The IDF began Operation Tzuk Eitan for the purpose of restoring quiet in the south. * In connection with this, we bring quotes that the Rebbe said during the war in Lebanon. Back then, the Rebbe warned about vacillation and “caving in” before the nations of the world. The Rebbe’s words are as relevant today as they were then.
FINISH THE JOB!
Only finishing the job in its entirety, in a way that will ensure the security and peace of all the Jews in the Holy Land, can justify the korbanos that fell in this operation, may Hashem avenge their blood. Each of them is an “entire world” and the danger to life of a single one of them sets aside the entire Torah.
Therefore, since it was necessary to undertake this action in order to ensure the security and peace of the Jews in the Holy Land, they must finish the job in its entirety in order to justify, to whatever extent possible, the korbanos that fell. Especially when doing so will prevent additional korbanos, so that not even one more Jew, who is an “entire world,” is lost.
(Sicha of 22 Sivan, 3 and 7 Tammuz 5742, edited)
NOT FINISHING THE JOB IN LEBANON WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER WAR!
According to the experts in security matters, in order to ensure (by natural means) the security of Eretz Yisroel and the security of the Jews who live there, they must finish the operation Peace in Galilee entirely and not leave the operation in the middle. By failing to finish it, “those who you leave over will be pins in your eyes and thorns in your sides …”
As they saw the previous times when they did not finish the job completely, not only did it not bring them rest and peace, on the contrary, it caused an additional war after a few years and even in the interim it wasn’t peaceful because there were terrorist activities. So not completing the job the previous times causes additional korbanos each of whom is an “entire world.”
THOSE WHO THWART THE OPERATION IN LEBANON REPRESENT ONLY THE ARABS!
It should be made public so everyone knows that so-and-so held up the completion of the operation Peace in Galilee in the proper time, despite the definite opinions of the military that it must be completed in its entirety. When everyone knows that he is the one who held it up, they won’t elect him (nor his protégés and his party) in the next Knesset elections. And they won’t allow him to speak on behalf of the Jews of Eretz Yisroel. He and his friends can speak on behalf of the Arabs, for it was they who benefited by delaying the conclusion of the operation, but not on behalf of Jews! Apparently, this is the only thing that will work with them.
MIVTZA T’FILLIN AND A LETTER IN A TORAH
There is something that can definitely help. When the Jewish people add in all matters of Judaism, especially Mivtza T’fillin about which it says “and all the nations of the world will see that the name of Hashem is called upon you and they will fear you.” So too, regarding the campaign to register Jews in the general Torah scroll, by every Jew buying one letter in the Torah scroll, and Mivtza Tz’daka which is comparable to all the mitzvos, and the main thing (that pertains to our days) – its special quality in hastening the Geula.
(3 Tammuz 5742)
QUICKLY FINISH THE OPERATION IN LEBANON
Therefore, they must complete the military action speedily, and the more they delay the more they cause the other side to make new conditions every day. Consequently, they need to have a meeting and deliberations regarding every condition separately and in the meantime, the terrorists gain time!
In addition, one cannot know what the morrow brings and it is possible that the longer it takes, the more they jeopardize the possibility of finishing the operation, albeit not on their part, but according to nature it is possible that the conclusion of the operation will not be possible because of other countries (amongst them this country, which has already shown the whip, as discussed at length before).
MAKING EXPERIMENTS
ON 3 MILLION JEWS!
And now they are holding by the fourth surgery which is mostly done while sacrificing hundreds of korbanos, may Hashem avenge their blood, and hundreds of wounded. And nevertheless, there are those who think that in order to bring about peace the way to do it is to stop in the middle of the surgery and not heal the affected area and this is after hundreds of korbanos have fallen. During the time that follows they will have meetings and gatherings and then see how it works out.
How can you make these experiments on 3 million Jews? Three times already they saw how this conduct caused many tzaros!
(13 Tammuz 5742)
TAKE AWAY THEIR FREE WILL
The Rebbe: The free will of the leadership – over there – should be taken from them, and then they will behave properly. In the meantime, they do not behave properly.
One who loves those who are cruel hates those who are upright. In the Midrash it says it differently – when fear of Hashem is lacking, then the fear is used to fear the gentiles and consequently they are frightened of the goy.
Horrifying things are taking place there, especially now in Lebanon, and things that the world never saw before.
They brought soldiers, put them at their posts, and forbade them to advance and shoot until they are shot at first and they don’t let them retreat!
Arafat himself claims that by entering Lebanon, Israel proved its weakness in that it stands there for half a year without a break, in its place, when it had the ability to conquer it immediately.
They put soldiers at their post where they can be shot at and indeed, they are being shot at, and they ordered them – so as not to anger Washington – not to start!
As was said before, in connection with a din in Shulchan Aruch that “one who comes to kill you, get up and kill him” – that it doesn’t mean to actually kill him, but when the enemy sees that you are arising to kill him, he will avoid getting entangled in the first place.
They figured that this was only a speech (i.e. on the Rebbe’s part – Ed.) and nothing more. However, they saw afterward that they themselves admitted that if they had mobilized (in the Yom Kippur War) they would not have gotten entangled. When they make a mistake, they “transgress and repeat,” they repeat the same mistake and then they go back and do it a third time! The same mistake, the same tzaros. It’s a wonder!
I maintained from the start that this is the worst of all. An enemy who is granted greater powers will not seek peace because of that. That will only reassure him of his ability to win, and we have seen this!
(Yechidus with R’ Efraim Yolles, Pesach 5743)