Kahane on the Parsha
Mas’ay
DRIVE THEM OUT!
(Rabbi Meir Kahane, may G-d avenge his blood, had the ONLY answer
to exist in safety in our land.
Thousands of Jews were killed, because we didn’t do what had to be done.
bg)
The Torah states clearly:
“And you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you
. . . but if you do not drive out the
inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you allow to remain
will be like thorns in your eyes and thistles in your sides and will torment
you in the land in which you dwell” (Numbers 33.52.55).
The Biblical commentators are explicit “And you shall drive out the inhabitants and
then you shall inherit it and be able to exist in it. And if you do not, you will not be able to
exist in it”
(Rashi).
“When you shall eliminate the inhabitants of the land, then you
shall be privileged to inherit the land and pass it down to your children But if you do not eliminate them, even though
you will conquer the land, you will not be privileged to hand it down to your
children” (Sforno).
“This verse refers to nations other than the seven nations found there .
. . Not only will they hold that part of
the land that you did not conquer, but even concerning that part which you did
conquer and settle in, they will distress you and say, ‘Rise and get out’” (Ohr
HaChaim).
And so the Midrash tells us: “Joshua sent three messages to
the inhabitants [of Canaan]. He who
wishes to evacuate – let him evacuate; he who wishes to make peace – let him
make peace, he who wishes to make war – let him make war” (Vayikra Rabba 17.6).
The choices are given.
Either leave, or prepare for war, or make peace. The choice of “making peace” is explained by
Rabbis as involving three things. To
begin with, the non-Jew must agree to adopt the seven basic Noahide Laws, which
include the prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, immorality, bloodshed,
robbery, eating flesh cut from a living animal, and a positive action –
adherence to social laws. Once he has done this, he has the status of a
resident stranger (ger toshav) who is allowed to live in Eretz
Yisrael (Avoda Zara 64b) if he also accepts the conditions of tribute
and servitude.
The Biblical commentator, the Radak, explains (in his commentary to
Joshua 9:7): “If they uproot idolatry
and accept the seven Noahide laws, they must also pay tribute and serve Israel
and be subject under them as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:11, ‘All the people
. . . shall be tributaries to you and shall serve you.’”
Maimonides (Hilchot Melachim 6:11) declares: “If they make
peace and accept the seven Noahide laws, we do not kill them for they are
tributary. If they agreed to pay tribute
but did not accept servitude or accepted servitude but not tribute, we do not
acquiesce until they have accepted both.
And servitude means that they shall be humble and low and not raise
their head in Israel. Rather, they shall
be subjects under us and not be appointed to any position over Jews ever.”
Far better than foolish humans did the Almighty understand the
dangers inherent in allowing a people that believes the land belongs to it free
and unfettered residence, let alone ownership, proprietorship, citizenship. What more natural thing than to ask to regain
what it rightly believes to be its own land?
And this over and above the need to create a unique and distinctly
separate Torah culture that will shape the Jewish people into a holy
nation. That uniqueness can only be
guaranteed by the non-Jew having no sovereignty, ownership, or citizenship that
could allow him to shape the state’s destiny and character.
And so, concerning any non-Jew, Maimonides writes: “‘You shall not
place over yourself a stranger who is not of your brethren’ (Deuteronomy
17:15). Not only a king, but the
prohibition is for any authority in Israel.
Not an officer in the armed forces. . .not even a public official in
charge of the distribution of water to the fields . And there is no need to mention that a judge
or chieftain shall only be from the people of Israel. . . Any authority that you appoint shall only be
from the midst of your people” (Hilchot Melachim 1:4).
The purpose is clear. The
non-Jew has no share in the land. He has
no ownership, citizenship or destiny in it.
The non-Jew who wishes to live in Israel must accept basic human
obligations. Then he may live in Israel
as a resident stranger, but never as a citizen with any proprietary interest in
the land or with any political say; never as one who can hold any public office
which will give him domination over a Jew or a share in the authority of the
country. Accepting these conditions, he
admits that the land is not his and therefore he may live in Israel quietly,
separately, observing his own private life, with all religious, economic social
and cultural rights. Refusing this, he
cannot remain.
This is Torah. This is Jewishness.
Not the dishonest pseudo-“Judaism” chanted by liberal secularists who
pick and choose that “Judaism” that finds favor in their eyes and who reject
that which their own gentilized concepts find unacceptable
Written: The Jewish Press
1981
Shabbat Shalom
Barbara
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