On Voting in Elections in the Land of Israel

The remains of the shul in Neve Dekalim, Gush Katif,
may it be speedily rebuilt

On voting in elections in the Land of Israel

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Someone wrote to the Rebbe concerning someone who had written to him, encouraging him not to vote in the Israeli elections. This was the Rebbe’s response.

... Anyone who has a passport in his hand automatically has the ability to vote. By registering for the passport he acknowledges, and not under coercion, the [political] leadership there. If after this he does not participate in the elections, and others see and do likewise, and this is liable to affect the determination of a “major” law or even a minor one, when they [the politicians voted in] vote for the legislation incorrectly, then he shares the blame for the calamity of many.  I have not yet found the person with the “broad shoulders” to be able to take responsibility for such a calamity.

Of course, the above words are not directed at those who give no recognition at all to the [political] leadership, or who don’t want to travel to the Holy Land, may it be rebuilt, for this reason, etc. However, those who are there, and who take part in whatever manner there,[1] but only when it comes to taking part in the elections, they parade their zeal, should know that the opposite is the case [i.e., true zeal is expressed by voting]. 

Moreover, they do damage to the many, as mentioned above. Especially after they have tangibly seen over the course of the years that have passed how the vote of one political representative could have prevented a stumbling block to the many that constituted violation of a rabbinic prohibition and even of a biblical prohibition. This will suffice for the understanding.

It is self-evident that you have permission to write all that I have written here concerning the elections to the one mentioned above, and you may also add sharpness, because no matter how much you add, it will not do justice to the matter.

[1] You should ask him whether he benefits and pays—and thereby assists them—for water service, electricity, and the like. Does he pay taxes, some of which is also given to support the Ministry of Religions—in the plural—and its goals, and so on, and so forth. That constitutes actual assistance, not merely participation. How many times was he or one of his colleagues imprisoned for not paying taxes? If he is truly on the level about which which he writes, why doesn’t he fulfill the ruling of Rambam in Hilchos Dei’os, 6:1 [requiring one living in an environment of wicked people to move away]?

Igros Kodesh, Vol. 11, p. 168.

In my own words: Yes, it is indeed very worthy to oppose Zionism (see here, here, and here). However, that opposition is not applicable in this case. First, if opposing Zionism means not acknowledging the state, the one who refuses to vote in the Israeli elections with the claim: “We don’t want to participate and lend endorsement to the anti-religious Zionist state in any way” has not solved his problem, because he has chosen to be a citizen of the state, and in so doing he is already participating in it regardless: 1. he benefits from government services; 2. he is actively supporting causes that are antithetical to Torah simply by paying taxes.

Now that he is already part of this objectionable system, benefiting from it, and even assisting it, he has a moral and halachic obligation to at least exert a positive influence, and if he doesn’t, he is in fact causing harm to his fellow Jews.

Moreover, the voter is the true anti-Zionist zealot, because he uses his ability to vote and to influence others to vote to thwart the anti-religious legislation that the state would otherwise pass, or at least to lessen the amount and severity of such legislation.

Elsewhere the Rebbe elaborates on the importance of even a handful of votes to the political system as a whole:

The ruling of our holy Torah is known: “One should always view oneself as in an equal balance, and the entire world as in an equal balance” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah, 3:4). With regard to the elections, sometimes a small number of votes can affect, over the course of time, that a decree [harmful legislation] not be passed, or even revoke the existing decrees. Who is the one in our time who can say: “I saved my own soul, and the community in the Holy Land, may it be rebuilt, let it be as it may be. If they issue a decree, what does that matter to me?” Especially since he pays taxes to all the government offices, which constitutes assistance, and in a direct manner, to their agendas. He registered for their passport, and when he writes letters he certainly knows that what he spends on the stamps goes to the tax offices, and some of that money goes to various objectionable causes. 

Igros Kodesh, Vol. 11, p. 253.

Moreover, the Rebbe specified how one should vote (ibid.):

Obviously, one should vote for the most charedi [G–d-fearing] parties.

And again, this time in a letter to Agudas Chassidei Chabad, the Chabad umbrella organization:

I have come to emphasize ... the holy duty and privilege, that everyone of those who tremble and fear the word of Hashem should take part in the elections. He should do so himself, and he should influence others, to vote for the most charedi parties, so that not even one vote goes to waste. I hereby give permission and authorization to publicize my opinion with full vigor and full force: Every single male and female among those who fear Hashem and think about His Name should do all in their power to increase the number of voters for the most charedi parties.

 Igros Kodesh, Vol. 4, pp. 345-346.

The Rebbe also stressed the disastrous spiritual effects on the country of simply failing to vote for the most charedi party:

... Refraining from this [voting for the most charedi party] automatically augments the strength of the parties who oppose Hashem, His Torah, and its Mitzvos.

Igros Kodesh, Vol. 11, p. 279.

Not going to the elections automatically leads to several more representatives ... from the heretics, and they declare in the Diaspora, and also in the Holy Land, may it be rebuilt, that this is solid proof that this is the majority in the Holy Land [i.e., this supports their claim that the majority in the Land of Israel don’t believe in Torah], and there is no greater desecration of Hashem’s Name than this.

Ibid., p. 357.

What does this all mean to us? Well, if you live in the Diaspora, as I do, it might mean to influence your friends in the Holy Land to vote, if you think that they might not be.

But if you are reading this in the Holy Land, then a very simple, practical question arises: What is the exact  meaning of the phrase, “the most charedi parties”?

What I’m about to say may seem obvious to many, but I believe that it needs to be spelled out. (See some Hebrew letters from distinguished Chabad rabbis here making the same point.) Being charedi is not about dressing very differently from the non-Jews, speaking in Yiddish, and so on. As proper and worthy as those (and many other praiseworthy pious) practices are, they are superficial. Being charedi is about being genuinely afraid to go against the word of Hashem in His holy Torah, and devoted to following it without compromise, starting with refusing to compromise one iota on basic halachah.

With regard to Israeli politics, unfortunately the so-called religious and charedi parties have betrayed us in this regard. In recent decades, this holds true first and foremost with regard to the issue of ceding land. As the Rebbe declared and even screamed in pain from the depth of his heart countless times, Jewish law forbids the surrender of land or even autonomy to non-Jews, or even discussing and admitting the possibility of such a course of action. This is categorically forbidden because:

1. this land is vital for security, and thus surrendering it endangers the safety of all the Jews living in the Holy Land, may G–d save us; 
2. Hashem gave the Jewish people the entire land as an eternal gift, and so it is forbidden to give any of it away to non-Jews; 
3. doing so causes tremendous damage and loss to Jewish property and livelihood;
4. doing so emboldens the desire of the enemy to demand more and terrorize us more, seeing that we are weak and concluding that their threats and attacks are effective
5. when Jews publicly violate the ruling of Torah, spurn the Land Hashem gave us, etc., it desecrates Hashem’s Name.

Yet parties that call themselves religious and even charedi, whose names are infamous, chose time and again to remain in the government coalition and thereby helped unforgivably heinous, wicked deeds to be done (remaining in the coalition in such a case is forbidden, as the Rebbe states in Igros Kodesh, Vol. 11, p. 168), and some even actively voted for such laws, may G–d save us, which of course makes it forbidden to vote for them, “religious” or otherwise (Karasi Ve’ein Oneh, Vol. 2, p. 422). To be specific, the Camp David Accords, the Oslo Accords, and the “Disengagement” were all only able to be passed because of the “religious” parties that chose to enable them by staying in the coalition, and in some cases, even vote for them.

Although there are obviously many other considerations in promoting Torah observance than this one, Torah rules clearly that “pikuach nefesh [danger to life] overrides the entire Torah” (Yoma 82a). As the Rebbe said many times, if one has a choice between a government grant to support Yeshivos, build shuls and mikva’os, and a matter related to securing the Land of Israel, one should forgo the government grant and not compromise on Jewish safety (see Karasi Ve’ein Oneh, pp. 378, 405, 463, etc.). On another occasion (ibid. p. 473), the Rebbe spoke very harshly, declaring that “one cannot base education for Torah and fear of Heaven on funds stained with Jewish blood. Not only is it forbidden to build Yeshivos with such funds, or to teach students fear of Heaven with such funds, it is even forbidden to build a bathroom with such funds (see Avodah Zarah 17a).”

Rather, the meaning of charedi in our time is simple: Vote for parties whose platform includes a clear, principled opposition to any involvement whatsoever in such treacherous schemes, and whose candidates have demonstrated a consistent example of doing so in their public career. 

Since everything we see and hear should teach us a lesson in our service of Hashem, below are some suggested lessons:

1. If you happen to be in an imperfect situation and part of a faulty system, as long as you choose to remain in it, don’t hesitate to have the maximum positive influence on those around you as you can, and influence others in your situation to do likewise. Yes, the system is deeply flawed, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be a force for significant good as long as you’re in it (of course, with the proviso that one is not actually violating Jewish law, which is never permissible). 

2. As important as it is to dress as a chossid should (see here and here), the main thing is to be G–d-fearing, and the dress is encouraged because it is another method of reaching that goal. But if one is not G–d-fearing, the pious dress and other trappings do not help. (Along similar lines, see here, and Yeshayah ch. 1.)

3. Even if one’s intentions are supposedly very worthy, any choice of action that comes at the expense of basic Jewish safety is indefensible and contemptible.

(For a great Hebrew article on this topic, see here.)

Positive innovations

Positive innovations

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

The Rebbe has come out with numerous calls for the Jewish people to undertake various new customs and practices not necessarily followed by our’s predecessors. These include (in no particular order, and this is a mere fraction of them): studying Chitas—Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya as divided up according to a yearly cycle; studying the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah as divided up into the triennial or yearly cycle; celebrating the Hakhel year; women wearing a sheitel; boys wearing Rabeinu Tam’s Tefillin from the age of Bar Mitzvah; girls lighting Shabbos candles from age three; lighting public Menorahs; disseminating the laws of Noach to non-Jews; and perhaps most importantly, calling upon all Jews—including women and even children, on their level—to study Chassidus in order to prepare for the coming of Moshiach, along with topics of Moshiach and the Redemption (see here), and so on.

Some have responded to these calls by saying that they refuse to change from the example that was displayed to them by their forefathers—“ma’aseh avoseinu beyadeinu.”

The Rebbe acknowledges that in a certain context, this concern is valid:

It is famous just how careful great Torah leaders of past generations were not to establish new customs—even when there was no concern that doing so would violate the prohibition “do not add” to the Torah,”[1] as is obvious. Great Torah leaders [in particular, the Chasam Sofer—see further] said of this—by way of pun—“New [practices] are forbidden by the Torah.”

The reason for their tremendous caution was in order that there be no opening for students who were lacking sufficient training,[2] or those who didn’t qualify as students altogether, to establish new customs that bring no benefit and on the contrary, are detrimental.

Hisva’aduyos 5746, Vol. 2, p. 187.

What is an example of such an innovation in the context in which the Chasam Sofer said it? In one responsum, he speaks[3] of those who seek to move the bimah (dais) from the centre of the shul to the front of the Aron Kodesh because, they claim, they think it’s prettier and more spacious that way (or in order to mimic the design of a Church, lehavdil), and of this he states: “New [practices] are forbidden by the Torah.”

However, the Rebbe says, unfortunately, those who quote this aphorism in order to justify their unwillingness to adopt innovations in their Torah observance of a positive nature introduced by great Torah leaders and Tzaddikim are misguided; on the contrary, positive increases adopted on the advice of truly great Torah leaders must be adopted in order to overcome the additional spiritual darkness of the exile:

With regard to [the Rebbe’s urging for] adding in areas of holiness, some ask: This seems to be an innovation, and “New [practices] are forbidden by the Torah,” along the lines of the aphorism of the Chasam Sofer applied to similar cases. ... It is worthwhile to clarify (although it should be self-evident) that these claims have no basis. First, this is not an innovation, because these two customs are quoted in many holy works of earlier generations, as explained at length earlier.

The only innovation in this suggestion is that in light of the current situation in which we need increased prayer, everyone should adopt the suggestion of our great Torah leaders of past generations: Maimonides, Rabbi Shlomo Luria, the Arizal, the Bach, the Taz, the Alter Rebbe, and more. And this does not in any way entail deviating from one’s prayer liturgy, as explained above at length.

Moreover, this [suggestion that people undertaking a new practice] is not an innovation, for it was customary in every generation that when the darkness of “the other side” intensified, they would add in matters of goodness and holiness, Torah and Mitzvos. This is along the lines of the Gemara’s statement: “When he found a valley [i.e., an open space], he put a fence around it.”[4] [I.e., when Rav came to Bavel, he observed areas in which people were ignorant and neglectful, and so he enacted certain laws to prevent the people from further transgression.]

Hisva’aduyos 5744, Vol. 2, pp. 682-683.

Moreover, the Rebbe adds, these same people who so self-righteously refuse to change in a positive way because they don’t dare deviate one iota from their predecessors’ example are practicing a double standard, for they themselves have often adopted radical changes in their lifestyle of a negative nature, of exactly the kind that the Chasam Sofer zealously opposed:

In connection with the suggestion to adopt the recital of “I accept upon myself the positive Mitzvah to love one’s fellow Jew” and the verse, “Indeed, the righteous will acknowledge Your Name, the upright will dwell in Your presence,”[5] some argue that since they have not done so until now, they do not want to adopt a new practice; or, as they put it: “New [practices] are forbidden by the Torah.”

First and foremost, the claim that one does not want to increase in matters of holiness on account of a “concern” of [inappropriate] innovation has no basis whatsoever.

This aphorism, “New [practices] are forbidden by the Torah”—which is the basis of their claim—is an aphorism of the Chasam Sofer stated in reference to the innovations that some sought to introduce in his era—in undesirable areas.

If that’s the case, let us ask those who declare that they raise the banner of “New [practices] are forbidden by the Torah”: Do they think that the Chasam Sofer started out his day by reading ... a newspaper? They will certainly respond: “G–d forbid to even ask such a question!” And yet they themselves have adopted this new practice, which was never done before—reading a newspaper before Tefillah, and doing business before Tefillah, if only by telephone, and sometimes after going to Mikveh, and sometimes beforehand. So if such innovations are acceptable, why is it forbidden to adopt an additional practice in matters of holiness?!

One cannot ask: “Why wasn’t this done in earlier generations, because when a new sickness develops that did not exist in earlier generations, one must find a new medicine to heal it!

Moreover, and this is the main thing, the recital of these two verses is not an innovation altogether, as explained at length...

Hisva’aduyos 5744, Vol. 2, pp. 668-669.

Likewise, it is also possible that one’s forefathers, although very pious in many areas (in which we would do well to emulate them), in other areas, they may simply not have sufficiently followed true Torah sources, and so not all their actions serve as an example for us:

In response to the request to do activities to draw the redemption near, there is one who responds that he never saw his father or grandfather behave in such a way, to demand from Hashem to bring the redemption. It’s up to Hashem to bring the redemption, and it’s not his way, he claims, to prod Hashem to hurry up!

When it comes to his own personal needs, in his livelihood, there he sees fit to “prod Hashem to hurry up” to give him his livelihood in a certain way, a “double portion, and the like; however, when it comes to the redemption—that’s not his way!

Even after he is shown sources in the works of great Torah leaders, such as the Rokeach, and the like, he responds that the works of the Rokeach were in print in the time of his grandfather, and yet he never saw his grandfather doing so.

Is that a reason not to obey the ruling of the Rokeach?! First obey the ruling in action, and then you can engage in theoretical discussion [“pilpul”]. ...

As for what you say, “I didn’t see my father and grandfather behaving in such a way,” do you emulate your father and grandfather in other areas as well? If your grandfather would enter your home and see what you do in private, he would cry out in disgust!

Hisva’aduyos 5748, Vol. 4, pp. 163-164 .

In conclusion, we should zealously follow our age-old Jewish customs, for “A Jewish custom is Torah.”[6] Those who are not of sufficient caliber must not innovate new customs (or foolishly try to create their own derech, for that matter—see here). However, true Tzaddikim—such as the Rebbe, of course, in our time—are the expert “doctors” who can and should institute for the entire Jewish people that certain new practices be adopted because the times demand it—and it can be readily understood that an increase in darkness demands an increase in light, and a new sickness requires a new cure. 

On the contrary, one dare not exempt oneself from carrying out these directives simply because one holds one’s predecessors in such high esteem that one refuses to budge from following their example in every respect. Moreover, this self-professed stalwart for conservatism might do well to take his own advice to heart, and strive to eliminate negative innovations in his own life, and bring his own lifestyle to emulate the atmosphere and average level of fear of G–d found in “der alter heim.”

There can be no doubt that in our times, when the inroads of secularism in our communities have intensified, and additional darkness and spiritual sicknesses proliferate, the Rebbe’s holy instructions on how to we should go about counteracting that darkness—instructions that he directed to all the Jewish people—should be followed and disseminated more than ever.

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[1] Devarim 13:1.
[2] In the Hebrew, “shelo shimsu kol tzorkam.”
[3] Responsa of Chasam Sofer, Orach Chaim #28. Cf. ibid, Yoreh Deah #19.
[4] Eruvin 6a, 100b. Chullin 110a.
[5] Tehillim 140:14.
[6] Pesachim 7b, Ramban; Machzor Vitri 503; Menachos 20b, Tosfos.

Dedicated in honor of the birthday of my dear son, Shneur Zalman ben Atarah Arielle on 29 Menachem-Av. May he have a shenas berachah vehatzlachah begashmiyus uveruchniyus, and grow up to be a chossid, yerei Shomayim, and lamdan, l'Torah, l'chuppah ul'maasim tovim!


Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard), Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin), Yaakov Yehuda ben Shaindel (Jacob Ostreicher), and Zeva Rochel bas Chaya (Wendy Weiner Runge).

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Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

Educating for Yiddishkeit by Raising Leaders

Educating for Yiddishkeit by Raising Leaders

Rabbi Y. Oliver

We live in an age and culture in which, for better or worse, the average young person has an independent streak that makes it harder for him or her to obediently follow the example of the older generation. They feel a strong need to forge their own path, to individuate from their parents and elders. How are we to handle this phenomenon, which seems to be at odds with the fundamental goal of chinuch—passing on the timeless beliefs and practices of Torah observance to our offspring?

The Rebbe answers: Use this independent streak to raise children from the earliest years with the goal of being leaders, and encourage them to assume this role wherever and whenever possible.

In the words of the Rebbe:

... There has been a lack of attention given to educating the young generation. And even those who have been involved, wanted to educate the young generation “from above to below”—in other words, to have the youth look up to the elders, who are experienced, and learn from them. The young generation finds this unacceptable, because they want to be independent.

How, indeed, can we influence the young generation? By educating them from early childhood, and also by striving that at a later point, they too will become educators themselves. This is the way to conquer the young generation, and also the middle-aged generation.

This is one of the main purposes of yeshivos. In yeshivos, the students aren’t only taught on the individual level. Rather, the main goal is to imbue in the student the awareness that he has to influence his entire sphere of influence—at first, only a limited circle, and later on, a larger circle—to draw them close to Judaism, to the extent that they not only do they fight a defensive war, but an offensive war; i.e., they too will fight for Judaism.

This is especially prominent in Lubavitcher yeshivos. Lubavitcher yeshivos don’t just teach their students to be frum in their relationship with Hashem and with their fellow Jew. Rather, they teach the students that even while still in yeshivah, they must make use of their talents and opportunities to influence others, and serve as leaders.

Thus, a gathering to support a Chabad yeshivah entails more than supporting a particular group or movement. Everyone who joins in by donating to the yeshivah takes part in supporting Judaism overall, because the students of the yeshivah will develop into warriors for Judaism and leaders of the Jewish people—in New York, in the entire United States, and even overseas.

The students of the yeshivah are the soldiers who will go out to the front of the war for Judaism. Thus, one who supports the yeshivah and enables it to accept additional students, takes part in the war for Judaism in New York, in the United States, and in the entire world.

Adapted from Toras Menachem, Vol. 10, p. 147. Cf. Igros Kodesh, Vol. 19, p. 373.

In my own words, with a bit of explanation:

Practically speaking, in our times, raising children to be G–d-fearing means raising them to lead. Of course, parents should send their children to a proper Jewish school, make sure to provide a home atmosphere permeated with Yiddishkeit, love and fear of Hashem and His Torah, learn with each child one-on-one, and the like. Yet in addition to all these efforts, parents should actively encourage children and teenagers to exert a positive influence on their less-observant peers in an appropriate manner, make sure they take part in outreach activities (mivtzo’im) as much as possible, and imbue in their hearts the aspiration to one day assume a leadership role of some kind themselves.

In addition to the benefit for others, this focus will in itself enable the child to be proud and independent in a positive, constructive way, while at the same time remain humble before Hashem and His Torah, and protected from detrimental outside influences.

In addition to the parents’ own efforts in this direction, it is of crucial importance that they send their children to a school that shares the awareness of the crucial role that making leaders plays in educating children and youth in our time. The most suitable school and yeshivah for this purpose is a Lubavitcher one.

Moreover, it deserves to be emphasized that this instruction applies not only to children and teenagers, but also to those who are in mid-life, and whose devotion to Torah observance unfortunately leaves something to be desired. Their Torah observance can be rejuvenated and filled with new meaning and purpose by their taking an active role in activities of Jewish outreach.

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Dedicated by Reb Yisrael Meir Rafael and family.



Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard), Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin), and Zeva Rochel bas Chaya (Wendy Weiner Runge).

Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

The Shalit Deal--Disgraceful and Deadly

The Shalit Deal—Disgraceful and Deadly

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

This is not the normal kind of topic that I write about on my blog, but this time I’m making an exception.

The Israeli government has declared that in a short while it will exchange Gilad Shalit for over a thousand convicted terrorists serving life sentences. Now, saving a captive is one of the greatest Mitzvos in the Torah, but not when done in this way. With all due respect to Gilad’s family and various other well-meaning supporters, this “deal” is evil and obscene:

1. High risk of re-offense, G–d forbid: Letting loose terrorists with blood on their hands endangers Jews who would, G–d forbid, be their next target. This has happened before countless times, and not even the most ardent advocate of this deal doubts will happen again this time. In fact, according to this article, sixty percent of freed terrorists re-offend. Now, this objection would stand even if only one terrorist were to be released; all the more so in this case, when over a thousand are to be released. These excuses for human beings running amok in society is tantamount to hundreds of stabbings, sniping attacks, or suicide bombings waiting to happen, G–d forbid. Once these attacks begin, G–d forbid, I wonder what the pro-deal camp will say, or how Gilad and his family will manage to live with themselves.

2. Rewarding terror emboldens the enemy: When you surrender to terrorists in any way, you show them through your actions that their acts of cold-blooded mass murder pay off. In this case, the Israeli government should have treated this capture as an open act of war and gone on the offensive by occupying the entire Gaza, executing terrorist prisoners, cutting off Gaza’s electricity, taking prominent Arab leaders captive, and so on, until Gilad was released. Instead, the Jews have shown the terrorists that Jews are weak and cowardly, and that abduction is a highly effective method for the enemy to achieve its goals. So now that the the enemy sees that the Jews have capitulated, they know to continue such acts again, and again, and again, G–d forbid, thereby manipulating the Jews in power to cede to their every demand. So this tremendous emboldening of the enemy makes the Jews in the Holy Land in general much more at risk of being captured, G–d forbid.

3. Strikes fear into Jews: Terror means more than cowardly killing people in cold blood. Terror is a strategy and philosophy that advocates using violence to drive terror, i.e., fear, into the hearts of the target population, in order to bring them to capitulate to the terrorists’ demands. So when those in leadership play right into the terrorists’ hands by acting out of fear and a sense of powerlessness, these leaders in effect promote fear among the Jews they were charged with bravely leading and protecting. In the case of this deal, these released murderers will go on to become community icons, bragging to their Arab brethren about their “courageous feats,” inciting others to do likewise, and continuing such activities with even greater zeal, may G–d save us. This increased danger and sense of vulnerability creates an atmosphere of low morale and fear among the general Jewish populace, military and civilian.

3. Destruction of deterrent power: Even once terrorists are in prison, they will know (as they have after past deals, and all the more so now) that it’s only a matter of time until their cohorts capture someone else and use that captive as a bargaining chip; this knowledge encourages them to commit terror, secure that not only will they not be put to death when caught (which is what we should do—see point #9 below), but they may only have to sit a few years (indeed, many of them boasted just that when they were first imprisoned, and to our disgrace, their arrogant words proved correct).

4. Affront to families of victims: What about the many hundreds of grieving families of the victims of these prisoners? They were assured that their slain relatives’ murderers would never see the light of day. How will they feel now, knowing that not only were their loved ones not brought to true justice by being executed, but they are being set free? Why don’t these families at least have a say in these deals? And why were most of them not even politely informed of the court’s decision?

5. Violation of Jewish law: Jewish law unequivocally forbids any deal of this kind, according to the principle of the Gemara[1] that Pikuach Nefesh, saving a life, does not override the prohibition against killing another Jew. Here is not the context to discuss this topic on a more technical level, but Jewish law explicitly prohibits a ransom of this kind.[2]

6. Warped morality: The Midrash warns: “Whoever is kind to the cruel will end up being cruel to the kind.”[3] True, every Jew is priceless: “Whoever saves a Jewish life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”[4] And yet the thought to release hundreds of vicious murderers for the sake of saving one Jew is warped morality; it is misplaced kindness and compassion that stems from Kelipah, the forces of impurity (see here and here). This is why Hashem gave us the Torah, which is called “a Torah of light,”[5] for it illuminates our way in this dark world, “a world of falsehood.”[6] In this context, Torah would have been vital for the Jews striving to free Gilad to approach the matter with moral clarity. Yes, they may have meant well, but without Torah as their anchor, they were bound to sink into a bottomless pit of moral confusion, doing harm when they sought so sincerely to do good. May they come to realize the foolishness of abandoning timeless divine morality in favor of their own highly limited intellects.

7. Farce of the justice system: How is it that unrepentant mass murderers are let loose en masse, but criminals convicted of crimes incomparably less severe must do their time? And this complaint applies all the more with regard to Jews in prison for actions that were perhaps misguided, but were reactions to attacks, motivated out of a worthy desire to protect Jews, such as those imprisoned for throwing rocks back at Arab youth who were throwing rocks at them, and the like.

8. Disgrace before the world community: Jews should be setting an example of proper behavior for all mankind—being a “light unto the nations.”[7] In the case of this deal, they have failed miserably. I cannot imagine any other country negotiating such a disgraceful deal. Look at how America went and occupied Afghanistan as soon as it viewed it as a terrorist threat, and later on, Iraq. The world respects those who respect themselves. Such craven concessions as these lead the nations to look down on Jews in general, and greatly weakens the case of the Jewish people to live in their G–d-given Land.

9. No mercy on mass murderers! Lastly, I can only reiterate the Rebbe’s words[8] warning the Israeli government to execute terrorists. a. This is this the punishment that these scum more than deserve; b. it deters further acts of terror; c. most importantly, it protects, or at least significantly decreases, the likelihood of Jews being abducted, because if there are no convicted murderers being held, there is no one to exchange (not that there will not be Arab criminals in prisons in the Holy Land, but their crimes will not be related to terror, and so there will be less of a desire on the part of the terror groups to free their comrades).[9]

Based in part on the Rebbe’s public talk of Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar, 5739.

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[1] Sanhedrin 37a.

[2] See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 252:4.

[3] Yalkut Shimoni, Shmuel I, 221.

[4] Sanhedrin 37a.

[5] Mishlei 6:23.

[6] Zohar 1:192b.

[7] Yeshayah 42:6.

[8] See Kfar Chabad Magazine #635.

[9] Here is an article about a rabbi who has spoken out in favor of this approach.

ETA: Thank G–d, Gilad Shalit has returned to the Holy Land! We are overjoyed for him and his family, and we wish them all the best; however, we continue to object to the means by which this was done, and express our concern for the long-term repercussions of this release.

See a similar article here.

This post was dedicated by Reb Yisroel Meir Rafael and family.

Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

The Vital Need to Spread Chassidus in Print

The Vital Need to Spread Chassidus in Print

Rabbi Y. Oliver

When the Baal Shem Tov asked Moshiach, “When will my master come?” he answered, “When the wellsprings [of your teachings] break forth to the outside.” Thus, the coming of Moshiach depends upon the wide dissemination of Chassidus.

Although delivering classes in Chassidus is very important in this regard, it appears that the medium of text is the key to disseminating these teachings on a large scale. As the Rebbe writes:

It was with great joy and satisfaction that I received the report from our mutual friends, the young men who arrived from Shanghai, that you undertook the proposition to devote yourself to raise the means to print the texts of our holy teachers, the teachings of the living G-d, in Shanghai.

As is self-evident, I conveyed the matter to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita, who was exceedingly happy to hear this ... I am certain that, to you, it is unnecessary to elaborate on the immense merit generated by giving thousands of Jews the opportunity to study texts that contain the teachings of our Rebbeim. I would like, however, to touch on one example mentioned in the words of our Sages.

Our Sages relate that the entire difficulty of exile began as a result of lashon hara, undesirable speech, spoken by the spies [sent by Moshe]. Through this they brought calamities on themselves and on generation after generation that followed including our own generation.

The Talmud (Erchin 15b) relates that the advice to correct [this flaw] is through Torah study, as it states: "The remedy for the tongue is the Tree of Life." And "the Tree of Life" refers to the Torah.

The enormity of the punishment for undesirable speech—which is heard only by people in a specific place and at a specific time—gives us some appreciation of the great merit and reward that one receives for speaking [words of] Torah in a particular place and time. And from that we can extrapolate the magnitude of the merit and reward for printing [words of] Torah. For then the text and the words of Torah it contains reach people in all other lands. And the text remains and is studied tens and hundreds of years after it was printed.

I conclude with the wish that this great merit will sustain you in all that you need, and that you will continue to participate in similar projects. ...

From a letter of the Rebbe of 16 Menachem Av, 5706.

Understandably, assisting this endeavor also brings one tremendous personal blessings, as the Rebbe writes:

By helping publish a Torah text and disseminating it … motivating change, helping people find the proper path and resolve their problems ... the reward for this manifests in this world—with abundant material and spiritual good.

The Rebbe also states that awareness of the tremendous privilege one has to enable the publication of words of Chassidus should lead one to tremendous joy:

The tremendous greatness of printing Chassidus is evident, for when one prints one-and-a-half, or two thousand copies of a sefer [holy book] of Chassidus, words of Chassidus reach two thousand Jews, for surely the [presence of] the holy book will move the person to open it and delve into it. When one then prints two thousand copies of another sefer, one disseminates the wellsprings of Chassidus in a doubled manner, and more.

Thus, even a moment’s reflection on the greatness of this privilege will surely bring the person to great joy.

Hisva’aduyos 5749, Vol. 4, p. 324.

Please contact me to support my writing and publication of the teachings of Chassidus.

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Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so. 

"It depends on your feeling"

I often hear it asked, “Do we recite tachanun on Hei Teves?” The question is understandable, as one needs to know what to do in practice.

Reb Michoel Seligson related to me (also printed in Otzar Minhagei Chabad, Elul p. 23) that in 5749, he davvened as the chazan on Gimmel Tammuz, and did not recite tachanun. After several people protested, he wrote a letter to the Rebbe asking whether his conduct had been acceptable, and added that he wishes to know the same concerning whether to recitetachanun on Chai Elul. Next to the words “Gimmel Tammuz and Chai Elul,” the Rebbe wrote: “בענינים התלויים ברגש — אין לשאול כיון שזוהי הוכחה שאין רגש”—“In areas that are dependent upon feeling, one does not ask, because asking demonstrates that one does not have the feeling.”

This seems to mean: “True, the Rebbeim never declared it our official custom to recite tachanun on Chai Elul, nor have chassidim kept such a tradition. After all, Chai Elul was a day of celebration carefully hidden until the Previous Rebbe revealed it, and as much as he extolled it, the Previous Rebbe never instructed that one should abstain from reciting tachanun on this day. Likewise, Gimmel Tammuz, the day on which the Previous Rebbe was released from prison (but then exiled), was never formally declared a day of celebration on which chassidim collectively refrained from reciting tachanun.

“However, the halachic exemption from reciting tachanun depends upon your feeling. If you feel truly inspired about the day, and indeed feel it to be a tremendous day of simcha, then you won’t recite tachanun. But if you don’t feel this way, and if you are even unsure about whether you do, then you should recite tachanun as you do normally.”

Perhaps the same principle can also be applied to Hei Teves and other similar days. On the one hand, Hei Teves is a relatively new day on the chassidishe calendar, so there’s a certain resistance to creating “new customs.” After all, “anyone who deviates [from the established custom] has the lower hand” (Bava Metzia 76a). But its recentness is also its greatness. Hei Teves happened with our own Rebbe, the Rebbe of our generation, and this makes it special in a way not found by the Yomei Depagra (chassidishe days of celebration) associated with the earlier Rebbeim.

So, do we recite tachanun on Hei Teves? In this case, the custom is not prescribed. Don’t look inside a book to find the answer, as holy as the book may be—look inside your heart. If you don’t feel filled with joy and elation at his victory and the victory of the Chabad community, then you have no reason not to recite tachanun. (Even for the less emotive types, some simple ways of discerning whether they find the day profoundly meaningful is by seeing whether they enthusiastically fulfill the Rebbe’s directive to purchase seforim on this day, and whether they make a point of attending a farbrengen.) And while you’re reciting tachanun, along with your teshuvah for other things, add to the list the fact that you lack the feeling of joy that a chossid should feel in rejoicing in the Rebbe’s simcha. And hopefully by next year you’ll have grown enough in your avodah that you will indeed rejoice as a chossid should, with a tangible, deeply-felt joy, such that refraining from reciting tachanun will indeed be justified.

Some postscripts:

1. If you derive your joy on Hei Teves from the very opportunity not to recite tachanun, because you donoot find the avodah of teshuvah burdensome, or simply because you want to skip some of the prayers so you can leave shul sooner, may Hashem save us, then it would seem clear that on a day about which we have received no explicit instruction to recite tachanun, you should davka recite tachanun—for that very feeling.

2. Choosing to recite tachanun is not in itself a proof that one is truly joyful. As in all matters of avodah, one must be thoroughly honest with oneself. As the Mitteleh Rebbe so pointedly said, “If you fool yourself, what have you accomplished by fooling a fool?”

3. Obviously, on days like Yud-Tes Kislev in which the Rebbeim have explicitly declared that we do not recite tachanun, one who considers himself a chossid should not recite tachanun even if he knows that unfortunately he is lacking the proper feeling. (Of course, he should do everything possible to prepare for such days so that he will indeed experience the appropriate feeling when they arrive.)

4. I have heard some say that personal “hergeshim” (conduct based on strong feelings), are all very well, but they should be kept in private. I find it significant that the written response above was addressed to a chazan. When the chazan does not recite tachanun, then the minyan should go along, and the minyan in this case was clearly not necessarily feeling this way. Despite this, the Rebbe implies that if the chazan feels this way, it is legitimate not only for him to abstain from reciting tachanun, but also for the entire minyan to follow his lead. I am not drawing any practical conclusions from this, as that would be the province of a Rov moreh hora’ah, which I do not presume to be; I simply note it as significant.

5. This is just one example of the concept of “tolui behergesh,” but there are numerous other applications. One such instance can be found in connection with singing the Alter Rebbe’s niggun, which chassidim are careful only to sing at certain prescribed times. The Rebbe was asked (Igros Kodesh, Vol. 16, p. 222) whether one may sing this niggun on a certain day of rejoicing—the Rebbe does not specify which—that was not a day in which the niggun was traditionally sung. The Rebbe responded that if the questioner feels that for him, the day in question has the same significance as the days in which this niggun was permitted to be sung, then it would be appropriate for him to sing it. As a precedent for this, the Rebbe mentioned that some chassidim would sing the Alter Rebbe’s niggun on Yud-Beis Tammuz, the day in which they celebrated the release of the Previous Rebbe from exile, because they considered it an extension of the liberation of Yud-Tes Kislev.

Don't Distort the Message of Chanukah

Don't Distort the Message of Chanukah

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

These gems of wisdom below (and others like it in many locations worldwide) ...

From "Governer Tweets From Lighting":

"The United States allows freedom of relgion and not freedom from religion. Chanukah delivers the message of religous freedom, where the few believers won over the many oppressors."

From "Arizona Gov. Shows Soft Side":

"The menorah serves as a symbol of Arizona's dedication to preserve and encourage the right and liberty of all its citizens to worship God freely."

... impel me to draw my readers' attention to these past posts: The true message of Chanuka and Chanukah: Absolute truth, not pluralism!


I applaud all those who did not succumb to the temptation to follow this trend, choosing instead to speak words of pure, uncompromised faith. 


Instead of twisting Chanukah into an American holiday celebrating the secular American values of pluralism and freedom of religion, the speakers at these events should have followed the Rebbe's directive to use this opportunity to promote awareness and observance of the Noahide laws out of a pure belief in the Torah:

There is another matter of primary importance in connection with the public Menorah lighting—influencing non-Jews. Lighting the Menorah “in the entrance of the home, on the outside”[1] affects all those on the outside, including non-Jews. ... Therefore the opportunity of the Menorah lighting, which should be held in the most public, central places, should be utilized in order to inspire non-Jews to observe the Noahide Code. It should be stressed that they should fulfill these laws “because G–d commanded them [these laws] in the Torah.”[2] This abolishes rebellion against G–d, which is the theme of the lights of Chanukah.


[1] Shabbos 21b. [2] Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, 8:11.

Hisva’aduyos 5747, Vol. 2, p. 133.

Note that the Rebbe says that the message of the lights of Chanukah is the abolition of rebellion against G–d. It is clear that other religions, which reject Torah in one way or another, constitute rebellion against G–d and His Word. Although it is likely counter-productive to attempt to abolish this rebellion through a "frontal attack" of outright condemnation, the desire to avoid doing so does not justify uttering a falsehood. Declaring that Chanukah itself represents some sort of endorsement of the legitimacy of other religions, or using any similar language, G-d forbid, is a hideous distortion of Chanukah into its diametric opposite.

Why Won't Chabad Support Some Worthy Causes?

The Rebbe writes:

Our Rebbeim, the Nesi’im [of Chabad] ordered that they [Chabad chassidim, in particular communal activists in Eretz Yisroel] distance themselves as much as possible from any form of support for a political party, regardless of which party, even the best one.

They also explained the reason behind this command in writing, and to a further degree orally: Our role is to be in the midst of the Jewish people in general in order to disseminate Jewish observance, and its inner dimension, to disseminate the teachings of Chassidus, in a way that one reaches even those who are still on the “outside.”

Thus, we are duty-bound to stay as far away as possible from anything that is liable to diminish the opportunity for this dissemination. This is so much so that if one harbors doubt, even a remote doubt [that one’s actions might detract from one’s ability to spread Chassidus], one should follow the strict path.

Igros Kodesh, Vol. 19, p. 251.

I often hear it said: “A Lubavitcher chossid should not act in such and such a way because it will cause a chillul Hashem, and this will make those who observe or hear about this conduct less inclined to learn about Torah and Mitzvos in general and Chassidus in particular from chassidim.”


However, the above letter takes this a step further. The Rebbe is not saying that the Chabad movement should not openly affiliate with a political party because politicians are notoriously untrustworthy, or because most parties put forth platforms that contain principles somehow not consistent with Torah, or the like. Even if every politician in the party were scrupulously honest, and every part of the platform would be consistent with Torah and even with the teachings of Chassidus (unlikely as this may be), it would still be unacceptable for the Chabad movement to use its influence to promote this party, to in anyway participate in promoting the party, or even to publically endorse the party.


The reason for this is that some people who strongly identify with another party will then choose not to want to have anything to do with the Chabad movement and its teachings, because their affiliation with their own political group makes them unwilling to associate with those who support a rival group.


However, by maintaining a distance from such an affiliation, Lubavitchers can rightly say: “We are not only here to serve those who affiliate with a certain party—we are here to serve every single Jew.”


If we should be so careful in our public conduct that sometimes, in the interest of pursuing the goal of our movement, we should refrain from supporting otherwise worthy causes, all the more so should we be ever vigilant not to behave in any way inappropriately.

Our Rebbeim Paved the Way

Our Rebbeim Paved the Way

Rabbi Y. Oliver

The Rebbe related[1] that Rav Yosef Karo once struggled for a long time over a very complex and difficult halachic question, until at long last he reached a resolution. Not long afterward, while sitting in the study hall, he overheard a student of average intelligence study that very topic, pose that very question, and immediately and effortlessly reach the exact solution that Rav Yosef Karo had invested so much time and effort to attain!

Rav Yosef Karo was disheartened. “How could it be,” he wondered, “that I had to struggle for so long, and this beginner grasped the solution immediately?”

When he approached his teacher, the Alshich (or, some say, the Arizal), his teacher explained that on the contrary, through Rav Yosef Karo’s grueling exertion, he had brought the topic down into the world in a way that made it accessible to everyone. This enabled even that average student to arrive at Rav Yosef Karo’s solution with ease!

Sometimes we express wonder at, and perhaps even doubt, our ability to accomplish what the Rebbeim have demanded of us, and this leads us to neglect to strive to implement these directives. Several examples that seem unfortunately prevalent: inspiring others to adopt observance of Yiddishkeit and the ways of Chassidus; studying Chassidus and reaching a truly in-depth understanding of it; pleading sincerely of Hashem to send Moshiach; and publicizing the Rebbe’s message that Moshiach’s arrival is imminent, and therefore we ought to prepare for his coming.

It should be obvious to every chossid that when a Rebbe instructs us to do something, he is not merely sharing with us an idea that he understands intellectually, or has learnt from his experience. He is revealing to us the spiritual reality that he perceives, that now is the time for a certain teaching to be revealed, or for a certain campaign to be launched, and the like.

However, this story expresses an even deeper level of the Rebbe’s powers. The Rebbe doesn’t just see the reality, he makes it. When a Rebbe acts in a certain way, it alters the fabric of the cosmos, making that behavior easier and more accessible for regular folks, for whom such behavior would have been extremely difficult, if not unattainable.

On numerous occasions, the Rebbe described this process as “paving the way.” The analogy of paving can be understood simply. It is perilous to travel through a wild forest, for one may lose one’s way, trip and become hurt, be assaulted by carnivorous animals, or simply encounter an insurmountable obstacle and be forced to turn back. However, when someone comes with a bulldozer and paves a way through the forest, then everyone can pass through with ease.

Similarly, as chassidim, it is inaccurate to define the role of the Rebbeim as merely prescribing and planning out for us our derech (way) in serving Hashem. (It should be noted that although the individual prescription may vary for each individual—see here—the general prescription is the same.) Rather, they have themselves paved the way for us to do it, enabling us to accomplish heights of devotion otherwise unattainable to us. Our focus is thus not on trying to figure out how to serve Hashem, but on faithfully implementing the prescription we have been given, confident in the knowledge that we are not acting with our own strength, but with that provided from Hashem, via the efforts of our Rebbeim.

(On this topic, see the end of the Rebbe’s first maamar here, towards the top of the page.)


_________________________
[1] See Kesser Shem Tov #256.

Wearing a kapoteh on Shabbos

On Shabbos Bereishis 5711 (1950), the Rebbe said to Rabbi Greenglass of Montreal:

It should become standard for married chassidim to wear silk kapotes on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and I wish to thank in advance those who will do so. The idea that one’s garments on Shabbos and Yom Tov should be silken is mentioned in a Ma’amar of the Rebbe Rashab [1].


In general, the behavior [of chassidei Chabad] should be distinctive, and this should express itself in the fact that on Shabbos and Yom Tov one wears a silk kapote.


I am surprised at those chassidim who do not wear silk kapotes on Shabbos and Yom Tov It appears that the reason for this [failure to observe this custom] is the poverty that prevailed in Russia, which meant that chassidim were not able to wear silk kapotes.


In any case, the time has come that people should start wearing silk kapotes, and over time all married chassidim will come to follow this practice.

Toras Menachem 5711, Vol. 1, p. 53. 

[1] The following sources are cited in the footnote to this sicha:

In Sefer HaMa’amarim 5660-1-2, p. 231 the Rebbe Rashab cites from the works of Kabbalah that on Shabbos one’s garments are connected with the world of Beriah, which parallels chai, the animal world; thus, one’s garments should be made of silk, which comes from the category of chai. (To explain, the four spiritual worlds correspond to the four levels of creation: Atzilus—medaber, mankind; Beriah—chai, the animal kingdom; Yetzirah—tzomeach, plant life; Asiyah—domem, inorganic matter. Thus, since on Shabbos there is a revelation of the world of Beriah, it is fitting to wear garments made from animal kingdom.)


Likewise, in Sefer HaMa’amarim 5671, p. 247 the Rebbe Rashab mentions the same practice, and also explains that since on Shabbos the world receives from the level of Hashem’s thought, so to speak (the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah corresponding in Kabbalistic thought to thought, speech, and action respectively), on Shabbos one should wear garments made from chai, while during the week one should wear garments made from tzomeach, plant life.


In Sefer HaMa’amarim 5672, Vol. 2, pp. 872-873, the Rebbe Rashab cites this in the name of the Mikdash Melech (a classic commentary on the Zohar written by Rabbi Shlomo Bazuglo).

In addition to the point the Rebbe makes that on Shabbos chassidim ought to wear a silk kapoteh, it appears clear and self-evident that the Rebbe is also making an implied statement that ... on Shabbos chassidim ought to davka wear a kapoteh, and not suffice with a suit.