Understanding Circumstances

There could be almost no greater desecration of God’s Name than relinquishing portions of the land of Israel. The entire world would be made aware that God’s children agreed to give away the land which God Himself gave them as an eternal possession.

People vary in nature. Some people care; others do not. Some people care about what happens to the Jewish people and what happens to the Land of Israel; for others, these matters are not high up on the list of their priorities.

The conflict between Israel and the Arabs runs very deep. It is a religious conflict to which there exists no solution at present. We must presently pour our energies into transforming Israel into a state for all of the Jewish people in the world.

On the biblical verse, “These are the laws that you must set before (the Israelites),” the Gemara states, “‘Before them’ - but not before the nations; ‘before them’ - but not before unordained judges.”

Relations between Israel's left and the settler community seem to mirror the sort of relations that existed between Joseph and his brothers. The settlers, like Joseph, dream messianic dreams about the redemption of Israel; the brothers are spiteful.

The Sages of the Mishna teach: "Captives should not be ransomed for more than their value, for the sake of the general welfare." The enactment of such a law was necessary in order to keep kidnapping from becoming a lucrative trade.

For generations, the Jewish people have given scholarship precedence over all else. This is lacking today. Parents who, today, lead a life of freedom and irresponsibility should not expect their child to turn out honest, educated, and intelligent.

Why do the Rabbis of today not stand up with strength and courage like the Maccabees, and lead the Jewish people in a religious reawakening and an all-out war with the Arab enemy? Shouldn't the spiritual leaders be the ones who lead the nation?

If one letter is removed from a Torah scroll, it is incomplete; similarly, if one portion of the land of Israel is removed, it is lacking. He who stabs a knife into the heart of the land, in effect stabs a knife into the heart of the nation.

Kidush Hashem - The Worldwide Sanctification of G-d's Name in Ilan Ramon’s flight.