Words From Rabbi White

Dear everyone,

On Sunday, 17 Sivan, Michael Rubin observes yahrzeit for his father: Leonard/ Arye Leib. May the neshama have aliya.

We were saddened to hear this past week of the passing of Mr. Fred Pfeiffer. Freddy was the head of the Aguda in Montreal, for very many years, and was very active in the Vaad ha-Ir. We became friends when I first came to Montreal, and lived in the Wilderton area.  May the family be comforted by his many good deeds.

The following is my abridged translation of the lead essay in last week’s Hebrew Chabad newsletter, called Sichat haShavu`a, from Israel. I imagine it is controversial, especially in light of the news from Israel this past week, and I would be interested in hearing your opinions:

IT’S NOT US, IT’S THEM

Every mature person knows that there are things that are under our control, and things that are not.  To our great sorrow, many Israeli people cannot accept this simple rule in many aspects of our communal life. For example, that sector cannot accept the fact that much of the Arab world not only refuses to accept our existence here in the Land of Israel, but also yearns to destroy the Jewish State.  That “tsibbur” of Jewish deniers is convinced that if there is no peace between us and those who wish to destroy us, it is only because we have not made the necessary concessions.

Time and again, those people try to force their views on the reality, to force us to retreat, to submit and to make concessions. They promise us that if we follow their advice, our land will become a Garden of Eden, where peace will blossom forth. Yet again and again, reality strikes them in the face. For every concession and retreat that we make brings about the complete opposite. Instead of peace, we have terror and bloodshed. And our enemies receive injections of encouragement and hope.

Whatever we do, the Arabs hate us, and are not willing to accept our existence. This is what they teach their children. They want everything, “from the river to the sea.”

However, the “peace camp” is not able to accept this simple truth. Many of them continue holding on to the altar of illusion, believing that everything depends on us: even after the disengagement from Gaza, and after the slaughter of October 7.

The lack of peace is not due to us, but is due to the murderous mentality and hatred of our enemy.  This is the reality, and this is what we have to contend with, with eyes open. May HaShem be with us!

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What do you think? Have the terrible events of the past week, when we lost so many of our heroes, softened or hardened your approach?

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This week’s parasha introduces us to the possibility of war in the Land of Israel: “When you go to wage war in your land, against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound the trumpets, and HaShem will remember you, and you shall be saved form your enemies.” As the saying goes, I never promised you a rose garden! And we also read in this week’s parasha the prayer that we say when the aron is opened: “Qumah HaShem veyafutsu oyevekha veyanusu mesanekha mipanekha.”  May Your enemies be scattered and run away from You.

Shabbat shalom, Shalom `al Yisrael,

Rabbi Menahem White