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22 Kislev 5773 - December 6, 2012 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Remarks of HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman at the Meeting of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah

Chazal say that four things require chizuk, one of which is Torah study, which needs reinforcement from within and from the outside. We are now dealing with the threat from the outside. In our days it is known that from time to time there are harsh decrees, which should not succeed, chas vesholom.

Boruch Hashem, the numbers of Torah scholars have increased, and our yeshivos are filled with young students who want to learn Torah, including some whose parents would not have sent them to yeshiva in the past. The study benches have increased, boruch Hashem, but on the other hand there are difficulties and this is in matters of principle over which we must fight the government. We certainly do not refer to improper means but just to entreat and to stand firmly on our principles and to pray for Heavenly mercy. We must do our best not to provoke them in the same manner that we are forbidden to provoke the nations of the world in any way. We must also not provoke people who do not have the proper hashkofoh.

We must therefore assure that there is a proper representation in the Knesset. Boruch Hashem up to know we have had representatives who have worked and conducted themselves honestly and well. In truth it is because of this that they been able to succeed many times. We must, nevertheless, stand alert, in sustained vigil and we can never say we have already succeeded. We must constantly fight against all sorts of decrees that chas vesholom the secular public which doesn't understand [our ways] and tries to pass decrees against Torah and its laws, as, for example, on issues of conversion, purity of education and many more. We must continually stand on guard.

We have, boruch Hashem, to date, succeeded as much as possible to rein things in a bit so that the decrees will not be so harsh but we continue to require great Heavenly mercy. Therefore, as the elections approach, we have to work hard for success so that true representatives will enter [the Knesset] who will protect Torah and mitzvos, and we must add new representatives to the old representatives who are good and appropriate men. We hope that Rabbi Yaakov Asher, who is the representative we plan to add and who is currently serving as mayor of Bnei Brak, how is a good man and ehrlich, who administers his city wisely and peacefully and we hope that also in the Knesset he will be a good representative who will add honor to chareidi Jewry.

May Hashem help us and fortify our representatives with the strength so that chas vesholom there will be no evil done to Torah and to the laws of Torah. That everything will be kehalochoh in conversion, shmittah and so on. That people will be able to fulfill everything kedas ukedin. We must know that we have to continue to successfully haul the wagon until the coming of Moshiach. And HaKodosh Boruch Hu will help and we will be successful.

Boruch Hashem over the years, great Torah scholars have come from the yeshivas, who have authored important works, and Torah has increased amongst Jewry. May Hashem continue to help us likewise in the future, that Torah and its students will increase, and this will make HaKodosh Boruch Hu happy. This is His will, may He be blessed, and this is the goal we hope to achieve, be'eizer Hashem, and those who try to interfere with Torah with their decrees will not succeed. In that Torah increases more and more we will merit the true Redemption, speedily and in our times. Amen, selah."

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