Emuna: Returning To Gush Katif

A radio Interview with Rabbi Shlomo Aviner - Rosh Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim in the Old City of Jerusalem, former Rabbi of Beit El, and prolific writer on Torah philosophy and law, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Q. Should we now try to return to Gush Katif [a bloc of Jewish settlements in Gaza that was handed over to Hamas control in 2006 in the framework of Israel's unilateral Disengagement]?
A. Certainly! There's no question. This is our Land, no less than Tel Aviv or Hevron.

Q. And should we settle other parts of the Promised Land as well?
A. For sure. The Sages state that Eretz Yisrael is 500 by 500 parsaot in size, which means four million square kilometers. We're still missing a lot of land... Of course, we're not talking about tomorrow; we need historical patience.

Q. And what of Judea and Samaria? There is heavy international pressure for us to leave and make room for a Palestinian state.
A. Correct – so what? It's ours. This is our land. There is a song from the Return to Zion of 100 years ago that says, "We not moving." We, too, are not moving anywhere.

Q. If so, let's ask the opposite: There is no other nation in the world throughout history that was willing to concede part of its Land – so how is it that we have a national weakness in this area?
A. It's because of the Shoah (Holocaust). Aside from the murder of six million of us, it also broke our morale to a certain extent. We lost our self-confidence, and we're not bold enough to say: "This is ours." But thank G-d, we are getting stronger, we are increasing our self-confidence and security, and the population in Judea and Samaria is getting larger and larger.  

Q. It is so perfectly logical that a nation should retain its own land. Why don't the nations of the world understand this?
A. Anti-semitism against Jews is not a new thing, and now it's also against the State of Israel.

Q. So why is there anti-semitism?
A. Because we bring to the world ethics and justice, and the world is more interested in giving in to its lowly lusts.

Q. Let's get back to Gush Katif. What will we do with the million Arabs who are there?
A. An Arab who is not an idol worshiper and who is loyal to the State of Israel can remain, as a type of Biblical "resident foreigner" (ger toshav). The others have no business being here. There are more than 20 Arab countries, with a half-billion residents who can take them in.

Q. So you're saying we should expel them?
A. No, we don't have to; they'll leave on their own.

Q. Why should they?
A. Because they will want a country of their own. They're only staying here out of the hope that one day our state will be theirs. When they understand that this will never happen, they'll go.

Q. Should we try to persuade them?
A. It's not up to them, but only up to us. When it becomes clear to them that we are saying, "It's ours!" and we mean it, forever and ever – they'll make their own calculations, and they'll go.

Q. But right now that's not the situation.
A. That's clear, but we have a brain and a mouth, and little by little we can bring about a revolution in how we view our Land.

Q. But today, when we speak about returning to Gush Katif, no one even listens. So perhaps we should be silent? After all, in the words of the Sages, it is incumbent upon us to say that which can be understood, and so too it is a mitzvah not to say that which is not heard?
A. No, for three reasons: 1. We must say these things and release them into the world, so that when the time comes for people to listen, the words will be heard. 2. Up to that time, at least the situation will not deteriorate. 3. When we as a State take the wrong path and men of spirit nod in agreement, this is a catastrophe; but when the men of spirit speak the truth, then even though the reality is problematic, at least the air and the atmosphere remain pure.

Q. Wouldn't it be dangerous for the State if we try to return to Gush Katif?
A. First of all, real dedication (mesirut nefesh), even when it's dangerous, is very important. Secondly, we have seen the opposite in Gush Katif: When we were in Gush Katif, the military situation was basically quiet. Wherever the IDF is present, there is deterrence.

Q. So when will we return to Gush Katif?
A. That is a question that you have to ask a Prophet – though even Prophets didn't know everything; they knew only what G-d told them.

Miketz: Dreams of Royalty

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, Rosh Yeshivat Orot Netanya, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Nighttime. The leader of the community sits back in his chair, and takes a deep breath. These are his hours. Finally, silence around him, allowing him to think. It is now that he takes stock of the various issues, and tries to come up with solutions to the community's problems.

 

He looks back in time. It seems that peace has finally come to the small community. Many years of hardships and struggles against vexing external enemies that threatened to swallow the community altogether, have come to an end.

 

Finally, he is able to deal with the simple, routine problems. How long he waited for this time! He is happy, too, that he now has some help – in the form of an elderly wise man whose advice is worth more than gold. He has someone on whom to lean.

 

The truth is that of late, a new problem has arisen from within. One of the community members has begun to spread novel and unfamiliar ideas, which are very challenging to the other members' regular ways. Not surprisingly, disputes and arguments have begun to arise between friends and neighbors.  

 

For a moment, he asks himself: Perhaps there is no way out? Maybe people have to have something to fight about, such that if there are no outside enemies, internal disputes come to take their place? And which, actually, is preferable?

 

The thoughts give him no rest, and he consults with his mentor. He is taken aback with the concise, sharp, and memorable answer he receives: "It is true: serenity from without brings disputes from within – but these enable the birthing of new and profound insights that will leave a long-lasting impression."

This little tale is actually a double allegory, regarding both the story of Joseph and his brothers of these weeks' Torah portions, and also the importance of the miracles of Chanukah.

We read last week that Yaakov dwelled in the residence of his father when the enmity of his older sons toward Joseph broke out. Rashi tells us that Yaakov "sought to dwell in serenity, but the agitation of [the story of] Joseph jumped out at him."

Yaakov was over 100 years old at this time, and thought he would be able to finally "retire" gracefully after having suffered through the tribulations of Esav, Lavan, and Shechem. But then, with these external troubles having been solved, all of a sudden his own sons begin to bicker among themselves. Just as we see in Israeli society today, when our external enemies rise above us, they bury our internal disputes – but, seemingly, only until our enemies are defeated.

But in truth, this is only a partial picture. The other half is that it is precisely during these times of peace and serenity, just before the onset of the internal bickering, that Joseph has his dreams of royalty. They take physical shape as part of the Egyptian bondage, but when they are actually dreamt, with Yaakov and his family living in peace and freedom, these are dreams of royalty.

Peace allows for freedom of thought. Freedom inherently gives rise to conflicting insights, which in turn give rise to disputes - but arguments actually indicate spiritual unrest, which can produce great tidings.

This matter also illuminates the importance of the Chanukah miracles for all generations. Maimonides writes (Laws of Chanukah 3,1) that a central part of the thanks that we give on this holiday is for the establishment of the Hasmonean kingdom of Israel: "The G-d of their fathers had mercy on Israel, and granted them salvation from their enemies… and they were able to install a king from the Priestly family - and the kingdom of Israel was restored for over 200 years…"

This of course raises a great question: Israel was the beneficiary of many miraculous events throughout the generations, and of course not each one "merited" to be remembered as a holiday for all time. One would think that only miracles that had true significance for very many generations would be commemorated forever. Yet we know that the Hasmonean kingdom has long been extinct. Why, then, do we still remember it in our thanksgiving prayers close to 2,200 years later?

One of the answers given is that the history of the Hasmonean regime is reminiscent from several angles of what we wrote above. The kingdom was destroyed because of an internal dispute as to which of the descendants of the original Maccabees should be king, Yochanan Hyrcanus or Yehuda Aristobulus. They invited the Romans to arbitrate, who promptly arrived and took over the kingdom for themselves.

However, there is another side to the picture. The Hasmonean kingdom enabled the Nation of Israel to actualize its full potential and strength, during the second half of the Second Temple period.

During the First Temple, we merited to have prophecy and nearly the entire Bible. But it was during the Second Temple that we attained new depths in the study of the Oral Law, the Mishna, and the profound teachings of our Sages, which led to centuries of intense and weighty Torah study throughout our terrible Exile.

It is the Oral Law that enabled our holy Torah to remain relevant throughout the generations, and that provided answers to the manifold challenges that arose wherever and whenever Jews found themselves. And this is the miracle of Chanukah that thus sustained the nation throughout the generations.

The Sages tell us that he who wishes to attain wisdom should go southward, and that the Menorah was in fact placed in the south side of the Sanctuary. The miracle of Menorah alludes to the light of the wisdom of the Oral Law, which we received during Chanukah – and it continually rises and increases [just as we increase the number of Chanukah candles each night, in accordance with Beit Hillel's ruling], leading Israel to its complete Redemption, speedily in our days!

Emuna: Two Names - Yaakov and Yisrael (Jacob and Israel)

By Rav Dov Begun, Founder and Dean of Machon Meir Institute , yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Yaakov and Yisrael are the two names of our beloved nation, stemming from the Patriarch Jacob. They symbolize two different aspects: The first one, Yaakov, is based on the word akev, meaning "heel" – for Yaakov held on to his older twin brother's heel as they were born. The heel, of course, is the lowest part of the body. The second one is Yisrael, which is an acronym of Rosh Li ("my head") – referring to the highest and most important part of the body. As the Sages teach: "There is no reshit [beginning point, from the root meaning "head"] other than Israel."

When did Yaakov receive the name Yisrael? It happened after the nocturnal fight between Yaakov and the minister-angel of Esav, when the latter told Yaakov: "Your name will no longer be said to be Yaakov, but rather Yisrael – for you have become great before G-d and man and you have won" [based on Targum Onkelos] (B'reshit 32,29). Rashi explains that the men Yaakov struggled with were Esav and Lavan, and they were unable to defeat him. Thus, the aspect of "Yisrael" is manifest when Israel defeats its enemies.

G-d, too, agrees to this change, telling him, "Your name will be not only Yaakov, but Yisrael will also be your name" (35,9) [as evidenced by the use of both names in the subsequent verses]. Rashi explains there that the name Yisrael, from the root sar, thus indicates princeliness.

-- The Relevance for Today --

The nation of Israel has been struggling with others, as Yaakov did with Esav and Lavan, for thousands of years. Throughout this time, Israel always held on tenaciously and its enemies could not defeat it. However, when we were in Exile, we were a form of Yaakov – not Yisrael – and we were at our lowest points, the place of the heel.

But finally, with thanks to G-d, we have in these latest generations been privileged and merited to see very close up the revitalization of Israel. We are ascending from the "heel" to the "head," and it is therefore no coincidence that we are called the State of Israel. The words of the Torah are coming true: "You will not be called Yaakov but Israel" – and as our Sages explain: "Not that the name Yaakov will be totally uprooted, but Israel will be the main name, and Yaakov is secondary to it" (B'rachot 12b).

And the higher we ascend along our path to full national Redemption, the more we will recognize our special Israelite identity as a "treasured people, holy nation, and kingdom of priests" (Sh'mot 19,6). Similarly, we will also more clearly understand our national destiny, wherein the Nation of Israel will install G-d as the true King of the world, illuminating and benefiting all of mankind.

With anticipation of a great victory and the complete salvation, Amen!    

Vayeshev: The Dangers of Blind Love

by Rav Moshe Leib HaCohen Halbershtadt, Founder and Director of YORU Jewish Leadership, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The story related in this week's Torah portion of Vayeshev (B'reshit 37-40) regarding Yosef's dreams that so angered his brothers is well-known. Already at age 17, he was attached to his half-brothers from Bilhah and Zilpah, but was somewhat estranged from his half-brothers from Leah, who scorned him. Their father Yaakov didn't see what was going on; he saw only his special love for Yosef, his older son from his late beloved wife Rachel. He gave a special striped coat to Yosef, seemingly not realizing that this display of favoritism would bring about sharp feelings of brotherly hatred towards Yosef. "They hated him and could not speak to him in peace" (B'reshit 37,4).

Yosef dreamt a dream, and before he could even tell them what it was, "they hated him all the more." Yaakov did not notice.

Yosef then told them the dream, in which he saw himself and his brothers binding sheaves – and suddenly his own sheaf stood up tall, and the brothers' sheaves bowed down to it! This display of dominion over them, and the fact that he related it to them in such detail, led them to hate him all the more. And Yaakov? He saw nothing.

Yosef then told him his next dream, in which the sun, moon and eleven stars actually bowed down to him. Yosef went even further this time, repeating it to his father as his brothers stood aside and listened (as Rashi explains). Yaakov sees their angry faces, and realizes that he must calm them down. He scolds Yosef in front of them – but still does not realize the extent of his sons' hatred towards him. "His brothers were very jealous of him; his father suspended judgement" (verse 11). He waited to see what would happen, focused only on his great love for Yosef without seeing the impending danger. 

Not only is he unaware of the incendiary relations between them, Yaakov even sends Yosef to check how his brothers are doing in the grazing fields of Sh'chem. He dispatches his beloved son into the jaws of the tiger, not only to his brothers, but to the very place of danger for Yaakov's family, where his daughter was raped and tortured.

The brothers then sold Yosef to passing merchants, and tried to fool Yaakov into believing that he had been mauled to death by a wild animal. They showed him the blood-stained striped coat, and he immediately concluded that Yosef was dead. Even though "all his sons and daughters arose to comfort him, he refused to be consoled, saying, 'I will go down to the grave mourning for my son'" (verse 35). He loved his son Yosef more than he loved all his sons and daughters.

The Talmud draws an important lesson from this tragic story: "One must never favorably single out one of his children from the others – for because of two measures of fine wool that Yaakov gave Yosef and not to the other brothers, they became jealous of him, ultimately leading to the descent of our forefathers to Egypt" (Shabbat 10b). This does not mean that the Sages judged Yaakov Avinu, the choicest of our Patriarchs: "If the earlier ones are the sons of angels, then we are sons of humans, and if they were sons of humans, then we are like donkeys…" (Shabbat 112b). All the more so do we not have the foggiest notion of the greatness of our holy Patriarchs. However – our Torah is a "Torah of Life," and did not come just to tell us stories of what happened, but wants us to learn how to act. The Sages want us to learn from the straightforward meaning of the verses what happened and how we should not act: We must never show such favoritism to one son at the expense of the others, for this causes jealousy that could ultimately lead to a catastrophe.

And in truth, it is very strange: How can we understand that Yaakov behaved so blindly, without realizing a simple notion such as not singling out one son from the others? How could he not then see all the warning signs along the way?

The answer is that his extraordinary love for his son blinded him to the facts: "For bribery will blind the eyes of wise men and will distort the words of the righteous" (D'varim 16,19).

There were several reasons for Yaakov to love Yosef: Yosef was born to Rachel, and it was when Yaakov was already old, and Yaakov taught him everything he learned in the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, and Yosef looked like him. His love was so intense that he simply could not see what was going on around him. This is the danger of any blinding love; when one is blinded, he is as if bribed into believing falsehoods, even in the face of clear signs of dangers ahead.

Given that this is true, we are in big trouble! For how can one ever know if he is blinded or not? How he can make a good decision without knowing whether he might not be truly aware of the consequences? How can we know if we are seeing clearly, or are actually unaware?

The mussar-master Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, author of Michtav Me'Eliyahu, explains that this is a key point of the study and implementation of ethical behavior. We must always be striving hard to ascertain whether we can trust our intellect and logic to arrive at true conclusions. We must know that our brains can come to correct ethical conclusions only to the extent that our hearts are free and clean of personal motivations and conflicts of interest. Only if our hearts are then full with strong and burning aspirations for integrity and truth can we be sure of ourselves.

Rabbi Dessler continues: "Can it be then that one who has not yet completely purified his heart, has no chance of making correct ethical decisions?" The answer is yes, he can never be completely sure! However, there is a test that one can conduct in order to ascertain whether his decision is good and true: If he sees that the decision he made came to him easily, without a struggle, he must be suspicious. He must then search his heart to see where his decision jives with his personal interests. Only a decision that was made with difficulty, and after great efforts to reach the truth, and amidst a war against his personal instincts – only such decisions leave room for hope that he might be on the right path. 

We thus learn that we must always be on the alert, in any relationship and in every circumstance, to make sure we are striving for truth without being blinded by our own interests, or by the interests of those we love. Only in this way will we have a chance to protect ourselves from the great dangers of "blinding love."

Vayetze: Truth and the Patriarch Yaakov

Abridged from the writings of Rabbi Moshe Leib HaCohen Halbershtadt, Founder and Director of YORU Jewish Leadership, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

"You granted truth to Yaakov and kindness to Avraham" (Micha 7,20). Why is Yaakov Avinu, of all people, considered the epitome of Truth?

In this week's Torah portion of Vayetze (B'reshit 28,10-32,3), we read about Yaakov Avinu having fled from his brother Esav to Haran, where he worked for his uncle Lavan and raised a family of 13 children. The Prophet Micha tells us that Yaakov is the very symbol and banner of the attribute of "truth," just as Avraham is the epitome of chessed, kindness. 

Let us focus here on Yaakov. Does his life really epitomize the trait of truth? We know, for instance, that he deceived his father into giving him the blessing that Yitzchak wished to give Esav. And then, in this week's portion, after the trickster Lavan was finally willing to give him a salary for his 20 years of work, Yaakov made him an interesting offer: "Remove from your flocks every lamb that is spotted or streaked, every sheep with dark markings, and this [i.e., those born afterwards with such markings] will be my payment" (30,32). Lavan agreed – and Yaakov promptly proceeded to play around with all sorts of special methods to ensure that a high proportion of the newborn lambs would be exactly what he would be paid! 

Is that how the "symbol of truth" should behave? After all, it was obvious that Lavan would never have agreed to the deal had he known about Yaakov's special methods of operation! And even if we find an explanation that will settle our minds regarding Yaakov's behavior with Lavan and with the blessings, why is Yaakov considered the very symbol of Truth? Why does the Prophet Micha choose him as the manifestation of this trait? Is this not very strange??

Let us look at Pirkei Avot, the Chapters of the Fathers. One of the first Mishnayot there tells us that Simon the Just taught: "On three things the world stands: on the Torah, on Divine service, and on acts of kindness." At the end of that chapter, we read: "Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: On three things the world exists: on law and judgement, on truth, and on peace."

It would seem that these are two conflicting approaches. But how is it possible that Rabban Shimon, who lived at the end of the Mishnaic period, would dispute the earlier words of Shimon HaTzaddik, who was a member of the Men of the Great Assembly, whose teachings and rulings form the very foundations of much of our tradition?

To reconcile this, let us note that the first Mishna above refers to the attributes on which the world stands, while the second speaks of those on which, or for which, the world exists. That is, the first is speaking of how the world was created, and the important values on which the world was established. But regarding the manner in which the world is run day to day, it must function on the concepts of truth, judgement, and peace. How does this work? 

Judgement and peace can operate together, but truth and peace seems to be a different story. There are cases in which they clash, and in fact the Talmud teaches that "it is permitted to change [i.e., not tell the truth] for the sake of peace." This shows that peace and the absolute truth cannot, at least in some cases, exist at one and the same time.

And we find in the Medrash (B'reshit Rabba 8,5) that a dispute arose when G-d created the world: "Truth and Peace said that man should not be created, and Kindness and Tzedek said he should be created." G-d then cast Truth to the ground, the Medrash continues, vetoing his opinion. Here we ask: What happened to Peace, which also said, "Do not create"? Why did G-d not throw him to the ground as well? 

In addition, what does it mean that G-d cast Truth to the ground? Did He not want Truth anymore, after He created the world based on it and the two other attributes? How could the world then continue to exist? 

We must therefore say that G-d cast out an absolute version of Truth, and gave us, those who live in the world that He created, a different form of Truth. For us, Truth is not absolute – but rather "the right thing to do." The way in which we are supposed to act - that is Truth. When we are taught that we may "change" for the sake of peace, this means that the Truth in that instance is that we must "change." Thus, why did the very symbol of Truth tell his father, "I am Esav, your firstborn"? It is because this is what his mother told him to do, and therefore this was the Truthful manner in which he was to act. (Based on an explanation taught by the late saintly Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky)

In accordance with this, we can explain another cardinal event in Yaakov's life. When he met his future wife and Lavan's dauther Rachel at the well, he told her that he was her father's brother. Why did he say this, given that he was actually her father's nephew? The answer is, as the Medrash tells us, that he was responding to Rachel's warning that her father was a con-man and trickster – and Yaakov said, "Don't worry, I know how to work with that type of person; I'm his brother in deception." 

Yaakov was telling Rachel, at the start of their relationship, that the Torah way – the Truth – is that when dealing with a swindler, one must behave in kind. "With a faithful one, You act faithfully, but with a crooked one, You deal crookedly" (Tehillim 118,27). If this is what the Torah teaches, then it is no longer deception, but the Truth! We know that Lavan tricked Yaakov many times (B'reshit 31,7), and therefore Yaakov had to use crooked methods to receive from Lavan that which he deserved. 

Similarly, Beit Hillel teaches that one must praise a bride's appearance, even if she is not particularly beautiful, and must tell someone that his new car is great and that he made a good deal in buying the property he bought, even if this is not quite the truth. The reason is that according to our Torah, we must be understanding of our fellow Jews and their feelings – and therefore the right and True thing to do in cases such as these is to give him a good feeling, even at the expense of absolute truth. This is because behaving with sensitivity to others is the Truth of our holy Torah.

Emuna: Beit El: Modern-Day Site of Yaakov's Dream

By Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed, Rosh Yeshivat Beit El, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Generations upon generations have read the story of Yaakov's dream – but it is we who have merited to be here in Beit El, the very place where it took place!

This week's Torah portion begins with Yaakov Avinu's famous dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder leading to the heavens. So very many generations have read and learned this story, in Babylonia, Poland, Iraq, and all over the world!

When our Sages spoke of this place where it happened - the place that Yaakov named Beit El, the place that he realized was a "place of G-d" – they spoke theoretically, for they did not see it or and certainly did not live there. But yet, blessed be G-d, we have merited to be here in Beit El and read this Torah portion right here, adjacent to where it happened!

Rashi explains that the land actually jumped for Yaakov on his journey. That is, the site of the future Holy Temple jumped to Beit El, and Yaakov prayed there - such that at that moment, Beit El was actually the place of the Beit HaMikdash! The Ramban (Nachmanides) does not accept this approach, because he says that when we speak of "a jump in the journey," it means that the people were able to get to their destination faster than expected, and not that the land itself jumped.

But one of the most important of the many commentaries on Rashi, the Mizrachi, explains: "The land jumped in order that Yaakov should be able to pray in both places, Yerushalayim and Beit El, together; how nice and pleasant it is for both of them to be together." This tells us that Beit El has a special virtue, and that Jerusalem has an even greater virtue – and together their virtue is multiplied! 

We have merited to be in this special place with its special spiritual features and assets. Its very name is critically important. Our Sages say that we must be precise in how we call a location. There is a discussion, for instance, if we should say Beit El or Beit Kel (so as not to pronounce G-d's name). A place like this that is named for Hashem has a special aura of the Shechina (the Divine Presence), expressing the fact that it is the House of G-d. As Yaakov said when he awoke, "This is none other than the House of G-d, and this is the gateway to Heaven" (B'reshit 28,17). 

Our Sages tell us that this place, which was originally called Luz (verse 19), has a very unique force of existence. The Medrash (B'reshit Rabba 69,8) says: 

This is Luz, the place in which they dye sky blue wool. This is Luz that Sancheriv attacked but whose population he did not transfer; the place that Nevuchadnetzar attacked but did not destroy. This is Luz, over which the angel of death never had dominion. What would the elderly among them do? When they would become very old, they would take them outside the walls and they would die.

That is, this was a very special place in which people lived long lives. The elderly were so old that they were already satiated with life and were anxious to go to the next stage, known as "death" and leading to the World to Come – but they did not die in Luz, but rather outside its walls. Inside the city they could not die; this was a place only of life. 

The Medrash continues: 

R. Abba bar Kahana said: Why was it called Luz? Anyone who would enter it would proliferate mitzvot and good deeds just like an almond tree [luz]. 

This is a place of sanctity; it has a special type of ambience. One who comes here connects with holiness and good deeds. This is Beit El.

Emuna: At the End, Who Came First?

by Rav Avraham Vasserman, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Which came first, secular Zionism or religious Zionism? Rav Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer's Zionism of the late 19^th century paved the way for the modern secular movement.

Many of the disagreements in Israeli society begin and end with this question: Why and for what are we here? Are we running from pogroms and the Holocaust, or are we striving for Redemption? Was it secular Jews who initiated the establishment of the State in order to build a Western capitalist democracy with Jewish trappings, or did Torah-observant Jews lead the way in their striving to actualize the dreams of generations to return to Zion?

The historic truth that some try to blur is this: Those who initiated the Jewish settlement entity that became the State of Israel were righteous Torah scholars, and they did not lay the ideological and practical infrastructures for the State because they sought to escape anti-Semitism, but to bring about national Redemption.

Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, son of the late first Chief Rabbi, HaRav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, was asked how and when our period of Redemption began. He wrote: "It was Rabbis Kalischer and Gutmacher, students of the famed Gaon Rav Akiva Eger, who aroused and inspired the nation to make Aliyah and to found the agricultural yishuv (settlement enterprise) in the Land of Israel."  

The occasion of discussing this important issue is the 150th anniversary, this week, of the passing of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer, a leading Torah scholar active in 19^th-century Poland. His book Drishat Tzion, published in 1862, was groundbreaking in its time in its refutation of the prevalent perception that the Messiah would come from Heaven with no need for action on our part in returning to the Land. Citing many Rabbinic Torah sources, he showed that the Redemption is to come in stages, after the Nation of Israel on its own returns to its Land. Rav Kalischer therefore called for Aliyah, renewed settlement, and even for a renewal of the sacrificial services. His influence among the Jewish communities was notable, as he was very admired throughout the Jewish world, and especially in eastern Europe.

Rav Shmuel Mohilever, some 30 years younger, one of the leaders of the Hibat Tzion (also known as Hovevei Tzion) movement, adopted Rav Kalischer's ideas and similarly called for Aliyah and Jewish agriculture in the Holy Land. The First Aliyah (1882-1891), which was inspired by these and other rabbis, was mostly of religious Jews, and it served as the basis for all the subsequent Aliyot.

There is much more to say about Rav Kalischer in honor of his 150^th yahrtzeit. Because he learned from the Ramban (Nachmanides) that the Redemption and return to Eretz Yisrael must come about with the permission of the nations, and not as an act of rebellion against the international community, he insisted that all efforts be made to obtain such a license for the establishment of a State. The "spring of nations" of the mid-19^th century inspired him to exhort his brethren to exhibit mesirut nefesh, devotion and self-sacrifice, for the Jewish national revival. This was a novel concept in the Jewish world, which for centuries of difficult Exile had largely forgotten it.

But though other national movements were being jump-started at this period in history, it was not as simple for the Jewish Nation. For one thing, we are warned not to rebel against the nations. Rabbi Kalischer therefore made a particularly bold proposal to activate the enormous economic power held by the Rothschild and Montefiore families. In his opinion, it was the hand of Divine providence that their influence was so great within many of the important nations, and they could help attain the needed political support. Rabbi Kalischer even spoke about establishing a Jewish army, calculating that the entire religious Bible-believing world, Muslims and Christians, would help fulfill the prophecies of the return to Zion.

This later became partially true – with regard to Christians: The support of English Prime Minister Lloyd George for the Balfour Declaration stemmed from his Christian faith and reading of the Scriptures.

Rav Kalischer wrote to Anshel Rothschild and asked him to offer to purchase the Land of Israel from the Ottoman Turks, or at least parts of Jerusalem – or at least the Temple Mount. His goals, of course, were large-scale Jewish settlement in the Land, and also so that sacrifices could be offered. In addition, he met with Sir Moshe Montefiore, who in turn met with Muhammad Ali [whose Egyptian empire had conquered the Holy Land from the Ottomans] and asked to lease plots in the Land – but Ali turned him down.

However, Rav Kalischer was able to persuade Rothschild to build Mikveh Yisrael, an agricultural school that would teach Jewish children to work the land. Rav Kalischer was even invited to serve on its Board of Directors. Mikveh Yisrael did ground-breaking work in the areas of settlement, absorption of new immigrants, and military efforts. Ben-Gurion said: "If Mikveh Yisrael had not been established, it is doubtful whether the State of Israel would have been established."

Rav Kalischer's writings served to introduce the Jews of his times to the notion that Redemption was a realistic possibility – even a necessity – even then, and that it could come naturally, not miraculously. Many historians often credit Rav Kalischer and his colleagues with "heralding Zionism" – but in fact, as Rav Kook writes, these early rabbis were more than town criers: They were actually the primary and original Zionists, upon which secular Zionism was built. However, the latter then tried to sway the movement in secular directions, which Rav Kook and many others tried desperately to counteract. However, he did this with love; even though he said that the secular Zionists should engage only in building the physical aspects of the Land of Israel, he added that "our job is not to fight them, but to uplift them."

In recent years, Rabbi Kalischer's ideology has been making a comeback. It is not only prominent in the Torah-Zionist sector, but even haredi elements, who are generally unwilling to connect with secular Zionism, see Rav Kalischer as their guide as they engage in the "Redemption of Zion in purity." Restoring our national revival to its original path and source is in fact the mission of our lives, for the success of the State in all areas.

Toldot: The Holy City of Gaza

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, Rosh Yeshivat Orot Netanya , yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

It is told that a Jew once came to the late saintly Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu (Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, 1983-1993), and told him that he was intending to reprint the exalted and famous Sabbath hymn Y-ah Ribon Alam. Rabbi Eliyahu said to him that where the name of the author, Rabbi Yisrael Najara (d. 1628) appears, it should also be noted prominently that he was the Rabbi of the city of Gaza (in which he was also buried). Why? Rav Eliyahu explained that it should be publicized that Gaza had a large Jewish population and that it is an integral part of our Holy Land.

The entire Land is sacred, of course, and in our times it is particularly important that we discuss and emphasize the holiness and prominence of the city of Gaza and of the Gaza Strip in general – especially this week when this area figures significantly in our Torah portion of Toldot (B'reshit 25,19-28,9). (There is even talk in some circles of resettling the area now, to "atone" for the Disengagement and destruction of Jewish Gaza, known as Gush Katif, in 2005.)

We read in Parashat Toldot that our Patriarch Yitzchak was commanded not to leave the Holy Land. He then went in the path of his father Avraham and lived in Grar – which, according to modern research, is located practically adjacent to the Gaza Strip, in the area known today as Re'im [the epicenter of the calamitous Hamas slaughter 14 months ago].

Our forefathers fought many times in history over this area with the Plishtim. In Toldot we read that the struggle was first expressed in the digging of wells: The Plishtim plugged up the wells that Avraham had dug, and Yitzchak re-dug them, and the Plishtim again fought with him over them. Only when Yitzchak dug a third well a bit further away did the Plishtim leave him in peace, and even forged a treaty with him.

The famous Biblical commentator Rav David Kimchi (the Radak, d. 1235 in France) writes as follows:

"All these stories about the digging of the wells and giving them names come to tell us that Yitzchak was able to dig without being bothered in the uncontested parts of the Land of Israel … And this was a sign for them that G-d was to give them and their descendants that land – but the land of Plishtim [known today as the Gaza Strip], even though it is part of Eretz Yisrael [emphasis added], was not securely in their hands, and this is why there was a fight about the border. All this says that this area will not be secure in their hands [until] the days of the Messiah."

That is to say: Our holy Patriarchs fought for this area because it is a part of the Land of Israel, but this struggle will last for all generations, until Messianic times.

And here we see something astonishing, which indicates the importance of the Gaza Strip as critical in the conquest of the entire Land and the building of Jerusalem:

The Torah tells us that both Avraham and Yitzchak forged treaties with King Avimelekh of Grar. In Deuteronomy (2,23) we read: "The Avites, residing in Hatzerim up to Gaza – the Caftorites living in Caftor destroyed them, and settled in their place." Onkelos translated the word Hatzerim as meaning Rafiach, none other than today's Rafah. This tells us that the Avites lived throughout the Strip, from the city of Gaza southward to Rafah.

Rashi there explains why the Torah saw fit to tell us this little tidbit: "The Avites are of the Plishtim… and because of the oath that Avraham made to Avimelekh, [we] his descendants were unable to take their land, therefore [G-d] brought the Caftories upon them; the Caftorites destroyed them and took their land – and now Israel is permitted to take that land from them."

We thus see that because of the covenant between Avraham and the king of Grar, we were unable to conquer the entire Strip, because the descendants of the Grarites lived there, until the Caftories took over, enabling us to inherit the Gaza Strip.

Let us go a step further. The Ramban states that this issue actually delayed the Israelites' entry into the Land following the Exodus from Egypt! He explains that this is why we did not enter the Land directly via the Gaza area – as is written, "G-d did not lead them along the Plishtim route even though it was shorter" (Sh'mot 13,17) – because "Israel did not inherit the land of Plishtim until the oath was expired, that is, after three generations of Plishtim had died."

The Ramban cites in this context the Medrash Mechilta as explaining "even though it was shorter" as meaning, more literally, "because it was short" – it was too soon after the oath between Avraham and Avimelekh!

This seems to apply even to Jerusalem. See Radak on Yehoshua 15,63, which implies that the reason the Israelites did not conquer Jerusalem in Yehoshua's time was because the Yevusites – descendants of Avimelekh – still lived there. Only after Avimelekh's grandson died did King David ascend and conquer Jerusalem.

We thus see that the liberation of Gaza is the key to our conquest of our entire Holy Land! With G-d's help, may we soon merit that our defeat of Hamas in Gaza will lead to the complete and absolute liberation of Jerusalem and to the construction of our Holy Temple, speedily in our times, Amen!

Emuna: Faith is not Just an Add-On

by Rav Tal Haimowitz, Yeshivat Hesder Maalot , yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The Torah begins with the story of Divine Creation, and not with commandments, in order to emphasize the importance of developing faith in G-d.

We have been reading the Torah portions in B'reshit (Genesis) of late, particularly the ones dealing with our Patriarch Avraham and his interactions with G-d and man. Certainly the lessons taught here are profound and critical, but yet a sharp question constantly seems to sneak into our consciousness: "For what? Why does the Torah have to tell us in such detail what our righteous forefathers did and didn't do? Isn't the Torah supposed to be a book of rules and practical guidance, as indicated by the Hebrew word 'Torah' [from the root meaning teach or instruct]? In B'reshit there are altogether no more than three commandments!"

Actually, we can ask as follows: Is Judaism a religion of orthopraxy - correct conduct, both ethical and liturgical – or is it one of orthodoxy, true faith and beliefs? During the 18th-century days of Moses Mendelsohn, who was an observant Jew, very many modern German Jews held, like him, that their religion was one of orthopraxy, and that the Torah did not intend to teach us what to believe, but rather what to do and what not to do.

The very first Rashi in B'reshit seems to support this position: "R. Yitzchak asked, why did the Torah begin with the story of Creation, and not with the first commandment issued to Israel?" The implication is that the Torah's job is to give laws. The Ramban (Nachmanides) did not accept this question, explaining that Judaism is actually a religion of Orthodoxy: "There is a great need to begin the Torah with the story of G-d's creation of the world, for that is the source of faith altogether, and one who does not believe this but feels rather that the world has always existed is a heretic who has no share in the Torah at all!"

How then does the Ramban explain R. Yitzchak's question? He says that R. Yitzchak was merely asking why the story of Creation takes up so much space in the Torah, when it could easily have been told briefly, as in the Ten Commandments: "Remember the Sabbath day… for in six days G-d created the Heavens and the Earth."

In fact, the Ramban is correct: Whoever is lacking the fundamentals of faith, even if he fulfills the Torah's commandments, truly cannot be considered a Torah-observant Jew. The great teacher of Israel, the Rambam (Maimonides), makes this very clear in his Laws of Repentance (3,6). He includes there, based on our Sages' teachings, a list of those who have no share in the World to Come – and a quick perusal thereof shows that more than half of them are guilty not of practical sins, but of heresy and false conceptions!

The Rambam writes: "And those who have no share in the Next World, but who will be cut off and lost and judged forever for their great sins, are the atheists, infidels, rejecters of the Divine origin of Torah, deniers of resurrection and the coming of the Messiah…"

The fact is that a deficiency in faith can prevent ideal fulfillment of mitzvot altogether. One who does not believe in a Creator Who watches over the world and hears our prayers – how can he stand and pray? Or, one who believes in some kind of dual cosmology, such as the once-popular Zoroastrianism, is not recognized as a Kosher Jew in terms of his ritual slaughter and other Halakhic matters (Tr. Hullin 13a). As such it is clear why our Sages taught that one must first accept upon himself the Yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, and only afterwards the Yoke of the Mitzvot; this explains the order of the passages in Kriat Shma (Mishna B'rachot 2,2).

Not only that, but our historic experience has shown that Torah observance does not last if its main pillar is a list of do's and don'ts. The famous historian Tzvi Hirsch Graetz, author of the classic "History of the Jews", wrote that with just 60 years after Mendelsohn's passing, half of his followers had already converted to Christianity.

We learn in the Talmud in the name of R. Samlai: "Six hundred and thirteen mitzvot were told to Moshe… David came and 'stood them' on 11… Micha came and 'stood them' on three… Havakuk came and stood them on just one, as is written, 'The righteous man will live by his faith'" (Tr. Maakot 23b). The pillar of faith thus encompasses the entire Torah. This shows us how pointless is the attempt to shape a Torah life on deeds alone.

Believers, Sons of Believers

Why is there such resistance to the idea that the Torah is essentially founded upon specific principles of faith? One reason is because of the notion that people cannot be commanded to think a specific thought. But in fact, the opposite is true. The Torah demands that we believe specific truths – and also explains how this is possible! Thoughts and beliefs are actually quite dependent on our free choice, and we can shape them as we wish. For instance, the Torah specifically exhorts us not to be stubborn (Deut. 10,16) by denying clear manifestations of Divine Providence and attributing them to mere coincidence and the like.

This principle is a function of the way our souls are designed: We set and determine our beliefs only after we have interpreted a given situation in a particular manner. The situation exists, but it is given to various explanations – and these are dependent upon the way we want to explain them. One who chooses to interpret events in the light of Divine Providence, will merit to see Divine Providence clearly in everything that happens to him. This is precisely what the Torah commands us to do. The ability to believe and have faith hinges upon our desire not to reject what we see by employing crooked and negative logic.

Aside from all this, we must also note that belief in G-d and His providence is a permanent fixture in our souls, as the Sages taught: "Israel are believers, descendants of believers." A deficiency in faith that we might find in ourselves is nothing more than a speck of dirt on our souls, preventing us from expressing our true nature, and must be simply cleaned off.

This ability to believe in and cleave to G-d and His mitzvot and desires is something we inherited from our Patriarch Abraham, the father of Jewish faith in the living G-d. This critical point, on which the entire Torah and Judaism are founded, must be emphasized at the beginning of the Torah – and this is why the stories in the Book of Genesis that we read so eagerly recount the details of the lives of our Forefathers and thus shape our faith (Nachmanides, Introduction to Genesis).

When we continue to grasp on to this rock of our national existence, it will also illuminate the way to victory over our enemies and will lead us to a secure and joyful national existence in our Land.

Chayei Sarah: What to Look for in a Spouse

by Rav Moshe Leib HaCohen Halbershtadt, Founder and Director of YORU Jewish Leadership, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

In this week's Torah portion of Chayei Sarah (B'reshit 23,1 - 25,18), we read that Avraham sent his trusted servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son Yitzchak. Avraham asked Eliezer to vow "by the Lord G-d of the heavens and the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose midst I dwell, but rather go to my land and my birthplace, and take a wife for my son, for Yitzchak." (24,3-4)

Avraham also insisted that the designated wife not remain in her father's house in Padan Aram, but rather that Yitzchak should marry her in Canaan, the land that G-d promised to give Avraham and his descendants.

Was it too hard for Avraham to find a wife of good character from the land of Canaan? True, the Canaanites were not of the highest moral caliber, but could not Avraham have found one girl with the traits of goodness and kindness that he sought? And what about the daughter of Eliezer himself? He was Avraham's loyal student who lived a life of faith in G-d, who knew the importance of kindness and dedication to others, both spiritually and materially, and whose daughter grew up in Avraham and Sarah's own house – would she not have been a fine match for Yitzchak?

Instead, what does Avraham do? He sends Eliezer to find a wife for his son to Aram Naharayim, of all places - a place filled with idol-worship! And he sends him to Avraham's family, which had quite its share of moral defects: The father was an evil and lecherous idol-worshiper who even tried to kill Eliezer! (See Yalkut Shimoni 24,109 and Medrash Lekach Tov 24,33) And Lavan, Rivka's brother, was a known con-artist, with no respect for his elders (Rashi to verse 50), and a glutton who even tried to steal from Eliezer (Rashi to verse 29)! From that type of family Avraham wished to find a wife for his son, just because they were his relatives!?

To answer this, let us take a look at the Mishna in Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Father 2,2), which teaches in the name of R. Yehuda ben Teima: "You should be bold as a leopard, swift as an eagle, fleet as a gazelle, and brave as a lion, to do the will of your Father in Heaven." The great late saintly tzaddik and Mussar master Rav Dov Yaffe (d. 2017) explained that the Mishna could have simply said, 'Be bold, be swift, be brave,' etc. – but instead added that we should have these traits just as the respective animals have them. That is, we must strive that these traits should be so totally deep-rooted within us, just like a leopard's boldness and the lion's courage. If these traits do not become a genuine part of our nature, we can never know when we might fail to activate them when needed; it will be a "sometimes yes, sometimes no" proposition.

Rav Yaffe even added that when the great Rabbi Eliyahu Lapian sought a match for his own daughter, he asked the venerable Rav Yerucham of Mir to find a boy whose good character traits were less "acquired" and more based on his very nature.

The holy Torah wants to teach us that we should follow in Avraham's footsteps when we seek a shidduch for our children. He refused to find a girl for his son from among the Canaanites: "Cursed is Canaan" (9,25). Avraham understood that the traits of Canaan and his descendants were problematic from their very nature. Even if an individual Canaanite had good traits, or lived among people with positive attributes and consequently worked on himself to improve his character, this is great – but a person like that is not yet on the level of one whose good traits are totally imbued within him or her, and is therefore not suitable for the olah temimah, "unblemished offering," his son Yitzchak.

Avraham Avinu understood that a family like his that was able to produce someone like himself – we know him as the "pillar of chessed (kindness)" – as well as someone like his wife Sarah, whose 127 years were all equal in their goodness (Rashi, 23,1) – that is a family with the DNA of a moral, kind nature. And in fact, Rivka had this nature as well, as evidenced when she brought as much water as was needed for Eliezer's camels. And the ultimate proof was the fact that she reached such a high level of kindness and modesty despite having grown up in the family of Betuel and Lavan. The Torah even emphasizes precisely this point by repeating more than once that she was "the daughter of Betuel from Padan Aram, the sister of Lavan." As Rashi says to verse 20: "This was her praise, that she was the daughter of a wicked man, and the sister of a wicked man, and she lived among wickedness, but did not learn from their actions."

Rivka was not an "occasional" righteous person, but rather a naturally good person. Only someone like her was worthy of becoming Yitzchak's wife, our Matriarch Rivka.