Thursday, December 31, 2009

No Rest for Jewish Nation in Foreign Countries


By Moshe Feiglin

"And when the days of weeping for him passed, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh saying, 'If I have found favor in your eyes, speak into the ears of Pharaoh to say: My father made me swear, saying, "Behold I am going to die. Bury me in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.'" (From this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, Genesis 50:4-5).

Wait a minute - isn't Joseph the viceroy of all Egypt? Didn't Pharaoh promise him that he would be second-in-command and the next-to-final- word in the Egyptian kingdom? Why does Joseph have to lobby Pharaoh's close aides to convince them to bring his request before the king? Why are the palace ministers closer to the king than he is? After all, this is the original Pharaoh - the "good" one - not the Pharaoh who enslaved the Jews as related in next week's Torah portion.

Some sages in Europe predicted the German atrocities while the Jews there were still enjoying their host country's wealth of culture, philosophers, musicians and poets. Pharaoh was also a "good" king and the bottom line is that he kept his promise to Joseph. But in case anybody thinks that Joseph was an equal among equals, the above verse is proof - and a reminder to our fellow Jews in the U.S., England, France and all the other democracies - that their good standing in their host countries is ephemeral. Even after years of assimilation, the Jew will always be different. From the time that G-d chose us from amongst the nations, we will never find permanent rest in foreign countries.

Pharaoh promised. So did Napoleon. But the reality of anti-Semitism is stronger than all their promises. We can build flourishing communities at the summit of a sleeping volcano. But it just may erupt sooner than we expect.

Shabbat Shalom

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Within The Boundaries of Gd's Commands

By Natan Hamaoui

(Editor's Note: The following is a letter from one of Manhigut Yehudit's supporters.)


Here's something that happened to me around 30 years ago which, believe it or not, is so relevant!

I was being drafted into the IDF - the first day where you receive all your equipment and medical shots and army clothing etc etc.

It was being done somewhat as an assembly line where your group goes from station to station to do all these things.
Anyway, one of the very first stations was where each one of us was given a small form to sign. It basically said in Hebrew something like "I swear to to anything that my officer commands me etc. etc."

I told the officer in charge of that station that I can not sign such a statement. He looked at me, saw my Kippah and said: Oh you're dati?
(religious). In that case we are advised to replace "I swear" to "I declare" as religious may not make an oath.

I told him that even with that change, I still would not be able to sign. He asked me why not. I said that I wouldn't be able to commit to something against the Torah. He saw that this was not your regular situation and he called his supervisor - a higher officer.

After hearing my unheard of and strange objections, this officer assured me that no one in the army would give me a command against the Torah and that I was not the only observant Jew in the IDF that makes all allowances for the religious. (Shabbos, Kashrus etc).

I agreed but still objected to committing to such an open ended wording and suggested that the clause "Bitchum mitzvot Hashem" (within the boundaries of G-d's commands) be added, to assure that in writing. He told me that they are not at liberty to change this official document and that it must be signed. I appreciated his kind explanations and assurances but told him that I would not be able to sign the form as it stood.

Frustrated, he deferred to yet a higher officer. This one came and told me in no uncertain terms that I would either sign or go to jail.
I said that I certainly do not want to go to jail but I would be most willing to sign if only the simple 3 words were added "Bitchum mitzvot Hashem". That was my ultimate stand and that they should do what they had to do, because I, on my part, had no other choice.

They all went and consulted with each other and maybe with even higher ups and after a while came back with an amended form (in

Hebrew) "I declare that I will obey any command that my officer gives me BITCHUM MITZVOT HASHEM" !!!

That's the form that I signed and that is what is in my IDF record!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

How to stop the abandonment plan


First of all, we must understand that the building freeze is not a temporary measure. It is part of a complete plan to destroy all the achievements of the Six Day War of Miracles. The entire Golan, all of Judea and Samaria, all of East Jerusalem - everything. The State does not have the money to pay for this retreat, so relatively few (in the Golan? The Jordan Valley?) will merit the "privileges" accorded to the settlers of Gush Katif. All the rest will receive - like the million Frenchmen who lived in Algeria - a date for the retreat of Israeli forces and an invitation to come and live as refugees somewhere in South Tel Aviv.

Who is putting a wrench in this plan? The answer is simple. Who is being hysterically attacked by the media, politicians and just about every public entity in Israel? The protesting soldiers with the signs.

It is not their signs that will save the Land of Israel. It is the facts that their protest pulls the legitimacy carpet out from under Bibi's feet. They are the boy who shouted out that the emperor has no clothes. Everybody knows that the Abandonment Plan is a criminal act that will lead to nothing but disaster. But as long as the boy doesn't shout, the emperor can continue to march. The protesting soldiers have denounced his legitimacy and declared that they will not be part of the crime. That is why they have enraged Israel's establishment.

Psychologist Amira Dor has written a booklet describing in detail how the government was able to easily expel the residents of Gush Katif and how to prepare ourselves not to fall into their trap again with the Abandonment Plan. It is a must read for those who know Hebrew. Print out as many copies of the booklet as you can and distribute it among your friends and relatives. Forward it to your entire email list. To download the booklet,
click here.