Should Israel go for a decisive or partial victory?

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author on Jewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law "Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper. His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English. Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1

How to Win the Struggle

Israel can emerge from the current struggle victorious, provided we thoroughly understand the ambition and goal of our enemies. The merciful among our enemies are willing to settle for the destruction of Israel, killing the Jews who oppose them, while leaving the remaining ones to be humiliated dhimmis forced to pay high taxes to the Muslim rulership – according to the tradition of moderate Islam.

\The cruel ones hope to murder most of the Jews, according to the militant Islamic tradition. That’s what the leading Sunni and Shiite leaders in the world are saying, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian rulers. They have no reason to lie, so it can be inferred that they speak the truth.

In contrast to honest and candid Muslim leaders, Palestinian Authority leaders do not speak about abolishing the State of Israel because they fear that if they reveal their cards too early they will lose their status in Israel and the world. But this truth crops up in their statements from time to time.

The War on Faith and the Land

Clearly, from our enemies’ point of view, the war is not about one piece of territory or another, but over the very existence of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, a reality radically opposed to the fundamentals of their faith. Therefore, anything weakening the State of Israel is considered a victory for them and defeat for us; anything strengthening the sovereignty and Jewish identity of Israel is considered a defeat for them, and a victory for us.

Strengthening the Jewish Identity of the State

Today, the majority of the elected representatives of Israeli Arab citizens are conducting a war of incitement and provocation against Israel and gnawing at its strength. If as a result of the wave of terror, the government changes the situation in which Israeli Arabs have rights without obligations; if it denies the residency status of over 100,000 Arabs who infiltrated the State of Israel under the cover of the law of ‘Family Reunification’; if it encourages the emigration of those hostile to the State of Israel – then, the results of the current struggle will be a great victory, transmitting a clear message to all our enemies that we are the victors and becoming stronger.

The War is Over Sovereignty

If out of this struggle the government of Israel approves plans for expansion of Jewish communities in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and annexes the territories on which Jewish towns exist in Judea and Samaria - it will be clear to all the Arabs that the war against us led them to defeat, and their urge to fight us will diminish.

Political Commentators and Analysts

Political commentators and analysts and their mentors in academia, are confident that mankind’s sole ambitions are democracy, freedom, and economic prosperity. Thus, in their opinion, the motive for terrorism is the "occupation" the Arabs are subjected to, and the despair gripping them in the absence of a political process that will bring an end to the "occupation".

Surprise! Each additional hint of sovereignty given to the Arabs only increases their hatred and assaults against us. The “experts” are confident that the more money and education the Arabs have, the less they will want to engage in terrorism and wars. But once again – surprise! The majority of the current and past killers do not come from poor and uneducated families – on the contrary! Bin Laden was not a poor and uneducated person either.

It is no wonder that all the predictions of the “experts” were proven false. They fail to understand what a nation is all about, what religious belief is all about – and in fact – what human beings are all about. That's how they plunged the United States and Europe into a mistaken Middle East policy, as well as causing European countries to accept Muslim immigrants without integrating them and in consequence, leading their countries to disaster.

The Weakness of the Government and the Courage of the Public

Unfortunately, since the government and its leader lack the faith and determination required to act boldly to strengthen Israel’s sovereignty and settlement, it is difficult to expect a clear victory. But with God's help, we may be able to take comfort in a partial victory – thanks only to the devotion and determination of men of faith and action within our midst.

Our nation has a weak government with good intentions. The same holds true for the majority of the public, who indeed would prefer that all of Judea and Samaria remain in our hands, and who side with the settlers in their hearts, but lack the faith and courage to demand an outright victory over our Arab enemies.

It could be said that in their worldview, the public and government are captive to the erroneous assumptions of the majority of academics and political analysts, namely, that if we compromise and don’t offend the Arabs’ feelings we will achieve peace, security, and a good life. On the other hand, in their hearts they aspire to victory, the expansion of settlements, sovereignty and Jewish identity, and feel that no compromise will bring peace.

The public, bearing no responsibility, is willing to express patriotic and faith-based positions, whereas the leadership, which does bear responsibility and is exposed to international pressures, does not dare give expression to these views, because it lacks an alternative policy to present to the world rationally, confidently, and with conviction. Only at election times is the country’s leadership more attuned to the mood of the public, for example, the Prime Ministers’ pledge before the elections to amend the law of citizenship and expand "settlements".

The Struggle Can Go Either Way

The struggle can go either way – for better, or for worse. If we listen to the failed political commentators and world leaders – we will decide to withdraw and bring a catastrophe upon ourselves, as we did with the tragic Oslo Accords. If we follow our instincts – we will press forward, settle the Land, and achieve victory.

A Cautious Evaluation: Partial Victory

Since the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria already number hundreds of thousands and in the words of the Left "is stuck like a bone in [Israel's] throat" hindering plans of further withdrawal, it is difficult to promise the Arabs further withdrawals. Even the freezing of settlements is difficult, because the life-force within the communities pulsates so strongly. Our own bodies are obstructing the “throat of the devil” who wishes to swallow us.

Since ordinary citizens are unwilling to give-in to terrorism and demand the government retaliate, it is difficult for the government to appease the Arabs with money or further erosion of Jewish identity in the State of Israel. 

The only remaining option for the government is to mobilize the police and the army, strike the terrorists and their infrastructure, and weaken the ability of our enemies.

And since many Arabs support the terrorists, there is no choice but to exercise caution and suspicion towards the entire Arab population – within the “Green Line” and beyond it – a measure that embitters the lives of the good Arabs and the bad ones alike, and in practice, encourages the continuation of Arab emigration abroad.

People of Faith and Deeds

The believers and men and women of action – the rabbis and educators who strengthen Jewish identity, the settlers of Judea and Samaria, and the various dedicated security personnel who refuse to surrender to terrorism – they are the determining factor. Thanks to them, we will hopefully continue defeating our enemies, expand settlement in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, our holy and glorious city – specifically in the areas surrounding the Temple Mount, where “the precious sons of Zion, as precious as fine gold” reside – men of faith and action alike.

Through the steadfastness of all the good Jews from the left and the right, who advance the State of Israel both morally, socially, and economically, the State of Israel marches forward and new immigrants continue to knock at her doors - nearly 30,000 last year.

Jewish immigrants from prosperous Western countries bend down on the tarmac of the airport and kiss the ground of Israel, and thus, the words of the Prophet are realized: "I will also allow the House of Israel to ask me to do this for them: that I increase them like a human flock.  Like the holy flock, like the flock of Jerusalem at its festivals…Then they will know that I am the Lord" (Ezekiel 36: 37-38).

Therefore, strengthening of the Torah and Jewish faith, building and settling the land, strengthening of society, the army, economy, sciences and arts related to Jewish culture, draws us closer to victory over our enemies.

Optimistic Fertility Figures

This is the time to share the important summation of the notable researcher, Yoram Ettinger, regarding our demographic state of affairs.

By the grace of God, the Jewish fertility rate in Israel is rising from year to year. Fifteen years ago it stood at 2.6 children per woman, and is now 3.11. This rate is far higher than the fertility rate in all developed countries. It is also higher than all Arab countries, except for three.

In contrast, the fertility rate among Muslim women who have Israeli citizenship is steadily declining. Fifteen years ago it was approximately 4.5 per woman, and last year declined to 3.15.

The Arab fertility rate in Judea and Samaria dropped to 2.76 births compared to 5.0 births fifteen years ago (according to the annual report of the C.I.A.).

The reason for the high birth rate among Israeli Arabs as compared to Arabs of Judea and Samaria are the child allowances and other social benefits that Israeli Arabs receive from the state – not that they show any gratefulness for these benefits, quite the contrary

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The Status of the Population

The Arab population in Judea and Samaria numbers approximately 1,700,000 and the number of Arab citizens of Israel is also 1,700,000 – though the Palestinian Authority publishes false demographics, for example, counting people who were born 170 years ago, and more than 400,000 people who emigrated abroad.

In conclusion, 6.6 million Jews currently reside in Israel, alongside 1.7 million Arabs within the “Green Line”, and 1.7 million Arabs in Judea and Samaria - a majority of 66%, also benefiting from the impetus of new births and immigration.

The Aging of the Arab Population opposed to Jewish Rejuvenation

The future continues to bode well for the nation of Israel. In contrast to the Jewish population which is getting younger on account of increased fertility and the absorption of many young immigrants, Arab society in Judea and Samaria is aging rapidly: the average age rose to 22.7, compared with 17.0  fifteen years ago (C.I.A. annual report).

The average age is rising because in addition to a decline in fertility, there is a constant negative emigration of Arabs from Judea and Samaria abroad (20,000 in 2013, 25,000 in 2014, etc.). The waves of terror resulting in the closure and blockade of cities and villages and the other I.D.F. actions that follow in their wake, continue to encourage emigration. Since the majority of those emigrating abroad are young, the Arab population in Judea and Samaria will continue to age and decrease.

The Present Leadership

The Prime Minister and the majority of his administration are aware of these optimistic facts. From their point of view therefore, as long as we continue progressing, the situation is acceptable. However, if we had a leadership that could generate a substantial victory from this struggle, we would spare ourselves a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and the State of Israel would progress and flourish spiritually, demographically, socially and economically at an even faster pace.

This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew. Other interesting articles by Rabbi Melamed, and all of his highly acclaimed books in the ‘Peninei Halakha’ series of Jewish Law and Thought (in Hebrew, and in the meantime, a few in English) can be found at: http://en.yhb.org.il/

Coping with terrorism through faith

Terrorism tries to sow panic and cause the public to give up. Israelis are finished with delusions of peace, so terrorism will not achieve its goal, but a rational, gradual, and realistic means of teaching the Torah view must be proposed.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author on Jewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law "Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper. His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English. Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1

The War on Arab Terror

People are very worried about the Arab terror raging in the streets. This is the goal of terrorism - attacking a few people and sowing panic among the public at large, causing them to surrender their assets and interests in hopes of gaining peace and quiet.

Even in the recent weeks in which terror has raised its evil head, more people were killed in traffic accidents, many of which could have been avoided. Despite this, the fear of terror is far greater than that of road accidents, because the terrible evil of acts of murder captures the mind and arouses fear and horror.

The Effect of Terrorism on the Left and Right

The goal of terrorism is to weaken our hold on the country; in practice however, its influence branches in different directions, according to the state of mind and moral fiber of those attacked.

There are some Jews who weren’t interested in living in Israel in the first place and fled here only because of the Holocaust and other troubles in the Diaspora. Terror petrifies and paralyzes many of them. They would be willing to accept any withdrawal or humiliation, just as long as the fear of terrorism is removed.

There are some Jews who go a step further – their hearts are drawn in a sick manner to the figure of the killer, striving to understand and justify the motives for his wickedness, hoping that perhaps in this way they will find a solution to the situation. In an effort to do so, they are forced to skew their moral viewpoint, as one can hear by listening to the Leftists.

And then there are Jews with a healthy moral consciousness for whom justice is imperative, those who are not willing or able to surrender to terrorism. The exact opposite – it spawns within them a reverse reaction, and a strong will to fight back.

The Division between Right and Left

In order to analyze the issue properly, it is important to first define the basic essentials. In practice, the dividing line between Jews for whom terrorism overpowers and compels them to concessions on land and rights, and those who terrorism triggers a desire to fight back is based on one’s attitude towards the Land of Israel.

Those Tending to the Left

Jews who tend to the Left never really wanted to immigrate to Israel in the first place, and only when the troubles in the Diaspora were about to drown them, did they decide to go. Some chose to immigrate to Israel and not move abroad to America or other foreign countries; some had no choice but to immigrate to Israel because no other country agreed to accept them. Consequently, the Holocaust for them is the supreme justification for the existence of the State of Israel. Their descendants live in Israel because they got used to the country and their friends and family are here as well. The majority of them have a certain connection to the Bible, the People and the Land, but they wouldn’t weep if fate somehow brought them to a Western country. For them, annual visits to Israel would suffice.

These are the Jews willing fall for any “peace” proposal. Even for the slightest chance of quiet they are willing to give up parts of the homeland. In exchange for a temporary lull in the international arena, they are willing to give up the basic fundamentals of sovereignty and Jewish identity.

Those Tending to the Right

Those tending to the right view immigration to Israel and the blossoming of its wilderness as a process of Redemption for the People and Land of Israel, based on the mitzvot of the Torah and Prophetic visions, or at very least, based on a national and historic mandate. True, most of them immigrated to Israel only after the troubles in the Diaspora increased dramatically. But after being forced to flee, they saw in the settling of the Land a phase of Redemption. The supreme justification of Israel's existence for them are the mitzvot of the Torah, or at very least, a national historic right.

These people are willing to sacrifice and pay the price in order to secure Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Only in a situation of absolute duress would they be prepared to withdraw; short of such circumstances, they would prefer suffering international condemnation and terrorism, and not retreat. Arab terror spurs them to fight back, and expand Jewish presence in the area.

Those in the Middle

The majority of the public is somewhere in the middle; they understand both the Right and the Left. Ideally, they prefer the approach of the Right, but for increased security would be inclined to lean to the Left. When such people are successfully deceived into thinking that withdrawals will bring peace, they are tempted to support the retreat. When they fail to be deceived, they will oppose withdrawals and violation of sovereignty.

A Cautious Assessment: Terrorism Will Fail

Presently, it appears that most of Israeli public leans to the Right - unfortunately, not thanks to a deepening of Jewish identity, but mainly because reality has refused to toe the line to the delusions of peace. Consequently, chances are the current wave of terror will not achieve its goal – on the contrary, it will strengthen Jewish identity and harm the Arabs who rise up against us.

The Security Question and Its Roots

It is interesting that when the two sides debate, they often gear themselves with security, economic, social and moral claims, without being aware of the roots of their arguments. When it comes down to it, those who are more firmly connected to the Torah, People, and Land of Israel find realistic arguments for settling the Land, while those who are not will find realistic claims for withdrawal.

The Path to Security

Invariably, over the long term, people who only worried about not dying faced greater harm than those who made an effort to live. For example, Jews in Europe were extremely worried for their lives. They felt the growing anti-Semitism, and tried to do anything to survive. However, since their main concern was how not to die, they feared making aliyah to Israel, because someone whose main desire is not to die is afraid to face reality and have the courage to do what it takes to increase his chances of survival. Therefore, when the Jews in Europe heard about Arab terrorism in Israel before WWII, they were afraid and remained in the Diaspora, and ultimately were harmed sevenfold.

In contrast, a person who wants to live and sees the meaning in his life dares to act even under risk and self-sacrifice to fulfill his life’s purpose. And if his actions are carried out within the framework of rational considerations, he is able to survive longer.

The same is true concerning illnesses: a person who is always worried about getting sick is usually more ill. In contrast, a person whose life is full of content is usually healthier.

When the primary desire of the Left is that the State of Israel not be harmed, it brings upon the country far more economic, social and securityproblems than the Right, who are not willing to give up on our national identity.

The Problem of the Faith-based Right

Recent years have proven that the Right was correct. Withdrawals did not increase security, rather, the exact opposite. The Arab world did not soften their views towards us, but instead became more radical. The Western world also stepped-up its delusional demands of us, despite all the concessions we already made.

Representatives of the faith-based Right foresaw all of this. So why is it that the public at large does not accept the positions of the faith-based Right? Why is the public still willing to listen to the nonsense of all the commentators and experts from academia and graduates of the intelligence community, chattering incessantly in the media? After all, it has been proven time and again how they embroiled governments in complicated and dangerous concessions, and have never been able to predict the future.

It appears the reason is that often, the faith-based Right proposes implausible suggestions based on wishful thinking and beliefs rather than on reality. The public fears that these irrational positions are liable to endanger their existence. Who knows? Faith-based leaders might suddenly decide to destroy the mosques on the Temple Mount and provoke a world war. Or maybe they’ll apply sovereignty over territories in Judea and Samaria while giving full citizenship to the Arabs living there. Or alternatively, maybe they will come out with a program of immediate deportation of most of the Arabs, causing the entire world to rise up against the State of Israel.

The various commentators indeed are always mistaken because they fail to understand the meaning of national identity and faith and therefore do not understand the motives of the enemy or the source of strength of the People of Israel. However, the information they provide is factual and solid, and their arguments are drawn from the here and now, without relying on miracles. Consequently, the public is willing to listen to them even though they do not trust their suggestions.

In such a situation, the public prefers the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Although he concerns himself mainly with survival, and only occasionally credits us with little flickers of faith, national achievements, and settling the land, nevertheless, his considerations are rational and based on solid reality, free of the grave errors of the failed commentators.

A Proposal for a Gradual, Faith-Based Approach

This situation can be improved if we present a comprehensive and idealistic vision as written in the Torah and the Prophets, while at the same time offering a gradual way of achieving it, taking into maximal consideration reality – including Israeli public opinion and that of the international community, and the powers they represent.

For example, concerning the Temple Mount, a suggestion can be made that from now on, every preacher who incites and speaks out against Israel or the Jews, and any Muslim who disturbs those ascending the Temple Mount by screaming or other actions will not be permitted to go up the Temple Mount. This is a proportionate measure whose reasoning can be understood by any normal person anywhere.

Similarly, with regard to the continuation of settlement in Judea and Samaria: It is possible to expand the existing communities on state-owned land without depriving any Arab who has property rights. In this way, friction will be reduced in all respects – settlement will be regulated by law without any complaints of discrimination and dispossession, and all the positive energy of the "settlers" will be directed to completely legal areas of the State of Israel, without an attempt to seize land that is not regulated or privately owned.

It is also possible to gradually apply Israeli sovereignty over Jewish communities and uninhabited areas in Judea and Samaria, while proposing regional autonomy to the local Arab leadership.

It is certainly possible to demand loyalty from Israeli Arab citizens.

This gradual process does not demand conceding any rights of the Jewish people, but only exercises our rights incrementally, in the sense of: "I will drive them out from before you gradually, until you have grown in number and can take possession of the land” (Exodus 23:30).

Learning Logic from Within the Torah

To be able to put across this kind of leadership and approach, Torah must be learned in a more complete and truthful way, so that its practical logic will shine forth "as the sun in the afternoon". Today, many people fulfill the mitzvot for mystical reasons, while declaring that although practical considerations indicate the opposite, faith trumps logic and nature. Many even take pride in this, because in their view, the absolute believer must ignore practical considerations.

They are, however, gravely mistaken and damage the cause of Torah, for even though the roots of Torah and the Jewish faith are in the Heavens,  the entire revelation of the Torah is logical and practical halakha (Jewish law).

This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew. Other interesting and informative articles by Rabbi Melamed and his highly acclaimed series of Jewish law and thought “Peninei Halakha” can be found at: http://en.yhb.org.il/

Response to the slander of Rabbi Riskin because of his YouTube video.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author onJewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law"Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper. His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English. Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1

The Evil in Slander

Following my article in favor of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin shlita, I received a number of severely critical letters. 

The most hostile responses claimed that he is introducing heresy into Judaism, and encourages missionaries to seduce Jews to approach Christianity. 

The most moderate responder wrote: "I was shocked and embarrassed. I really admire you, Rabbi Melamed, and your books, etc ... I simply think that you are unaware of Rabbi Riskin's sympathetic views of Christianity and oto ha’ish (literally ‘that man’, or a euphemism for the Jewish founder of Christianity) ... God have mercy ... Rabbi, I suggest you have a look at the videos on YouTube where Rabbi Riskin speaks the praises of Christianity and oto ha’ish. The videos are in English. With this in mind, I'd be happy to understand how you could defend Rabbi Riskin."

Since all the slanderers based their reactions on a certain video in which Rabbi Riskin speaks in English, I asked Rabbi Maor Cayam shlita, a rabbi in Yeshivat Har Bracha whose native tongue is English, to listen carefully to what Rabbi Riskin said, translate it word-for-word, and tell me what he thought

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His Opinion

"It should be pointed out that the section in question, which lasts for about eight minutes, was edited and censored from an hour-long conversation in which Rabbi Riskin familiarizes his Christian audience with the principles of Judaism, explicitly saying that any Jew who believes in Christianity betrays his own faith, and forfeits his portion in the world. 

At any rate, even in the edited version there were no expressions of support for Christianity, he simply treats them with respect.

"Generally speaking, the impression I got from the conversation is that Rabbi Riskin is a fascinating and powerful speaker, who knows how to explain Jewish values even to the unacquainted. 

In this conversation, he attempts to familiarize Christians with the moral values ​​in Judaism, in particular world peace, and share with them the criticism of violent Islam which threatens Israel and the entire world. In his speech he draws his Christian audience closer to a love of Israel and universal values, and attempts to build a common basis for advancement. He talks about the common values ​​of vision, redemption, truth and love, paving the way to enable the People of Israel to be a light unto the nations."

Conclusion

I will not quote the sensitive points from the transcript upon which Rabbi Riskin may be criticized, because the overall conclusion is clear: 

Out of absolute loyalty to the Jewish faith, Rabbi Riskin took on a sacred mission: drawing non-Jews closer to the principles of Judaism and to support the redemption process of the Ingathering of the Exiles, as expressed in the words of the Torah and the Prophets, and to elevate them from the typical Christian anti-Semitism which inflicted horrible disasters on the Jewish nation. 

True, there are definitely some rabbis who would prefer to phrase things differently, but this does not mean that Rabbi Riskin’s approach is inappropriate, and certainly there is no basis for making false accusations against him.

 

Different Styles of Communicating

As well known, there is a vast difference in the way one talks to religious Jews and those removed from Torah and mitzvoth – all the more so when speaking correctly with Christians. In the same manner, Rabbi Kook once criticized a Torah scholar who wrote a booklet called 'The Religion of Israel’ so as to explain Jewish faith in Japanese, that he erred by expressing disdain for ‘oto ha’ish’ and Muhammad. "It is impossible to offer supreme religious content to this nation by insulting the founders of [other] religions, whoever they may be. We must speak only about the holy, supreme advantage of God’s Torah, and the rejection will come of its own accord" (Igeret 557).

Our Goal in Relation to Other Nations and Religions

Rabbi Kook also wrote that in respect to other religions our objective is not to destroy them, but rather, to elevate and correct them. 

"It is not the goal of Israel’s light to uproot or destroy them, just as we do not aim for the general destruction of the world and all its nations, but rather their correction and elevation, the removal of their dross, and of themselves they will join the source of Israel, [where] dewdrops of light will flow over them. ‘And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his detestable things from between his teeth, and he, too, shall remain for our God’ (Zechariah 9:7). This applies even to idolatry, and therefore even more so to religions whose foundations are partly based on the light of Israel’s Torah” (Igeret 112)."

The resulting guideline is that anyone who attempts to familiarize Christians with the light of Jewish faith must tip-toe through a minefield, so as on the one hand not to disgrace the positive aspects of their faith, but on the other hand, not to agree with opposing beliefs. 

Rabbi Riskin, in his rare talent, is one of the few people who function in this manner, and we should all be grateful to him for that. Those who slander him – their sins are too great to bear. If someone has criticism about one method or another, he should respectfully present what, in his opinion, is a better approach.

A Story about Rabbi Yisrael Salanter

It is worthwhile to illustrate this idea with a story about one of the Gedolei Yisrael (eminent Torah scholars), Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, of blessed memory, whose main effort was the founding of the Mussar movement in Lithuania, and later in life, was active in Western Europe. 

In his book on the Mussar movement, Rabbi Dov Katz related the following story: 

When Rabbi Salanter settled in Memel, many residents of the city worked as merchants, most of whose business was connected with the local port, and would load and unload their merchandise on Shabbat as during the week. 

The first time Rabbi Salanter came to the synagogue where the merchants and port agents prayed to preach about Shabbat, he asked whether there were any Lithuanian Jews (who were strictly observant) among the worshippers. When informed that indeed there were, he refrained from preaching about Shabbat. 

The following Shabbat, when told there were no Lithuanian Jews present in the synagogue, Rabbi Yisrael began preaching about the importance of keeping Shabbat, until he reached the conclusion: "Handling the cargo that arrived to the port on Shabbat may be necessary, but writing is not.” The merchants accepted this, and agreed not to write on Shabbat.

 After a few weeks, Rabbi Yisrael delivered another sermon in the synagogue, and said: “Unloading goods on Shabbat may be necessary - but loading goods – certainly is unnecessary.” 

The merchants also agreed to this. In time, he spoke once again, and cautioned about unloading as well. Thus, he influenced the community step-by-step, until ultimately he brought about a major change (T’nuat HaMussar, Sect. 1, pg. 174).

Imagine if some fools had been present in the Memel synagogue, and afterwards, went to different rabbis and innocently told them that they heard with their own ears how Rabbi Yisrael Salanter permitted blatant and public desecration of Shabbat, for indeed, he had said: "Handling cargo on Shabbat  may be necessary, but writing is not.” 

And if those rabbis had also been tempted to believe them, they would have libeled him as being a Reform rabbi, cautioned the public, and excommunicated him. Fortunately, that did not happen. Regrettably, however, this is how many controversies began.

How to Draw People Closer

After all, in order to draw people nearer, one has to speak their language, preferring to talk about ideas they are able to grasp, while ignoring points that, in the meantime, they cannot accept. 

As our Sages said:  “Just as there is a mitzvah to say that which will be heard, so there is a mitzvah to avoid saying that which will not be heard” (Yevamot 65b). 

Not only that – people drawing closer and their views deserve to be respected, seeing as they do not stem from spite, and had the detractors been born in their situation, who knows if they would have even reached their level.

 Anyone who falsely accuses a rabbi involved in outreach – taking his words out of context, as if he supports desecration of Shabbat, etc. – transgresses a severe Torah prohibition. Indeed, it would be initially best to make sure that different audiences hear what is fitting for them. However, today the reality is that anything can be recorded and heard by all, and consequently, one should always consider who the speakers’ audience was, and judge his word’s accordingly.

How to Relate to Rumors

It is a Torah prohibition to accept lashon ha’ra (derogatory speech), as it is written: "Do not accept a false report" (Exodus 23:1), and our Sages said: "This is a warning to the recipient of lashon ha’ra" (Mekhilta d’R. Yishmael). The prohibition is believing the derogatory things said about a particular person are correct, because, as proven by the video of Rav Riskin – upon examination, the malicious rumor turned out to be incorrect.

Our Sages also said that the punishment of one who accepts lashon ha’ra is equal to that of the person who spoke it (Pesachim 118 a), because on account of him, the masters of lashon ha’ra are able to continue their sinful ways, arousing dissension and evil.

If from the outset, the lashon ha’ra could have been interpreted in a positive way, as in the case of the video, but nevertheless, was interpreted in a negative way, one violates an additional Torah prohibition, as it is written: "Judge your people fairly" (Leviticus 19:15), and our Sages said: "Judge your neighbor favorably” [‘kaf zechut’](Shevu’ot 30a). 

And with regards to a God-fearing person who is known to be meticulous in the performance of mitzvot, the obligation to judge him favorably is even greater (Sha’arei Teshuva, 3:218; Chafetz Chaim, positive mitzvoth 3).

It is impossible to check every piece of information, but based on past experience, it can apparently be determined that the vast majority of reports about people involved in drawing Christians closer to supporting Israel - are blatant lies.

The Evil in Christianity and its Tikun

Throughout history, anti-Semitic hatred of Christians towards Jews resulted in dreadful slander, incitement, blood libels, expulsions, extermination, campaigns of destruction, and the murder of entire communities. 

This hatred persists in most Christian organizations until today. Only recently, the Catholic Pope, considered to be relatively friendly towards Jews, acknowledged the rights of the Arab occupiers over Jerusalem, while ignoring our historical rights over the city, and ignoring the fact that the Arabs initiated all the wars against us. We also hear about various churches organizing boycotts against Israel, as well.

Precisely in this context should we view the ethical choice of tens of millions of Christians, people of conscience and devotion to the Bible, who decided to support the Jews and the State of Israel. 

Moreover – many of them accept responsibility for the crimes of Christianity against the Jews, and seek to atone for them through volunteer work, donations, and political and public support worldwide – and this, even though they themselves were not involved in any crime against the Jewish people. Certainly, it is a mitzvah to appreciate, encourage, and draw them nearer.

This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew. Other interesting and informative articles by Rabbi Melamed can be found at: http://en.yhb.org.il/

 

A Torah Perspective on How to Uproot Terrorism from its Islamic Source

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author on Jewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law "Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper. His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English. Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1

Islamic Terrorism

The murder of the holy Jews in Paris merely because they were Jews, raises the need to relate to the social and religious circumstances which cause these horrific attacks.

The Growing Tension between the West and Muslims

There was nothing new about the terrorist attacks in France other than  their location, in the heart of Europe - Paris. For years, Muslim terrorists have murdered hundreds and thousands of people every month. They murder members of other religions, and even members of rival factions in Islam. The amount of murdered people is steadily increasing, and is spreading to other countries.

Nevertheless, leaders of the powerful countries in the West, despite the shock, continue business as usual. They believe these are simply frustrated, unemployed and emotionally disturbed people, or an oppressed "people” demanding its "rights" from the Jews who conquered their homeland. They ignore the sheer hatred that the Muslims openly express - towards the West in general, and Israel in particular.

Criticism of the West and its “Experts”

The “experts” in Western countries believe that the entire world desires to emulate them. And if there are those who do not, it is only because they are still unenlightened.; as they develop, they will inevitably move towards the Western approach, according to which all people desire freedom, material prosperity, and the independence to practice religion or other leisurely pursuits.

The technological and economic advantages achieved by Western “experts” (in no small part thanks to the significant contributions of Jews), make it difficult for them to understand man’s deep longing for a life filled with meaning and idealism based on faith. The plethora of luxuries creates a type of smoke-screen which blinds them from seeing the fiery flames burning in the depths of the human soul and mind, which can explode in a negative direction of fanaticism, destruction and hatred, or in contrast - in a positive path of faith, productivity and change for the better.

As a result, they find it difficult to understand the motives of their enemies and rivals. No less severe, they also fail to analyze the roots of the crises befalling their countries, which are reflected in the loss of identity, the breakdown of the family, and the serious difficulties in educating children. 

The Religion of Islam

The source of this stems from the religious Islamic perception which views God as an omnipotent conqueror, to whom everyone must submit and whose absolute authority must be accepted.

Out of the five major precepts of Islam, four of them deal directly with the honor of God and submission to him: 

1) declaration of faith in him. 

2) praying to him five times a day, mostly involving kneeling and reciting seven verses 17 times praising Allah and accepting his lordship. 

3) The Ramadan fast. 

4) Pilgrimage to Mecca. 

The fifth precept is giving charity to the poor, which also expresses the idea that money belongs to Allah, and not man.

Even praise and thanks to Allah are performed out of feelings of total submission. 

Islam’s Influence on Inter-Personal Relations

This approach extends to all interpersonal relationships which are based on honor. A wife must respect her husband, and a husband is obligated to take care of, support, and protect his wife – this being his honor. Needless to say, children are also required to honor their parents. Interpersonal relationships as well are based on great respect, emitting a sense of noble generosity, which allows for hospitality and brotherhood.

Since honor is so important, offending a Muslim is intolerable because it undermines the very foundation of his existence, and therefore he is obligated to respond with extreme severity, giving rise to the familiar and horrifying phenomenon of “family-honor killings.”

Force and control are vital to Islam, and as a result, a ruler who is not perceived as strong and even cruel is incapable of surviving in Muslim society. Consequently, the democratic system is incapable of providing stability for Islamic countries. For them, the ideal system of government is an authoritarian rule which protects and grants honor to all its subjects, similar to a compassionate father who cares for the welfare of his children.

Islam – A Religion of War

Islam has positive aspects, but our focus here is on the negative ones. 

After the five major precepts of Islam, the next most important precept is jihad. 

Those faithful to Allah must model themselves after him, follow his ways, act courageously as he did, and forcibly subdue those who do not succumb to his authority. “Muhammad lives by the sword!”

Power and the sword play a central role in the Muslim religion. They emphasize the tangible strength of the religion, enhancing the greatness and honor of Allah by imposing his beliefs on all mankind. Even the calls to prayer over loudspeakers by the muezzin day and night are an expression of imposing the religion over wide-open spaces, both towards the believers themselves, and towards others.

It is no coincidence that the Arabs have succeeded in imposing Islam on many nations, to the point where today the religion has approximately 1,400,000,000 followers. 

Islam’s genetic code is directed towards a steadfast war to impose Muhammad’s religion on the entire world by means of the sword. To achieve this goal, everything is legitimate. The nations they conquered realized this, and opted to convert to Islam rather than die.

Indeed, all nations attained their achievements through wars and victories, however in Islam, unlike other cultures, the principle of compromise is intolerable – especially a territorial compromise. Compromise is an expression of weakness, and  a Muslim is obligated to symbolize the heroism and strength of Allah, and must always clutch his sword to be prepared for the battle of imposing the religion on the entire world.

When a Muslim realizes he lacks the power to defeat his enemy, he is permitted to agree to a cease-fire (‘tahadiya’ in Arabic), while actually preparing for the continuation of the religious war. Such thinking is based on the behavior of Islam's prophet Muhammad, especially towards the tribe of Quraysh.

How to Deal with the Islamic Threat

The only way to absolve a Muslim from his duty to wage war is to create a situation in which he is totally coerced, so he lacks the ability or prospect of succeeding. Only then, according to Muslim law, is he exempt from the necessity to wage war. At that time he is obliged to wait for years, or even generations, certain that when the opportunity arises, he will return to wage war.

Conversely, any attempt to compromise with Islam will inevitably lead to continued terrorism and war, because compromise is perceived as a weakness, for according to Islamic culture, if the Western countries had the power to defeat them they wouldn’t possibly be seeking a compromise. Seeking a compromise can only mean that they find it difficult to face the heroic attacks of Allah’s faithful, the glorious martyrs, and hence, their downfall is close at hand.

The same is true regarding Israel – any attempt at compromise or presenting a “political horizon”, instills hope within the Arabs that they can defeat us, and encourages terrorism and war.

Anyone who desires peaceful and quiet relations with Muslims must first defeat them and avoid any talk of peace, and then strive for a stable ceasefire while managing a viable relationship.

The Detrimental Social-Welfare Policy

As a follow up to the issue I dealt with in previous articles, even the conventional social welfare policies of Western countries are perceived by Islamic followers as a weakness, and weakness which promotes militancy. 

According to their beliefs, Christians who do not accept the religion of Islam must pay a high tax to the Muslim rulers – a tax which among other things is meant to express the superiority of Islam.

Consequently, many Muslims have no gratitude for the child benefits and welfare payments they receive in Western countries, because obviously, they are superior to all 

Christians and entitled to receive taxes from them. This is the religious justification for demanding increases in benefits, and for the indignation when they are reduced.

Leftist Policies Create Ingrates

All this is in addition to the basic problem, namely, that the position of the political left, which maintains the state must provide for the welfare of all its citizens, corrupts the morality of welfare recipients, in that it makes them ungrateful.

The punishment imposed upon Adam requiring him to work hard for a living corrects his sin and transforms him into a positive person who understands the value of work and creativity.By means of his responsibility and industriousness in earning a living, he becomes a partner with God in tikun olam (the improvement of society). 

In contrast, when child benefits and welfare payments enable many members of Muslim society living in France to maintain a higher standard of living than in their countries of origin without any effort or responsibility, they become exploiters and ingrates.

And so their conscience doesn't torment them, they feel compelled to hate and hurl accusations at those who grant them the benefits for not showing proper respect to them and their prophet, and for not giving them additional benefits.

The Crisis in Islam

Throughout the world Islam is in a state of crisis, frustration, and decline. This is reflected in a huge drop in the birthrate. 

Terrorism represents an attempt to escape the crisis, and efforts by the West for reconciliation and compromise add fuel to the fires. 

In any event, in leading countries such as Iran and Turkey, the population has been shrinking because the average woman gives birth to less than two children. Western countries are the only places where the Muslim population has increased – thanks to the child allowances.

The same thing happened in Israel when child allowances were particularly high, and happens today, to a lesser extent, with other benefits. 

An example of blatant foolishness in Israel is the granting of a 1,500 shekel benefit for each child of a divorced woman if the courts rule that the father of her children is unable to pay child support. As a result, the State of Israel is encouraging polygamy in the Arab and Bedouin sectors, because their husbands divorce them fictitiously in order to live off the increased allowances for their children and their supposedly divorced wives, recognized by the State as being single mothers.

This money, of course, returns to the honorable husband, who, thanks to the State of Israel's foolishness, is able to maintain an exploitative Muslim lifestyle l’mehadrin. We are left only to thank him for taking the money and not taking part in terrorist attacks! 

Europe's Response

After the horrendous murders Europeans wreaked for centuries in the name of nationalism and religion, particularly towards the Jews, many champions of morality in Europe today are prone to lean to the other extreme – to the left, which advocates for complete equality of rights.

And once again, lo and behold, they accuse the Jews. 

Their deep-rooted anti-Semitism returns and reveals itself once again. If Europe wishes to repent, it must truly regret hate crimes against Jews, and acknowledge the Jewish nation's contributions to humanity. 

Christians must also cloak themselves in humility and gratitude towards Judaism. Only such a tikun will make them truly moral.

This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew.