As Jewish residents of Norwalk, Westport and Weston, Connecticut were arriving for the daily Morning Prayer service, Jews of every persuasion and background were lining the Israeli countryside forming a human chain linking Gush Katif in Gaza to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In a show of solidarity and Jewish unity, the estimated crowd of between 130,000 to 200,000 men, women and children joined together in a rare and inspiring show of solidarity with the land and people of Israel.
From the perspective of Jewish law and tradition, this singular event was a beautiful Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of G-d's name, and a blessing for the Jewish people the world over. In fact, the Talmud (Berachot 58) informs us that when we witness a large crowd in the Land of Israel, we are to recite a special blessing of praise to G-d. This blessing is called "Chacham Harazim", literally, the "Sage of Secrets", which refers to the Creator, who knows the secrets of every being. The Talmud further informs us that this blessing is recited only upon witnessing a multitude of at least 600,000 people and exclusively in the land of Israel.
With the advent of modern technology, millions of Jews in Israel and the world over were connected to this manifestation of Jewish unity and Ahavat Yisrael. For me, this singular event outshines the myth that the Jewish people have given up hope for holding on to this Promised Land and living a life that is imbued with the holiness of Torah and the beauty of mitzvah observance.
As we Connecticut Yankees concluded our morning service, I asked that we all hold hands to form a large circle that encompassed the entire sanctuary, to unite in a symbolic Jewish chain of solidarity with our brethren in Israel who, at that very moment, were braving the heat of the late afternoon sun. I must admit, it was an electrifying moment for us to be holding hands clad in Tallit and T'fillin and forming our own human chain of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who reside in our spiritual homeland, Israel. It was a poignant and sacred moment for us to both acknowledge and experience a connection to the embattled people of Israel prior to Tisha B'Av.
It seems as if we are indeed on the cusp of the redemption through Moshiach and the revelation of the 'end of days' that Jacob our Patriarch wanted to reveal to his sons, but was compelled to conceal prior to his passing.
May I suggest that we incorporate this symbolic joining of hands at the conclusion of our prayers in the days ahead, until the planned unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank is nullified or at least put to a democratic vote by the Jewish citizens of Israel.
What Do Gedolei Yisrael - Torah Leaders of Israel - Say?
The ill-advised plan for unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West-Bank, with no assurances in return, only invites more international pressure upon Israel to relinquish more and more territory vitally needed to protect its major population centers. In fact, the corpus of Jewish religious law, called the Shulchan Arukh, is explicit in prohibiting any action on the part of individuals or government entities that jeopardize security and the protection of life, which is called Pikuach Nefesh.
From the Shulchan Arukh ("Laws of Shabbat", 329 and in 328:12) it is eminently clear that the Gedolei Yisrael, the great Torah leaders of our people, have an obligation to speak out and to act to protect in matters of Pikuach Nefesh. (Taz 328:5)
In our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z.tz.l., and the Rishon LeTziyon Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, sh.li.t.a., as well as the Rabbinical Alliance of America - Igud HaRabanim - and others, have spoken out with courage and love. They have affirmed that we need to follow the Torah's directive, which assures us true safety and security. Adherence to the laws of Pikuach Nefesh far outweighs the falsely perceived political benefits to be gained by allowing our mortal enemy to get closer to our borders. Abandoning parts of the land to the PLO neither makes sense in simple logic, nor from the perspective of the experts in national security. Certainly, this is true from the Torah's perspective, which compels us to do nothing that will endanger the life and limb of our fellow human being.
This being the reality of the situation, it is critical for K'lal Yisrael that the Gedolei Yisrael of our day, both residing in Israel and the world over, give us the Torah direction we so critically need. Pikuach Nefesh is not a political matter; it's a matter of life itself!
From the perspective of Jewish law and tradition, this singular event was a beautiful Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of G-d's name, and a blessing for the Jewish people the world over. In fact, the Talmud (Berachot 58) informs us that when we witness a large crowd in the Land of Israel, we are to recite a special blessing of praise to G-d. This blessing is called "Chacham Harazim", literally, the "Sage of Secrets", which refers to the Creator, who knows the secrets of every being. The Talmud further informs us that this blessing is recited only upon witnessing a multitude of at least 600,000 people and exclusively in the land of Israel.
With the advent of modern technology, millions of Jews in Israel and the world over were connected to this manifestation of Jewish unity and Ahavat Yisrael. For me, this singular event outshines the myth that the Jewish people have given up hope for holding on to this Promised Land and living a life that is imbued with the holiness of Torah and the beauty of mitzvah observance.
As we Connecticut Yankees concluded our morning service, I asked that we all hold hands to form a large circle that encompassed the entire sanctuary, to unite in a symbolic Jewish chain of solidarity with our brethren in Israel who, at that very moment, were braving the heat of the late afternoon sun. I must admit, it was an electrifying moment for us to be holding hands clad in Tallit and T'fillin and forming our own human chain of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who reside in our spiritual homeland, Israel. It was a poignant and sacred moment for us to both acknowledge and experience a connection to the embattled people of Israel prior to Tisha B'Av.
It seems as if we are indeed on the cusp of the redemption through Moshiach and the revelation of the 'end of days' that Jacob our Patriarch wanted to reveal to his sons, but was compelled to conceal prior to his passing.
May I suggest that we incorporate this symbolic joining of hands at the conclusion of our prayers in the days ahead, until the planned unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank is nullified or at least put to a democratic vote by the Jewish citizens of Israel.
What Do Gedolei Yisrael - Torah Leaders of Israel - Say?
The ill-advised plan for unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West-Bank, with no assurances in return, only invites more international pressure upon Israel to relinquish more and more territory vitally needed to protect its major population centers. In fact, the corpus of Jewish religious law, called the Shulchan Arukh, is explicit in prohibiting any action on the part of individuals or government entities that jeopardize security and the protection of life, which is called Pikuach Nefesh.
From the Shulchan Arukh ("Laws of Shabbat", 329 and in 328:12) it is eminently clear that the Gedolei Yisrael, the great Torah leaders of our people, have an obligation to speak out and to act to protect in matters of Pikuach Nefesh. (Taz 328:5)
In our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z.tz.l., and the Rishon LeTziyon Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, sh.li.t.a., as well as the Rabbinical Alliance of America - Igud HaRabanim - and others, have spoken out with courage and love. They have affirmed that we need to follow the Torah's directive, which assures us true safety and security. Adherence to the laws of Pikuach Nefesh far outweighs the falsely perceived political benefits to be gained by allowing our mortal enemy to get closer to our borders. Abandoning parts of the land to the PLO neither makes sense in simple logic, nor from the perspective of the experts in national security. Certainly, this is true from the Torah's perspective, which compels us to do nothing that will endanger the life and limb of our fellow human being.
This being the reality of the situation, it is critical for K'lal Yisrael that the Gedolei Yisrael of our day, both residing in Israel and the world over, give us the Torah direction we so critically need. Pikuach Nefesh is not a political matter; it's a matter of life itself!