once again THEY wish to destroy us

140 representatives of the Nations [the UN] “gather and speak futility” arguing that they cannot tolerate the injustice. Just like those who marched in the Crusades, today these are their descendants following in their footsteps, not only in thought and speech, but also by their actions, as we saw in the past few weeks, in the attack that took place last year, two years ago, and they are doing the same now: “I sinned and I will continue to sin!”

Translated by Rabbi Binyomin Schlanger

Rashi begins his commentary, on the first verse of the Torah, the very beginning of all [our discipline and culture].  Quoting the Midrash, the day will yet come when “nations of the world will claim that the Land of Israel belongs to them”. They begin gradually, first claiming their right to one piece of land, then claiming that another piece of land belongs to them.  

Rashi therefore starts his entire commentary, “In the beginning”, that we should know a halachic legal decision of Torah, that the time will yet come when they will not openly claim that they intend to steal the Land, that they intend to harm the Jewish People, but to the contrary, they argue “We are an upright people! We are righteous people; we are in pursuit of peace. All we want is peace, but peace can only be built on justice: “You Jews are thieves, you stole the Land!!”  This we see today before our very eyes.  

Therefore, the first thing which is told to a five-year-old Jewish-child and the Torah of Truth gives him the rightful response: “This is not an issue of theft, nothing was stolen from anybody”. To the contrary, if they – the nations wish to spare themselves from an existential threat to their countries, one should guide them to stop their talk which is running contrary to the Will of the Creator, because it “was by His Divine Will that He gave the Land originally to them [the Canaanite nations], and it was by His Divine Will that he took the Land from them, and bequeathed it to the Children of Israel, His Sacred Nation, as an eternal inheritance”.   

When is it that the Jewish response is totally ineffective, when this rebuttal is not given. They [the government of Israel] begin to invent their own answers, knowing full well that what they are saying is not being accepted because their responses are not truthful. When the truth is heard, it is accepted. “The Land of Israel sprouts truth”, and in face of truth everyone becomes submissive!   

We have seen something astonishing: we have seen all the [false] responses [which the Israel government] have given. Yet, this, the honest and true rebuttal is the sole response which until this time they are ashamed to give! This is the extent of the darkness of Exile! Then, there come along those very same confused people and claim that they are walking along the path of justice and truth which will lead to peace! G-d says that by offering those responses you are turning a gentile into a thief, Heaven Forfend.

These Jews are so personally insecure that they cannot bring themselves once and for all to publicize to all 140 gentile representatives and tell them: “We are telling you with absolute clarity the truth which has been printed and published centuries ago, in one country, then in a second country, and so on, and upon this truth we have been educated over the centuries  that ‘In the beginning G-d created the world’; this has been the first premise of our education given even to our children.

Rashi wrote his commentary on the Torah even for a child of five years old to understand; for a child who lived in the times of the Crusades, when terrifying slaughters took place, as in our times in Germany.  The Crusades took place in Germany, in France and more.  Comes along Rashi to tell a child “you intermingle with gentiles; should a gentile accuse you, “You stole the Land”, Rashi says, [do not invent your own answers, but tell him as is written in Torah]: “G-d Who recorded His mighty works in the book of Genesis, it was He, Who bequeathed the Land [of Israel] to the Jewish People. 

Now, since the Torah states that this is the response you should give, there is no shadow of doubt that this response will be successful and will be accepted.   

(Public Talk from the Farbrengen 18^th Iyar. May 25, 1978)

From the new publication “Security for the land of Israel”