IN MEMORY OF THE STUDENTS OF YESHIVAT MERCAZ HA RAV

Rabbosai, I am not good at writing posts such as this. Especially not at a time when I'm virtually airborne with anger.

So I'll paste two recent messages which I have received here.
One by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo in Jerusalem, one by David Wilder in Hebron.

In Search of the “Real” Israel (1)
(Reflections on a yet another war)

In Memory of the Talmidim of Yeshivath Mercaz HaRav
Who lost their Lives only a Few Hours Ago at the Hands of Terrorists
in Jerushalayim

Nathan Lopes Cardozo

Throughout the many centuries, historians, philosophers and anthropologists have struggled with the notion called “Israel” more than with nearly any other topic. While trying hard to place Israel within the confines of conventional history they constantly experienced academic and philosophical frustration. Whatever definitions they suggested, they would always discover that these definitions would break down due to some serious inconsistencies. Was Israel a nation, a religion or an altogether mysterious entity which would remain unexplainable? Sometimes it was seen as less than a nation and more as a religion, only to be challenged by others who believed the reverse to be true. Still others claimed that it could not fit into any of these categories.

What was, and is, clear however, is the impossibility to fit “Israel” into any specific definition or known scheme. It resisted all historical concepts and generalities. The uniqueness of Israel necessarily thwarted the people’s natural desire for an explanation, since this always implies arrangement in categories. Anything which flies in the face of such an attempt is alarming and most disturbing. This fact became even more obvious once the Jew was forced out of his country by Titus the Roman and specifically after the collapse of the Bar Kochba rebellion. It was at that moment that the Jews were hurled into the abyss of the nations of the world and ever since then they have been confronted with a new condition: Ongoing insecurity. While mankind at large has always been confronted with moments of insecurity, it was the Jews to whom destiny has been denied even the smallest share of a dubious security which others possess. Whether or not the Jews were aware of it, they always lived on ground that could give way beneath their feet any moment.

Since 1948 Israel once more became a country. But many forgot that it also became a country – it became again a country, yet not only a country. All the other dimensions, such as nationhood, religion, mystery, the lack of definition and insecurity, continued to exist. Today, the people of Israel does not find itself exclusively in the land of Israel and, instead of one Israel, the world now has two. But the second new Israel has, up till now, been seen as responding to the demands of history, geography, politics and journalism. One knows where it can be found. At least one thinks that one knows where it is to be found. But it is becoming clearer that the new and definable Israel is now seriously on the way to being as much a puzzle and mysterious entity as the old Israel always was. In fact it already is.

Throughout its short history, the State of Israel has gone through the most mysterious notions modern man has ever seen. After an exile of nearly two thousand years, during which the old Israel was able to survive in contradiction to all historical criteria, it returned to its homeland. There it found itself surrounded by a massive Arab population forever incapable of mentally making peace with the idea that this small mysterious nation lives among them. After experiencing a Holocaust wherein the Jewish nation lost six million of its members, it was not permitted to live a life of tranquility on this tiny piece of land. Once more the Jew was denied the right to feel at home in his own country. From the outset, Israel was forced to fight its enemies on all fronts - it was attacked and condemned for fighting for its very existence and defending its population. Over the years Israel has had to endure the policy of double standards employed by the international community. Both in the past and also today, when Israel calls for peace, it gets condemned for creating war. When it tries, as no other nation, to avoid hurting the citizens of those countries which have declared war on it, Israel is accused of being more brutal than all the nations which have, and still do, conduct atrocities against millions of people. Simultaneously, and against all logic, this nation alone continues to build its country as no other, while repeatedly being forced to fight war after war. What took other nations hundreds of years, Israel has succeeded in accomplishing in just a few. While bombs and katushas fall on its cities, and calls for its total destruction are heard in many parts of the world, the citizens of Israel continue to build, give birth to children, create unprecedented technology and manage to create an even stronger economy. Yet the more it succeeds, the more Israel’s enemies become frustrated and irritated and consequently Israel’s security becomes more dubious. The more some nations would like to try and destroy this country, the more the world is forced to deal with its small nation and its capacity for survival. Israel now occupies more space in any major newspaper than any other political issue or general topic, as if to say that its dubious security and its irritating population are at the centre of world history.

Jews must ask themselves what this non-classification really signifies. Is it merely due to a lack of vision and insight on the part of the nations? Could Jews really fit into a system, but the other nations have not yet learned how? Is it a negative phenomenon or a temporary one until, in future times, this will rectify itself?

We have only one way to comprehend the positive meaning of this otherwise negative phenomenon and that is the way of faith. From any other view point, the inability of Jews to fit into any category would be intolerable and a meaningless absurdity. What needs to be understood is that our inability to fit into any category is the foundation and meaning of our living avowal to the uniqueness of Israel. Israel’s very existence is the manifestation of a divine intervention in history of which Israel has to give evidence. In it history and revelation are one. Only in Israel do both of the components, history and revelation, coincide. While other nations exist as nations, the people of Israel exist as a reminder of Gods’ interference in world history. Only in Israel is humanity touched by the divine.

The realization of this fact has become the great challenge for modern Israel. Its attempt time and again to overcome its geographic and political insecurity by employing world politics will not work. Driven by its desire to overcome its insecurity, Israel veers from geography to nationhood, appealing to its history and religious culture but without finding a place anywhere to be known as its existential habitat.

Reading Israel’s prophets we see how they warned against such false notions of security. The prophets predicted that Israel would perish if it insists on existing only as a political structure. It can persist, however, - and this is the paradox of the reality of Israel - when it insists on existing as a vocation of uniqueness.

Israel was summoned to remind the world of God’s existence, not just as a religious category, or with a concern for religion, but as a historically reality. There is no security for Israel unless it is secure with its own destination. It must assume the burden of its own uniqueness, which is nothing other than to assume its role as God’s witness. And it must take strength from this phenomenon, especially in times such as ours in which, once more, Israel’s very existence is at stake. And once it recognizes its uniqueness, it will - paradoxically - have security and, undoubtedly, be victorious.

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1. This essay was (re)-written hours before the terrible tragedy in Yeshivat Merkaz Ha-Rav in Yerushalayim in which several students were killed and many were wounded. May God have mercy on Israel.

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The David Cardozo Academy
Machon Ohr Aaron
In Memory of Aaron and Betsy Spijer

7 Cassuto Street
Jerusalem 96433Tel: 02-652 4053

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Thoughts after the terror attack -Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav
by David Wilder
29 Adar 5768, 3/6/2008


I was sitting in my office tonight, meeting with the director of Mattot-Arim, activist Susie Dym, when the beeper started beeping. I read it, wiped my eyes, and read it again: 20:42 - (8:42 PM) - Magen David Adom Jerusalem reports shooting inside Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav in Jerusalem. Details to follow. The beepers kept streaming, each one bringing terrible news. Shooting for somewhere in the vicinity of ten minutes, the terrorist killed eight students and wounded at least another eleven, three of whom are in critical condition.


Listening now to the radio, the Yeshiva's director, Rabbi Sasson, spoke of how the yeshiva students all participated in a mass prayer gathering at the Kotel, the Western Wall, earlier today. This evening they were preparing Rosh Hodesh (New Month) festivities, celebrating the beginning of the new month of Adar and the upcoming Purim holiday. Only moments before the beginning of the dancing, the Rabbi said that he heard shooting in the building and immediately realized that a terrorist had infiltrated the yeshiva.


Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav is the spiritual center of Religious Zionism, founded by Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook. His son, Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook led the movement of the Jewish people back to Yesha following the 1967 Six Day War. The Yeshiva's dean, Rabbi Avraham Shapira, died a few months ago, and his son, Rabbi Ya'akov Shapira replaced him.


I worked at Mercaz HaRav some 15 years ago for about a year. The Yeshiva has a very unique atmosphere, very spiritual, and very Torah-oriented. Many many students fill the huge study hall, day and night, 24 hours a day. Many of the students are IDF officers, serving in elite units. The yeshiva's students are amongst the most patriotic Jews in Israel, serving their country, their land, their people, their G-d, in body and in spirit. Many of Israel's most important spiritual leaders are graduates of Mercaz HaRav.


It is very sad to see the pictures, to hear the voices, to feel the pain of young Torah scholars, studying Torah, celebrating the joy of the month of Adar, cut down by a terrorist's bullets, for no reason other than that they are Jews.


Earlier today I spent a couple of hours with journalists from Finland, questioning me about our presence in Hebron and in Judea and Samaria. I stressed to them that the enemy we are facing are nothing more than wild animals; only animal can perpetrate such horror attacks. Tonight another one of these animals escaped from his cage and, let loose in civilization, attacked, as does a wild lion or tiger.


I continue hearing on the radio reports how the police and security are continuing to prepare for tomorrow's "Friday prayer on Temple Mount" referring of course, to Arab, Islamic prayer. I do not understand why the Israeli authorities are going to allow these prayers to take place, especially taking into account that according to the latest reports, the terrorist who perpetrated the murder tonight is a resident of Jabal MuKaber, a neighborhood in east Jerusalem. The first thing that should have been announced tonight is that those prayers, on Temple Mount, are canceled. The second announcement should be that any and all 'peace talks' with the Arabs are suspended until further notice.


Third, the Knesset should meet in special session and pass a law which will allow immediate suspension of Knesset members who incite the enemy and who celebrate such murderous attacks as we've witnessed tonight.


Now we cry together with the yeshiva, with the families of the victims, with Klal Yisrael, But crying is not enough. Israel cannot allow such terror in our eternal capital to be ignored. The enemy must be punished.

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The Jewish Community of Hebron
P.O.B. 105 Kiryat Arba-Hebron 90100Tel: 972-9965-333 - info@hebron.org.il
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Tour Hebron: Tel 972-52-431-7055 or tour@hebron.com
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NOTE:
There will be an anti-Israel demonstration in front of the consulate tomorrow. It is highly unlikely that the other side will have the tact, or decency, to call it off. It is much more likely that they will be in a festive mood. Please find the time to come stand with us and counter-protest them.

Friday, March 7th, 2008
4:00 - 7:00 PM
In front of the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco 456 Montgomery St. (at Montgomery & California Streets) (4 blocks north from the Montgomery Bart station) San Francisco

If you show up, there are two things to bear in mind:
1. People will remember in detail slogans that seem to dehumanize those poor Pallies, but be unable to hear any outright anti-Semitism from the other side. It's remarkable.
2. The anti-Israel crowd tomorrow may be more venomous than usual - it's Friday, and that means robed radicals from some of the mosques, and lots of screaming venom.

Remember to dress warmly - the Montgomery Street corridor is a frigid wind tunnel in late afternoon. And feel free to bring a pocket flask. Not that we encourage Dutch courage, dot-dot-dot.