No permission to renovate synagogue of Avraham Avinu

The following talk was given by the Rebbe in response to the government of Israel forbidding Jewish people from restoring the Abraham the Patriarch Synagogue in Hebron. This was after Professor Ben-Zion Tavgar together with members of the Jewish community of Hebron were searching for the synagogue buried under a goat shed. Through the trials endured by the professor and his helpers to expose the synagogue, they were evacuated time and time again by instruction of the Government of Israel.]  

The beautiful Synagogue of
Avraham Avinu in Hebron
after Renovation

The entire land of Israel was given (by G-d) to the Jewish People as an everlasting inheritance. No one has the right to cede any area of the Land of Israel. The question arises: this is a matter which is so obvious, why then do we have to review this repeatedly? The reason is: the exile is so dark that there are Jews who point a finger of accusation at the Jewish People: “You are thieves”. We need to conduct ourselves with righteousness and return the territories of the Land of Israel. They misinterpret the Torah, may G-d protect us, by saying we must confiscate land owned by Jews and give it the to gentiles to avert life threatening danger. In actual fact, the opposite is true!As we saw, after the signing of the unfortunate Camp David Accords, security experts stated that the signing was a severe blow: if they will return Judea and Samaria, it will be a cause of severe danger to every Jew in the Holy Land. 

The legal ruling in Shulchan Aruch 329.6 states: ‘even gentiles who argue that they are approaching merely for stubble and straw, it is forbidden to open the borders to them because the entire land will thereby be at risk’. Nevertheless, regardless of serious danger, the government is determined to return Judea and Samaria, but dress this in various façades such as autonomy, self-rule etc, which are concepts of no real content. One should not think that they will be satisfied with this. In this great darkness a shocking event occurred. 

All agree that Arabs may purchase land in Hebron, as may Jews. Certainly the Arabs agree that the synagogue of Abraham the Patriarch is rightfully a Jewish place. [It is irrelevant whether or not this was in fact the synagogue of Abraham]. If an Arab may renovate his own house, Jews should be permitted to renovate their synagogue. In actuality however, the government conducts itself in accordance with the words of our sages, ‘one sin leads to another’. 

The government wants to give self rule to the Arabs of Judea and Samaria regardless of the fact that this poses great danger, as attested to by all military experts. More so, they do not permit Jews to renovate the synagogue of Abraham the Patriarch because they are afraid of the Arabs, and have no shame in stating so.Similarly they do not want to interfere with the internal affairs of the Arabs. Only the Arabs benefit from this. The government of Israel comes and pats the Arab on his back and says to him: “You are our brother! Choose for yourself a leader and no one will mix into your affairs!” One sees the direct clash of these two issues– the synagogue of our Patriarch Abraham and the internal affairs of the Arabs, and no one utters a word of protest on this shocking situation! 

And as if this is not enough, they take soldiers who sacrifice themselves to protect our Holy Land and our Holy People, and make use of their self sacrifice to throw out Jews from the synagogue of Abraham our Patriarch in Hebron! Nevertheless, everyone is silent.  

                                                                                           Public talk Simchas Torah 1979

Fear of the Nations is holding back the Redemption!

 In this week’s Torah reading Balak, we are told that the Jewish People already stood on the banks of the Jordan River. All that remained was to cross the Jordan and enter into Eretz Israel. 

The very same is true of our time. We find ourselves at the final moments of the Exile, truly just before the Redemption. We must not be intimidated by the enticements and devious claims of the Nations and of Jews; it is imperative that we keep the Land intact. Due to their perverse and dishonest reasoning, they have not yet comprehended the truth, that the entire Land of Israel with all of her borders belongs to the entire Jewish People. 

Even according to international law, not one of them has the domination, the ability nor the right to enforce us to abandon parts of the Land of Israel. If this Jew imagines that by hiding the truth (regarding the connection of Eretz Israel to the Jewish People) he is fooling anybody, he should know that aside from himself he is not deceiving anyone. 

Already since the prophecy of Bilam, the nations of the entire world know that in the end of days the Land of Israel will belong to the Jewish People. They see without doubt that we find ourselves already at ‘End of Days’ by G-d performing open miracles in the Holy Land. Had we merited, the Exile would have ended and the true and final Geula would have begun after the victory of the Six Day War. 

Since however we have not merited, there have come along men of timid hearts, fearful-ones, who have an inferiority complex vis-à-vis the nations. They immediately sent a delegation to Washington to inform them of their preparedness to give back the conquered territories because they do not want to incite the ‘gentile’ (USA), rather, only to please them. This prevented the Redemption! In the meantime the multi-fold darkness of the Exile continues its path because these faint-hearted ones do not have the tenacity to hold on to the open gift G-d gave to them. They only have the strength to weaken the hearts of Jewish People as their own hearts are weak. G-d has bestowed on the Jewish people all the available strength. He has also given them the power to choose how to use it and not to be ashamed before those that mock. This was meant among Jewish People, how much more so not to be ashamed before gentiles that mock. ‘The Gentiles storm and plot’ all of which will come ‘to naught’. 

Instead, they use these G-d-given powers to weaken other Jews! The fear of the gentiles is the very factor which has prolonged this difficult and bitter Exile and the multi-fold darkness for so many years!  

                                                          Public address Moitzo’ei Shabbos Parshas Balak 1978

Do not tread on your brother’s blood

The Rabbis outside of Israel are doing nothing and raise no voice of protest that territories are being given away. When I ask them “Why?”

The Rebbe

They answer that they cannot do anything without a directive from Eretz Israel! When it is some other negative issue, they do make forceful statements. Yet when the issue is to take positive action, a protest to keep the Land intact [Shleimut Ha-aretz], they respond that they are unable to mix into matters pertaining to the Holy Land because there are many Rabbis in Israel. 

Their argument is incomprehensible: There is a negative command in Torah “Do not tread on the blood of your brother”! Also when your brother is not close by in the house, but in a distant place and in danger, the obligation is upon you to save him! 

They (the Rabbis) hear that the Israel government wishes to return the territories, thus posing a serious threat to life!  They choose to remain silent and do nothing but bury their face in the earth. The repercussions for this are most serious, as recounted in the Talmud [Tractate Shabbos 119.2]. As we have said earlier, such a path was already practiced in Egypt. Regardless of the fact that Moses proclaimed that the Geula has arrived, still Jewish People continued to bring Egyptians into their homes. Similarly now, Moses is saying that behold – Moshiach is coming, and yet, regardless, the Jewish leaders are intimidated and are running after the Nations and bringing in the enemy to be among the Jewish People G-d save us!! May it be the will of G-d that we merit the coming of Moshiach immediately in our time!  

                                                                                      Public talk Shabbos Parshat Bo 1976

It is Forbidden to Relinquish Any Part of Eretz Israel

It was for the representatives of Israel to present the argument that they are unable to cede the lands of Judea and Samaria (which are of no interest to Egypt). The Torah explicitly forbids any disengagement (‘Do not cede any part of Israel to the Nations’). Primarily the territories of Judea and Samaria are border lands serving to protect Eretz Israel. Had they argued this forcefully, they would certainly have succeeded in their quest. 

The Shomron

Jerusalem stands as a proof. The President of Egypt demanded Jerusalem with the same fortitude with which he demanded other issues. When he was told in no uncertain terms: “NO!”, he fell into agreement. As they stood their ground on Jerusalem they could have stood their ground regarding Samaria. But since they faltered, they were unsuccessful in holding on. This was well known to all those who knew of the diplomatic issues at hand, in addition to the information which filtered through from behind closed doors. After this failure, some consider that since we have signed, it is as if the territories are already given and cannot be retrieved. But note, this is not yet a fact on the ground. Actually the matter has not even begun. Initially they need to discuss the subject in question down to the finest details. At that stage the decision to retract and annul will become the issue. This is not a matter of which we can speak publicly. 

I say with full responsibility: “It is forbidden to relinquish any part of Samaria according to Jewish Law, because this is life threatening!” 

The United States needs to see that they have dealings with men who know how to take a powerful stand; a stand of Jewish Law, a Torah stand– the Torah of Truth. The Torah of Life states that since this is life-threatening, it is forbidden to open the borders even to the extent of a small finger because this will open up the entire land before them. 

As was seen previously, when they argued forcefully, their demands were accepted. This is the view of all the military. They can once again call a meeting and ask them the situation purely from a military perspective and then come to a conclusion. All the military will state in one unified voice that to cede territories will create a life threatening situation to all of the Jewish inhabitants of the Holy Land, may it never happen. Therefore it is impossible to cede Judea and Samaria. 

This argument will be accepted even now: Egypt is not desperate. The West Bank is irrelevant to her. The United States will not permit the parties to leave Camp David without some sort of signature of a break through to peace between Egypt and Israel. When the USA will see that Israel will relinquish Judea and Samaria they will exert their influence that Israel and Egypt sign some statement of peace to prevent war. (As is known there cannot be war without Egypt being involved). In order for this to take place, in the few hours they remain there, they must stand strong and declare clearly the view of the military. They need not say this is written in the Code of Jewish Law, but rather state that this is the unified voice of the military. 

                                                                                      Public talk Moitzo’ei Shabbos 1979

Busy with clause 242 – not with danger to life!

 There is a situation in the Holy Land which makes no sense. It is public knowledge that returning the West Bank is life threatening. One does not need a great expert to say this. When one looks at these territories, at their (short) distance from the sea, those (the enemy) who are positioned on the East Bank (Gaza) who man war-ships, one can see mortal danger, G-d protect us!

Regardless, the government has ceased discussing the threat. They should be speaking of the clear ruling– the obligation to ‘go to war fully armed lest the city be taken captive and the land easily conquered’. 

Instead, they argue about the UN clause 242, preoccupied with its interpretation (the decision of the UN which calls for Israel to withdraw from the territories liberated in the Six-Day War). Does this mean ‘territories’, or ‘the territories?  Is the withdrawal before or after negotiations?’)

The document’s meaning is irrelevant! The issue at hand is life-threatening danger, to save many times 600,000 Jewish lives! He (the Israel Prime Minister) had no right to sign it. He did so because he is a man of a fearful and weak heart. His very nature is to fear even sound of ‘a leaf blowing in the wind’. He thinks that since he is the Prime Minister, everyone is obliged to follow his orders, so he continues to do all he can ‘to melt the hearts of his brothers as his own’.

All know that Sadat (P.M. of Egypt) himself states that he is not master over those who dwell on the East Bank (Gaza). He only hopes that if he were to retain his position, the PLO will agree to talk peace. Only then will it be possible to discuss peace terms. Peace does not depend on him! Yet, the Israel government avoids mention of these vital conditions. They simply continue to argue among themselves if it is worthwhile to take certain steps for the sake of peace. They say that peace depends on parties who are at war with each other, but they are all in agreement that their enemy is the Jewish People everywhere, especially those in the Holy Land. The situation has reached such a low that for the sake of such ‘peace’ they are prepared to fall, bow down, and submit themselves to find favor in his (Sadat) eyes to influence him to take over everything they will give him– Sinai, Yehuda, the Shomron, thereby threatening the lives of millions of Jews!

The saying goes ‘A wise man’s question is half the answer’. One may ask: how is this half the answer? Because it depends on how the question is phrased (to evaluate if the one asking has any wisdom whatsoever!). Were they to state the reality – relinquishing territories is life threatening, then there would be no more discussion. Instead they question clause 242 and bring this to the vote in the Knesset. Among the voters are Christians and Muslims who are actively working to recognize the PLO, and it is they who have the power to vote on how Israel conducts herself! There was a time when vital issues were considered.

Last summer representatives of Israel visited the USA and placed the map on the table of the President in Washington showing him the distance between the territories and the sea, how easy it is for the Arabs to cut across the land G-d forbid, and he was in agreement. This was publicized in all the newspapers.

Even a simple man understands that when his wife and children are at risk, he puts aside all issues and turns his attention to the vital issue at hand – the security of his household!  

                                                                                   Talk Moitzo’ei Shabbos Sh’mini 1978