Ediblog.com
Sharon, Tell The World The Truth!
By Ariel Natan Pasko
Traditionally, every Jewish child who learned Torah was taught the text and
the commentary of Rashi - Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki - the famous 11th century
French Biblical and Talmudic commentator. In the beginning, literally,
of Genesis, Rashi asks a question, "Why does the Torah start with the
story of creation? Since the Torah is a book of laws for the Jewish People,
why doesn't it begin with the first law given by G-D to the Jews, the law
for establishing a calendar?"
Rashi answers, that it starts with the creation narrative to establish that
G-D is the Master of the Universe. Then Rashi says the most amazing thing
that still resonates almost a thousand years later. Based on earlier sources
and a thorough knowledge of the meaning of Judaism, Rashi says, "So,
that if the nations come to Israel and say, 'you are thieves - in Hebrew,
She-Kevash-Tem, you conquered and occupied - the land from the nations
living there', you can tell them that all the universe is G-D's, He created
it and gave it to the nations, and when He decided, He took it from them and
gave it to us."
Three things become starkly clear today.
First, that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not long ago used the same
Hebrew root/term - Kibush, occupation - as the Israeli Left has used for
years to denigrate the miraculous victory of the 1967 Six-Day War.
It's the same term, "occupation," used by most of the world in
their criticism of Israeli policies in the "territories". The
Israeli Prime Minister has adopted the language of the self-haters among the
Jews - those disconnected from Jewish history and tradition - and the
Judeo-paths among the nations.
Second, that Rashi's explanation of the Torah has in fact come true. The
nations today claim, as Rashi explained they would, that we
"stole" the land from others, namely the Palestinians. And
finally, that the only basis for the Jewish People's national life in their
homeland is G-D's promise as set down in the Bible, not history, not
security, but G-D's promise to their forefathers. Rashi told the Jewish
People to tell the world, "He took it from them and gave it to
us."
A true Israeli leader needs to stand up, not frightened of anyone or
anything, and declare, "The Master of the Universe took it from them
and gave it to us." The Promised Land belongs to the Jews exclusively,
and not to any other nation!
Any Israeli Prime Minister, who can't get on TV or go to a meeting with
world leaders and say these words, should either quit or commit suicide
before rejecting the promises of G-D and working to help another group take
over part of the Land of Israel. As King David said, "If I forget you
Jerusalem - a term for the entire Land of Israel - let my right hand wither
- rather than sign any false peace agreement - let my tongue cleave to the
roof of my mouth..." (Psalms 137: 5-6) rather than agree to
foreigners taking over part of the Jewish People's homeland.
If someone can blow themselves up to gain a state not their own, if kamikaze
pilots can kill themselves in war, if soldiers can risk their lives in
"suicide missions," then the Israeli Prime Minister can quit or
"step out" rather than lie to the world and say, "We must end
the occupation". Occupation is when you steal someone else's land. The
Jewish People liberated parts of their Promised Homeland in stages, first in
1948 and then in 1967 with G-D's help. The Jewish People didn't
"steal" anything.
Sharon, Tell The World The Truth!
Every Jew, in fact, every Christian and Muslim, know that the Land of Israel
was promised to the Children of Israel, the Jewish People, by G-D forever.
The same G-D they claim to worship. So why continue to perpetuate this lie
called the "Peace Process"? The Palestinians might gain some
temporary control over the land - for G-D's own reasons - but in the end, it
will be taken from them and returned to its rightful tenants - I didn't say
owners - because G-D is the only true owner of everything.
It's true that a democratically elected government in Israel, might choose
for political expediency to transfer control over parts of the Jewish
People's homeland to others; and that in political terms it might be seen as
legitimate; but in the Court of Final Justice, above, there never will be
any Spiritual Legitimacy to the act. Anyone going against the will of G-D
will ultimately have to account for their actions, reward and punishment is
a basic concept in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Heaven help those who
try to take away the "Promise".
Why lie to the Palestinians? Why make them believe they are right, that
Israel "stole" their land? Why fool them into believing that
Israel will give them land and a state?
What's most important for them and the world to understand is, that no
matter what the Israeli government decides to do, it has no Religious
Legitimacy in Judaism. No Israeli leader or government has the moral,
historical, or spiritual right to take away parts of the Promised Land from
the Jewish People and give it to others. It's not theirs to do with as they
please; the Land of Israel is an inheritance from G-D and it is not for one
generation to decide what to do with it. It is also for all future
generations of Jews. It will never be accepted by Jews steeped in their
heritage and tradition, or by G-D.
"Ani Ma'amin... I believe with complete faith in the coming of the
Messiah, and even if he takes a long time to come, I believe every day, he's
coming!" It's one of the thirteen principles of faith as codified by
Maimonides. The Jews will get back their homeland; the Palestinians will not
have a state. So why start now so close to his coming?
The Land of Israel was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Master of
the Universe told them that even though their children will suffer terrible
exiles - an educational and cleansing process - in the end, He would bring
them home. In the 1948 War of Independence, G-D gave political sovereignty
to the Jews for the first time in almost 2,000 years. In the 1967 Six-Day
War, G-D returned the Holy City of Jerusalem in its entirety - including
eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount - to the Jewish People. Hebron -
Judaism's second holiest city - with the Cave of the Patriarchs, the burial
place of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the city King David ruled from before
Jerusalem, was returned as well. Truthfully, Judea and Samaria - the
so-called West Bank - is drenched in Jewish history and Jewish holy sites.
The Jewish People have been brought home!
Those who have built their world-view on security needs and have claimed
that we cannot allow a Palestinian state to come into existence because of
that, have missed the point. The Palestinians, and the world, are playing
the "Peace Card". Even if they promised up and down, that there
would be a thousand years of "Peace," how can Israel spurn G-D's
promise?
Once there was a nice family who lived in a rough neighborhood...
They wanted to get along with their neighbors, but the neighbors hated them,
and used to throw rocks and break their windows all the time. One day, the
leader of the neighbors came over and said, "This is my house,"
and demanded it. The owner, father of the nice family replied, "No it's
not, its mine." The neighbor insisted. Not wanting any more trouble,
the owner invited him in to talk. The neighbor demanded the house and
refused to leave, he threatened the owner. The owner decided to "be
nice" and offered him a room. Later, the neighbor claimed that the
owner's wife was in fact his wife. He implied he would kill the owner. The
owner of the house, thought for a moment, "My wife, my life" and
then decided to share his wife. "Why cause problems?" He thought.
The neighbor emboldened, next claimed the owners arm. "Give me your arm
or else," he demanded. Well, the owner had a tough time, he thought,
"my arm or my life, hmmm" and he meekly cut off his arm. Finally,
the neighbor de
manded, in the most insolent way imaginable, "Give me your
heart..."
The Land of Israel is the Jewish People's heart!
Members of the ruling Likud Party and the National Camp have for years based
their claim to the "occupied territories" meekly on historical
claim, and more importantly have said for security reasons they couldn't
give it away. The Israeli Left in contrast, has argued for quite some time
that control over Judea and Samaria is a security liability and not an
asset. They have argued that the only true security is in "Peace"
with the Arabs and not the status quo. The American President, George Bush
has basically said the same thing, recently, following the lead of European
leaders. And what about settlement leaders, those so-called right-wing
extremists who spurn all talk of "Peace"?
After the Israeli cabinet's decision to accept the "Roadmap" with
objections, the spokesman for the Yesha Council - of Jewish Settlements in
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza -Yehoshua Mor-Yosef said, "What is done is
done. What we can do is try to amend the roadmap and shift it to the
right." Shift it to the right? It's not a matter of a little shift here
and a little shift there. And these are the so-called leaders of the
'Settlement Movement'!
Again, after the unveiling of the Beilin-Abu Rabbo "Geneva
Initiative," Olmert's "plan," and several other
"plans," the Council of Settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza
hastily put together their own "plan".
Sharon, the Likud, the National Camp, the Yesha Council, have all missed the
point. The Israeli Left never had it. To the world, well what can we say?
Except, "He took it from them and gave it to us." There is no
spiritual legitimacy to retreat from the Land of Israel. There is no
spiritual legitimacy in refusing to graciously receive G-D's Promised Land.
There is no spiritual legitimacy to any of these so-called "Peace"
agreements. There is only G-D's Plan...
Sharon, Tell The World The Truth!