TO GIVE OF ONESELF - 1973

Kahane on the Parsha Rabbi Meir Kahane- Parshat Emor TO GIVE OF ONESELF "V'nikdashti b'toch b'nei Yisrael," thunders the Torah. "And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel" (Leviticus 22:32). Kiddush Hashem, the sanctification of G-d's Name! Is there any greater concept in all of Judaism? The hallowing of the Name! And how does one achieve this mitzvah of sanctification of the Name? One observes the Sabbath by observing it; one observes the commandment of prayer by praying; one fulfills the commandment of giving charity by reaching into one's pocket and giving. But how does one reach the summit of the mitzvah of sanctification? The Torah commentator, Rashi, quietly and expressly explains - in four short and simple Hebrew words: "M'sor atzmecha v'kadesh sh'mi. Give of yourself and sanctify My Name." As simple as that, as complex as that. As obvious as that, as concealed as that - and without it THERE IS NO JUDAISM and there is NO JEW and there is NO MEANING or CONTENT to Torah or existence. Who gives of himself today? Who looks upon his life in the light of the ultimate Truth - as a thing that is loaned us by its Creator on the condition that we live it in a certain way? And if, when the time comes, that way calls for the risking of that life - who realizes that it is part of the bargain that man has made and is morally bound to observe? The Ramban speaks of the possibility of a Jew living according to strict Jewish standards and following the very letter of the law, and yet remaining a "naval b'rshut haTorah," a villainous scoundrel within the boundaries of the Torah! The mind boggles at the thought! A Jew who scrupulously adheres to the letter of the law of each of the 613 commandments, who observes the Sabbath exactly as he must, who gives exactly the minimum amount of charity that he must, and who remains a villain and a scoundrel according to the Torah! It is not so strange. We see them every day. The Jew who eats only glatt kosher food, but in disgusting and expensive abundance while the poor and needy suffer silently in their forgotten neighborhoods and tenements. This is a scoundrel within Torah limits. The Jew who signs a petition, attends a parade, and returns home to his parlor while the noose grows tighter and parades cease to have meaning. This is a Torah scoundrel. The Jew who DOES the exact MINIMUM that he must and talks of the need to climb mountains but REMAINS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLOPE - this is the scoundrel and, indeed, he always remains at the bottom. Who gives of himself today? Worse, who recognizes his own weakness in not giving of himself? At least, if the latter were true, there might be some hope. But we live in a time when the flabby moral villain not only refuses to ascend the mountain but condemns those who do. Who looks upon life and understands its vanities and the need for a proper order of priorities? Who knows that if there are Jews who are oppressed, that one's own life and fortune are mortgaged to their freedom? Who understands that life is not as important as the manner of living it? Instead we look around and find people who pray to return to Zion and remain in the comfort of gilded Exile; who cry out against Russians and react in horror to any suggestion that the Soviet slope be conquered; who see Iraqi Jews murdered and who demand that "international action" be taken. Life is ours to be lived and life is ours to be understood. It is not ours to do with as we wish; it is ours to do with as we MUST. The Rabbis bitterly condemned the Jew who sits and eats hi meals in bland comfort while his fellow Jews suffer. They must surely have a special horror of that same Jew who - while he ate in the midst of Jewish tears - made a tremendous show of his religiosity on forgetting his brothers only over a plate of food fit even for the most scrupulous of Orthodox. To the young who wish to reach the height of sanctity, know that it cannot be reached from the comfortable valley. When the cry of a Jew is heard, CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN. Only thus does one reach G-d and his fellow man. It is dangerous and one can die, but, in the end, that is the ONLY WAY that one lives. The Jewish Press, 1973 Editor's note: Most of Rabbi Meir Kahane's anger in this dvar Torah is directed at American Jews who knew of the plight of Soviet Jewry but took little meaningful action in his eyes to alleviate it. Shabbat Shalom Barbara If you are interested in reading more Divrei Torah from Rabbi Meir and Binyamin Kahane HY"D, you can purchase the book at both of the following two links: http://brennbooks.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Kahane-Parsha-Meir/dp/098867680X If you did not receive this article personally and would like to be on my weekly Rabbi Meir Kahane /Rabbi Binyamin Kahane article e-mail list, contact me at: BarbaraAndChaim@gmail.com To view articles written by Rabbi Meir Kahane and his son Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com Facebook: Barbara Sandra Ginsberg Otzma Yehudit for Anglos

LEADERS DON'T ALWAYS DESERVE RESPECT RAV BINYAMIN KAHANE

Kahane on the Parsha Rabbi Binyamin Kahane- Parshat Emor LEADERS DON'T ALWAYS DESERVE RESPECT Democracy has twisted the meaning of a leader from someone who is supposed to LEAD the masses into someone who CHASES after the masses. Professional politicians like Rabin and Bibi will soon "go down to the people." They have set their sights on the upcoming elections. They can already be seen kissing babies and giving them balloons with their party names on them. Anything that makes a good shot for the media, anything to buy another vote. There is nothing like an election season to display the degradation of leaders in a democracy. The Torah envisions a different kind of society. In a truly Jewish society, a leader is honored and treated with the greatest of respect. Thus the very special status of the Kohen gadol in our parsha. In general, all kohanim are considered holy and distinguished in many ways from the rest of the populace. The Rabbis teach us - based on Leviticus 21:8 - that we must give a kohen precedence in all matters pertaining to kedusha and make sure his honor is always properly upheld (Gittin 59b). But this directive is not absolute. If a leader is wicked, arrogant, or more concerned with himself than the welfare of his people - placing his own honor above the honor of G-d and the needs of the nation - there is NO OBLIGATION to respect him. The Torah commands us NOT to "curse a ruler from amongst your people" (Exodus 22:27), but this injunction only applies when the leader "does acts that are acts of the people" - that is, he follows the Torah (Baba Basra 4a). If he does not, not only may he be cursed, but he also loses the right to govern since his entire authority stems from his adherence to the Torah and its mitzvot. If an official, kohen, or king strays from this path, the verdict is clear: he gets stripped of his post and sent home. Israel's present "leadership" - the government of Yitzchak Rabin - has long lost its legitimate right to rule from a Torah standpoint, and history begs that it be put out to pasture. This government abandons its brothers and sisters and aims to destroy the Jewish character of the state. In its obsession with universalism, it rushes to uproot anything which reminds it that Israel is exclusively a Jewish state and that the Jews are G-d's chosen people. That is why it is so eager to surrender G-d-given land - even Jerusalem, heaven forbid. And that is why the time has come to send these corrupt politicians home. May G-d grant the people of Israel the wisdom to save themselves before Israel's wicked leaders succeed in implementing their deadly plot. Kahane on the Parsha can be purchased at the following links: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kahane-Parsha-Meir/dp/098867680X , it's also available on website, www.BrennBooks.com Anyone reading this Rabbi Meir Kahane or Rabbi Binyamin Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles and would like to be, please contact me at: barbaraandchaim@gmail.com To view articles written by Rabbi Meir Kahane and Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com Facebook Links: Barbara Sandra Ginsberg Otzma Yehudit for Anglos

MY G-D IT IS A BOOK! 1974

“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” 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 2 MY G-D IT IS A BOOK! (How many thousands of Jews were murdered since 1974? Jews walking Israeli streets, driving on Israeli roads and in the many wars we had with our enemies)bg The press had announced that, on March 11, booklets listing all 2,482 soldiers who had fallen in the Yom Kippur War would be handed out at post offices throughout the country, and now long lines of Israelis waited patiently to get them. Unlike the usual lines, here were somber and silent people who reached the window, extended a hand and quietly left with their copy. Each one had a special name that he wanted to see. Perhaps a son, a father, a brother, a relative or friend. Immediately, after leaving the line, the pages of the book would be gone through quickly in search of the name. In one case, the silence on the line was broken by a man who approached the window and could see the stack of literature. He suddenly exclaimed: “A booklet? It’s a book! My G-d, it’s a whole book!” Indeed it was, for 2,500 names take up a great many pages, and it was only then that many people could begin to realize the magnitude of the loss. For each line was a person and each person had a family, and each family was left with only memories and sorrow. Of course, as always, not everything went according to plan. At the main Tel Aviv Post Office on Allenby Street, thousands of people gathered to get their copies, but only 2,500 were delivered. The young soldiers who were handing out booklets couldn’t cope with the confusion and the anger of people who had waited hours and were told that there were no more booklets left. “How should I know why there were only 2,500 sent here?” asked an official watching the angry people. “At the Defense Ministry they have a key by which they distribute the material.” At 1:00P.M. the literature began to be handed out and by 1:30 it was gone. Many of the people pleaded for more than one copy. “It is for my neighbor,” explained the woman. “She is sick and could not come.” “I am sorry,” was the patient reply, “but the rules are that only one can be given to each person.” “I want to send one to my relative in America,” cried one man. Again, the shake of the head. It is not allowed. Outside the post office stand a few who have gotten their booklets. One is an elderly couple. The husband has his arm around his wife as they look silently at a name. A young woman sits alone, quietly weeping. A day earlier, the booklets had been brought personally, by Defense Ministry people, to the homes of the families of the soldiers who fell. It was a thankless task. Usually it would go as follows: The messenger arrived at the apartment. In this case, it was an address in the Tel Aviv neighboring city of Ramat Gan. Going up to the second floor, he paused for a moment, swallowed and hes­itatingly rang the doorbell. In his hand was the blue envelope that held the booklet, the envelope with the emblem of the Israeli Defense Forces on it. Heavy steps could be heard from inside the apartment and then the door opened to reveal a short, tired-looking woman. “I am from the Ministry of Defense,” the messenger began . . . The woman heard the words and made an effort to overcome her emotions but the tears began to flow. The man held her for a moment to make sure she would not collapse and then led her to a chair. “I brought you the booklet with the names of those who fell. Here is the name of your son ...” "Thank you," she replied quietly. “For me, the booklet is not important. You can leave it or not. It does not matter. For me what was important was my son. He was a wonderful boy. A pilot.” She paused and glanced at the page. There was the picture of her son, a handsome young man in pilot’s uniform. “He was born in war, more than 25 years ago, and died in war. I will never forget how, on the day he was born, the Egyptians bombed the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv. During the war he flew more than 25 sorties into Syria — and returned. And then they sent him to the Egyptian front and he never returned. Why did they have to send him? Was it not enough that he flew so much in Syria?” “Today is the thirtieth day. Last month they found his body in the vicinity of the Egyptian Second Army ...” She stops and the messenger rises and leaves. He has other “errands” . . . “I do not know how I get the strength to do this each time,” he says as he climbs the steps to yet another Ramat Gan apart­ment, this one the home of a widow whose husband had been an officer. The widow and her mother are at home. They knew that someone would come today and they had waited. They stand as the messenger leafs through the book, searching for the name of the husband who would never return. The wife holds back the tears and the mother clenches her fists. The man finds the name and shows it to them. “Thank you,” the wife says. “He fell in the north, on the Golan Heights ...” The man from the Ministry of Defense leaves. The door closes behind him and from inside is heard the faint crying of an infant. . . March 29, 1974 Shabbat Shalom Barbara Thank you Efraim Maidanik for alerting and sending me to this article Anyone reading this Rabbi Meir Kahane or Rabbi Binyamin Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles and would like to be, please contact me at: barbaraandchaim@gmail.com To view articles written by Rabbi Meir Kahane and Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com Facebook Links: Barbara Sandra Ginsberg Otzma Yehudit for Anglos

But there is a G-d in Israel - 1980

THEY MUST GO – written in 1980, printed in 1981 RABBI MEIR KAHANE But There is a G-d in Israel (excerpts) The analysis and proposed transfer of Arabs from Israel that I have set down are not personal views. They are certainly not political ones. This is the Jewish outlook, based on halakah the law as postulated in the Torah. The removal of all Arabs who refuse to accept the exclusive, unquestioned Jewish sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael is not only logical and normal for any Jew with a modicum of an instinct for self-preservation; it is also the Jewish halakic obligation. It is important that we know this in order to realize what true “Jewishness” really dictates and in order to instill in ourselves the faith and assurance that if we do this, all the nations in the world will be incapable of harming Israel. The Jewish people are not merely one more nation. “Though I put an end to all the nations among whom thou art scattered, but I will never put an end to thee” (Jeremiah 30:11). Israel is indestructible. It is unique, it is holy, it is the Chosen of the L-rd; it has a reason for being. Its national uniqueness is built on an idea, on an ideology, that it alone has. The Jew is selected and obligated to be a religio-nation, commanded to obey the laws and follow the path of Torah. The covenant. The Jewish people took upon itself the yoke of the L-rd, acknowledging Him as G-d and observing His laws. The Almighty chose them as His unique people, pledging that they would be indestructible and would live in peace and prosperity in their own land, Eretz Yisrael. The land was given as a reward, as a blessing. But it is more, much more, than that. The people of Israel have more than a right to the land; they have an obligation. “For you shall pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the Land which the L-rd your G-d gives you, and you shall possess it and dwell therein” (Deuteronomy 11:31). A unique people given, uniquely, a particular land. Unlike all the other faiths that are not limited to one special country, the Jew is given a particular land and commanded to live there. And for a reason, as Moses explains: “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the L-rd, my G-d, commanded me, that you shall do so in the Land whither you go to possess it. (Deuteronomy 4:5). It is impossible to create a holy, unique people that dwells as a minority within lands that belong to others. The majority culture must infiltrate, influence, corrupt, woo, tempt, pervert. The Jew is commanded to create for himself a holy nation, and that can only be done free of others, separate, different, apart. That is why the unique nation, chosen for holiness and unique destiny, was given a land for itself: so that it might create a unique, holy society that would be a light unto the nations who would see its example and model. And as the Torah clearly commanded: And you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you…But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass that those which you let remain of them, shall be thorns in your eyes and thistles in your sides and shall torment you in the land wherein you dwell. And it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them” (Numbers 3:52-56). Far better than foolish humans did the Almighty understand the dangers inherent in allowing a people that believed the land belonged to it to be given free and unfettered residence, let along ownership, proprietorship, citizenship. What more natural thing than to ask to regain that it believed to be rightly 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 be guaranteed only by the non-Jew’s having no sovereignty, ownership, or citizenship in the state that could allow him to shape its destiny and character. This is Torah. This is Jewishness. Not the dishonest pseudo “Judaism” chanted by the Liberal secularists who pick and choose what “Judaism” finds favor in their eyes and who reject what their own gentilized concepts find unacceptable. They weigh “Judaism” on the scales of their own intellectual arrogance – arrogance, incidentally, of intense ignorance. And if this is not only the right of Jews but their obligation, what do we fear? Why do the Jews tremble and quake before the threat of the nations? Is there no longer a G-d in Israel? Have we lost our bearings that we do not understand the ordained historical role of the State of Israel, a role that ensures that it can never be destroyed and that no further exile from it is possible? Why is it that we do not comprehend that it is precisely our refusal to deal with the Arabs according to halakic obligation that will bring down on our heads terrible sufferings, whereas our courage in removing them will be one of the major factors in the hurrying of the final redemption? What is wrong with us? Who blinded us and blocked from our memories the existence and power of the G-d of Israel? Did a Jewish people exist for 2,000 years without state, government, or army, wandering the earth interminably from land to land, suffering pogroms and Holocaust and surviving powerful empires that disappeared into history, just by coincidence? Did a Jewish people return to its land from the far corners of the earth to set up its own sovereign state – exactly as promised in the Bible – through mere natural means? What other nation ever did such a thing? Where are the Philistines of Goliath today? Where is imperial Rome with its Latin and its gods? Who defeats armies in six days, and on the seventh they rest? Who if not an Israel because there is a G-d in it! The Land of Israel is His divine Land; the State of Israel is His divine hand. History is not a series of random events, disjointed and coincidental. There is a Creator, a Guide, a Hand that plans and directs. There is a scenario to history. The Jew has come home for the third and last time. “But the third shall be left therein” (Zechariah 13:8). The first redemption was that from Egypt; the second, the redemption of Ezra. The third will never end” (Tanhuma, Shoftim 9). We live in the era of the footsteps of the Messiah, the beginning of the final redemption. The rise of the State of Israel from the ashes of Auschwitz marks the end of the night of black humiliation and agony, of Hillul Hashem, and the beginning of the dawn of the final, total redemption, of Kiddush Hashem, sanctification of G-d’s name. The State of Israel is not a “political” creation. It is a religious one. No power could have prevented its birth and none can destroy it. It is the beginning of G-d’s wrath, vengeance against the nations who ignored, disdained, and humiliated Him, who found Him irrelevant, who “knew Him not.” But, it is only the beginning. How the final redemption will come, and when, depends on the Jews. The exiles shall be ingathered only through “faith” (Mechilta, Exodus). If we have it, if we truly believe in the existence of the Creator and Guider of history, the G-d of Israel, we can bring the final redemption today. “When will the Messiah come? ‘Today, as it is said: “Today, if you will hearken unto my voice’” (Psalms 95:7, Sanhedrin 98a). The Arabs of Israel represent Hillul Hashem in its starkest form. Their rejection of Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel despite the covenant between the L-rd of Israel and the Jews constitutes a rejection of the sovereignty and kingship of the L-rd G-d of Israel. Their transfer from the Land of Israel thus becomes more than a political issue. It is a religious issue, a religious obligation, a commandment to erase Hillul Hashem. Far from fearing what the Gentile will do if we do such a thing, let the Jew tremble as he considers the anger of the Almighty if we do not. Tragedy will be ours if we do not move the Arabs out. The great redemption can come immediately and magnificently if we do that which G-d demands. One of the great yardsticks of real Jewish faith in this time of momentous decision is our willingness to reject fear of man in favor of awe of G-d and remove the Arabs from Israel. The world? The nations – united or otherwise? What do they matter before the omnipotence of the Almighty? “Why do the nations rage…the Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the L-rd and against His anointed…He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the L-rd shall mock them…” (Psalms 2:1-4). The Jewish people and state cannot be destroyed. Their weapon is their G-d. That is reality Let us remove the Arabs from Israel and bring the redemption. Anyone reading this Rabbi Meir Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rabbi Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at barbaraandchaim@gmail.com To view articles written by Rabbi Meir Kahane and Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com Facebook Links Search for Barbara Sandra Ginsberg Otzma Yehudit for Anglos

WHAT WILL BE?- 1977

“K A H A N E” The magazine of the authentic Jewish Idea May 1977 – Sivan 5737 WHAT WILL BE? There is, generally, a gap of three weeks between the writing of this magazine and its publication. Because of that, when these words are read two events will have already taken place. The elections for the Knesset will be over and the results already known. And the effort to have a groundbreaking ceremony for the first Jewish settlement in ancient Shchem since the Exile began, will have been made. At the moment of writing, however, neither event has taken place and I do not know whether on May 18, after the two events have occurred, I will sit in the Knesset or in an Israeli prison. What is clear, however, is that the two events are intrinsically bound, one to the other. The trip to Shchem is part of the drive to – once and for all – establish the principle of Torah law over contradictory secular law, when the latter attempts to prevent Jews from obeying their obligation to the former. It is part of the drive – once and for all – to do away with the humiliation and desecration of huge parts of the Land of Israel that are nominally under Israeli control, but in fact dominated and arrogantly possessed by Arabs. It is an effort to stop the Washington plan to force Israel into suicidal concessions and the Israeli preparation to give in to at least a large part of the American demands. It is part of the hope that a tempest will be planted in the hearts of enough Jews so that they will join the call to the Israeli government: We will not allow you to give up the land and we will refuse to obey orders to retreat if we are soldiers and join a campaign of civil disobedience if we are civilians. That is why I plan NOT to ask the government for permission to go to Shchem, for no permission is needed for a Jew to go anywhere in his country. That is why I plan to ignore the order barring me (sic) from the liberated lands that has been issued by the army. That is why I plan to call upon the troops, if stopped, to refuse to violate Jewish law by barring a Jew from the Land of Israel and to disobey the illegal orders given them. That is why I do not know where I will be listening to the Knesset election results. And as to what the people of Israel will do – who can say? There are many things I might not have said that would have gained me votes. But doing that would be turning into a politician and making the Knesset more important than the reason for wanting to be in it. The Knesset, for me, is nothing more than a forum, an opportunity to have my voice heard – and that is vital. But the voice itself and what it says is even more vital and when one begins to compromise and rationalize that compromise by thinking that the end of entering the Knesset justifies the means of compromising – then there is never an end to the deceit. Then one does the same once he is in the Knesset so that he be re-elected or become a cabinet minister. No, the truth is not a thing you play with. The truth has been said in this campaign: That the Jewish people is the Chosen people of G-d and that “what will be” depends on their cleaving to the concepts and the mtizvot of Torah; that the fundamental concept is the faith and belief and trust in G-d that is measured in terms of the difficult sacrifices and dangers embodied in such yardsticks as rushing to the aid of a Jew, refusing to violate Torah by giving up sacred Jewish land, refusing to place one’s trust in allies and Washington, leaving the exile with its impurity and prohibition to live there and coming home to the Jewish land, removing the specter of the Arabs who, by their refusal to recognize the Jewish right to Israel, desecrate the name of G-d. The truth has been said and I have preached and practiced. That I will sit either in the Knesset or prison is clear. Which one, what will be – only the Jews of Israel can decide. By the time you read this they will have decided and you and I will both know. MAPS The pressure on Israel to withdraw totally from the liberated lands will mount with every passing week following the elections. The demand will be that, in return for a spurious and nebulous “peace” Israel accept a fraudulent and non-existent people and state known as “Palestine”. It is important to know exactly what the map will look like in case such as state should ever come into being next to Israel. Along the coastal strip, Arab guns and troops will be 22 kilometers (some 15 miles) from Tel Aviv; 15 kilometers (11 miles) from Netanya; 14 kilometers at the narrowest point between Netanya and Herzeliya. They will naturally be right next to Jerusalem which will return to being the border and will return to 10 kilometers (some 6 miles) from Beersheva and 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Afula. Not a plane will get up into the air over the costal strip without facing the withering fire of the SAM missiles that Arafat and his people will set up all along the border. The Israeli cities on the coastal plan (Tel Aviv, Holon, Bat Yam, Ramat Gan, Benei Brak, Givatayim, Petach Tikva, Herzeliya, Netanya) will become prey to ceaseless bombardment in any “war of attrition” begun by the “Palestinians” and their Communist block, Cuban, Asian and African allies they care to invite in as “volunteers.” One who knows what happened to the Egyptian cities along the Canal during the 1970 War of Attrition knows, too, exactly how Jewish cities may look, G-d forbid, should the front lines be shifted from the Canal, the Golan and the Jordan to the heartland of Israel. The prohibition against giving up Jewish land will either be obeyed or not. We will either trust in G-d or in man. If we prove to be faithless Jews, divine punishment will come in its most natural form. We will suffer the natural consequences of our actions – the scenario I have described, above. “Not one inch” is more than a theological point. It is tragically practical. Shabbat Shalom Barbara Anyone reading this Rabbi Meir Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rabbi Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at barbaraandchaim@gmail.com To view articles written by Rabbi Meir Kahane and Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com Facebook: Barbara Sandra Ginsberg Otzma Yehuditfor Anglos

SPLITTING OF THE RED SEA

Kahane on the Parsha Rabbi Binyamin Kahane 7th Day of Passover –Splitting of the Red Sea “Don’t Cry to Me, Go Forward!” When the Gulf War broke out and scud missiles started landing in Israel – the week of Parsaht Beshlach – it became quite popular to quote the verse “The L-rd will fight for you and you shall remain silent” (Exodus 14:14). Many religious Jews found this verse symbolic of the Gulf War. After all, here were Israeli cities getting bombarded by Iraqi missiles and the official government policy was one of “self- restraint,” or “havlaga.” “Everything will be okay,” people proclaimed, “G-d will fight for us.” (That is, America and its president, George Bush, will take out those Scud launchers and all will be fine.) However, a closer look at this verse reveals that those who interpreted it in the aforementioned manner took it entirely out of context and, by so doing, completely distorted the awesome lesson to be learned from the splitting of the Red Sea. First, let us see what the Torah says. Immediately following the verse “The L-rd will fight for you and you shall remain silent,” the Torah states, “And the L-rd said unto Moses: Why do you cry unto Me? Speak to the Children of Israel that they should go forward!” (ibid.14:15). Already- without even consulting any of the classic commentators – we see that the Torah’s message is not one of passivity. Moses does not say that G-d will fight for the people while they relax and take it easy. What he says is that the L-rd will fight for them if they prove that they truly believe in His omnipotence. Therefore, instead of crying to G-d, the Jews should simply obey His command and “go forward” into the stormy sea. The Ibn Ezra writes that “you shall remain silent” corresponds to “and the Children of Israel cried to G-d.” The Be’er Yitzchak explains the Ibn Ezra’s words: “’You shall remain silent’ does not correspond to ‘the L-rd will fight for you,’ which would imply that the Jews shouldn’t fight, but rather to ‘and the Children of Israel cried to G-d.’” In other words, the exact opposite of the oft-repeated, distorted interpretation that “you shall remain silent” means self-restraint and inaction. The Ibn Ezra teaches us that “you shall remain silent” means “stop crying to G-d.” What should the people do instead? Act! – with trust in G-d. This, in essence, is what Rashi writes: “This teaches us that Moses was standing and praying. The Holy One Blessed Be He said, ‘Now, when Israel is in distress, it is not the time to prolong in prayer.’” The same message is found in the Talmud as well (Sotah 37a): “Moses was praying at length, so the Holy One Blessed Be He said, ‘My beloved ones are drowning in the sea, and you’re praying at length?’ Moses said to G-d, ‘L-rd of the Universe, what can I do?’ He replied, ‘Speak unto the Children of Israel that they should go forward. And you raise your rod and stretch out your hand . . . ‘” The Rabbis tell us that the Children of Israel stood trembling by the shores of the Red Sea until G-d commanded them to “go forward.” They remained paralyzed with fear and did not move. Only Nachshon did not hesitate to carry out G-d’s command. He sprang forward into the raging waters. Nothing happened, but Nachshon was not concerned. He descended deeper into the water – up to his ankles, knees, stomach – and still nothing happened. Nachshon continued until the water reached his neck, and then cried to G-d “Oh G-d, save me because the water has come unto my soul. I sink deep in mire where there is no standing . . . “ – whereupon the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea occurred (ibid.). The lesson is crystal clear. When one’s faith is tested, G-d demands, together with prayer, maximal effort through actual deeds. Was Nachshon’s faith put to the test when he recited Psalms on the seashore? No. Even jumping into the stormy waters was not sufficient since he could still back out. Only by fulfilling G-d’s will to the point of no return did he prove his faith. Nachshon understood that saying “I believe” and then waiting for salvation is not authentic faith. G-d demands that we prove our faith with action, no just words. Only be being willing to fulfill difficult, even seemingly “dangerous,” mitzvoth do we prove that our faith is genuine. Israel’s policy of self-restraint during the Gulf crises was the antithesis of the true meaning of “you shall remain silent.” He who saw the chosen people scurrying like roaches into their sealed-off closets while the modern day Goliath blasphemed G-d and His people for 40 days (with 40-1missiles) and viewed it as a positive thing, self-righteously proclaiming that “G-d will help,” does not even begin to grasp the Jewish meaning of faith. Not only did we lose our dignity and deterrence factor during the Gulf War, but we also demonstrated lack of faith. It is the same lack of faith that has prevented us from expelling the Arabs and annexing the territories. And it is only lack of faith that has brought us to the pathetic and desperate situation we find ourselves in today. Written in Darka shel Torah 1992 “Kahane on the Parsha” can be bought at the following links on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kahane-Parsha-Meir/dp/098867680X , it's also available on website, www.BrennBooks.com Anyone reading this Rabbi Meir Kahane or Rabbi Binyamin Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles and would like to be, please contact me at: barbaraandchaim@gmail.com To view articles written by Rabbi Meir Kahane and Rabbi Binyamin Kahane go to blog: www.barbaraginsberg-kahane.blogspot.com Facebook Links: Barbara Sandra Ginsberg Otzma Yehudit for Anglos