Neither the present prime minister nor the government are the
cause of our woes. Rather, they are merely a vehicle of a
Main Cause. If the Nation would remove them through
elections, HaKodosh Boruch Hu would not lack ways of
punishing us. The prophet Yeshaya implied this when he said:
"And the Nation shall not return until it gets punished."
(Yeshaya 9)
There is no security, there is no peace, nothing has changed.
It is the Primary Cause, the Higher Force Who propels all of
the world's causes. Shlomoh Hamelech himself stated
(Mishlei 21): "The brooks of water (and) the heart of
the king are in the Hand of Hashem. Whatever He desires,
shall be channeled."
[The Ramban's expression is: "The heart of kings and
ministers are in Hashem's Hand."] The Ralbag explains: "The
activities of a king are limited to (the will of) Hashem. He
is like an agent of Hashem Yisborach in what he shall do. The
concept is that he is a direct line to Divine Wisdom. Had the
king acted strictly in accordance with his free will, as in
his personal behavior, this would be incredibly dangerous to
the nation under the king's rule. Hashem has therefore not
abandoned His leading of the king, for He guards high above
the high . . ."
The Malbim explains that the heart and free will of the
common man is in his own possession. Not so the heart of the
king. Since the king's decisions affect the public's well-
being, the heart that makes public decisions is in the Hand
of Hashem. Free will is canceled in order to serve the
public's best interests.
What one may derive from this is that the king is merely an
agent of Hashem. Everything is dependent upon our actions.
This is a verse specifically stated in Melochim II,
the end of perek 24, "Notwithstanding that Hashem
was in Jerusalem and in Yehudah until they were cast from
Him, and Tzidkiyohu rebelled against the King of Babylon."
Rashi interprets this that since Hashem was in Jerusalem and
Yehudah, HaKodosh Boruch Hu therefore placed the idea
in Tzidkiyohu's heart to rebel against the King of
Babylon.
We are amazed by the double-speak of the President of the
United States. How is it possible that he, himself, takes
vengeance against his enemies without limits, while at the
same time, he demands restraint from us? One may call this
hypocrisy, yet to a believer in Hashem and the words of
Shlomoh Hamelech, the wisest of all men, this is not a
marvel. Hashem has the power to say to one of His agents to
use force and to another to show restraint, for everything is
dependent upon our actions. As Yirmiyohu Hanovi has stated
(Eichah 3:38-40): "From on High, evil or good shall
not depart. What shall the living man complain about his sin?
Let us search our ways, scrutinizing them, and let us return
to Hashem."
In the last fifty years of the State of Israel's existence,
we have seen wicked people who had their moment of glory,
which caused a breach of emunah, chas vesholom. We
must thank Hashem Yisborach, Who has bestowed mercy upon us
by making it clear to us that, `There is No One except Him.'
Before our eyes is a prime minister who, during his election
campaign, boasted that he would restore security to the
State. Yet when he assumed his position, his heart had
completely changed. What happened? Surely emunah is
blazingly apparent in that HaKodosh Boruch Hu rules
the world, and a king is merely a pawn in the Hands of
Hashem.
*
The fact that there is a Primary Cause is the very foundation
of our emunah. To illustrate this, see the Seforno's
commentary to Parshas Vayishlach, where he states that
had the biryonim of the Second Temple period
subjugated themselves to the Romans, like Yaakov Ovinu who
subjugated himself to Esav, the Second Temple would not have
been destroyed.
But we don't say that "because of the biryonim have we
been exiled from our land," rather "because of our sins have
we been exiled from our land." This teaches us that there is
a Primary Cause, and everything is dependent upon our deeds.
Even the biryonim are agents of Hashem.
The events that are currently occurring, including the
suicide bombers, appear to me to hint to a complete episode
in the Torah, the story of the ma'apilim. We should
learn its lesson.
It states in Parshas Shelach (14:40-45): "And they
arose in the morning and ascended the top of the mountain . .
. And Moshe said, `Why do you transgress the word of Hashem?
You shall not succeed. Don't ascend since Hashem is not with
you . . . ' And they defiantly climbed to the top of the
mountain, but the ark of Hashem's covenant and Moshe did not
move from the camp. The Amalekites and Canaanites who lived
on the mountain swooped down and defeated them . . . "
Moshe Rabbenu repeats this episode in Parshas Devorim
(1:41-44), by saying: "And you responded by telling me:
`We have sinned before Hashem. We will head north and fight .
. . ' Each of you took his weapons, and you made every effort
to head north to the highlands. And Hashem said to me, `Tell
them not to ascend nor to fight for I am not with them. Let
them not be killed by their enemies.' I spoke to you, but you
would not listen. . . . The Amorites who lived in the
highlands came out to confront you, and chased you like bees
. . . "
Moshe Rabbenu warned them not to try to go to Eretz Yisroel,
and not to fight. He told them that there is no mitzvoh of
yishuv Eretz Yisroel if it contradicts Hashem's Will.
Why should you transgress the word of Hashem? Your plan shall
not succeed!
The Torah states: "Each of you took his weapons . . . " It is
amazing that in all of Israel's battles against her enemies,
we do not find such an expression. It seems to me that the
explanation of the matter is as follows: Bnei Yisroel
were always armed with weapons, as it is stated in parshas
Beshalach, "And bnei Yisroel went up with provisions,"
and in the beginning of Yehoshua, "You shall cross
with provisions before your brothers." Nevertheless, they
didn't use the weapons -- not in the times of Moshe, nor in
the times of Yehoshua -- since Hashem fought their battles
for them.
This is an explicit posuk in Devorah's song: "A shield
if it shall be revealed, and a sword of forty thousand of
Yisroel." (Shofetim 5:8) The Radak explains that this
statement is referring to Yehoshua's battles, when bnei
Reuven and bnei Gad passed as pioneering soldiers
before bnei Yisroel. Nevertheless, they didn't need a
shield or sword since Hashem was fighting for them as they
did the rotzon Haborei, and all of them returned home
in peace.
Since in the desert they knew that Moshe and the Ark of the
Covenant would not leave from the camp, they therefore needed
to make use of their weapons.
Bnei Yisroel should have been victorious according to
natural means. Bnei Yisroel had a military advantage,
yet the Canaanites were victorious, since Hashem gave the
Canaanites the idea to commit suicide, like the bee that
kills itself when it stings. [As Rashi states in Devorim
1:44, "Just like a bee injures a person, it immediately
dies, so too by those who were in conflict with you, they had
immediately died."] The heroes had fallen with their weapons,
which teaches us that "there is no wisdom, no advice, nor
understanding before Hashem."
It is written: "And the ark of Hashem's covenant did not
depart from the camp." This statement requires further
investigation. Apparently, it should have been written: "And
the bnei Kehos, bearers of the ark of Hashem's
covenant." It seems to me, as is well-known, that within
conceptual "sheivet Levi" were included two types: 1)
The actual members of the tribe of Levi; 2) those for whom
Torah was their occupation. The Rambam writes at the end of
Hilchos Shemittah Veyovel, that category 2 has the
status of sheivet Levi.
The Torah therefore emphasized by stating, "And the ark of
Hashem's covenant." This expression includes both categories:
1) bnei Levi, regarding whom yoru mishpotecha
leYaakov is written; 2) those whose Torah is their
occupation, who are the carriers of the ark of Hashem's
covenant.
The Torah emphasizes for us: "The ark of Hashem's covenant
did not depart from the encampment." Had chas
vesholom, the carriers of the Torah participated in that
battle, nothing would have remained of Israel. Only as a
result of "the ark of Hashem's covenant and Moshe did not
depart from the camp," meaning their being engrossed in
learning Torah, did Klal Yisroel remain in existence
and only the armed personnel fell in battle.
During the Yom Kippur War we saw the same pattern. When the
Egyptians crossed the Mitla Pass, they could have advanced
until Jerusalem. All of us were amazed that they stopped.
However, one who examines the Chumash will not be
astonished by the event. Since "the ark of Hashem's covenant
did not depart from the encampment," the Exalted One on High
protected us by stopping them.
HaKodosh Boruch Hu's statements that were said in His
song of Ha'azinu, (Devorim 32:36-39) are currently
being fulfilled: "He will have seen that their power is gone,
with nothing left to keep or abandon. Hashem will then say:
Where is their god, the power in which they trusted? . . .
Let them now get up and help you! Let them be your protector!
But now see! It is I! I am the [only] One! There are no other
gods with me! I kill and give life! If I crushed, I will
heal! But there is no protection from My power!"
Zionism proclaimed when it was formed: "We shall take our
destiny into our own hands." Where is the Israeli army today
with Zionism's promises?
"They shall rise up to help you!" Does the IDF have a
response to suicide bombers and maniacs? Israel's ability to
deter is negligible against those who are prepared to die for
their foolish faith. Did not Hashem Yisborach ingrain in
humanity that even the smallest of creatures are afraid to
die and run away from death. If so, who instilled in the Arab
mind to choose death over life? Haloe Hashem zu chotonu
lo?
All of the army's power is to kill a few frogs. Did they not
see that fighting the makas tzefardim did not make it
cease, rather it got worse? When one breaks one stick, ten
sticks grow in its place. This is what happened in the Peace
for the Galilee [Lebanon] War. The prime minister said that
the war's purpose was to keep israel tranquil for the next
forty years. What happened? The old enemies were replaced by
the Hizbullah, who were much worse than their
predecessors.
Hashem=Sholom
It is not for naught that the present foreign minister stated
that we tried fighting for the last hundred years and we were
unsuccessful. There is no alternative to peace. In this, he
is one hundred percent correct. However he thinks that peace
is in our capability. Not only is that a mistake, rather it
stems from his denial of the Creator of the Universe. If only
he would realize that Hashem has given us Eretz Yisroel on a
conditional basis, like Dovid Hamelech said, "And He shall
give them the lands of the nations . . . in order that they
shall keep their statutes and ordinances they shall be
guarded," he would understand that without fulfilling these
conditions, everything is totally in vain.
If only he would believe in Hashem's words that He told us in
His Torah, "If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My
commandments, I shall provide peace upon the land, and you
shall lay down without fear . . . And if you will not listen,
I shall bring you the sword . . . ," he would understand that
without fulfilling these conditions, the Oslo Accords are not
worth the paper they are written on.
Furthermore, Chazal said (Shabbos 10) that the Name of
HaKodosh Boruch Hu is "Sholom," as it is written
Vayikro lo Hashem Sholom. From this we derive that one
who denies the existence of HaKodosh Boruch Hu, chas
vesholom, denies the sholom!
The nonbeliever is standing today powerless, folding his
hands in frustration against his own actions that are
drowning him in the sea.
The following posuk is speaking about him: "And they
healed the affliction of the assembly of my nation by saying
falsehoods, `Sholom, sholom'. Yet there is no peace."
(Yirmiyohu 8:11) It is similarly stated in
Yechezkel 13:10 regarding the false prophets "who
misled My nation, saying `Sholom,' but there is no peace . .
."
I therefore implore you to return to the cheder of
your grandfather, as it is written: "See that it is I. I am
He." There is no viable option other than to return to the
Borei Olom, for peace isn't in our heritage. Rather,
it belongs to HaKodosh Boruch Hu.
Similarly, Yeshaya Hanovi said, "Yotzer ohr uvorei
choshech oseh sholom . . . " (Yeshaya 45). In addition,
we pray three times daily saying: "Oseh sholom bimeromov
hu ya'aseh sholom oleinu." As the Israeli government
educates hundreds of thousands of children without teaching
emunah, there will not be peace here.
On the other hand, Chazal stated that "talmidei chachomim
increase peace in the world." As Torah learning
increases, more peace will exist.
*
In conclusion, I wish to point out an important piece of
information that is particularly relevant to us now, when
even some of the roads are in a chezkas sakonoh. The
Rambam writes a tremendous chidush in Moreh
Nevuchim (3:52): Hashgochoh elyona only rests with one
according to the level of his comprehension and
deveikus with his higher facilities. One who is
spiritually complete, who does not cease thinking about
Hashem, will be given a bond of Divine providence to him,
which will protect him the entire day. In this way, he will
be guarded from the misfortunes of the time and from its
snares.
However, one who only occasionally thinks about Hashem, the
hashgochoh will also depart from him as long as he is
meisi'ach da'as from Hashem. He will be subject to
natural circumstances, like the beasts of the forest.
This idea is similarly expressed in the Nefesh HaChaim
(3:12): "It really is an important matter and tremendous
seguloh to remove and completely nullify all of the
laws and other desires that one is unable to control. They
shouldn't make any impression at all. Man [should] accept in
his heart to say that Hashem is the true G- d, and there is
nothing, no force in this world or any other world, except
for Him. Everything is full of only the simple Unification of
Hashem.
"One who completely nullifies in his heart, not taking heed
to any force or will in this world, and who subjugates and
clings to the pureness of his thought, only to the one
Master, blessed be He, then Hashem shall automatically grant
him nullification of powers and wills of the world, that will
not have the ability to act upon him at all."
The above is basically a manifestation of explicit pesukim
(Hoshea 14:2-4): "Return, Yisroel, unto Hashem Elokecho,
. . . Assur will not save us, upon the horse we shall not
ride. We shall no longer say that our handiwork are our gods;
Rather, through You shall the orphan be granted mercy."
In other words, when one affixes in his heart that "[The
kingdom of] Assur won't save us, upon the horse we shall not
ride," that there is absolutely no power in our actions;
Rather, through You, alone, "shall the orphan be granted
mercy," then he will merit the fulfillment of the prophecy,
"through You shall the orphan be granted mercy."
