The Rebbe spoke of the Ma-alot Massacre

Background:

The Ma'alot massacre was a Palestinian terrorist attack [May 1974] of a two-day hostage-taking of 115 Jewish people ending in the murders of over 25 hostages. Three armed members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine entered Israel from Lebanon, attacked a van, killing two Israeli Arab women injuring a third, entered an apartment building in the town of Ma'alot, killing a couple and their four-year-old son. They headed for the Netiv Meir Elementary School, took more than 115 people (including 105 children) hostage in Ma'alot. The hostage-takers issued demands for the release of 23 Palestinian terrorists from Israeli prisons, or they would kill the students. On the second day of the standoff, a unit of the Golani Brigade stormed the building. During the takeover, the hostage-takers killed children with grenades and automatic weapons. Ultimately, 25 hostages, including 22 children, were killed and 68 injured.

The Rebbe’s Comment:

A few days ago there took place the slaughter of children in Ma-alot, an act which runs contrary to intelligence and humanity - regardless the nations are not responding. Rather than making a declaration that such action is unacceptable - they remain silent. And not only do they remain silent, but there are those who rejoice at this.

The silence of the Nations is not something out of the ordinary for us. Also at the time of the Nazis - may their name and remembrance be blotted out - the nations remained silent!

                                                                                                                      Pashat Noso 1974.

Do not Trust Egypt. They are sending terrorists into Israel!

On the verse (Psalms 40.5) ‘Fortunate is the man who has placed the reliance on G-d’ quoting the last phrase of the verse ‘and has not turned to the arrogant ones’, Rashi comments (Bereishis the 40.23) – “and did not rely upon Egypt who is called arrogant one”. 

Sinai Desert Buffer Zone - surrendered!  

Sinai Peninsula Buffer Zone - 23,000 square miles

Therein lies a lesson for our time. In the past we had to search for a clue; one verse alludes to the Kingdom of Greece, another to the Kingdom of Edom, yet another verse to Rome. In our days of double-fold darkness at the end of the exile, G-d shows everything openly with no need to search for signs: - ‘Do not trust Egypt the arrogant one’. 

We see this openly in the Camp David Agreements to which the Egyptian minister placed his signature. On the very day of signing never was it the intention of the Egyptian signatory to adhere to the agreement. Immediately thereafter he began his violation as is known to all! 

Rashi further comments on the verse ‘The palace cup-bearer did not remember [Joseph]’ - on that very same day. The verse continues: “he [the palace cup bearer] forgot him afterwards”. Even after Egypt saw how the Jews kept their side of the agreement down to the finest detail – generously giving Egypt broad territories - Egypt continued to violate her side of the agreement by penetrating Israel with terrorists from her border! 

Before returning the territories to Egypt [as agreed to at Camp David] the Egyptian border was several hundred miles from Jewish towns unable to send in terrorists to cause harm, G-d forbid.

When however the government returned those buffer zones to Egypt, they brought the Egyptian border closer to Jewish inhabited areas creating an immediate security danger. 

When they ask the Egyptian minister to explain: “Why do you not honor the agreement which you signed?”, he had a ready reply: “In your Torah it is written: ‘Do not turn to the arrogant, do not put your trust in Egypt’. You yourselves were the cause of all this– you placed your trust in Egypt!” 

As we have spoken in the past, all of this comes from an inferiority complex before the gentile. They put their trust in him and wish to find favor in his eyes! Even after they see the results of this conduct – all unanimously agree that a serious mistake was made at Camp David having given back everything in return for nothing. Now, instead of learning from past mistakes and changing future conduct, they continue down the same path!  If they already speak of a committee of investigation, they need to investigate those guilty of the serious sin perpetrated by the signing of the Camp David agreements. 

Ministers must be toppled. 

The main question is: who should replace these men so that this mistake not be repeated? “A man who will put his trust in G-d and not turn to the arrogant!” A Jew who trusts in G-d and conducts himself in accordance with the guidelines of Torah!

                                                                                Public address Parshas Vayeishev 1983 

The menace coming from Damascus could have been averted....

 ...had Damascus been conquered!! Currently they are apprehensive that there are menacing signs coming from Damascus. 

On Simchas Torah we spoke that they should have advanced those last remaining 15 – 20 kilometers and conquered Damascus. At that time there were no impediments in achieving this. Had they done so, the current problems would be non-existent, and all captives would have been freed. There would have been no burdensome efforts necessary to advance those remaining kilometers, as there would not have been any opposition coming from the enemy.

There was no need for the government [of Israel] to command the IDF to withdraw. The reason that was given as to why this command was ordered was because the USA would have been “angry” had they not done so. The gentile nevertheless remained “angry”, and even more so, wishing that Damascus would have been conquered, thereby saving all the pain and tribulations currently coming from there. Damascus would have been conquered and when returned – would have remained a downtrodden kingdom.

The reason for these failures is because they [the government of Israel] bows down before the gentile, fearful they will not find favor in his eyes. 

This is the guiding instruction which we need to learn from the narrative brought down in the Talmud about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: not to be fools, reliant on the “kindness of the nations” who are self-serving. Rather, one needs to make the necessary effort with the [ruling] gentile as did Rashbi who traveled to Rome. On the other hand, one must realize that the success of the mission comes exclusively from G-d [one who takes action in accordance with nature is following the wish of G-d because the ultimate salvation is from Him alone]. One must make the appropriate preparations so that deliverance and success follow. The preparations are to study Torah and conduct oneself in accordance with the path of Torah and Torah law, as did Rashbi whose preoccupation was with Torah. 

This is why the Jewish people at that time specifically wanted Rashbi to travel to Rome as their representative to make the efforts on their behalf. Since his total occupation was with Torah study, we can well understand that while in Rome he studied Torah there also. Thereby was he able to draw down a demon as needed – as mentioned before. 

Washington

The same holds true today. We need to travel to Washington, as is the Will of G-d – that we act in a natural way. With this, we need to understand that the decisions of the nations are based on self interest, but we must rely solely on G-d. And when we rely upon Him in truth and with perfection, then should the gentile be unwilling to help - we can bring down a demon exactly as did Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai......... 

Shluchim, Simcha and Israeli Soldiers

 We will recount a story which has just taken place from which we see that when a Jew walks with his Judaism with determination, he has nothing to fear; to the contrary, not one was harmed. Information of this story has just reached us from the Holy-Land. 

Before the festival of Purim a convoy of Chabad Shluchim went out to soldiers stationed in Shechem who have the merit to protect Jews living in the Holy Land. Lately, there had been disturbances, so they were accompanied by a driver and several soldiers. As they approached the town, they saw from a distance a barricade of wood and rocks blocking the road which had been set up by Arabs who were antagonistic to Jews and soldiers reaching Shechem and its surrounding area. Those travelling in the car realized that this was not just a blockade of rocks but there were people there – Arabs. When the driver saw this he thought: ‘why should I endanger lives and undertake the responsibility of the emissaries bringing gifts of festive food to the soldiers? Let them do this another time rather than put themselves in danger by breaching the barrier and provoking the Arabs standing nearby!’ 

However, the shluchim stated with simple faith that they have a mission to encourage and bring joy to Jewish people on the festival of Purim, telling the soldiers [the story of Megillas Esther] that ‘the Jews had light, joy, happiness and dignity’, this, now also, not just in one location, but in one hundred and twenty seven countries throughout the world. We have to disregard the barricade of wood, stones and earth, even if there are Arabs there; they have no freedom of choice (to harm us). Certainly, the shluchim argued, when one does an act of good to bring joy to Jewish people, no bad will befall us. 

They convinced the driver and the soldiers accompanying them that they have nothing to fear, rather they should continue travelling forward. And lo, they broke through the barricade! The Arabs began throwing rocks and the soldiers were forced to fire at the Arabs to shock them. Actually no one was harmed neither Jew nor Arab. The shluchim reached the soldiers and burst into a joyous Chassidic gathering as befitting Purim, and later returned to the Holy City of Jerusalem healthy and well. 

Chabad shluchim dancing with Israeli soldiers

As we said, this story took place this Purim for us to take as a role model and instruction: "disregard obstacles and difficulties both from still life – rocks, wood, and human". A Jew is on a G-dly mission to bring joy to another Jew and to himself with the joy of a Mitzva, of Purim, together with the light of Torah, and the dignity of Tefillin. 

They put on Tefillin with all the soldiers and there was real light, joy, happiness and dignity. This was successful precisely because they went with the power of Torah, fearless. All barriers became null and void. 

Now with this determined power, the dread of the Jewish People will once again fall upon them. G-d assures us: ‘I will give peace unto the land’. Shalom – peace, also from the grammatical root, shleimus– complete - the Complete Land, together with all the Jewish People intact who are bound up with the Complete Torah. And this is how we will bring about the Complete Land to include Shechem, Hebron, and Jerusalem. 

                                                                                                            Public talk Purim 1976