From Barbara
Ginsberg’s Desktop
“Beyond Words” is a
seven volume collection of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s writings from 1960 – 1990 that
originally appeared in The Jewish Press, other serial publications, and his
privately-published works.
“Beyond Words” also includes a number of extra features:
Chronology of Rabbi Kahane's life.
“Beyond Words” now can be bought at Amazon.com. On the search line, type… Beyond Words Kahane.
Beyond Words
Selected Writings of Rabbi
Meir Kahane,
1960-1990
Volume 3
An Interview with Rabbi
Meir Kahane,
Kahane Magazine, April 1978, p.22
There is a truth, a Jewish
truth that no one speaks today. The
Jewish Idea has been corrupted and silenced.
There must be one person who is prepared to speak the entire truth in
the truthful way. No one else speaks
about the holocaust that must grip the Galut; no one else speaks about the need
to remove the Arabs from Eretz Yisroel; no one else says that to depend on the
Americans will not bring salvation but rather Divine punishment; no one else
ways that if the government of Israel will not annex the lands, Divine
Punishment will again strike us; no one else says that we must defy the
government if it defies Jewish law; no one else speaks as a Jew, and with the
Jewish Idea. That is my obligation. If I have support and if I have followers,
well and good. If I am able to build an
organization, so much the better. But if
I have to be alone and shout out the lonely truth in that way – that will be my
role.
“On A Hill Near Shchem,”
Jewish Press, October 13,
1978
Conversation between Rabbi
Kahane and the soldiers of Israel
“Why do you have to give us
such a hard time?” asked one soldier. “I
am not the only one who gives you a hard time,” I replied, “you are the ones
who are
breaking the law. The law says that a Jew must live in Eretz
Yisroel and settle everywhere, and you prevent it.” “The only law that we have is the government,
and you are violating it. Besides, we
want peace and you are destroying the chances for peace.” “And you really believe that by giving up
Sinai and giving the Arabs Judea and Samaria, you will have peace? Don’t you remember how they went to war when
they had the Sinai and Judea-Samaria?”
The soldiers had now gathered around me and one said: “But things are different today!” “How do you know?” I shot back, “Why do you
risk the state by trusting an enemy that started four wars?” “We have to gamble! It is impossible to keep on fighting. I am willing to take the risk.” It was clear that this was the view of most
of the soldiers, almost all of whom were irreligious.
“I’ll tell you,” I said. “If you really want to gamble, trust me – not
the Arabs. I tell you that if you will
all put on tefillin for a month, the Messiah will come. And if you gamble on tefillin and the
Messiah does not come, what have you lost?”
. . . Tomorrow would be Friday, Begin was coming
home. At the airport he would be greeted
by thousands of cheering Israelis and he would cry out to them: “I have brought
you peace!” Voices. Voices. Voices. From yet another airport;
from yet another Prime Minister; to yet another cheering crowd. “I have brought you peace in our time . . .”
It was Chamberlain coming home from Munich.
The bus started up and the settlement had come to an end. This time there was no singing.
“The Second Revolution,”
Jewish Press, October 20,
1978
While no other Prime Minister
used the name of G-d, Begin mouths it and then gives away Jewish rights because
Jimmy Carter, in his eyes, is more real.
Fear of being isolate? Trembling
at the fact that no newspapers supported Israel? Worry over the loss of allies? The
redemption of the Jewish people will come with the greatest grandeur precisely
when Israel is isolated! And these
are the words of the Prophet Isaiah as he envisioned the final redemption,
words we read in the synagogue on the week before Rosh Hashanah; words that
were mouthed without listening to them or understanding them. The Prophet speaks of the anger and vengeance
of G-d against Israel’s enemies:
“I have trodden in the winepress ALONE, and of the
nations THERE WAS NONE WITH ME. . . For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My
redemption is come. And I looked and
there was none to help . . . therefore
has My own arm brought salvation . . .” (Isaiah 63:3-5)
Not through Jimmy Carter are
we saved, and not through allies and gentile salvation. Begin, who gave into pressure, is no better
than all the others whom he so bitterly criticized when he was in
opposition. Fear of the gentile has
taken precedence over the awe of G-d. That
is the heart of the problem. That is why Begin brought home, not
peace, but war. For peace will only come
when He who creates and grants peace will agree. That agreement can never come in response to
violation of Torah and to Hillul Hashem.
Perhaps a final note. All that I have written would have been bad
enough. But there might have been some
mitigation had Begin, at least stood before the people gravely, sadly, in
sorrow and said: “This is a black day
for us. But we had no choice.” I would have differed with him then, too, and
been angry. But at least we would have
been spared the sight of a huge and happy welcome at the airport – so
strikingly similar to the return of Chamberlain. At least, Begin might not have pretended that
he had brought us good tidings and peace. At least, he would have been
honest.
The above articles appeared
in 1978 quotes, volume 3.
Anyone reading this Rabbi Meir Kahane
article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written
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To view articles written by Rabbi Meir
Kahane and Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com
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Barbara Sandra Ginsberg
Anglos
for Otzma Yehudit
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