The Covenant Renewal- Nitzavim Vayelech -Areivus

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When the Bnei Yisroel enter Eretz Yisroel they receive a renewal of their Covenant. The first Covenant was given at Har Sinai. What was new about this Covenant? It was the concept of Areivus, that every Jew is now responsible of the sins of his brothers. Every Jew is obligated to help others observe the Torah and to restrain from violating it. As the commentary in the Stone Chumash explains that now they would be liable for transgressions committed openly (Ohr HaChaim) This is essential to the world view of the Jew, for it explains why one may not be apethetic to the shortcomings of others and why public desecrations of the Torah are the concern of every Jew of good conscience.

Atem Nitzavim - You are standing. Moshe empahsized that the people were standing before G-d because the purpose of the Covenant was to bind them to G-d's Torah. Sforno comments that Moshe stressed that they were standing before G-d, Who cannot be deceived. Moshe divided the people into categories to suggest that everyone is responsible according to how many others he or she can influence.

This concept of Areivus justifies my position of speaking out against influential Rabbinic Leaders such as Rav Shteinmen, Rav Kanievsky, Rav Eliashiv, the Admor M'Gur, the OU, Agudath Yisroel of America etc. who have been silent regarding the Roadmap and regarding the disengagement and the Convergence plan. It justifies the obligation of spokespeople of Yesha as well as the journalists in Jewish Media such as Arutz7, Jewish Press, Yated, Hamodia, Nachum Segal, Chofetz Chaim Foundation etc. to challenge this silence. The Roadmap is mutually exclusive to the Biblical promise that Hashem gave Eretz Yisroel exculsively to Am Yisroel. How can UTJ and Shas join an evil government. This evil government is clearly in opposition to Torah. Yet this was overlooked in exchange for bribes be it child support or educational subsidies or political position. . Those that remain silent become silent partners in allowing expulsion of Jewish settlement and settlers, partners in robbing our fellow brethren of their property, partners in destroying family units and cohesiveness, partners in taking away many families means of Parnassa, partners in terrorizing little children with an army of soldiers and last but not least partners in the bloody violence against the youth who were the only ones to stand up for the Torah and for Eretz Yisroel at the risk of their own lives. To sum it all, those that are silent are partners to the humanitarian and security crisis in Israel and partners in the empowerment of terrorism including Hizbollah and Hamas.

For this Hashem says Haster Astir Panai Bayom Hahu Al Kol Hara Asher Asa, Ki Phana el Elohim Acheirim(Devarim 31/18) . But I will surely have concealed My face on that day because of all the evil that it did, for it had turned to gods of others".


The young girls in Neve Dekalim cried bitter tears as the expulsion was happening "Al Tastir panech Mimeni Beyom Tzar Li". Don't hide your face from me on the day of my affliction.

Can we ignore the fact that much of the North of Eretz Yisroel was burnt in this past war with Lebanon? Isn't that a consequence of worshipping idols as well? Or do we simply continue to choose not make any connections to the events of the day and the warnings of the Torah.

Which idols did we collectively worship? My guess is trusting in America, trusting in an evil gov't in Israel that acts as if it is a puppet for America and in believing in our own strenth and power rather than on Torah and Mitzvoth. It is very difficult to place our total trust in Hashem . It's downright scary. Without prayer how can we humanly be capable of passing this test.

Yet all the curses are reversible. We need merely to admit our mistakes, beg Hashem for forgiveness and no doubt Hashem will hear our prayers and reverse the Gezaira. Atem Nitzavim Hayom. Each and every one of us including men, children, women and strangers. Anyone with any kind of influence must speak out publicly for the Torah and against any plans that are in direct opposition to the Torah. Failure to speak out is equivalent to being partners in the desecration of Hashem's name.

Manhigut Yehudit - a broader coalition

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As a continuation of our discussion about Manhigut breaking away from Likud let me suggest the following.

 

In my previous post I suggested that there be a model Torah based, self governing, autonomous region within Eretz Yisroel.  The ideal situation would be if the broader Israel would encourage and support such an autonomous region dwelling side by side in peace and harmony.  Let me suggest other individuals that would be an asset to such a union.  General Yaalon has been courageous in protecting Eretz Yisroel.  It would be necessary to engage in military experts in such a coalition.  Someone of Yaalon's stature and expertise would prove to be invaluable.  Military strength is definitely a requirement in order to enforce any decisions of the political body.   Manhigut wishes to represent the broader Israel.  Prof Eidelberg has the political expertise for a model government for the greater Israel. His writings on Constitutional Democracy would prove a jumping point of greater discussion and acutalization.   His electoral reform and other suggestions would undoubtedly be a wonderful framework for such a government that represents all Israeli's.  Benny Elon has his strengths in Reclamation and Torah based ideology.  The Sanhedrin and Temple Institute would be an effective Constitutional authority in a Torah based society. Other important leaders that have proven themselves is Uri ARiel and MK Eldad.  Susie Dym of MAtot Arim has done wonderful grassroots work and has been a tireless, powerful mover in the Katom camp.  Batya Medad seems to have a handle on who's who in the political spectrum and has worked tirelessly blogging away Lishma.  In Hebron, I would bring aboard Danny Cohen from CHabad and from Aza, Yigal Kirshen..(I'm not sure of the spelling).   I would bring aboard Afsi and Herb Zwiebon and Helen Freedman.  I would definitely include the secular Jews from left wing parties that had the courage to challenge their own Leadership. I would include Buddy Macy from NJ who has worked tirelessly on behalf of Eretz Yisroel and challenged the American Jewish Leadership that has failed us.  I would of course include the spokespersons of Hebron, the Shomron and Gush Katif and Arutz7 who are the creme de la creme even though I must admit I have been disappointed that they haven't supported publicly any initiatives on my part.  Public Relations and looking and sounding politically correct and not too much like a "religious extremist" is high on their list of priorities even though ideologically they may be in agreement with many of the ideas presented in my blog. 

 

To take this bold step, one must be willing to sacrifice his political position and his paying job.  He/she must be willing to be alienated by friends, family and foe alike for the sake of defending and keeping the Torah and the Mitzvoth.  We must defend Hashem's Torah  and our legitimate claim to Eretz Yisroel to ourselves and to the entire world.  We must be willing to take that leadership role among the Nations and be the Kingdom of Priest prescribed by the Torah.

 

I would challenge the political parties that claim they are based on Torah such as Shas and UTJ.  I would try to enlist those that spoke out against the disengagement such as Meir Porush and the Skulener Rebbe and the Bostoner Rebbe and others that I have omitted in error and bring them to our camp. Of course there were those group of Rabbanim that came and spoke to Congress on Behalf of Eretz Yisroel.  I would even lobby the Satmers whose claim against the Medina has been that it is not based on Torah.  I would include the Righteous Gentiles who believe that Israel must take claim to the Land and have been quite vocal in their support for Israel such as Bob Hillman and Jim Vinyard.  This spokespeople have influence among fundamental Christians in America and the Bush Administration.

These are some of my ideas.  I love brainstorming and wish others would join in this discussion .

 

 

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Robin

Why Manhigut should break with Likud and join with NationalUnion,Hazit and Yemin

 

bs"d

 

Why don't you go with the other belief based parties instead of Likud who like Bibi was unfaithful?

 

You will build on real strength rather than on an alloy.  Your building can only be as strong as its foundation. Perhaps the reason the State of Israel is rejecting its own ideology in the present  is because in it's formation it rejected the Torah.  Rectification can come from recognizing the flaw and focusing on the Torah. You will attract not only people from Likud but also from Shas and UTJ.  And most importantly you will stay true to  your beliefs.

 

Sticking with Likud (Bibi and company) will be a thorn in your side.  If you separate from Likud, your strongest advocates may come from the Youth who were betrayed.  You can use their energy to work on their parents.  Likud betrayed the youth in Gush Katif and Amona.  They betrayed their belief in Eretz Yisroel Hashleima. They are willing to make deals and compromise. You can not change that or bring a reversal to what happened. It's like asking the battered wife to once again go into partnership with her ex

 when he still hasn't proven in any substantial way that he regrets his actions from the past.  How can she trust him?  How can you expect anyone to believe that Manhigut will be capable of withstanding the enormous pressures of world powers if they choose to depend on a party that betrayed their very belief system.    It is a serious flaw that will haunt Manhigut  if they were to win.  Winning is not everything. I wouldn't be so focused on winning but on sending out the right message.  I'm all for trusting in Hashem.  Be true to Hashem, His Torah and Mitzvoth and then you will only owe Hashem your successes. 

 

It's time to put power and ego aside and be willing to work with others that are more in line with the Torah and the fundamental principal that Eretz Yisroel is our inheritance and that the Roadmap Solution is against the Torah and that only Am Yisroel are obligated in keeping the Mitzvoth that are in Sefer Devarim within the delineated boundaries specified in Parshas Masei.

 

Why are you so afraid to sound too Biblical.  If you can win the war on giving The Torah Perspective legitimacy, than you will have won a major part of the battle. But you are correct to recognize what we are up against.  Join with Benny Elon and Yamin and Hazit in this battle.  Pick spokespeople of Yesha that are true to the Torah and our rights to Eretz Yisroel. Challenge Shas and UTJ  to defend their position of having betrayed the Torah by not yearning to keep the Mitzvoth of Eretz Yisroel.  Perhaps, with this approach, we have a fighting chance.  I would call upon the courageous hilltop youth that fought the battle that the adults should have fought to join forces with you.  State publicly that they, unlike the mainstream leadership stood up for Torah and for our Biblical Inheritance.  Veheishiv Lev Avos Al Banim...  Even enlist the little children, the Jewish Hizbollah (Tzivos Hashem) to quote from the Torah.  Have a contest in the schools for the kids to find Parsha references of Bnei Yisroel's right to Eretz Yisroel ). In the High Schools let them set up mock Sanhedrins to decide on matters like what should be done to the Temple in Tzefat which worships the Sun.  Should it be destroyed?  Even if we don't win the elections initially, the Emes of our words will come through. With time we will prevail.

 

And if you say that the country is not yet ready for such a giant leap, then I personally agree with that statement.  Therefore I would suggest that this Torah based ideology be allowed to be implemented on a small scale.  If the State of Israel is rejecting parts of the heartland of Biblical Israel, then let a trial, self governing Torah based ideology be set up in precisely these areas that are being rejected.  Give them the right to defend themselves from any aggression be in Kassam or Yassam. Allow them freedom of religion and allow them to be self governing.  The general populace of the State of Israel does not wish to be coerced into a religious State and the religious population as well do not wish to be coerced to live a secular lifestyle.  This seems to me like a wonderful compromise and let us live in peace and harmony and mutual respect with each other.   

 

Any comments are most welcome. 

 

Parshas Ki Savo - Last years post

Sovereignty of Land is a function of keeping Mitzvoth. Being supreme and not the underdog.

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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.....

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.