.In America citizens respect and relate to the concept of freedom of religion.

The Jews of Yesha failed to make the distinction of a government that is based on Torah and a government that is secular so the Israeli's did it for us. I argued that the Jews of Yesha had no alternative but to make that distinction prior to the disengagement and unfortunately failed to do so giving unity as their excuse.

Avrahom said to Lot "Why should brothers fight". Avraham called for a separation because there was no way he could live with the corrupt ways of Lot and his shepherds. After the separation, the shechina once again returned to Avrahom.

The Settlers have no choice but to declare that they wish to live a life based on Torah. They wish to have a Sanhedrin, Shoftim, Judges as well as Shotrim, a Jewish army to enforce the laws of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin will declare laws based on their halachic decisions and their laws are binding. The population is required to adhere to the decisions of the Sanhedrin under penalty of law.

The time has come to at the very least to discuss an alternative to the existing Government. The Government of Israel wish to separate from us and has separated themselves from us as you so clearly show in your article. In addition they treated us brutally. They stole our homes and they imprison our children. They gave Our Land to the enemy who used it to fire rockets at us. They took away our means of Parnassa. That alone should give us sufficient right to separate from them.

But the real reason to separate ourselves is none of the above. The real reason is because if we really yearn to live a life of Torah of Mitzvoth we simply have no option. Setting up a government based on Torah and Mitzvoth with Shoftim and Shotrim is revolutionary. There will be many pitfalls and many mistakes. It seems to me very clear that an attempt such as revolutionary as this has to be done very small scale with people that want it. It would be counterproductive to coerce anyone. This model should come from precisely the Land that the State of Israel wishes to give to the Arabs. It seems very logical to create a government based on Torah and Mitzvoth on Land that is rejected from the State of Israel but fall within the Biblical boundaries delineated in Parshat Masei. The new infant government would be declared a theocracy and not a democracy. It would be self governing theocracy but not based on radical Fundamental Islam, be it Hamas or Palestinian Authority. On the contrary, It would be a proud Jewish theocracy based on the Bible. A Torah government that will enforce Shabbat and Kashrut, It will destroy any temples that are clearly identified as idol worship. The specific laws must be defined by the Shoftim that are established and enforced by Shotrim. The job of the Sanhedrin would be to seriously review all the Mitzvoth read in Sefer Devarim. Moshe knew that he would not enter the Land of Israel and specifically wrote down Sefer Devarim as a guideline of how the Nation of Israel was to keep the Torah in Eretz Yisroel. Many of these Mitzvoth are read at Hakhel following the Shemittah year.

The initial goal is to express the desire and the yearning and intense love for Eretz Yisroel and the Mitzvoth of Eretz Yisroel among our people. I am convinced that with much prayer, we will be Matzliach and this small model will grow and grow as the Nation of Israel and Nations of the world recognize the beauty and the Hashgacha Pratis, peace and security Hashem will bestow this Gush Emunim.

I am also convinced that we will be required to do acts that will go against our nature of being Rachmanim bnei Rachmanim. We will attack brutally any entity that wishes to destroy us including women and children if necessary. We must erase any form of idol worship in our midst. Torah overrules Democracy. The Sanhedrin will define what constitutes Torah. Democracy has worked well for America and many other countries. For Eretz Yisroel, only Torah is the answer and not Democracy. There are many elements of Democracy that exist in the Torah. Yet Constitutional Democracy and Torah are mutually exclusive. We must not fall into the trap of Kochi VeOtsem Yadi. We are required to blindly follow the Mitzvoth and halachot defined by the Sanhedrin and have faith that it will bring positive results in spite of negative press and alarming odds against us in battle and elsewhere.

East vs West-WWIII Chas Vechalila- Radical Islam vs. Materialist Western Culture

bs"d

 

I've been reading it and hearing it from various places. We are facing an Enemy that wishes to destroy the entire Western Society. General Yaalon says it, Yated who quotes Nachum Segal, the New Yorker and Frontpage etc reports it.  The New York Times will quote Nasrallah of Hizbollah and Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad the President of Iran who is quite blatant.  Even my secular brother-in-law from Maryland recognizes the reality. 

 

Jews wherever they are on their number one hit list and they are happy to have Jews conveniently placed in one place like Israel so that it is that much easier to destroy them.

 

This is my commentary.

 

The orchestrator is Hakodosh Baruch Hu.  Why does Hashem put the entire world at risk for destruction.  What is Hashem's goal?  We know that the goal is for the entire world to recognize the Oneness of Hashem.  What is the role of the Jew?  It is the Jews job to bring that recognition to the world. As it says in Aleinu "Lesakein Olam BeMalchus Shakai Vechol Benei Basar Yikrau Bishmecha.." to
Correct the World with the Kingdom of G-d and all of humanity will call Your name.

 

Let us look at the elements of Western Culture and the elements of Fundamentalist Islam.   These are the two opposing forces in the world today. Certain basic elements have given America it's power and different elements has enabled Islamic Fundamentalism's rise to power.    Judaism  has the capability to take these forces and use them to serve G-d rather than to destroy G-d's world.  When these forces are not channeled properly and when we, Am Yisroel,  the spokespeople of G-d are not doing our job, the forces go unchecked in dangerous ways.  The entire world is then in danger.

 

I will use America as the representation of Western Culture.  America is known for it's strong work ethic and puts its strong emphasis on materialism and living the good life.  One raised in western society will believe in the following: "We have worked hard and we have become the superpower that we are.  We believe in Democracy, and wish the entire world to be Democratic as ourselves.  We are powerful.  We have destabilized  Iraq so that we can put in a gov't that will be Democratic in order that the lives of the citizens of Iraq will improve.  Their quality of life will be much improved and they will benefit from Western Society freedoms.  We support the Roadmap Plan in the Middle East which will bring two Democratic States living side by side in peace and harmony.   We will destabilize any gov't and put in it's place a gov't that supports Democracy for the betterment of Mankind.  We enjoy our freedoms and wish the entire world to live in peace and prosperity and the pursuit of happiness."

 

Radical Fundamentalism puts their focus not on this world but on the the World to Come.  We believe in Allah and put our faith in Allah.  We are ready to die for Allah and wish to destroy the infidels from the world.  We don't care about material values of this world and even are willing to sacrifice our life for Allah.  We will be patient and will obtain freedom and  our beliefs will take over the world or we will achieve Martyrdom in the process.  We will win either way.  Our human life and no human life is sacred.  The Jews are weak and their State is weak.  They too have forsaken G-d and have adapted the Western ways.  It is our duty and obligation to destroy them.  We are doing the will of Allah and will be greatly rewarded in the World to Come. Allah is Great!

 

What is the role of Am Yisroel and where have we failed so miserably? 

 

The Lubavitch Rebbe writes

 

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

 

------------------

 

 

Torah and Democracy are not the same.  We must choose Torah over Democracy. We must not be the puppet of the American Gov't.  We proudly must declare the Torah Position, which by definition is a theocracy, as the ideal form of government for Eretz Yisroel.  We must not fear public opinion or fear that we will be branded as Radical Religous Extremists.  We are not Islamic Fundamentalist and neither do we accept Democracy as our religion.  Eretz Yisroel and Torah and Am Yisroel are One and our mission is to be a Mamlechet Kohanim and Goy Kadosh, a Kingdom of Priests and a H-ly Nation.

 

 

Having the Land is not enough.  Living on the Land in not enough.  The Land belongs ultimately to G-d.  G-d has given us many commandments and as it says in the beginning of Parshas Reeh,

 

Deuteronomy:

²⁶ See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: ²⁷ blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you this day; ²⁸ and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not known.

 

As the commentary in Stone Chumas points out, we can not choose mediocrity.  If we do not choose heights we choose curses.

 

The Torah then continues to command us to wipe out all places of idol worship. That doesn't sound too democratic.  When the Talibans destroyed the temples they were blasted in the Press.  Yet the Torah commands us to do the same to places of idol worship. Democracies believe in Freedom of Religion.  Yet the Torah would clearly wish us to destroy the temple in Tzefas whose worship is to the Sun. 

 

 Photo of the obelisk sun god freemason pillar erected on the Metzuda in 
the holy city of Tzfat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60787498@N00/215011807/

 

The Torah clearly delineates the boundaries of Eretz Yisroel in Parshas Maasei.  Parshas Reeh has 80 Mitzvoth.  These Mitzvoth are to be done in Eretz Yisroel.  Moshe knew that he would not be able to enter Eretz Yisroel.  The entire Sefer Devarim is guidelines of how to live in Eretz Yisroel.  How can we say that we are focusing on these Mitzvoth and at the same time disregard the Boundaries specified in Parshas Maasei.  When President Bush speaks of the Roadmap, have we united to say that it is direct contradiction to the Bible?  If we, the believers and keepers of the Bible don't speak up then who will?  When the disengagement was happening, did we unite and declare that the disengagement was clear violations of the Torah.  If we truly yearned to keep the Mitzvah of Shemitah which requires a piece of property we would never be silent.  We would declare that this is our Land and we in turn are obligated to observe the Mitzvoth.  Sefer Yehoshua is quite clear in the rebuke of the Tribes of Bnei Yisroel for their failure to conquer parts of Eretz Yisroel including Lebananon and Gaza. 

 

We see that we are on the brink if not in the midst of WWIII yet we still refuse to claim even in principal in a unified and unequivocal voice that Eretz Yisroel is the inheritance of Am Yisroel and we are obligated in keeping the Mitzvoth.

 

The Mitzvah of Shemittah is the Mitzvah that has direct relationship to security of the Land.  In this past weeks Parshas Reeh, it talks of Shemittas Kesafim.  This Mitzah requires us to relinquish our possessions for the Shemittah year. We return the Land to Hashem and if we are a farmer, forego our source of Parnassa for the year. If we are not a farmer we forego our money through loans that need not be repaid.  This is the antidote to Kochi VeOtzem Yadi  which is the cancer referred to by the Islamic Fundamentalists. 

 

Islamic Fundamentalist wish to sacrifice their lives and their children lives for their idolatrous beliefs.  The Torah clearly condemns sacrificing human life and condemns very clearly sacrificing children to the Molech.  The Torah does demand that we trust our sustenance will come from G-d alone rather than on the work of our own hands. Rather than putting our full trust in Hashem and keep the Mitzvah of Shemittah (without heter Mechirah or Pruzbul), we are willing to go to battle and die.  Our Sages say that poverty is like death.  Yet if we believed in the Torah and Mitzvoth we would believe that Shemittah brings blessings and not poverty.  And going off to War is surely more dangerous then risking losing our job and being dependant on others not to starve.  And in fact the reality of today is precisely what we are most afraid of.  Millions have been displaced and have been homeless and out of work and their homes have been looted.  And in spite of how bad it is, we still did not starve because of the tremendous Chesed of our brothers.  So now we've experienced the worse and no one can deny that it's still a lot better than what Nasrallah and Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad  wishes to do to us.

 

In Shemittah year we put our faith in G-d completely, and made sure to eat.  After the year is over we know that we did not work yet we did not starve.  In fact we ate and ate feasting from the farms of our neighbors and obtaining whatever we need through loans that we are under no obligation to repay.  When the enemy puts the gun to our necks and says get out, you are occupying OUR Land, we reply,  this Land is G-D's!  We spent this entire SHemittah year proving this point.  We let our Lands lie fallow.  We returned the Land to G-d this past year.  G-d chose us to inherit the Land because we keep the Commandments.  This year we have prayed so hard for our sustenance and have seen G-d's miracles first hand each and every day.  Praying comes second nature.  We now pray against you, our enemies and in conjunction with the merit of having kept the Torah, this will cause our enemies to dissipate like the wind.

 

When we do not keep the commandments and are willing to give away the tools necessary to keep the commandments, specifically the Land, we must Trust that Hashem too will keep His word about the curses.  Hashem Yishmor.

 

My prayer is that it is still not too late.  Let us proclaim unequivocally that the Land of Israel is Ours. We are obligated in keeping the Mitzvoth.  We believe in the Bible and what the Torah says the Torah means.  Shemittah is coming up.  We will brainstorm and call upon economists, political scientists and Biblical Scholars and come up with ideas and laws specific to a Shemittah year.  Hashem Yerachem! Please G-d have Mercy!

 

 

 

Ashera -

bs"d

 

I received this email from Zilpa of Tzefat (manna04@zahav.net.il) as for a possible explanation for the war: She quotes from Devarim:

 

Ye shall surely destroy all the places, wherein the nations that ye are 
to dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the 
hills, and under every leafy tree. And ye shall break down their altars, 
and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and 
you shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and ye shall destroy 
their name out of that place"(Deut. 12: 2-3).

Photo of the obelisk sun god freemason pillar erected on the Metzuda in 
the holy city of Tzfat.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60787498@N00/215011807/

Is THIS the reason for the war? Because we have left it standing? And it 
is like a thorn in our eye?

 

My response to Zilpa is:

 

Dear Zilpa, amv"sh

 

You definitely have a point. You have a yearning to have a gov't based on Torah. That is the first step to fixing the problem.  The reality is that we are not under a Torah gov't.  In today's political climate, even to suggest a gov't based on Torah where it would be proper to destroy idols etc is very very scary for people.  Do you remember how the world reacted when the Talibans destroyed the Temples?  That's the reaction we are up against.  The world has labeled any theocracy as radical fundamentalism and something to wipe out.  Us Jews have bent over backward to show how accommodating we are to all religions. 

 

To even suggest a Torah theocracy is revolutionary and the Jews and all Jewish media have silenced any hint of a suggestion of a real government based on Torah. 

 

The time has come to at the very least allow public debate about what life would be like with a government based on Torah with a Sanhedrin.  What would Torah rulings be in such a situation.  Let this be  played out in Schools and Mesivtas.  Let there be a mock Sanhedrin and let the kids be the pretend judges.  Maybe one day in the near future, Hopefully, Beezrat Hashem,  in our time soon, a government based on Torah will become the reality and we will not be jailed or marginalized because of our beliefs.

 

Kol Tuv,

 

Faige

Trust in G-d and You Will Have Peace

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)

http://thetruthaboutisrael.org 

 

Now to my dear friends at the OU.

 

I just read this link of the Rebbe's  today. When I sent my email why not to sign the OU petition, http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-not-to-sign-ou-petition.html I receive a response from Rabbi Weinreb that I shouldn't lecture on Torah and then another response from coin on my blog that I was disregarding Torah ShebaalPeh.  Even if  Reb Weinreb of the OU and coin feel that I am not a Rabbi and therefore not qualified to speak out, perhaps words of the Rebbe of Lubavitch,  recognized worldwide as being a Gadol Batorah, Torah Shebaalpeh and Torah Shebichtav and hidden Torah as well,  by Jewish and nonJewish alike, will make a better impression.

 

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/when-silence-is-a-sin/03.htm