Please allow me to suggest a revolutionary thought.
Israel must publicly declare its right to the Land of Israel.
The reason we have that right is because the land belongs to G-d. G-d gave the land to Israel and Israel, in return, as caretakers, has responsibilities and obligations. Shmitta is the key. Picture this scenario: Before and at the start of the Shmitta year the farmer is afraid. He is afraid of losing his source of livelihood for a year. Nevertheless, with blind faith in Torah law, he lets his field run fallow along with other farmers. Let's assume he has an orange grove. The field is open to everyone. His neighbors field is also open and so are many others. Since the farmers aren't working they have field trips to various farms to collect food. It's lots of fun. Well since the farmer got apples from his friends farm and wheat from another friend, his wife makes an apple pie and shares it. His friend?s wife, who picked all the oranges from his field, makes orange juice. They're all sharing their food. Before they know it they've gained 30 pounds. Of course, they share their food with friends who aren't farmers and their friends are loaning them money, without expectation of getting paid back, for the things they really need (shmittas kesafim). After the Shmitta year, it's Hakhel year.
Along comes the Arabs and say the land belongs to Palestinians. The farmer says the land belongs to G-d. Since we kept the laws of the Torah, then we Jews have the right to the land. We have made the land holy by keeping the commandments. Palestinians do not know or care about sanctifying the land with commandments. They do not have the Torah, and do not wish to have the Torah or keep the commandments. So the terrorist Palestinians say, who cares about all this; we want to kill you. So the farmer says, Israel has a right to kill you first; ?Haba lehargecha hashkem lehargo.? - ?One who comes to kill you, you kill him first.? Along comes America and says, not so fast. We won't send you billions of dollars that we have allocated to you. The farmer, strong in faith, says, ?Who cares? Last year, I didn't work and didn't earn money and do you know what? Not only didn't I starve, but I gained 30 pounds. My G-d, the G-d of my forefathers, and the G-d of my people will provide for me.? Keeping Shmitta has the natural consequence of strengthening ones faith.
Now if we say, ?Well, the previous Shmitta year wasn't as was just described. There were all kinds of ways of getting around the Shmitta restrictions. In fact, it wasn't the fun year described. Prices were outrageous. In fact, all we ate was stuff from outside of Israel and there was not much to eat. Of course, I had to pay back all my loans.?
Something is not right in the way the laws of Shmitta have been observed. In the Shmitta year, it is like Shabbos. It is a year when we live as if on a big kibbutz. What's mine is yours. What's yours is yours plus mine, because what we have comes from Hashem. It is socialism for one year. It is a year that we are all working together and really own nothing individually. The farmer is asked not to work the field and let it be hefker, open to everyone (the fruit the land naturally produces having a special status of holiness), and everyone else is asked to give out loans to individuals who need it without demanding payment. To me, that describes a kibbutz lifestyle, except that the farmers don't work the land.
This war on terrorism is ultimately bringing the Jews and the free world to the point where they are forced to pool resources and put less emphasis on what's mine. After 9/11 everyone pitched in with time and money. If that is what the Almighty wants, i.e. to pool resources and pitch in with time and money, then let's do it before G-d has to send more acts of terror to get us to do it.
We now need to have two focuses:
1. We need to let ?business-as-usual? slide while we fight this war on terror. May G-d in His mercy overlook the fact that we didn't observe Shmitta the proper way until now.
Here are key action items we must do to win this war on terrorism. This is a war. Every Jew must be enlisted. It is a milchemet mitzvah.
* Declare Eretz Yisroel is the land of Israel. A holy land sanctified by the commandments. Publicize Senator's Inhofe's (R - Oklahoma) address to the Congress on the seven reasons we have a right to the land.
* Support the Israeli government in their courageous fight in this war, in its efforts to preempt and retaliate against terrorism, fulfilling the commandment ?One who comes to kill you....?
* Pray that the Almighty strengthen our faith in Him. We pray that He fights our battles for us and that He will have mercy so that there will be no more loss of innocent life.
* Jews all over the world are to be encouraged to send money to Israel to the point that there isn't any more to send. If we pool our resources, there is more money available for this cause. Perhaps we can hold less lavish affairs, for example, or send presents or gifts for Bar Mitzvahs to Israel, instead.
* Devote our time, pool our energies in fighting this war on terrorism in the media, through public relations and wherever else anti-Semitism exists. For example, children can write letters to the White House and can be assigned to remind their parents to call. There are people at the White House counting the phone calls, polling public opinion. There is very strong support in Congress for Israel and especially for Judea and Samaria. There are many G-d fearing, Bible-reading congressmen.
2. We need to discuss Shmitta in a professional, comprehensive and serious manner.
Let us have an open debate about what Shmitta entails. We need to enlist G-d-fearing Jews and economists to write Hilchos Shmitta without relying on the heter mechira and Pruzbul. That's quite a challenge. It revolutionizes any existing economic model by combining various existing models: Socialism for the Shmitta year and Capitalism in the other years. Thank G-d, we have five more years until the next Shmitta year to work on this. It says in the Torah that all the other nations will look at us and say ?Am chachom venavon? - ?A wise and intelligent nation.?
In the parsha of Behar and Bechukosai there is a direct connection between keeping the laws of Shmitta and the blessings and curses of Israel. Unfortunately, the curses have come true in history. There is no doubt, then, that the blessings will also come true. In fact, it is repeated because it is so important. Chapter 5 of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) includes failure to observe Shmitta properly as a cause of exile and tragedy.
Is this easy? I highly doubt it. Shmitta has not been kept properly from the time of the first Beis Hamikdash (Temple). Doesn't it say that the 70 years of exile between the first and second Beis Hamikdash came as a result of not keeping Shmitta properly? But is it impossible? It can't be, because in the Torah it says ?Lo bashamayim hee...? - ?[Torah law] is not in the Heavens...? It is possible to be obtained by each and every Jew here on earth. Are we going to wait until terror forces us to act? Let us preempt to avoid the curses.
Jewish leaders of influence must make a public announcement - a Kol Korei - about the above items. There are many Jews who are able and willing, but are waiting for their leaders to call them to action. When the leaders are silent, they are holding back those that follow their example.
--------------------------------------------------------
Robin (Stern) Ticker developed these ideas while living in Kiryat Arba during the Shmitta year of 5747.
Israel must publicly declare its right to the Land of Israel.
The reason we have that right is because the land belongs to G-d. G-d gave the land to Israel and Israel, in return, as caretakers, has responsibilities and obligations. Shmitta is the key. Picture this scenario: Before and at the start of the Shmitta year the farmer is afraid. He is afraid of losing his source of livelihood for a year. Nevertheless, with blind faith in Torah law, he lets his field run fallow along with other farmers. Let's assume he has an orange grove. The field is open to everyone. His neighbors field is also open and so are many others. Since the farmers aren't working they have field trips to various farms to collect food. It's lots of fun. Well since the farmer got apples from his friends farm and wheat from another friend, his wife makes an apple pie and shares it. His friend?s wife, who picked all the oranges from his field, makes orange juice. They're all sharing their food. Before they know it they've gained 30 pounds. Of course, they share their food with friends who aren't farmers and their friends are loaning them money, without expectation of getting paid back, for the things they really need (shmittas kesafim). After the Shmitta year, it's Hakhel year.
Along comes the Arabs and say the land belongs to Palestinians. The farmer says the land belongs to G-d. Since we kept the laws of the Torah, then we Jews have the right to the land. We have made the land holy by keeping the commandments. Palestinians do not know or care about sanctifying the land with commandments. They do not have the Torah, and do not wish to have the Torah or keep the commandments. So the terrorist Palestinians say, who cares about all this; we want to kill you. So the farmer says, Israel has a right to kill you first; ?Haba lehargecha hashkem lehargo.? - ?One who comes to kill you, you kill him first.? Along comes America and says, not so fast. We won't send you billions of dollars that we have allocated to you. The farmer, strong in faith, says, ?Who cares? Last year, I didn't work and didn't earn money and do you know what? Not only didn't I starve, but I gained 30 pounds. My G-d, the G-d of my forefathers, and the G-d of my people will provide for me.? Keeping Shmitta has the natural consequence of strengthening ones faith.
Now if we say, ?Well, the previous Shmitta year wasn't as was just described. There were all kinds of ways of getting around the Shmitta restrictions. In fact, it wasn't the fun year described. Prices were outrageous. In fact, all we ate was stuff from outside of Israel and there was not much to eat. Of course, I had to pay back all my loans.?
Something is not right in the way the laws of Shmitta have been observed. In the Shmitta year, it is like Shabbos. It is a year when we live as if on a big kibbutz. What's mine is yours. What's yours is yours plus mine, because what we have comes from Hashem. It is socialism for one year. It is a year that we are all working together and really own nothing individually. The farmer is asked not to work the field and let it be hefker, open to everyone (the fruit the land naturally produces having a special status of holiness), and everyone else is asked to give out loans to individuals who need it without demanding payment. To me, that describes a kibbutz lifestyle, except that the farmers don't work the land.
This war on terrorism is ultimately bringing the Jews and the free world to the point where they are forced to pool resources and put less emphasis on what's mine. After 9/11 everyone pitched in with time and money. If that is what the Almighty wants, i.e. to pool resources and pitch in with time and money, then let's do it before G-d has to send more acts of terror to get us to do it.
We now need to have two focuses:
1. We need to let ?business-as-usual? slide while we fight this war on terror. May G-d in His mercy overlook the fact that we didn't observe Shmitta the proper way until now.
Here are key action items we must do to win this war on terrorism. This is a war. Every Jew must be enlisted. It is a milchemet mitzvah.
* Declare Eretz Yisroel is the land of Israel. A holy land sanctified by the commandments. Publicize Senator's Inhofe's (R - Oklahoma) address to the Congress on the seven reasons we have a right to the land.
* Support the Israeli government in their courageous fight in this war, in its efforts to preempt and retaliate against terrorism, fulfilling the commandment ?One who comes to kill you....?
* Pray that the Almighty strengthen our faith in Him. We pray that He fights our battles for us and that He will have mercy so that there will be no more loss of innocent life.
* Jews all over the world are to be encouraged to send money to Israel to the point that there isn't any more to send. If we pool our resources, there is more money available for this cause. Perhaps we can hold less lavish affairs, for example, or send presents or gifts for Bar Mitzvahs to Israel, instead.
* Devote our time, pool our energies in fighting this war on terrorism in the media, through public relations and wherever else anti-Semitism exists. For example, children can write letters to the White House and can be assigned to remind their parents to call. There are people at the White House counting the phone calls, polling public opinion. There is very strong support in Congress for Israel and especially for Judea and Samaria. There are many G-d fearing, Bible-reading congressmen.
2. We need to discuss Shmitta in a professional, comprehensive and serious manner.
Let us have an open debate about what Shmitta entails. We need to enlist G-d-fearing Jews and economists to write Hilchos Shmitta without relying on the heter mechira and Pruzbul. That's quite a challenge. It revolutionizes any existing economic model by combining various existing models: Socialism for the Shmitta year and Capitalism in the other years. Thank G-d, we have five more years until the next Shmitta year to work on this. It says in the Torah that all the other nations will look at us and say ?Am chachom venavon? - ?A wise and intelligent nation.?
In the parsha of Behar and Bechukosai there is a direct connection between keeping the laws of Shmitta and the blessings and curses of Israel. Unfortunately, the curses have come true in history. There is no doubt, then, that the blessings will also come true. In fact, it is repeated because it is so important. Chapter 5 of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) includes failure to observe Shmitta properly as a cause of exile and tragedy.
Is this easy? I highly doubt it. Shmitta has not been kept properly from the time of the first Beis Hamikdash (Temple). Doesn't it say that the 70 years of exile between the first and second Beis Hamikdash came as a result of not keeping Shmitta properly? But is it impossible? It can't be, because in the Torah it says ?Lo bashamayim hee...? - ?[Torah law] is not in the Heavens...? It is possible to be obtained by each and every Jew here on earth. Are we going to wait until terror forces us to act? Let us preempt to avoid the curses.
Jewish leaders of influence must make a public announcement - a Kol Korei - about the above items. There are many Jews who are able and willing, but are waiting for their leaders to call them to action. When the leaders are silent, they are holding back those that follow their example.
--------------------------------------------------------
Robin (Stern) Ticker developed these ideas while living in Kiryat Arba during the Shmitta year of 5747.