The Rebbe on Arab and Israeli Youth

Motti Eden of Kol Yisrael Israeli radio. 1980 Private audience with the Rebbe.

I know that Jewish children’s rallies were critically important in the Rebbe’s eyes. So I asked him, “why children’s rallies?” I remembered that every time there was a call for a rally from the Rebbe it was before some critical event. It happened before the Yom Kippur War. I remembered that well. Why? 

Children's Rally in 770

Then the Rebbe explained. He spoke of the situation as being very grave...The Rebbe reply: According to Torah one must be careful not to frighten Jews, for we are commanded “to serve G-d with joy”. But according to the intelligence I have from Washington where intelligence is gathered from all over the world – the situation is extremely grave, for two reasons. 

There is a trend growing among the Arabs. Thirty or forty years ago, for just a few lira, or just a few dollars, it was possible to bribe the most senior Arab Sheikh.  How much more so the younger ones; and the younger ones obeyed– they did nothing on their own without asking the Sheikh. You could bribe him with a car or the like, and he would do anything you wanted. 

Now the situation has changed from one extreme to the other. The young generation are more fanatical and more zealous for religion, for independence, than all the Sheikhs and more than any in that generation. The younger the Arab, the more zealous he is. He cannot be bought, not with money or with honor. For him, this is Allah, and this is his self-sacrifice. There is nothing more glorified in his eyes than this. 

Painfully and unfortunately with respect to our own Jewish youth, the direction is just the opposite. Thirty years ago in Israel, pioneering was good currency. No one needed convincing to be a pioneer; he came on his own and demanded “Give me a plot of land in a settlement, in the Negev desert,” where he would prove his self-sacrifice. Now they are saying “Enough already! We have lived under pressure for 32 years. Now we deserve to live a peaceful life, a fun life.” 

The first and most crucial item: We must change the outlook of the youth about their personal connection to the Holy Land: that they are a single continuum of thirty generations of Jewish men and women. That thirty five or forty generations ago the Jewish People entered the Holy Land which was given to them as an eternal inheritance. It is not theft, there is no injustice here. The Arabs came a thousand years later, and then they left and were not interested in it. All these explanations are simple. 

But a young boy or girl has no patience for theoretical concepts. They need something concrete that they can actually participate in. When they are told there is a verse in the Torah “Hear Israel, G-d is our G-d, G-d is One” and that was not just addressed to someone named Israel who stood at Sinai 3,000 years ago, but it was meant for this ‘Avraham’, ‘Moshe’, and ‘Shlomo’ who lives in Tel Aviv on such-and-such a street. It was they whom G-d had in mind when He said “Hear [listen] Israel!” 

The Government itself created it's own ‘Demographic Problem’!

The Government of Israel has created with its very own hands the demographic problem by not expelling the Arabs who were at war with us through the Six-Day War, and by leaving the Arabs in their locations. 

So let the government not come now and wave (what in truth is their own failure) a demographic problem to explain away why they say we need to withdraw from the territories and not annex them to the State of Israel. 

Indeed, I do admit that their (the large Arab population) dwelling in the State can create a great problem, but what is the better alternative? Is it better that that this area be an independent Palestinian State or a Jordanian State in which there are one and a half million Arabs within firing distance and creating war against every Jewish town and village in the Land? Is it not preferable that those very same millions of Arabs be subject to controlled supervision of the State of Israel within her borders, even with all the problems to which this gives rise? 

It is shameful that Israel’s representatives in their political dealings are totally afraid to mention that our right to the Land comes from G-d’s Promise! We see young Arab are not ashamed of their ‘faith’. When they demand what they consider to be their rights to the Land, they bring religious reasoning, declaring that they will not compromise ‘the holy lands’. Only in our circles are there those who are ashamed. You have tried already all formula (expressions for Israel’s rights to the Land) and have seen the (tragic) results. And nevertheless you are afraid to try the most effective way of persuasion.  

                                                                     From an interview with Mr. Shmuel Katz, 1978

The awesome victory of the Six-Day War

The Bible [Kings 1: 20.32] recounts the Seven-Day War which took place in the time of Ahab, King of Israel. 

Hadad, King of Aram went out to war against Israel and was so soundly defeated that he thought he would never recover. In spite of this, Ahab ran after him begging him to sign a peace treaty. The King of Aram who hated Ahab with a deadly passion, thought that Ahab hated him to the same degree, could not understand why Ahab wanted to strike a peace treaty with him. His advisers explained to him that the Jewish People are a merciful and compassionate nation. So if they are requesting peace, they will agree to such a treaty. Indeed, after considerable persuasion Hadad agreed and sent emissaries to Ahab, and the peace treaty was signed. From this agreement immeasurable pain was suffered by the Jewish Nation, as recounted there at length.

A similar incident took place two years ago at the time of the Six-Day War. The Israel Defense Force smote the Arab forces a resoundingly, and the Arabs fled out of great fear. Yet, Israel ran after the Arabs, begging them: ‘please, come and sit with us around the table. Come; let’s make peace!’ 

It is already two years they are running after the Arabs begging them to sit together and sign a peace treaty in return for which Israel offers all the territory they want. Yet, the Arabs show reluctance to meet with the Jews, arguing “we have enough trouble of our own, we are not interested in your benevolence”. “We wish for neither your honey nor your sting”. 

The Arabs are prepared to forgo half the country that Israel wants to give them on a silver platter, so long as they do not sit together with a Jew. This strange situation has only one explanation: What is taking place here is that ‘G-d hardened the heart of Pharaoh’. The Arabs have no reason not to sit with the Jews, and have nothing to lose. G-d is hardening their hearts.  

The pursuit of the Israeli government of the Arab nations after the awesome victory of the Six-Day War does not end there. Rulers of Israel want to cut up Jerusalem, the Holy City into three pieces. For the Muslims, the Christians and ‘also’ to the Jews. And that is not all: they encourage the Arabs to live in Jerusalem. This in spite of the fact that Jerusalem, from time immemorial has belonged exclusively to the Jewish People, since the time of Shem the son of Noach, Abraham the Patriarch, and the conquest of Jerusalem by King David. 

Furthermore there is an explicit legal ruling, that in addition to it bringing him harm, a gentile is forbidden to live in Jerusalem. However, this law is only in force when the hand of Israel is strong in the Land; but this does not mean that gentiles be encouraged to live there, certainly not to run after him begging him to stay.

Until now the Arabs were fearful of Israel, however, the groveling after the Arabs is the direct cause that now they raise their head against Israel and increase their terror attacks.

                                                                                 Public talk Parshas Mattos-Maseh, 1967

A Gentile will accept this Truth Immediately!

At the opening of the book of Genesis, the commentator Rashi explains: “Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah should have opened with the words “This Month is for you...” (the first law of the Torah). Why does the Torah begin with the account of Creation? Because (G-d) informed His People of his powerful act of giving them the inheritance of the nations.” Similarly in (Deuteronomy 32.43): “Sing, nations the praises of His People, for He will avenge the blood of His servants. He will bring retribution to His enemies, and He will appease His Land and His People” (for the distress inflicted by the enemy). The original Hebrew text omits the word ‘and’ because the Land of Israel and the People of Israel are one.

Hashem's Universe

Rashi emphasizes that a gentile needs to clearly know that everything belongs to G-d. ‘He initially gave the land to them [the Canaanite nations], and thereafter to us’. No one is in denial that nations had previously lived there. Yet, just as He gave it to them, so did He choose to take it from the nations and confer it to the Children of Israel. G-d informed His people that they (not limit this information to being heard only within in the house of learning and study with a friend, but to) convey this message to the gentiles, openly and proudly, to the entire world, even for a five year old to understand.

When stated with conviction, the gentile will immediately accept it. For a Jew to accept an open truth, he needs to battle with himself. A gentile is not faced with such decision making. He will understand and accept the truth immediately especially when bearing in mind that the Torah wants this message to reach the gentile world. 

True, it is forbidden to study the Oral Law with a gentile. But he should be taught the Seven Noachide Laws. Maimonides explains that at a time when the Jewish people are strongly established they have the obligation to coerce gentiles to observe the basic Seven Noachide Laws of human behavior. One of these laws is ‘Do not steal’. A gentile needs to be taught that if the land of Israel is in his possession, this constitutes theft. By transgressing one of these laws, one incurs the death sentence. When careful about this, he merits life. When the land of Israel is not in his hands– this is for his good.  Not as is argued by those that purport to ‘pursue peace’ that if Israel is not held by the gentile, it is bad for him. To the contrary: specifically when the Land of Israel is not handed over to him, it is for his good and he thereby merits life. 

No portion [of the Land] may be handed over. (Every inch is part of the borders of Israel) as this would constitute theft. A gentile has no portion in the Land of Israel!  At the Covenant (of the Pieces), G-d gave the Land of Israel to the People of Israel. Prior thereto the verse states (Genesis 13:15): ‘To you will I give it’. And further on, (Genesis 15:8) ‘I have given it to your progeny’– it has been given! Rashi comment’s that the word of G-d – is absolute. Henceforth  the Land of Israel became ours. 

                                                                    Public address Shabbos Parshas Bereishis 1970

Declaration of Rabbis in 770 will annul decision of Nations

Any act by Jewish People performed with Torah and Mitzvos has a ripple effect throughout the world. We find ourselves in a situation in which ‘the nations storm and plot’, but one must not be intimidated. It will come to naught. The prophet Isaiah assures us ‘the plans which they formulate will be annulled; their speeches will not come to fruition, for G-d is with us’. Nothing which G-d created in this world is for naught. Information that comes our way is intended for us that we increase in ‘the voice is the voice of Yaakov’ which will annul ‘the hands are hands of Esau’. 

We are obligated to speak specifically of those matters being spoken at the gatherings of the Nations. When they choose to speak against G-d and His anointed one, we are duty-bound to speak of the Greatness of G-d and His Moshiach. Furthermore, according to the interpretation that ‘anointed’ refers also to [small] cheder children, we are obliged to speak of the value of a Jewish education. 

So too, when nations speak against the Land of Israel and the holy City of Jerusalem we must speak forcefully, with feeling and strength, that the Land of Israel belongs to the Nation of Israel with the Torah of Israel– an eternal inheritance for an eternal Nation!

The Rebbe leading the joy at a Ferbrengen

Now since there are in this house of learning (770) many tens of Jews, ‘the Divine presence rests upon ten Souls of Israel’ (Tractate Sanhedrin 39.1). All of the nations are no more than seventy – therefore seventy Rabbis should rise to their feet (representing all of Israel parallel to all seventy nations), and proclaim a Halachic declaration with regard to the Integrity of the Land, and of the Jewish People [Who is a Jew]. This should be a legal declaration, and it will come to pass! 

As the Talmud states, one who occupies himself with the laws of sacrifices, is regarded as having offered a sacrifice. So too, it is with those who are occupied with the Laws of the integrity of the Land, of Torah and the Nation of Israel. This is why we are discussing the nations’ actions and rhetoric. This could be considered a waste of precious time, and keeping the Jewish People from studying more Torah and performing more mitzvos. However, we are obliged to speak (and thereby overwhelm) specifically those matters being spoken by the Nations.

This legal ruling will affect the Gentiles. The Midrash recounts an amazing story. Haman saw how Mordechai met some children returning from Cheder and asked them: ‘tell me a verse of your learning’. The children responded: ‘Do not fear sudden terror nor the destruction of the wicked when it comes. They will contrive a scheme but it will be foiled; conspire a plot but it will not materialize, for G-d is with us. ‘Till your old age I am with you; to your later years I will sustain you; I have made you and I will carry you. I will bear with you and I will deliver you’. 

This had its effect on Haman. Why was Haman so affected by the Jewish children? However, this is a sign that when the truth is spoken from the Torah of Truth, this will destroy the likes of Haman. Certainly this will affect Jewish People. So too, when you will declare a Halachic injunction to retain the entire Land, this will affect the Nations. This may appear almost childish; nevertheless this is the message we have from this story. Here we have many tens, more than Seventy Rabbis, ‘Who are the powerful Kings? – The Rabbis!’ [Tractate Gittin 62.1]. 

Seventy two Rabbis (two to overwhelm Esau and Ishmael, the two heads of the nations) should declare that the storming of the nations and their plans are Null and Void! The Jewish People have the eternal Covenant of the complete Land of Israel, the complete Torah and complete Nation of Israel. Then all will be nullified. All will see that this was a mirage. 

A Rabbi should stand up and speak of the Land of Israel belonging exclusively to the Jewish People. Thereafter the remaining Seventy one Rabbis should voice their agreement, and all those assembled respond "Amen, Amen!" The point is all of Eretz Israel belongs to every individual Jew and all the Jewish People.  No-one can change this: neither gentile, nor Jew! And so it shall be, ‘The word of our G-d will stand for ever’. May it be the Will of G-d that immediately there will be fulfilled: ‘I believe’, ‘I wait for his [Moshiach"s] coming daily’, the true and complete redemption immediately  - NOW!  

                                                                                                         Spoken Yud Shvat 1976