Truth And Clarity in Judea and Samaria

Arutz Sheva ^ | 23 June 2002 | Rabbi Eliezer Waldman

[SJackson]

Approximately two weeks ago, I participated in the funeral of Eyal and Yael Sorek who were brutally murdered in Carme Tzur just north of Kiryat Arba. Yael was in her ninth month of pregnancy and thus in this murder a third Jewish soul was denied life in Eretz Yisrael. At the funeral on Mount Hertzl in Jerusalem many eulogies were delivered. Among those delivering the eulogies was the army commander of Eyal. Eyal was an officer in a special commando unit of the IDF. Friends of this young idealistic couple offered their comments as did the two fathers, Chanan, the father of Eyal, and Yehuda the father of Yael. The fathers expressed their personal feelings and love for their children. In addition, they expressed their strong conviction of being embraced- albeit painfully- by the Divine Hand of the G-d of Israel, uniting them with many other bereaved families. It was a Divine test of those whose spiritual powers have been tempered and purified by this painful attachment to G-d´s Will. After describing vividly the devotion of Yael to her country and people, her father, Yehuda, called upon the thousands who were present at the grave side, to join him in singing the words "If I forget thee, O, Jerusalem. . . if I will not elevate Jerusalem above my chief joy."

I never had such an experience of joining thousands of Jews at an open grave of Jewish heroes singing the song of Jerusalem. The Jewish custom is to have these Divine words sounding in chorus at weddings. And here we were remembering the destruction of Jerusalem and our responsibility to restore Jewish life to Jerusalem and all of Israel at the occasion of placing Jewish souls to eternal rest in her holy hills. Not only in time of joy, but even in death we elevate our holy connection to Jerusalem. We came away from that special funeral much stronger in spirit, faith, and determination, certain of our ultimate victory in this difficult struggle for Eretz Yisrael.

These terrible pains inflicted upon us by Arab hatred and terror, only strengthen our attachment and clinging to our homeland, just as one would cling to a very precious jewel for which he had paid a dear price. Our commitment to our Land and people grows stronger, and arouses the secret powers of the Jewish soul that call upon us to continue to build and to plant, to bear children and to teach values of faith and a meaningful Jewish life in the Land of our Fathers. The seeds of terror and death brought upon us by a foreign weed belonging to a wicked culture of hatred and destruction cannot be allowed to strangle the young saplings and blossoming trees of Jewish independence. "The Truth will grow from the Land" psalm 85:1

These foreign weeds must be uprooted and destroyed in order to protect the Divine development of Jewish life, faith and morals destined to project the light of blessing to all of Mankind. The message coming forth from Zion must be a message of responsibility, hope and confidence in the realization of our Divine role in the Land of Israel.

The unique attachment of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel cannot be compared to the ties of any nation to its land. Our attachment originates in the Divine Plan of the Creation of Heaven and Earth. Our land is destined to bring life to the Jewish people and the Jewish people are destined to bring life to the Land. Just as the Jewish nation, when in Exile, is described as "dry bones in a graveyard," Ezekiel 37:11;12, in the same manner the Land of Israel, without the Jewish people is decreed by G-d to be "a desolate land". Leviticus 26:32. These Divine decrees are the reality of the rebirth of the state of Israel, being nurtured by the faith, courage and devotion of generations of pioneers. This pioneering spirit has revealed astonishing powers of vitality repelling darkness and desolation by illuminating the Divine Light now emanating from the hills of Judea and Samaria. This light is meant to pierce the darkness of the countries surrounding the Land of Israel with a Divine blessing of progress and human values.

Let us say clearly and strongly, "We are not occupying foreign territories in Judea and Samaria. This is our ancient home. And, thank G-d that we have brought it back to life. Unfortunately some of our ancient towns in YESHA are still illegally occupied by foreigners interfering with the Divine process of the redemption of Israel.

Our responsibility to Jewish faith and Redemption commands us to speak up in a strong and clear voice. The Divine Process of uniting our people and our Land must not be clouded and weakened by seeming logical concepts of security and diplomacy. They only distort the truth and weaken the justice of our cause which is engraved in our exclusive national rights to our land. We are a people of faith. This is the essence of our eternal identity and the secret of our continued existence under all conditions. When hiding our identity we were humiliated and trodden upon. The redemption process, bringing us back home to our land, has also brought us back to our true self, which cannot be hidden any more. We have been brought back to the world stage, putting us back into a position of responsibility which we will never shirk again. Only this clear, courageous and consistent expression of our position will eventually impress both friend and foe to respect the eternal reality of the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

I turn to our dear friend, the President of the United States, Mr. Bush, who is in the midst of a war against the forces of international terror, "When preparing your policy statement of "peace" for the Middle East, your faith and courage must certainly direct you not to yield and retreat before the forces of terror, darkness and regression, but instead go forward with a clear expression and recognition of the reality and strength of a "new Middle East" being lit up by the Divine Process of Jewish Redemption inherent with a blessing of life and human progress."

And G-d said to Abraham, go on. . . to the Land I will show you and I will make you into a great nation. . . and you will be blessed. And I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you I will curse, and through you will all the nations of the world be blessed"

Genesis 12:1-3.

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Rabbi Eliezer Waldman serves as Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivat Kiryat Arba