DOCSLIB.ORG

War and the Military in Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Halakhic

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
War and the Military in Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Halakhic The Review of Rabbinic Judaism 21 (2018) 134–149 brill.com/rrj War and the Military in Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s Halakhic Decisions Amir Mashiach Ariel University of Samaria and Orot Israel College, 19 Weizmann Street, Petach Tikva, Israel, 4955619 [email protected] Abstract Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910–1995) was one of the most influential Halakhic authorities of the twentieth century. Although he was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi, Rabbi Auerbach dealt with the complexity of army and military life. This article shows that he possessed of a clear “operational way of thinking,” reflecting deeply on the unique needs of the military of the Jewish State. Additionally, the article examines various ap- proaches of filling the normative gap in issues of war and the military. Rabbi Auerbach based his specification of the Halakhah on his personal understanding and his own S’vara, that is, Halakhic logic. Keywords Shlomo Zalman Auerbach – Halakhah – laws of war – operational thinking – Shaul Yisraeli – Shlomo Goren Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (RA, 1910–1995), one of the most influen- tial Halakhic authorities of the twentieth century, for more than forty years headed the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem.1 He lived in Jerusalem’s Shaarei Chesed, a neighborhood associated with the Yishuv ha-Yashan, the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] segment of the Jerusalem public. Taken together, these 1 On RA and his philosophy of Halakhah, see Amir Mashiach, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s Halakhic Philosophy in a Dynamic Era of Socio-Technological Transformation (Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan University Press, 2013). © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2018 | doi 10.1163/15700704-12341340Downloaded from Brill.com09/26/2021 08:14:30PM via free access War and the Military in Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s 135 things make RA’s Halakhic involvement in military issues and laws pertain- ing to warfare particularly remarkable.2 Rabbi Isaac Kofman, author of Ha- Tzava ka-Halakhah [The Army according to Halakhah], chose RA as the leading Halakhic authority in his work.3 RA read Kofman’s work, making extensive comments that have been preserved dispersed throughout the text. Readers of his Halakhic decisions regarding military issues and laws of warfare will see that, although he was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi with no personal experience of service in a military of any kind, RA nonetheless was possessed of a clear “operational way of thinking.” That is, his Halakhic discourse focusing on the individual Jewish-Israeli IDF soldier, whether in battle or going about his daily routine, is constructed with a sound, objective understanding of lived military reality and its conditions. RA recognized the complexity of army issues and based his specification of the Halakhah on this understanding. An indication of his multifaceted appreciation of the questions arising in connection with the military is that RA not only addressed issues of a soldier’s daily religious life (Orach Chaim) but also dealt with operational military activity. The present article analyzes RA’s Halakhic rulings both from the point of view of content pertaining to military issues and from the point of view of the rulings as such. This is especially called for considering that, as a halakhist, RA seems most closely associated with the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] segment in Israel, thus oscillating between resistance against and absolute refusal to ac- knowledge the State of Israel and its institutions, including the Israel Defense Forces. Moreover, the ultra-Orthodox in Israel maintain a stance typically 2 Many works have been written on military service, laws of warfare, and Halakhah. The most notable and influential have been: Rabbi Israel Meir Ha-Cohen of Radin (Ha-Chafetz Chaim), Machaneh Yisrael [The Camp of Israel] (Jerusalem, 1941). The work was written for Jewish soldiers forced to serve in non-Jewish armies in Europe. The book does not deal with Jewish soldiers in a Jewish state; Shlomo Min Hahar, Dinei tzava u-milchamah [Laws of the Military and Warfare] (Jerusalem, 1973); Shlomo Goren, Meshiv milchamah [He Who Responds on War] (Jerusalem, 1983); Zecharya Ben Shlomo, Hilkhot tzava [Laws of the Military] (Shaalabim, 1986); Avraham Moshe Avidan, Shabbat u-moed be-tzahal [Sabbath and the Festivals in the IDF] (Jerusalem, 1990); Eliezer Nachum Rabinovitz, Melumadei milchamah [Those Experienced in War] (Maaleh Adumim, 1993); Shlomo Aviner, Hilkhot tzava [Laws of the Military] (Jerusalem, 1994); Zecharya Ben Shlomo, Nohal achid [Unified Regulation] (Shaalabim, 1997); Michael Rubin, ed., Ha-morim ba-keshet [Those Shooting with a Bow] (Kiryat Arba, 1999); Avi Rontski, Ke-chitzim be-yad gibbor [Like Arrows in the Hand of the Strong Man] (Jerusalem, 1996–2006). 3 Isaac Kofman, Ha-tzava ka-Halakhah [The Army according to Halakhah] (Jerusalem, 1992). For the author’s relationship with RA, see pp. 14–15. The Review of Rabbinic Judaism 21 (2018) 134–149 Downloaded from Brill.com09/26/2021 08:14:30PM via free access 136 Mashiach referred to as the Talmudic-defensive ethos.4 That is, the ultra-Orthodox or Haredi sector is opposed to resorting to organized use of force as a means of solving any problems whatsoever; this implies that the ultra-Orthodox do not support armed undertakings of any kind. This is why there is no Haredi Halakhic authority taking part in the Halakhic discourse devoted to issues of warfare or the army. These questions are entirely the domain ruled by rab- bis from the Religious Zionist fold, who maintain a very different ethos—the biblical-offensive.5 This is precisely why RA’s involvement in these issues is of particular interest. Not only did he work together with Rabbi Kofman; he also propounded views that, as I will show, are even more far-reaching Halakhically than the ones put forth by the rabbis of the Israeli military. RA did not assume any clear-cut stance vis-à-vis the State of Israel; even so, his Halakhic rulings suggest that he acknowledged the sovereignty of the state and municipal authorities in Israel.6 He goes so far as to ascribe Halakhic status to these sovereign institutions, even calling the government of Israel “Malkhut Yisrael,” or Kingdom of Israel.7 This is not a mere emotional gesture or burst of enthusiasm; it formally endows the regime in power with Halakhic authority. For instance, as the Kingdom of Israel, the secular government of the State of Israel is authorized to determine the borders of the Land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael, with the several Halakhic implications that this has.8 Yet even recognizing the State does not necessarily entail embracing ag- gressive military policy, considering especially that this approach is rejected in traditional rabbinic texts. Nevertheless RA, the ultra-Orthodox Haredi rabbi from Shaarei Chesed in Jerusalem, dealt, among other things, with issues relat- ed to the military and laws of warfare. As has already been noted, Rabbi Isaac Kofman, in his Ha-Tzava ka-Halakhah, chose RA as his Halakhic authority,9 relying on RA’s rulings based on an operational way of thinking. This refers 4 See Amir Mashiach, “From Past to Present—An analysis of the Various Sectors in Modern Israel Based on Jewish Identities from Ancient Times,” in Social Issues in Israel 17 (2014), pp. 38–68. 5 Ibid. 6 Amir Mashiach, “Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s Halakhic Rulings regarding the Sovereignty of the State of Israel,” in Avinoam Rosnack, ed., Halakha: Explicit and Implied Theoretical and Ideological Aspects (Jerusalem, 2012), pp. 115–132. 7 This answer was censored in the various editions of Minchat Shlomo. It appears full length in Mashiach, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s Halakhic Philosophy, pp. 241–244. 8 This finds its expression in the case in which RA was asked whether the city of Eilat should observe the “Exiles’ Second Day of the Biblical Holidays” (Yom tov sheni shel galuyot). See RA, Minchat Shlomo, part 2, 44. 9 Kofman, Ha-tzava ka-Halakhah. The Review of RabbinicDownloaded Judaism from 21 Brill.com09/26/2021 (2018) 134–149 08:14:30PM via free access War and the Military in Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s 137 to the awareness and understanding of the complexity of military reality, whether in combat or as part of the daily routine. The same conception is gen- erally to be found among rabbis who have themselves served in the army and are familiar with military routine, operational requirements, and the Halakhic problems facing the observant soldier, especially one serving in a combat unit.10 It is therefore a rare enough case where we find a Halakhic authority with an operational way of thinking like that of RA, a Haredi rabbi with no experience of service in any army or of contact with acquaintances who may have had any such experience. But this does not seem to have posed an obstacle to RA’s remarkable ability to achieve a balance between the needs of the military and the requirements of Halakhah. RA’s Halakhic rulings address not only the ob- servant soldier’s Orach Chaim, or Halakhic day-to-day life, but also military procedures and operational combat activities that the religious soldier has to deal with in the course of military service. The paragraphs below provide instances of RA’s operational way of think- ing, showing his way of balancing the needs of the military with the require- ments of the Halakhah. I Minimizing Military Operations on the Sabbath in a Manner Visible to the Enemy A Halakhic issue presented to RA was whether the army should minimize mili- tary operational activities on the Sabbath—a measure that would be visible to the enemy. His answer was a definitive and unambiguous, No. Reduction in operations of this kind is prohibited. The army should carry on its opera- tional activities on the Sabbath just as on any other day.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Israel's National Religious and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict
    Leap of Faith: Israel’s National Religious and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict Middle East Report N°147 | 21 November 2013 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Recommendations..................................................................................................................... iv I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Religious Zionism: From Ascendance to Fragmentation ................................................ 5 A. 1973: A Turning Point ................................................................................................ 5 B. 1980s and 1990s: Polarisation ................................................................................... 7 C. The Gaza Disengagement and its Aftermath ............................................................. 11 III. Settling the Land .............................................................................................................. 14 A. Bargaining with the State: The Kookists ................................................................... 15 B. Defying the State: The Hilltop Youth ........................................................................ 17 IV. From the Hills to the State ..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Holy War in Modern Judaism? "Mitzvah War" and the Problem of the "Three Vows" Author(S): Reuven Firestone Source: Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol
    Holy War in Modern Judaism? "Mitzvah War" and the Problem of the "Three Vows" Author(s): Reuven Firestone Source: Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 74, No. 4 (Dec., 2006), pp. 954- 982 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4139958 Accessed: 18-08-2018 15:51 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of the American Academy of Religion This content downloaded from 128.95.104.66 on Sat, 18 Aug 2018 15:51:16 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Holy War in Modern Judaism? "Mitzvah War" and the Problem of the "Three Vows" Reuven Firestone "Holy war," sanctioned or even commanded by God, is a common and recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible. Rabbinic Judaism largely avoided discussion of holy war for the simple reason that it became dangerous and self-destructive. The failed "holy wars" of the Great Revolt and the Bar Kokhba Rebellion eliminated enthusiasm for it among the survivors engaged in reconstructing Judaism from ancient biblical religion. The rabbis therefore built a fence around the notion through two basic strat- egies: to define and categorize biblical wars so that they became virtually unthinkable in their contemporary world and to construct a divine con- tract between God, the Jews, and the world of the Gentiles that would establish an equilibrium preserving the Jews from overwhelming Gentile wrath by preventing Jewish actions that could result in war.
    [Show full text]
  • Privatizing Religion: the Transformation of Israel's
    Privatizing religion: The transformation of Israel’s Religious- Zionist community BY Yair ETTINGER The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. This paper is part of a series on Imagining Israel’s Future, made possible by support from the Morningstar Philanthropic Fund. The views expressed in this report are those of its author and do not represent the views of the Morningstar Philanthropic Fund, their officers, or employees. Copyright © 2017 Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 U.S.A. www.brookings.edu Table of Contents 1 The Author 2 Acknowlegements 3 Introduction 4 The Religious Zionist tribe 5 Bennett, the Jewish Home, and religious privatization 7 New disputes 10 Implications 12 Conclusion: The Bennett era 14 The Center for Middle East Policy 1 | Privatizing religion: The transformation of Israel’s Religious-Zionist community The Author air Ettinger has served as a journalist with Haaretz since 1997. His work primarily fo- cuses on the internal dynamics and process- Yes within Haredi communities. Previously, he cov- ered issues relating to Palestinian citizens of Israel and was a foreign affairs correspondent in Paris. Et- tinger studied Middle Eastern affairs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is currently writing a book on Jewish Modern Orthodoxy.
    [Show full text]
  • Sephardic Halakha: Inclusiveness As a Religious Value
    Source Sheet for Zvi Zohar’s presentation at Valley Beit Midrash Sephardic Halakha: Inclusiveness as a Religious Value Women Background: Chapter 31 of the Biblical book of Proverbs is a song of praise to the “Woman of Valor” (Eshet Hayyil). Inter alia, the Biblical author writes of the Eshet Hayyil: She is clothed in strength and glory, and smiles when contemplating the last day. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and instruction of grace is on her tongue… Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband praises her: 'Many daughters have done valiantly, but you are most excellent of them all.' Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruits of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates. Rabbi Israel Ya’akov AlGhazi (d. 1756) was born in Izmir and moved to Jerusalem, where he was subsequently chosen to be chief rabbi. His exposition of Eshet Hayyil is presented at length by his son, rabbi Yomtov AlGhazi, 1727-1802 (who was in his turn also chief rabbi of Jerusalem), in the homiletic work Yom Tov DeRabbanan, Jerusalem 1843. The following is a significant excerpt from that text: Text: And this is what is meant by the verse “She is clothed in strength and glory” – that she clothed herself in tefillin and tallit that are called1 “strength and glory”. And scripture also testifies about her, that she “smiles when contemplating the last day”, i.e., her reward on “the last day” – The World-To-Come – is assured.
    [Show full text]
  • TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld June 2017 • Shavuot 5777 a Special Edition Celebrating President Richard M
    Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future THE BENJAMIN AND ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld June 2017 • Shavuot 5777 A Special Edition Celebrating President Richard M. Joel WITH SHAVUOT TRIBUTES FROM Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander • Rabbi Dr. Hillel Davis • Rabbi Dr. Avery Joel • Dr. Penny Joel Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph • Rabbi Menachem Penner • Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter • Rabbi Ezra Schwartz Special Symposium: Perspectives on Conversion Rabbi Eli Belizon • Joshua Blau • Mrs. Leah Nagarpowers • Rabbi Yona Reiss Rabbi Zvi Romm • Mrs. Shoshana Schechter • Rabbi Michoel Zylberman 1 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5777 We thank the following synagogues which have pledged to be Pillars of the Torah To-Go® project Beth David Synagogue Green Road Synagogue Young Israel of West Hartford, CT Beachwood, OH Century City Los Angeles, CA Beth Jacob Congregation The Jewish Center Beverly Hills, CA New York, NY Young Israel of Bnai Israel – Ohev Zedek Young Israel Beth El of New Hyde Park New Hyde Park, NY Philadelphia, PA Borough Park Koenig Family Foundation Young Israel of Congregation Brooklyn, NY Ahavas Achim Toco Hills Atlanta, GA Highland Park, NJ Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst Young Israel of Congregation Cedarhurst, NY Shaarei Tefillah West Hartford West Hartford, CT Newton Centre, MA Richard M. Joel, President and Bravmann Family University Professor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Dr. Kenneth
    [Show full text]
  • The Two Objectives of the Institution of Marriage
    Rabbi Dr. Binyamin Lau is the Rosh Beit Midrash of Beit Morasha in Jerusalem and is the author of numerous articles and books. THE TWO OBJECTIVES OF THE INSTITUTION OF MAR R IAGE1 “For She is Your Companion, and the Wife of Your Covenant.” (Malakhi 2:14) Rabbi Dr. Binyamin Lau Introduction: Marriage According to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik In the beginning of his article on marriage,2 Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik notes that there are two basic theories about the institution of marriage. The first expresses commitment to the welfare of the group outside the matrimonial union, the partners to the marriage placing themselves at the service of society. The second expresses commitment within the matrimonial union, a commit- ment rooted in the experience of the joining of two individuals thirsting for love and fellowship. One practical difference between the two theories relates to the place assigned to procreation. According to the first theory, having children is the central element upon which the entire structure of marriage rests. Remove that obligation from marriage, and the institution loses all its meaning. According to the second theory, the significance of marriage is not diminished by the absence of offspring. The very union of the wedded partners is itself the desired creation. In his typical manner,3 here too Rabbi Soloveitchik tries to uncover both of these motifs in Scripture. The command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen.1:28) expresses the essence and goal of the man created in the first chapter of the book of Genesis. Man’s obligation to procreate, which appears in chapter 1, is presented as part of man being God’s partner in the continuous process of creation.
    [Show full text]
  • Religious Zionism: Tzvi Yehuda Kook on Redemption and the State Raina Weinstein Wednesday, Aug
    Religious Zionism: Tzvi Yehuda Kook on Redemption and the State Raina Weinstein Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 11:00 AM EDT Course Description: In May 1967, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook delivered a fiery address criticizing the modern state of Israel for what he viewed as its founding sin: accepting the Partition Plan and dividing the Land of Israel. “Where is our Hebron?” he cried out. “Where is our Shechem, our Jericho… Have we the right to give up even one grain of the Land of God?” Just three weeks later, the Six Day War broke out, and the Israeli army conquered the biblical heartlands that Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda had mourned—in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights. Hebron, Shechem, and Jericho were returned to Jewish sovereignty. In the aftermath of the war, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda’s words seemed almost prophetic. His spiritual vision laid the foundation for a new generation of religious Zionism and the modern settler movement, and his ideology continues to have profound implications for contemporary Israeli politics. In this session, we will explore Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook’s 1967 speech, his teachings, and his critics— particularly Rabbi Yehuda Amital. Guiding Questions: 1. How does Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook interpret the quotation from Psalm 107: "They have seen the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep"? Why do you think he begins this speech with this scripture? 2. In the section, "They Have Divided My Land," Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook tells two stories about responses to partition. Based on these stories, what do you think is his attitude toward diplomacy and politics is? 1 of 13 tikvahonlineacademy.org/ 3.
    [Show full text]
  • An Old/New Anti-Semitism
    בס“ד Parshat Vayera 15 Cheshvan, 5778/November 4, 2017 Vol. 9 Num. 9 This week’s Toronto Torah is dedicated by Rabbi Charles and Lori Grysman Bernie Goldstein z”l ,דב בן גרשון ,for the shloshim of Lori’s father An Old/New Anti-Semitism Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner In 2004, then-MK Natan Sharansky (26:18-19), they suggested that Yitzchak was not a true heir to described a “New Anti-Semitism”: anti- Yishmael shot arrows at his baby Avraham. She responded by insisting Jewish activism which disguises itself brother, pretending that it was only a that Yishmael be evicted; onlookers as political opposition to the State of joke. Since Yishmael posed a mortal would expect that Avraham would not Israel. A central characteristic of this threat to his brother, Sarah ordered him evict his biological child in order to school is delegitimization – claiming evicted. (Bereishit Rabbah ibid.) protect the reputation of his stepchild. that we lack the right to our Israeli homeland. However, Rabbi Naftali Zvi Finally, our Sages offered a third Per Netziv, Sarah exiled Yishmael Yehuda Berlin (“Netziv”) contended approach, relying not so much on the because he threatened the identity of more than a century ago that word mitzachek as on Sarah’s Yitzchak, and his heirs, as members of delegitimization is not new. Rather, it statement, “This maid’s son will not Avraham’s family. This was the original dates back to the first biblical enemy inherit with my son, with case of “New Anti-Semitism”, an attempt of the Jewish people: Yishmael. Yitzchak.” (Bereishit 21:10) Yishmael to delegitimize the Jews’ claim to the laughed at Yitzchak, saying, “Fools! I mantle of our ancestors.
    [Show full text]
  • Rabbi Avraham Yizhak Hacohen Kook: Between Exile and Messianic Redemption*
    Rabbi Avraham Yizhak HaCohen Kook: Between Exile and Messianic Redemption* Judith Winther Copenhagen Religious Zionism—Between Messsianism and A-Messianism Until the 19th century and, to a certain ex- tute a purely human form of redemption for a tent, somewhat into the 20th, most adherents redeemer sent by God, and therefore appeared of traditional, orthodox Judaism were reluc- to incite rebellion against God. tant about, or indifferent towards, the active, Maimonides' active, realistic Messianism realistic Messianism of Maimonides who averr- was, with subsequent Zionist doctrines, first ed that only the servitude of the Jews to foreign reintroduced by Judah Alkalai, Sephardic Rab- kings separates this world from the world to bi of Semlin, Bessarabia (1798-1878),3 and Zwi come.1 More broadly speaking, to Maimonides Hirsch Kalisher, Rabbi of Thorn, district of the Messianic age is the time when the Jewish Poznan (1795-1874).4 people will liberate itself from its oppressors Both men taught that the Messianic pro- to obtain national and political freedom and cess should be subdivided into a natural and independence. Maimonides thus rejects those a miraculous phase. Redemption is primari- Jewish approaches according to which the Mes- ly in human hands, and redemption through a sianic age will be a time of supernatural qual- miracle can only come at a later stage. They ities and apocalyptic events, an end to human held that the resettling and restoration of the history as we know it. land was athalta di-geullah, the beginning of Traditional, orthodox insistence on Mes- redemption. They also maintained that there sianism as a passive phenomenon is related to follows, from a religious point of view, an obli- the rabbinic teaching in which any attempt to gation for the Jews to return to Zion and re- leave the Diaspora and return to Zion in order build the country by modern methods.
    [Show full text]
  • The Israel Defense Forces, 1948-2017
    The Israel Defense Forces, 1948-2017 Kenneth S. Brower Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 150 THE BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 150 The Israel Defense Forces, 1948-2017 Kenneth S. Brower The Israel Defense Forces, 1948-2017 Kenneth S. Brower © The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan 5290002 Israel Tel. 972-3-5318959 Fax. 972-3-5359195 [email protected] www.besacenter.org ISSN 0793-1042 May 2018 Cover image: Soldier from the elite Rimon Battalion participates in an all-night exercise in the Jordan Valley, photo by Staff Sergeant Alexi Rosenfeld, IDF Spokesperson’s Unit The Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies is an independent, non-partisan think tank conducting policy-relevant research on Middle Eastern and global strategic affairs, particularly as they relate to the national security and foreign policy of Israel and regional peace and stability. It is named in memory of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, whose efforts in pursuing peace laid the cornerstone for conflict resolution in the Middle East. Mideast Security and Policy Studies serve as a forum for publication or re-publication of research conducted by BESA associates. Publication of a work by BESA signifies that it is deemed worthy of public consideration but does not imply endorsement of the author’s views or conclusions. Colloquia on Strategy and Diplomacy summarize the papers delivered at conferences and seminars held by the Center for the academic, military, official and general publics.
    [Show full text]
  • Halachic Aspects of Vaccination
    Nature&Science By Edward Reichman Halachic Aspects of Vaccination Perhaps it is because we live in When potential relief from the horrors smallpox and beseeching the rabbis of twenty-first century America, a coun- of the disease came on the horizon, his generation to allow inoculation. try largely immune from true epi- there must have been unabashed ex- However, the treatment was con- demics, that we take vaccination for citement. The cure, or, more accu- sidered controversial at the time, as granted and some parents even con- rately, the mechanism of disease never in the history of mankind had sider not vaccinating their children. A prevention, however, was unique in the one taken a healthy individual and in- Jew living in the eighteenth century history of medicine: it required expos- jected him with the very cause of an would have longed for respite from the ing healthy individuals to disease, illness, even if the objective was to relentless onslaught of diseases, and hopefully a mild form, in order to pre- prevent a more severe disease. This could only have dreamed of having a vent the development of a more seri- unique treatment posed a dilemma for way to prevent them. The thought of ous disease. The procedure involved the Torah-observant Jew. The Torah refusing vaccinations would never the removal of fluid from the pox of an gives license to the physician to heal have entered his mind. Unfortunately, afflicted patient, and the subsequent the sick, but does it give him license to nowadays, as a result of misleading in- injection of that virulent fluid into the bestow illness upon the healthy, albeit formation, some parents are confused body of a healthy individual.
    [Show full text]
  • Phenomenon, Vigilantism, and Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh's
    ‘THE SIMPLE JEW’: THE ‘PRICE TAG’ PHENOMENON, VIGILANTISM, AND RABBI YITZCHAK GINSBURGH’S POLITICAL KABBALAH Tessa Satherley* ABSTRACT: This paper explores the Kabbalistic theosophy of Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, and allegations of links between his yeshiva and violent political activism and vigilantism. Ginsburgh is head of the yeshiva Od Yosef Chai (Joseph Still Lives) in Samaria/the northern West Bank. His students and colleagues have been accused by the authorities of violence and vandalism against Arabs in the context of ‘price tag’ actions and vigilante attacks, while publications by Ginsburgh and his yeshiva colleagues such as Barukh HaGever (Barukh the Man/Blessed is the Man) and Torat HaMelekh (The King’s Torah) have been accused of inciting racist violence. This paper sketches the yeshiva’s history in the public spotlight and describes the esoteric, Kabbalistic framework behind Ginsburgh’s politics, focusing on his political readings of Zoharic Kabbalah and teachings about the mystical value of spontaneous revenge attacks by ‘the simple Jew’, who acts upon his feelings of righteous indignation without prior reflection. The conclusion explores and attempts to delimit the explanatory power of such mystical teachings in light of the sociological characteristics of the Hilltop Youth most often implicated as price tag ‘operatives’ and existing scholarly models of vigilantism. It also points to aspects of the mystical teachings with potential for special potency in this context. Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh (1944-) is a Chabad rabbi and head of the Od Yosef Chai (Joseph Still Lives) yeshiva in the Yitzhar settlement, near the major Palestinian population centre of Nablus (biblical Shechem). The yeshiva occupies an unusual discursive space – neither mainstream religious Zionist (though some of its teaching staff were educated in this tradition) nor formally affiliated with the Hasidic movement, despite Ginsburgh’s own affiliation with Chabad and despite his teachings being steeped in its Kabbalistic inheritance.
    [Show full text]