The Source of Anti-Semitism from a Torah Perspective: Part III

הרב מרדכי גרינברג
נשיא הישיבה

The Source of Anti-Semitism from a Torah Perspective (MS Word format)The Source of Anti-Semitism from a Torah Perspective: Part IThe Source of Anti-Semitism from a Torah Perspective: Part II

G. What will be?

This perspective [laid out in the previous sections] provides a very pessimistic outlook as to the possibility of ending the state of hatred between us and the nations of the world, since generations come and go, and the hatred remains in place. However, the Creator of the world has a master plan, which is presented to us in the Torah and the Prophets, and not one of their words will return empty. We are now found at the height of the process, and it is important to know and to understand its final goal and purpose. "?? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?????" ???' ("I shall surely bless you and greatly increase your offspring like the stars of the heaven," etc.).[1] A double blessing was said to Avraham at the end of the trial of the Akeidah, which is spelled out in the continuation of the prophecy there:

A. A large offspring: "Your offspring shall inherit the gate of its enemy." This is the vision that we presented in our opening words -- the eternal and guaranteed existence of the Jewish nation. However, every right-minded person understands that this is not the purpose of Israel -- to fight, to be victorious, and to survive. Here, the second blessing comes:

B. "All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring." This means that in the end of the process the nations of the world will understand that not only does Israel not cause hatred, but rather they are a source of blessing. As was said in the first revelation to Avraham, "?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????" ("All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you").[2] The expression "??????" is not only from the word ???? (blessing), but also from the word ????? (grafting) -- like a branch that joins its source, the root, and grows afterwards as a tree. So, too, the nations of the world will connect with Israel and draw nourishment from them.

This is the wonderful vision of the end of days that the prophets of Israel spoke of:[3]

???? ?????? ?????, ???? ???? ?? ??? ?' ???? ?????, ???? ??????, ????? ???? ?? ?????. ????? ???? ???? ?????, ??? ????? ?? ?? ?' ?? ??? ?-??? ??÷? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????????, ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?' ????????.

It will happen in the end of days: The mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established at the head of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. Many peoples will go and say, "Come, let us go up to the Mountain of Hashem, to the House of the G-d of Yaakov, and He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in His paths." For from Zion the Torah will come forth, and the word of Hashem from Yerushalayim.

This blessing was repeated to Yitzchak, "??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????, ????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ???, ??????? ????? ?? ???? ????" ("I will increase your offspring like the stars of the heavens; and will give to your offspring all these lands; and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring").[4]

This destiny is spelled out in greater detail in Yaakov's dream, at the time that he descended into exile. There all the motifs that characterize Israel -- its fortune, its eternal existence, the bond to its land, and its destiny -- are told to him: "???? ???? ???? ????, ????? ??? ?÷??? ?????? ?????, ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ????? ??????" ("Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out powerfully westward, eastward, northward, and southward; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and by your offspring").[5]

Furthermore, here the nature of the nation and its essence were defined to Yaakov: "?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??????, ???? ????? ?-???? ????? ??????? ??" ("He dreamt, and behold! A ladder was set earthward and its top reached heavenward; and behold! angels of G-d were ascending and descending on it/ him").[6]

Here, the secret of Yaakov's greatness was revealed to him. "A great nation," who has a G-d Who is close to it whenever we call to Him, and a great nation that has righteous decrees and ordinances like this entire Torah (cf. Devarim 4:7-8). This is the meaning of the ladder that is set earthward and whose top reaches heavenward, connecting the heavens and earth, and has a two-way movement of ascent and descent. The Midrash says, "Ascending and descending ?? -- on the ladder; ?? -- on Yaakov."[7] Both comments are true, since the image of Yaakov is engraved on the Throne of Honor, and yet he lies at the foot of the ladder. Thus, he himself connects heaven and earth.

"And behold! Hashem was standing ???? (over him/ on it)." Again, Chazal comment: "Over him -- on Yaakov; on it -- on the ladder." Furthermore, they say, "??? -- ?? ????; ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ????" (???????), that the ladder is a reference to Mt. Sinai.[8]

The promise as to his ultimate fortune and eternity was also said here: "???? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ???, ????????? ?? ????? ????" ("Behold, I am with you; I will guard you wherever you go, and I will return you to this soil"). With his descent to the long exile in Lavan's house, he was promised that he would return to the Promised Land, "for I will not forsake you until I will have done what I have spoken about you."[9]

After years of difficult exile, Yaakov returns to the Land, and the activity of the patriarchs is a symbol for the sons.

"Yaakov was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn."[10] Here the long exile appears in microcosm. Yaakov wrestles with the angel of Esav the entire, long night of the exile, and endures. "He perceived that he could not overcome him."[11] The non-Jew manages to injure Yaakov, but not to throw him down. The leg symbolizes the material and economic aspect of man. It is what establishes him on the ground; i.e., these are the property and possessions of a person. The ??? ???? (displaced sinew) is what connects between the leg and the body, and it is what enables a person to stand. Rav Hirsch writes:[12]

Throughout the whole of the struggle at night, Yaakov's opponent tries to take the ground from under his feet, to give him no standing at all, to have no claim to exist at all on earth. That, he will not succeed in doing, but what he will be able to do, will be to lame him, to weaken his material means and to hinder him in using his natural abilities and strength for making steady progress on earth.

"Therefore, Bnei Yisrael are not to eat the displaced sinew."[13] Throughout that entire struggle, Esav's angel was not able to overcome and to topple Yaakov, but he managed to detach his sinews, and to prevent him from utilizing his material abilities. Yaakov will stride in this manner on his way through history -- limping, unable to stand on his own two feet, without steady standing and walking. This unsteadiness is a necessary prerequisite to open Esav's eyes. If Yaakov were also to stand at the head of his four hundred men, his unvanquished standing could not serve as testimony to G-d's hand in history.

"Therefore, Bnei Yisrael are not to eat the displaced sinew." As they sit down to eat, their history should stand as a warning before them to willingly forego this sinew, to forego material strength, which is given over to Esav. They should not make their existence dependent on it. They should not see themselves as abandoned -- lacking security through changing times -- because they are not brandished with swords like Esav and even their steps on the ground are not steady. Yaakov's strength is dependent on other, loftier abilities, which Esav's sword cannot overcome. When Yaakov falls, the reason for his fall is not due to his lack of physical strength, and when Israel rises, the basis of his endurance is not strong, physical support, but rather the strength of his G-d Who carries him on eagles' wings.

However, when Esav concedes that he cannot overcome Yaakov, and seeks to depart from him in peace -- "He said, 'Let me go, for dawn has broken'" -- Yaakov is not willing to let go of him. So long as the night rules, it seems as if the opponent has the upper hand. But when the dawn shines, and Israel's redemption begins, then Yaakov is the one who sets the terms for the end of the struggle. The crucial condition for the finale is the recognition that Yaakov is not worthy of hate, but rather is the source of blessing for mankind. Here at last the Divine promise to the patriarchs will be fulfilled -- "All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you" -- when they all concede that the birthright and the blessing belong to Yaakov. "He said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' Concede to me on the blessings that my father blessed me."[14]

Rav Hirsh explains:[15]

"He blessed him there." "There" certainly limits it to that place. It was just there that Yaakov received the acknowledgement that he was to be blessed. There, at the border, where Yaakov was journeying to return the development of the Jewish spirit and the Abrahamitic mission in the Jewish Land. Thus, recognition and blessing does not beckon to his descendents by going with the stream of the world, but just "there," by most complete entry into the apparently isolating destiny which the Jewish soil bears for all times.

"The sun rose for him."[16] Twenty years before the sun had set on him when he left the land of his birth and entered the era of exile -- "He spent the night there because the sun had set" -- and since then the long night continued, until Esav's angel conceded the blessing to him, and then the sun rises once again.

Rav Kook writes in Orot:[17]

?? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ?÷ ?????? ?????, ???? ???÷ ????? ???? ?-???? ???. ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?÷??, ??? ??? ?÷??, ???? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????, ????? ????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????. ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??????, ????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????, ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ????, ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ???, ????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???, ??"? ????÷ ??, ??? ??÷?? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ???????. ??"? "????÷? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ?????".

Until the time of the ultimate redemption we have bestowed upon the world only teachings of obligations; ethics and justice which emanate from the Divine Truth. However, the world does not want to accept obligations, and, if it does accept, hatred remains in the heart towards the primary advocate for the knowledge of the obligation, which does not allow the barbaric spirit to expand to its full desire. However, when the time will come for the light of the world to be revealed, the world will recognize that we are bestowing upon the world the way of life of true pleasure, the satisfaction of life that gives it its value, without which it is void of any value ... and the beneficing source of satisfaction and pleasure is honored and cherished. Therefore, "Ten men, of all the [different] languages of the nations, will take hold ... of the corner of the garment of a Jewish man." (Zechariah 8:23)

H. The Lesson for our Generation

The thought that it is possible to end the struggle between Israel and the nations of the world by yielding on substantial issues and by compromising is a foolish notion. This reason or that is not the source of the hatred, but rather the inherent nature which separates Israel from nations. Therefore, it is specifically through standing on the principles of Judaism that we are strong.

Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook zt"l wrote about the demand in his time that the Jews declare that they have no claim of ownership on the Kotel, for otherwise there would be riots by the Arabs:[18]

?? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ??÷?? ÷???? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????, ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ???', ??? ?????÷???? ??????? ??, ????? ???? ???? ÷?????.

Not through weakness of spirit towards our Holy Place will we achieve the security of our peace and the safety of our lives, not through this will our enemies be shamed and retreat ... only through the strengthening of our desire for it, and from it is the basis of the continuation of our existence.

"Avraham called it [the Temple Mount] a mountain, Yitzchak called it a field, and Yaakov called it a house."[19] Rav Kook zt"l explains that Avraham was involved in publicizing the universal, abstract faith [of monotheism], without going into the details of the mitzvot. This abstract faith belongs also to the nations of the world, and therefore he called the Temple a "mountain," famous and revealed to all. So, too, Yitzchak. Yaakov, however, called it a "house," because he enters into it, and builds his family based on Divine direction of mitzvot and practices which do not apply to the other nations.

"The ???? (pillar) was beloved in the times of the patriarchs and hated in the times of the sons." The pillar, the Rambam explains, is something exposed that is worshipped by everyone. Not so the house! During the times of the sons, the house is the desired means of service; detachment from the other nations, and isolation to themselves. Therefore, Yaakov said, "This stone which I have set up as a pillar shall become" -- in the future -- "a house of G-d," since Yaakov turned away from the universal way of the patriarchs in order to build his family in the house.

It says about the future: "The mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established at the head of the mountains ... Many peoples will go and say, 'Come, let us go up to the Mountain of Hashem.'" However, this time we will no longer suffice with the universal, abstract faith of Avraham, who called it a "mountain," but rather we will enter "to the House of the G-d of Yaakov," and there we will learn more of the details and practical guidance that Yaakov taught in the house. Experience had proven that abstract faith is insufficient, but rather it is necessary to learn also the details of practice, "and He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in His paths. For from Zion will the Torah come forth, and the word of Hashem from Yerushalayim."[20]

It is Yaakov, who withdraws and isolates himself in his house, who ultimately merits expansion. "I will provide you the heritage of the your forefather Yaakov" -- a heritage without bounds.[21] "You shall spread out powerfully westward, eastward, northward, and southward."[22]

When Yaakov reached Egypt, he informs Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land."[23] "Sojourners," and not inhabitants. Yosef settles them in the land of Goshen, separate from the Egyptians.

This is what G-d promises him: "?? ???? ???? ?????? ... ???? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ???, ????? ???? ??? ?? ?????" ("Have no fear of descending to Egypt ... I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall also bring you up; and Yosef shall place his hand on your eyes.")[24] The Netziv explains that a persons "eye" is his longing and main desire, as in, "He will not restrain from a righteous person his eyes,"[25] i.e., his want. Yaakov's longing is hinted to elsewhere. "????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ??÷?" ("Thus Israel shall dwell secure, solitary, the eye of Yaakov").[26] Yaakov's longing is that Israel sit solitary, and then they will dwell secure.

However, immediately after Yosef's death, they sought to integrate with the Egyptians, "and the land became filled with them."[27] They left the land of Goshen, and even violated brit milah[28] in order to obscure the uniqueness of Israel. This attempt to be assimilated amongst the Egyptians caused increased hatred: "They became disgusted by Bnei Yisrael."[29] This was Divine Providence, as it says in Tehillim, "He turned their hearts to hate His nation." This is the way of Divine Providence to protect Israel from assimilating among the nations.[30]

The Netziv explains the pasuk, "?? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????" ("Behold! It is a nation that in solitude will dwell, and among the nations will not be reckoned") as follows:[31]

?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?? ?????? ????, ?????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ???. ??? ?? ?? ?? ?????, ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? -- ????? ?????? ??????, ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?' ?÷?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???. ?????? -- ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???, ?? ????? -- ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????, ??????? ???????? ÷"? ?', ??? ????? "?????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ??÷?", ????? -- "???? ???? ???". ?????: ????? ??? ????? ???, ??? ?????? ?? ????? ?????, ?? ???? ???, ????? ????÷?? ??? ??????? ?? ????"?, ???? ??? ???, ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???, ??????? ÷?? ?': "??? ???? ÷???? ?????", ?? ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ????"?? ÷????? ???? ????? ???. ?????"? ?', ?????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?????, ???? ???? ??????, ?? ??? ?÷?"?? "??? ??? ????? ???". ?????, ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???, ????? ?????, ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ???' ?"? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??.

[Am Yisrael is] unlike every other nation, who when exiled and mix with those who exile them, they achieve love and importance in their eyes more so than if they kept separate from them. Not so Am Yisrael!

When they are in solitude, and do not mix among the nations;They will dwell, in respite and honor, and all the nations of the earth will see that G-d's Name is called upon them.But among the nations -- When they want to be mixed with them;They will not be reckoned -- they are not at all considered human.

The possibility of influence on the nations is not through integration and closeness with them, but through isolation and seclusion. The Netziv writes a fitting parable for this.[32] The nations are compared to water: "Woe to the tumult of the many nations, who are as tumultuous as the tumult of the seas,"[33] whereas Israel are compared to fire: "The house of Yaakov will be fire, the house of Yosef a flame."[34] When water meets with fire, it impacts it and extinguishes it. However, when there is something separating them, such as water in a pot which is placed on the fire, then the fire is what impacts on the water and heats it. So, too, when Am Yisrael are in direct contact with the nations they are harmed by them, but when there is something separating them, they are the ones who influence the nations.

The Gemara in Masechet Brachot[35] relates the story of Rabbi Akiva and Papus b. Yehuda, who debated whether to continue teaching Torah in face of the Roman decrees. Ultimately, both were arrested and imprisoned, R. Akiva for teaching Torah and Papus on other charges.

???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???÷? ?????. ?? ??? ?"?, ??? ??÷??? ÷????? ????? ???? ????. ???? ???? ?? ?????, ?"? ?÷??? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??. ?"?, ??? ???? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???. ????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????, ????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????. ??? ???, ???? ?? ??? ????. ???? ?? ???? ????? ???????? ????? ?????, ??? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ????????. ???? ??, ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?÷? ?????? ???, ?? ?÷? ??? ??? ???, ??? ??÷?? ?????? ??? ???????? ??÷?? ?????? ?? ?"?. ??? ??? ??, ???? ???? ???÷?? ????? ????? ?? "?? ??? ???? ????? ????", ??? ????????, ????? ???÷?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????. ????, ?? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ??"? ??????? ???? ???????, ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ????. ??? ??: ????, ?? ????? ????. ??? ?? ????? ??? ?÷??? ?????? ?? ???? ????, ??? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ?????.

Papus claimed was that in difficult and oppressive circumstances, we should forego the uniqueness which characterizes Judaism, and play down the Torah, so as not to highlight the differences and to be more similar to the other nations. R. Akiva argued and gave the parable of fish that were swimming to and fro to escape the fishing nets. A fox offered them to come ashore and live together, to which the fish responded, "If in our place of living we are afraid, all the more so in the place of our death!"

Rav Kook zt"l, in "Ain AYa"H," explains R. Akiva's answer as follows:

?? ????? ?? ?÷?? ??????, ???? ??? ?????? ????? ????, ??? ?÷?? ??? ??? ?????, ????? ?? ÷?????? ?????? ?????, ??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ÷???? ??÷???? ????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????, ???? ?? ???? ?????? ????. ?? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???, ??? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????.

If we subdue the national bond ... which comes from the strength of the Torah, and we will rely on other national ties ... we will certainly not succeed. We will not mitigate the nations' hate through this, and our internal strength we will weaken and dilute.

In the end, when Papus was also arrested, he conceded to R. Akiva, "Fortunate are you R. Akiva, that you were arrested on account of words of Torah; woe to Papus who was arrested on account of idle things." Rav Kook comments on this confession:[36]

This noble and true insight showed in practice that they found pretexts even in the Jew who was attempting to hide his true, inherent nationalism, his nationalism which flows from the Torah. Then, when he falls in the snare, he is upset that he was weak-minded and quick to hide his uniqueness in order to find favor thereby in the eyes of those who hate his nation. This will not succeed, because hatred does not lack excuses. Therefore, fortunate is the person who is pure of heart and pure of deed, who is strong of spirit and who stands up for his soul and the soul of his nation, and grasps the Tree of Life of Torah even at the time that the enemies embitter him. "Let him trust in the Name of Hashem, and rely upon his G-d." (Yeshaya 50:10)

In Orot,[37] Rav Kook zt"l explains at length the Jewish perspective, that for the purpose of spiritual advance, Israel requires great toil and self-sacrifice, in contrast to the nations, to whom it seems that with a statement of faith they can already fly to Gan Eden, while all the murder and depravity and all the store of evil remain intact. For this purpose, Am Yisrael was established in the center of mankind, as the heart amongst the limbs, so that in the end of the process all the nations will be blessed through them. Rav Kook concludes his essay as follows:

An end will be put to all that darkness. Man should recognize and know that all his effort must be concentrated on purifying the soul. The possibility of purifying the character of nations requires great concentration, which was prepared long ago ... through that wonderful nation ... "Behold, I have appointed him as a witness over the regimes, a prince and a commander to the regimes. Behold, you will summon a nation you had not known, and a nation that had not known you will run to you, for the sake of Hashem, your G-d, for the Holy One of Israel, Who has glorified you."[38]

The desire of establishing one nation in the world as a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation," which is to serve as a model of the Divine Light that penetrates into the lives of the nations, that only when it exists and endures, when it is strong and free, when it is rebuilt and returns to its happiness, after all its many appearances in the past, after all its difficult trials ... when it returns with all ... its spiritual wealth and life's talents, with all it physical and racial purity, and purity of faith, with complete Divine Revelation which is its heritage, and which the quality of its land raises and expands -- then, through its intrinsic friendship that it can show the nations of the world in return for all of the hate and persecutions that it received from them ... through that desire of association and friendship with this nation of G-d, with G-d's heritage, in whom the quality of sanctity in its purity is concealed, that only through much imitation, gradually deepening through the generations, can it be expressed in a proper manner also in the other nations in all men that are on the face of the earth -- then it will be clear to all that the quality of holiness is not a cheap quality, which can be taken by any soiled hands, but rather a quality which is acquired through great toil, with consistent self-sacrifice, and through the merit of the sacred heritage of the fathers to sons, who bear their yoke with love and observe the way of G-d with all their might. Then the veil will be removed from all the nations ... and that tolerance of heresy will be recognized for what it is as a disqualified coin, which blinds the eyes and defiles the souls, increases murder and blood and all depravity.

"?' ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???, ???? ???? ????? ????? ???, ??????: ?? ?÷? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ?????". "????? ?' ???? ???? ????. ???????? ???? ?????". "?? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ÷?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?' ???? ??? ?????".

"Hashem, my Strength, my Stronghold and my Refuge on the day of distress! To you nations will come from the ends of the earth and say: 'It was all falsehood that our ancestors inherited, futility that has no purpose.'"[39] "Hashem alone will be exalted on that day. And the false gods will perish completely."[40]" They will neither injure nor destroy in all of My sacred mountain; for the earth will be as filled with knowledge of Hashem as water covering the seabed."[41]

On Shabbat, 10 Tevet 5761, my uncle, R. Avraham Soklover z"l, passed away, the last of the children of my grandfather, Rav Mordechai Chaim Soklover zt"l, who was the Rabbi of the city Chorzl in Poland

Four of his children managed to immigrate to Israel before the outbreak of the awful Holocaust:

· Rav Ephraim Soklover zt"l, who was saved from the 1929 riots in the Slobodka Yeshiva in Hebron, and was the first rabbi of the city Raanana for many years.

· The devout Rav Moshe Soklover zt"l, who astounded all those that saw him with his simplicity and piety.

· My mother, Malka Devora Greenberg a"h, who was a woman of valor her entire life.

· R. Avraham Soklover z"l, who was the family "doer."

All the other brothers and sisters perished in the fire that Hashem lit in the years of the awful Holocaust.

There is nothing left for us, the descendents, other than to preserve their memory, and to transmit their heritage to the following generations.

Let these words serve to elevate their souls.

[1] ?????? ??, ??.

[2] ?? ??, ?.

[3] ?????? ?, ?-?.

[4] ?????? ??, ?.

[5] ?? ??, ??.

[6] ?? ??, ??.