"And your Camp must be Holy, only then will I [G-d] walk amidst you and guarantee your victory"

We have all witnessed the terrifying destruction of the Jewish Communities of Gush Katif and Amona by the Government of Israel ordering our sons who enter the Israel army to build and protect our Land, to destroy Jewish properties and communities. 

The downhill spiral continues as top echelon and decision makers of the IDF now attempt to destroy the moral values of an entire young generation of our Jewish boys and girls in the army by ordering the desecrating the sacred laws of "yichud" - which forbid the isolation of a Jewish man and woman.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, was imprisoned and brutally tortured in Communist Russia by the Jewish communist secular forerunners ordering of today's unfolding events. The Rebbe was sentenced to death [finally released by international pressure] for his heroic leadership and underground network to keep the flame of Jewish life burning.   

The previous Rebbe foresaw in his crystal clear vision and spoke prophetic words of that which would yet to come.  We present here his talk spoken seventy two years ago, 26th day of the Jewish month of Adar, 1945, on the occasion of the fifty year celebration since the establishment of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim.

The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi Yosef Itzchak Schneersohn
[1880 -1950]

"Men and Women, see, and listen! 

In the Land of Israel there is taking place the slow annihilation of Jewish children. Many anti-religious people among the group of leaders whose responsibility is to help the orphans, children of survivors of the holocaust in the Land of Israel have put together a corner of destruction for those children who were put into their hands. 

In the territories conquered by the Germans, Hitler set up destruction camps to harm and burn the bodies of Jewish people; in [the land of] Israel a certain group have set up houses of destruction to harm and to burn Jewish Souls.

‘The corner of destruction’ is busy with the destruction of children, orphans of the remnant of the Jewish people, educating the children by Hamans bent on the same path and education of the men of the Yevseksia [Jewish communists], sons of the G-d-less.

These Hamans are teaching the children to desecrate the Sabbath, to eat non-kosher food, to eat on Yom Kippur, to eat leaven bread on Passover, and do not even permit the children to recite the kaddish prayer to recall their parents who were murdered sanctifying G-d’s Name. They teach the children to scoff at G-d and Judaism.

These orphans who are receiving their education from the Hamans of whom we have spoken, will yet tear apart Torah scrolls, burn down Jewish synagogues, tear up Jewish cemeteries, organize pogroms, stab, burn, and shoot at Jewish bodies, violate and plunder the property of others".

So Jacob had a dream! Does this mean that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People?

Someone once came here for a visit and asked me, how do I substantiate my words to the point that they are spoken in the UN, that Eretz Israel belongs to the Jewish people? G-d said to our Patriarch Yaakov ‘And you should spread forth to the west, and to the east, to the north and to the south’, and ‘To you will I give her [Israel] and to your children’, spoken on his way to Haran, when he was tired and exhausted from the journey. As usual, when one sleeps, one dreams! 

Therefore, he asked me: ‘Just because Yaakov had a dream, does this mean that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews?’ 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe 1954

I answered him: It is well known, that the power of prophecy is attained specifically during sleep. Maimonides explains [Laws of the fundamentals of Torah Chap.7.2] that all prophets spoke prophetic words either at night whilst sleeping, or by day in a state of loss of consciousness. Only in such a condition were they able to receive prophecy. In order for the spirit of prophecy to rest on a prophet, he had to be in a state whereby his material shell was put away to sleep. So it was with Yaakov. All of the patriarchs were a vehicle – their conscious awareness immersed in extra-universal energy which flows into and moves the cosmos [not subjected to the concealment imposed by the curtain of earth’s matter]. His life was a continuum of wakefulness to the flow of G-d’s life force. Therefore, also during times of sleep when dreams occur, he was mindful of this spiritual vitality. 

Gentiles already understand that Eretz Israel belongs to the Jewish people. Now, all that remains is to convince Jews of this. 

Gentiles know that the connection which Arabs have to Israel began only when they came to Israel, just a few hundred years ago, no more. Additionally, even the Arabs who live around Israel, as for example, Egypt, are not the Egyptians of time gone by. These are a different nation from a different root, with no connection to the ancient Egyptians. Different however is the bond of the Jewish people with the Land of Israel beginning with the Revelation at Sinai, and before, when G-d, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, gave the land to the Jewish People. Even gentiles know this, and that the dream which Jacob had was the factual truth, and that the entire world is a subsidiary to make this dream a reality! But it is the Jew who argues that he does not believe this! 

So, one is bound to exclaim: ‘What are you doing in the Land of Israel? From your viewpoint how is the Holy Land of Israel of greater value than outside of Israel? Indeed, there are so many Israelis who have left Israel, most of whom did not have this faith in the Land. 

                                                                            Public discourse Parshat Tzav 1976 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe: My continuing protest at the Government of Israel's policy of attempted surrender by relinquishing of her territories

“One of the questions I am asked is "since I have demanded that this be put right for a considerable time, yet the Israeli Government continues its policy of attempting to surrender of territories, have I been wasting my time as nothing has changed?!" 

To this there are two responses: 

1. Should there be absolutely no protest, the situation would be much worse.

2. The Torah states: “You should continue to reprove your friend” which the Talmud elaborates to mean “even one hundred times”. Commentators explain this to mean quite literally 100 times, that even if one has already fulfilled one’s obligation 99 times, the Torah demands a 100th time with the same forcefulness as the first time, since this 100th time is part of that very same command!

This seems inexplicable; he has already reproved 99 times, what will the 100th time achieve? The response is based on the halachically binding words of Maimonides. If the world would not be in a state of equal balance, then certainly one single act could have no effect to alter the balance. However, since the world is in a state of equal balance, then with one single outcry of protest he is able to alter this state of fine balance for himself and indeed the entire world-scales towards the good and brings himself and the entire world to be saved!

Maimonides: The world is in a state of perfect balance.

May it be Hashem’s Will that they should not pursue their chosen path which until now has brought us to this present harmful situation– far worse than it was a year ago. Then it was much easier and simpler to set up residence throughout the lands of Yehuda and Shomron, Hebron and the Old City of Jerusalem. Today when one wishes to establish even one single home the nations immediately rise in protest: “For ten consecutive years you yourselves did not permit this and now when we are signing for peace you are jumping in to do this?!” 

In any event, may it be the Will of Hashem that going forward all the territories should be immediately inhabited since with every passing day it becomes more difficult. And since ultimately there will be no fleeing from the territories it is better that this be done now!” 

                                                                                        Shabbos Bereishis 1979

Annex the Territories to the State of Israel!

The whole package of problems with which we are struggling are all bound together in one source: concern of (what) the nations (will say). The problems of Jewish spiritual leadership; also of the Orthodox; both in the Golah and in Eretz Israel; the burning problems of American Jewry with new events unraveling; the problems of the territories in Eretz Israel – all of these flow from a lack of a clear and fortified Jewish independent stand vis a vis the Gentile.  

Millions of endangered Jewish lives:
90% of territories returned

                                                                                                                                    Regarding the problems of the territories, the view of the Rebbe is clear. We must strengthen the territories and annex them to the State of Israel regardless of all of the problems which such an annexation will bring with it.However, the reasoning of the Rebbe regarding such a stand, is far different from the reasoning of the people who belong to ‘the movement for the Greater Land of Israel’.  As far as the Rebbe is concerned, their motives are neither mystical nor visionary, but quite straightforward: his is the way of the world; the conqueror conquers and takes control and is not concerned with what others say. (The Rebbe’s view is as follows) No one would have considered the return of the territories had Israeli statesmen not spoken of it first. True, one and a half million Arabs within the boundaries of the state are likely to be a problem.  However the Rebbe asks: ‘What would be ‘the best alternative’ to holding on to the territories? An Arab or Jordanian State, independent or federal, in which there would be one and a half million harmful Arabs?  Would it be better to have one and a half million Arabs in their own country a firing shot away from the cities and villages of the Jewish State, rather than to have one million Arabs subject to the scrutiny of the State within her borders, with all the problems which this would create?

According to the view of the Rebbe, we have here (in our retreat and assistance in establishing a Palestinian state,) a severe threat to Jewish lives. The Halachic ruling (that to do so, is absolutely forbidden) is clear. Had the State of Israel made this (the annexation) a fact on the ground both in Jerusalem and the territories immediately after the conquest, no one would have protested.  Now that we have shown our weakness the Arabs and our enemies raise their voice of protest over every stone that is moved in Jerusalem.  All of this has befallen us because we want to find favor in the eyes of others.  

                                                                    Interview of Mr. Pinchas Peli with the Rebbe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The kindness of Nations is from the Hands of G-d.

When giving charity to the Land of Israel, in addition to the value of charity in its own right, there is an additional quality in that one is fortifying the inhabitants of Eretz Israel. This matter is especially relevant at this time. 

We are living through a time of two fold darkness of the exile. To the naked eye it appears that we are reliant on the ‘kindness of the nations’. We need to realize that the kindness of the nations contains within it an element of sin, in that all nations act with self interest [Zohar]. When the Jewish People are recipient of such benefits, one has to realize the truth: that they have received this assistance [ultimately not from the world community] but from G-d, ‘The Guardian of Israel, Who neither slumbers nor sleeps’. 

The nations are as an axe in the hands of the wood chopper, have in reality no choice, but are vehicles through which G-d acts – an axe in the hands of G-d.

From this it is clear that it would be highly inappropriate for a Jew to bow and pay homage to an axe, and to turn it into a form of idol worship. This is true even if together with bowing before the axe [the gentile] the Jew were to offer his prayers to G-d, and certainly not to turn the axe into the main focus of homage, rather than turning to the one who holds the axe [G-d]. Bowing before the axe and at the same time praying to G-d is a form of idol worship forbidden to the Jewish people. [In ancient times this took the form of faith in G-d together with the mistaken belief that the stars and constellations were consciously active in emanating energy to the world.] Even should such a service be performed inadvertently, it is considered idol worship.

Therefore, it is a matter of absolute certainty that one must not be intimidated or feel dependent on nations who do not have freedom of choice even though benefits do come through them. To the contrary: the Jewish nation must stand strong in matters of self survival, and have a firm bond with G-d. ‘The hearts of kings are in the Hands of G-d’ [Proverbs], because the souls of the Kings see clearly that their source is from G-d; only then will the Jewish people receive from them all of their needs. These nations do indeed offer financial assistance, but one must realize that everything ultimately comes from G-d. It is because we are in a time of dark exile that it is through the nations that these benefits are channeled. They are no more than agents of G-d.  Now since we are receiving from G-d, He will give ‘from His full, open, Holy, and broad Hand’ generously [also via agents] as our Sages say, ‘One who gives, gives with a good generous eye’. Talmud Bava Basra 53.1.  

                                                                                                  Public talk 19 Kislev, 1988.