Across the road from the El Rom film studios in the Golan Heights, is a field where you can climb on the very tanks that were in combat on that very spot in the Yom Kippur War. And inside the El Rom studios, you can view a film that takes you to that very battle scene and introduces you to the heroes whose determination brought about a miraculous victory.
As in many of the battles that Jews have fought in defense of Eretz Yisroel, the odds were against us. In this film, you actually get to hear the recordings of the communications between the tanks. At one point in the battle, when the Jews realized how badly outnumbered they were, you hear on the tape, one of the tank commanders proclaiming he was going forward and encouraged other tanks to follow. Fear was not an option.
The few were victorious over the many. The Golan was secured. The Jews who reside there and the nearby areas were safe. Had our soldiers retreated, G-d forbid, the enemy would have felt confident enough to continue their conquests.
The current battle against terrorism puts us all on the front lines. We have all been enlisted. The enemy is not interested if we are conscientious objectors or if we are physically qualified to be soldiers. We are all in the cockpit. Even when the odds are against us, it is our determination to win that will bring victory.
From one point of view, our battles against terror are very different from the battle at El Rom. We are not equipped with tanks and ammunition. But from another point of view, what is going to win the battle, the determination and self-sacrifice, is the same then as now. Fear is not an option.
Fear is an emotion. As such it is not stable. Fear feels the same when the danger is real or imagined. A scary movie, for example, generates the feeling of fear. The person watching knows that it is only a movie with actors and special effects, but he still feels fear. Even outside the movie theater, in our daily lives, fear can breed and spread irregardless of authentic danger. In these cases, we have to focus on the facts and not succumb to fear.
On the other hand, when the danger is imminent, for real, is the correct response to be afraid? Not if we want to win this war, it?s not.
In the days prior the Gulf War of 1991, the world was literally shaking. At this crucial point in history, a woman informed the Lubavitcher Rebbe that she was planning to go to Eretz Yisroel.
?Are you afraid?? he asked her.
?A little,? she admitted.
?A little is too much,? the Rebbe reassured her.
While media presentations compete with one another for spectacular news, escalating fear and anxiety, the Torah teaches us to have faith, to be calm and confident. Before the Gulf War of 1991, the Rebbe publicly proclaimed not to be afraid. Had the Rebbe based his stance on the current situation or on ?special? insight, it could be argued that the Rebbe?s words of 1991 are not applicable today. But the Rebbe based his confidence on a posuk (verse) in the Torah. A posuk that was relevant 3,000 years ago, 12 years ago and this very day. Devarim (Deuteronomy) 11:12: ?a land that Hashem, your G-d, seeks out; the eyes of Hashem, your G-d, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the year?s end.? When travelers to Eretz Yisroel asked the Rebbe for a blessing for safety, he told them that Hashem is watching the land from the beginning of the year to the end, they need no other blessing. Citing the above posuk, the Rebbe stated that ?Eretz Yisroel is the safest place in the world today.?
Believing that Eretz Yisroel is indeed the safest place for a Jew does not detract from a realistic view of danger and the need for self-defense and pre-emptive military strikes. Jewish Law requires defense with all natural means possible. However, a firm belief that Hashem is carefully watching His land and His children, dispels the fear associated with danger. Fear is contagious. It spreads from one person to the next, leading to anxiety and despondency, undermining the determination to be victorious. Capitulating to fear is to hand triumph to the perpetrators of terror.
Recently, on the INN internet newscast, a man in Gaza who survived a bullet in his chest was interviewed. He showed no fear. Israeli school children who were practicing safety measures in the event of an attack were interviewed. They showed no fear. Why is it that parents living abroad are afraid to let their children study in Eretz Yisroel? If they would come to visit to get their information, rather than steep themselves in hostile media reports, their fears would be put into perspective by confronting the facts.
In today?s war, we are the front line defenders, just like the tank commanders of El Rom. Our ammunition is bitachon . It allows us to face our challenges, the challenges we face together as a nation, with a vitality that is not overshadowed and weakened by fear.
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Aliza Karp writes about issues of concern to the Jewish world, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe's perspective on defending Israel, with special focus on the Jewish community of Hebron.
As in many of the battles that Jews have fought in defense of Eretz Yisroel, the odds were against us. In this film, you actually get to hear the recordings of the communications between the tanks. At one point in the battle, when the Jews realized how badly outnumbered they were, you hear on the tape, one of the tank commanders proclaiming he was going forward and encouraged other tanks to follow. Fear was not an option.
The few were victorious over the many. The Golan was secured. The Jews who reside there and the nearby areas were safe. Had our soldiers retreated, G-d forbid, the enemy would have felt confident enough to continue their conquests.
The current battle against terrorism puts us all on the front lines. We have all been enlisted. The enemy is not interested if we are conscientious objectors or if we are physically qualified to be soldiers. We are all in the cockpit. Even when the odds are against us, it is our determination to win that will bring victory.
From one point of view, our battles against terror are very different from the battle at El Rom. We are not equipped with tanks and ammunition. But from another point of view, what is going to win the battle, the determination and self-sacrifice, is the same then as now. Fear is not an option.
Fear is an emotion. As such it is not stable. Fear feels the same when the danger is real or imagined. A scary movie, for example, generates the feeling of fear. The person watching knows that it is only a movie with actors and special effects, but he still feels fear. Even outside the movie theater, in our daily lives, fear can breed and spread irregardless of authentic danger. In these cases, we have to focus on the facts and not succumb to fear.
On the other hand, when the danger is imminent, for real, is the correct response to be afraid? Not if we want to win this war, it?s not.
In the days prior the Gulf War of 1991, the world was literally shaking. At this crucial point in history, a woman informed the Lubavitcher Rebbe that she was planning to go to Eretz Yisroel.
?Are you afraid?? he asked her.
?A little,? she admitted.
?A little is too much,? the Rebbe reassured her.
While media presentations compete with one another for spectacular news, escalating fear and anxiety, the Torah teaches us to have faith, to be calm and confident. Before the Gulf War of 1991, the Rebbe publicly proclaimed not to be afraid. Had the Rebbe based his stance on the current situation or on ?special? insight, it could be argued that the Rebbe?s words of 1991 are not applicable today. But the Rebbe based his confidence on a posuk (verse) in the Torah. A posuk that was relevant 3,000 years ago, 12 years ago and this very day. Devarim (Deuteronomy) 11:12: ?a land that Hashem, your G-d, seeks out; the eyes of Hashem, your G-d, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the year?s end.? When travelers to Eretz Yisroel asked the Rebbe for a blessing for safety, he told them that Hashem is watching the land from the beginning of the year to the end, they need no other blessing. Citing the above posuk, the Rebbe stated that ?Eretz Yisroel is the safest place in the world today.?
Believing that Eretz Yisroel is indeed the safest place for a Jew does not detract from a realistic view of danger and the need for self-defense and pre-emptive military strikes. Jewish Law requires defense with all natural means possible. However, a firm belief that Hashem is carefully watching His land and His children, dispels the fear associated with danger. Fear is contagious. It spreads from one person to the next, leading to anxiety and despondency, undermining the determination to be victorious. Capitulating to fear is to hand triumph to the perpetrators of terror.
Recently, on the INN internet newscast, a man in Gaza who survived a bullet in his chest was interviewed. He showed no fear. Israeli school children who were practicing safety measures in the event of an attack were interviewed. They showed no fear. Why is it that parents living abroad are afraid to let their children study in Eretz Yisroel? If they would come to visit to get their information, rather than steep themselves in hostile media reports, their fears would be put into perspective by confronting the facts.
In today?s war, we are the front line defenders, just like the tank commanders of El Rom. Our ammunition is bitachon . It allows us to face our challenges, the challenges we face together as a nation, with a vitality that is not overshadowed and weakened by fear.
--------------------------------------------------------
Aliza Karp writes about issues of concern to the Jewish world, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe's perspective on defending Israel, with special focus on the Jewish community of Hebron.