YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Family and Society
- Settling the land
- Additional Lessons
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
R. Avraham Ben David
The above is true concerning a case where a Jew is threatened in private, yet if one is forced to transgress publicly, it is forbidden to breach any mitzvah whatsoever - even a seemingly insignificant one, or an accepted Jewish custom; rather, one is obligated to give his life before transgressing. If, though, the intention of the one threatening is to simply derive self benefit - i.e. it is not the Jews' transgression of a mitzvah which interests him - Jewish law permits transgression rather than the giving of one's life.
One who believes that the Arab-Israeli conflict over Eretz Yisrael is not one of principles, and that what motivates the Arabs is mere self-benefit - for they've got nothing personal against the Jewish People or our aspirations in the Land of Israel - might well conclude that the obligation to protect one's life outweighs the mitzvah to settle the Land of Israel. Yet, it's clear that today's conflict runs much deeper than this. The Arabs' real intention is to prevent us from fulfilling the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel, with all of it's spiritual implications, and the rule, therefore, is that one must give his life before transgressing the mitzvah.
Some thirty-two years ago, our teacher, Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah HaCohen Kook, z"tl , wrote: "There is absolutely no way, and will never be a way, to permit the indisputable and absolute prohibition against relinquishing any portion of the Land to the authority of another people, heaven forbid. Therefore, every Jew and every great Torah scholar, every Kenneset member and every military personage, is obligated to prevent and hinder [such an act] with all of his courage and might, and the heavens will assist him in his efforts." Eight years later, he wrote again: "Every Jew faithful to [the Land of] Israel, must stand with complete and undivided self-sacrifice against the absurd injustice of this senseless abhorrent and confused... betrayal. [What I'm referring to is]...the abandonment - if even of the smallest amount - of the Land of our life, [for the purpose of] ...placing it in the hands of a people [whose only desire is] to persecute us, heaven forbid! As in all cases of physical coercion, whether by non-Jews or by Jews, which, according to Torah law, obligate one [to give his life before transgressing] ... how much more so with [regards to the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel which our sages have said] is equal to all of the mitzvoth in the Torah together."
Concerning the claim that it's merely their own personal benefit which motivates the Arabs, Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah said: "Let me enlighten and inform you that this claim is completely null and void, and that such talk does not change in the slightest our obvious obligation [to risk our lives for the sake of settling the Land]. Their "benefit" is that they themselves rule here in this land, and not us, and concerning this we have been commanded, for all generations, by the Lord our God, King of the universe - in accordance with the Ramban (Nahmanides) - that not they be ruling here in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the Golan, and Jericho, but rather that we be ruling here in our Land, a Land which belongs to the many thousands of assemblies of our people, the House of Israel." The Rabbi added: "The... claim of "self benefit" is meaningless in our eyes. Self benefit implies their ruling here, and this, the Ramban has taught us, is equivalent to the nullification of a Torah mitzvah, namely, that the land should be under our rule and not the rule others.
The words of the Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah HaCohen Kook are clear: there is an obligation, based on the mitzvah of settling the Land, not to evacuate Jewish settlements in the Land of Israel. We hope, God willing that this issue never becomes an actual topic of debate, "For God will not abandon his people, and will not leave His inheritance."(Psalms 94:14)
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
