AT 663333---- still the "dawning of our redemption?"redemption?"////Yehoshua Grunstein

A] Introduction

My rebbe, Rav Yehuda Amital z"l [Sermon for/on Yom Ha -atzma'ut 2005 -http://www.vbm-torah.org/yyerush/yh65-rya.htm ] Although intellectually I understand the importance of our celebration today, it is psychologically and emotionally difficult for me to rejoice. One reason for this difficulty concerns upcoming events in Gush Katif ….. Along with my anxiety for the residents of Gush Katif , I also have grave concerns, which s hould not be hidden, regarding the security situation following the disengagement, and regarding the political results of the disengagement process as well… Beyond these problems, there is another factor that clouds my joy: we are all part of , a movement that is currently in deep crisis …This year we are hearing, for the first time, some voices from within the Religious Zionist camp calling on us not to celebrate Yom Ha-atzma'ut and not to recite Hallel . Although several leading rabbis have denounced this call, the very fact that rabbis have come out with a statement that "We have no portion and inheritance in the Lord of Israel" must give rise to very serious questions. What is the origin of this confusion, which has completely reversed the attitude of many people towards the State? It seems to me that the main problem stems from the fact that among various groups, doubts have begun to arise concerning the expression, " reishit tzemichat ge'ulateinu , the beginning of the flowering of our redemption." … After the Oslo Accords, when Israel transferred a few cities to Palestinian control, I participated in a panel discussion in New York with some other Israeli rabbis. One of the questions raised was whether it was still possible to speak of the "beginning of the flowering of our redemption," following the handing over of territories to the Palestinians….Rather, I would say that if we believed in "the beginning of the flowering of our redemption" in 1948, then we could certainly still use this term after the Oslo Accords.

BBB]B] Two "Prayer"Prayer---- Responses" to the existence of the State of Israel

Prayer for Israel/Rav Yisrael Broide 1 Prayer for the welfare of Israel/Rav Hertzog 2

1 Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie , of Great Britain and the commonwealth (1895, Newcastle – 1979), educated at Balliol College, Oxford, served as a Rabbi of Melbourne Hebrew Congregation (1923-1937), finished the War as Senior Jewish Chaplain. He became Chief Rabbi soon after the war at the age of 53 when he faced a difficult time due to the ending of the British Mandate in Palestine. He presided over the post-war expansion of the United Synagogue. Through the Conference of European Rabbis, which he founded and led, Brodie took a significant part in rebuilding the religious life of European Jewry after the Holocaust. Brodie undertook a number of pastoral tours throughout the Commonwealth, and strengthened the community in a quiet but significant manner, although the closing years of his tenure were overshadowed by religious dispute. On his retirement, he was knighted "for services to British Jewry"[1]; the first Chief Rabbi to be so honoured. 2 Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog (1888- 1959), born in Łom ża, , and moved to the United Kingdom with his family in 1898, where they settled in Leeds. Auto-didactic in rabbinic studies [and taught by his father, Yoel Leib Herzog rabbi in Leeds and then later in Paris], he attend the Sorbonne and then later the University of London, where he received his doctorate in Marine biology on the renewal of the Techelet. Rabbi Herzog served as rabbi of [1916 to 1919], rabbi of [1919], and thereafter Chief Rabbi to the Irish Free State from 1919, and thereby Chief Rabbi of the Ireland [1922-1936], when he immigrated to Palestine to succeed Rabbi as Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine and of Israel after its independence in 1948. While visiting the USA to bring relief during WW2, he was told that Romel's forces were coming closer to Israel and at great personal risk returned to be with his people there. Following the Holocaust, he went to great efforts to find children hid in convents during the בִ ינ ֶ ַָמַיִ, צר יְִרָאֵ ל וְגאֲ ל, ָרְֵ אֶ ת מְדִ ינַת יְִרָאֵ ל, רֵ אִ ית צְמִ יחַ ת ְאָתֵ נ . הָגֵ! עָלֶ יהָ ְאֶבְרַ ת חַסְ%ֶָ , פְ רֹ עָלֶיהָ ס()ַ ת ְ למֶָ , ְלַח ארְָ וַאֲמִ*ְָ לְרָ אֶ יהָ , ָרֶ יהָ וְיעֲצֶ יהָ , וְתַ+ְנֵ ְעֵצָה ָ טבה מ0ְִפָנֶיָ . חַ/ֵק אֶ ת יְדֵ י מְגִ.ֵי אֶרֶ - קָדְֵ נ , וְהַ נְחִ ילֵ אֱ לֹהֵ ינ יְעָה וַעֲטֶרֶ ת נ3ִָ ח! *ְע2ְַרֵ  , וְנָתַ*ָ ָ ל ָ רֶ - וְִמְחַ ת עלָ לְ יְבֶ יהָ . וְאֶ ת 6חֵ ינ )ָל ֵ ית יְִרָאֵ ל 5ְ 7קָ ד נָא ְכָ ל 6רְ צת 5ְ זרֵ יהֶ  , וְתלִ יכֵ  מְהֵרָה קמְמִ :ת לְצִ :! עִ ירֶ ָ וְלִ ירָלַיִ מְִ)ַ ! ְמֶָ , )ַ)ָ תב ְ תרַ ת מֶ ה עַבְ%ְֶ : "אִ  יִהְיֶה נִ%ַחֲָ ִקְצֵ ה הַָמַיִ, מִָ  יְקֶַצְָ ה' אֱ לֹהֶ יָ מִָ  יִ+ָ חֶָ . וֶהֱבִ יאֲָ ה' אֱלֹהֶ יָ אֶ ל הָ רֶ - אֲֶ ר יָרְ  אֲ בֹתֶ יָ וִירְִ*ָ <, וְהֵיטִבְָ וְהִרְְָ מֵאֲבֹתֶ יָ ) " דברי ל,ד7 ה). וְיַחֵ ד לְבָבֵ נ לְ 6הֲבָ ה

לְיִרְ ה אֶ ת ְמֶָ , וְלְִ מֹר אֶ ת )ָ ל %ִבְרֵ י *רָתֶָ . ְלַח לָ נ מְהֵרָ ה !ֶ %ָוִד מְ ִ יחַ צִדְקֶָ , לִפְ %ות מְחַ)ֵ י קֵ - יְעָתֶָ . הפַע ַהֲדַ ר @ְא! He who blessed our ancestors Avraham, Yizchak and Yaakov, shall ע(/ֶָ עַל )ָ ל יְבֵ י *ֵבֵל 6רְצֶָ , וְיֹאמַ ר )ֹל אֲֶ ר נְָמָ ה ְ 56: "ה' bless the State of Israel, it's leaders and counselors on the land that אֱלֹהֵ י יְִרָאֵ ל מֶלְֶ , מַלְ כתו ַ)ל מָָלָה". מֵ ! סֶלָה was promised by G-d to be given to us. Put in their hearts the love and fear of you so they lead it in ways of peace and justice, and may we be privliged to see the fulfillment of the prophesy "from Zion "Our Father in Heaven, Protector and Redeemer shall go forth and the word of the Lord from . Put of Israel, bless the State of Israel the dawning of peace in the land and eternal joy on it's inhabitants…and put the our redemption. Shield it beneath the wings of canopy of peace on all the inhabitants of the land… your love. Spread over it your canopy of peace; send your light and your truth to its leaders, Rabbi Lord Emanul Jakobowitz officers, and counselors, and direct them with "reservation of judgment on whether the present State of Israel is in your good counsel."O God, strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them salvation fact the embryonic nucleus out of which the ultimate Redemption is and crown them with victory. Establish peace in bound to develop with all its universal ramifications of the the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants. "Remember our brethren, the whole house of Messianic era." Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily ("The National Idea -Differing Religious Attitudes" in L'Eylah, Spring 5737). let them walk upright to Zion "Unite our heart to love and revere your Name, and to observe all the precepts of the Torah. Shine forth in your glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of the world. Let everything that breathes proclaim: The Lord God of Israel is King; His majesty rules over all." Amen.

war and worked hard in bringing relief to DP camps. Rabbi Herzog was recognized as a great rabbinical authority, and he wrote many books and articles dealing with halachic problems surrounding the Torah and the State of Israel. Indeed, his writings helped shaped the attitude of the Religious Zionist Movement toward the State of Israel, such as how to work an army, hospital and police force in a Jewish country especially on Shabbat and the Festivals. CCC]C] Partial=something!

1 ) ירושלמי, פסחי, פרק י'/א מניי! לארבעה כוסות ? רבי יוחנ! בש ר' בנייה 7 כנגד ארבע גאולות ( והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי ). ). רבי יהושע ב לוי אמר כנגד ארבעה כוסות של פרעה Jerusalem Pesachim 10/1 - how do we know we need 4 cups [for the seder]? R' Yochanan in the name of R' Benaya said; since there were 4 sayings of redemption ["and therefore tell the people of Israel I am the Lord and I will take you out…and save you…and redeem you…and take you to me"). R' Yehoshua ben Levi said; since they were 4 "cups" of Pharaoh [Beresheit 40- "and the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand and I squeezed it into the cup of Pharaoh and put the cup in the hand of Pharaoh and I gave the cup in Pharaoh's hand]. 2 ) שמות פרק ד/י"ד7 " וַ:ֹאמֶ ר ִ י אֲ דֹנָי ְלַח נָא ְיַד *ְִלָח" Shemot 4/14 - "and [Moshe] said G -d send this mission in hand of some [other] messenger"

• רש"י [ש] 7 ביד אחר שתרצה לשלוח, שאי! סופי להכניס לאר- להיות גואל לעתיד. Rashi 3-in the hands of the other that you will send, as I won't eventually be the one to bring them to Israel to be their eternal redeemer.

• מדרש ילקוט שמעוני [ שמות ג/ רמז קעא 7] אמר לו רבו! העולמי " שלח נא " ביד אותו האיש שאתה עתיד לשלוח לעתיד לבוא . אמר לו 7 לא אמרתי ל " ואשלח אל י שראל " אלא " אל פרעה ", ולאותו האיש שאתה אומר אני שולח אותו לעתיד אל ישראל " הנה אנכי שולח לכ את אליה הנביא" . . Midrash Yalkut Shimoni- Moshe said; "Master of the universe; "send" in the hands of that person that you will eventually send." G-d responded "NO- I told sent you to "the Jewish people" but rather "to Pharaoh". And that person to whom you'r referring, I will sent him in the future, as it says "and I will be sending Eliyahu Hanavi." 3 ) ירושלמי יומא ג/ב רבי חייא רובא ורבי שמעו! ב! חלפתא הוו מהלכי! בהדא בקעת ארבל בקריצתה . ראו אילת השחר שבקע אורה . אמר רבי חיא רובה לרבי שמעו! ב! חלפת' בר ר' : כ* היא גאולת של ישראל בתחילה קימעא קימעא כל שהיא הולכת היא הולכת ומאיר. ... כ בתחילה " ומרדכי יושב בשער המל ", ואחר כ " וישב מרדכי אל שער המל ", ואחר כ " ויקח המ! את הל בוש ואת הסוס וגו' ", ואח' כ " ומרדכי יצא מלפני המל בלבוש מלכות ", ואחר כ " ליהודי היתה אורה ושמחה ". ". Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 3/2 - R' Chiya Ruva & R' Shimon ben Chalafta were walking in the valley of the Arbel. They saw the morning star beginning to rise. Said R' Chiya to R' Shimon son of Chalafta…" That's the way the redemption of the Jewish people will happen; at the beginning very slowly and as time goes on it will get stronger …so "Mordechai was sitting at the gate of the king ", and then " he was sitting in the kings gate ", and then " Haman took the clothing and the horse ", and then " Mordechai went out in royal clothing ", and then " and to the Jews there was light and joy ". 4) Chatam Sofer 4 [parashat Shoftim , p. 37]- …several times during the course of history, the Holy One wanted to redeem Israel with an incomplete redemption – as during the period of the Second Temple – but the nation of Israel refused, for we have no desire for an incomplete redemption, without Mashiach .

3 Shlomo Yitzhaki (February 22, 1040 – July 13, 1105), medieval French rabbi famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). He is considered the "father" of all commentaries. Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise yet lucid fashion. His commentary on the Talmud has been included in every edition of the Talmud since its first printing [1520], and his on the Chumash is an indispensable aid to students of all levels. The latter commentary alone serves as the basis for more than 300 "super commentaries" which analyze Rashi's choice of language and citations. 4 Moses Schreiber , (1762 - 1839), leading rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the 19 th century. He was a teacher to thousands and a powerful opponent to the Reform movement. As Rav of the city of Bratislava, he maintained a strong Orthodox Jewish perspective through communal life, first-class education, and uncompromising opposition to Reform and radical change. DDD]D]]] "Redemption"= far from being perperfectfect מגילה י"ז עמוד ב' מה ראו לומר גאולה בשביעית? 7 אמר ר בא: מתו שעתידי! ליגאל בשביעית ... והאמר מר: בששית 7 קולות, בשביעית 7 7 מלחמות , במוצאי שביעית ב! דוד בא. 7 מלחמה נמי אתחלתא דגאולה היא. Tractate Megilla 17b- Why is the blessing of "redemption" the 7 th blessing [of the daily Amida]? Said Raba- because the Jewish people are destined to be redeemed in the 7 th year…and thus was said; on the 6 th year there will be "voices", in the 7 th year War, and at the end of the 7 th year the Son of David will come. War is also the Dawning of Redemption. EEE]E] SSSmallSmall redemption # 1 =REDEMPTION

סנהדרי צ"ח עמוד א' ואמר רבי אבא: אי! ל ק- מגולה מזה, שנאמר [ יחזקאל ל"ו] ואת הרי ישראל ענפכ תתנו ופריכ תשאו לעמי ישראל Tractate Sanhedrin 98a - Said R' Aba; There is no more clear indication of the beginning of the redemptive era then this; (Yechezkel 36) "and now hills of Israel give forth your leaves and your fruit you shall bear to the nation of Israel. ויקרא כ"ו/ל"ב והשמתי אני את האר- ושממו עליה איביכ הישבי בה: Vayikra 26/32 - And I will bring the land into desolation; and your enemies that dwell therein shall be astonished at it .

רש"י [ש]7 זו מדה טובה לישראל , שלא ימצאו האויבי נחת רוח בארצ, שתהא שוממה מיושביה: Rashi - this is a good omen to the Jews, namely the entire time that their enemies will occupy their land they will find no rest, as it will be desolate.

מהרש"א [סנהדרי! ש] 7 ... לפי שכל זמ! שאי! ישראל על אדמת אי! האר- נותנת פירותיה כדרכה אבל כשתחזור לית! פירותיה זהו ק- מגולה שקרב לבא זמ! גאולה שיחזרו ישראל על אדמת! . . Maharsha 5 [ibid] -…for the entire time that Israel won't be on their land, t he land won't bear fruit as it naturally should, but when it returns to give fruit this is a clear sign that redemption is coming as Israel has returned to their land. F] SSmallmall redemption # 2 =REDEMPTIO=REDEMPTIONNNN

• מכתב מהגר"י הרצוג לש"ז שר גאי [ראש העיר של ירושלי ל שעבר], ( ח' טבת תש"ח , ברקאי חורG תשמ"ה, עמ' 223 ): ...למרות שזה אתחלתא דגאולה ו אולי רק אתחלתא דאתחלתא דגאולה ....הגל ות עברה...בברכת האתחלתא דגאולה Letter from Chief Rabbi Hertzog to S.Z Shragei (8 Tevet 1948) . …even thoughthis is only the dawning of our redemption and maybe just the dawning of the dawning of our redemption…the Galut has passed..and end with a blessing of the dawning of our redemption.

• מצע הבחירות של הרשימה הדתית המשותפת של 1949 , חתו ע"י הגר"י הרצוג, הגרש"ז איורב, ר' יחזקאל סרנא, ר' צבי פסח פ רנק ועוד [מתו ספרו של הרב מנח כשר, "התקופה הגדולה", עמ' 3747378 ].

5 Samuel Eidels (1555 – 1631, Posen), famous for his commentary on the Talmud and mainly it’s aggadic/ philisophical portions. For twenty years all the expenses of the yeshiva he headed were assumed by his mother-in-law. In appreciation of her support he adopted her name. After her death, he served as rabbi in the following prominent communities: Chełm, Lublin and Ostrog. Eidels was also active in the Council of Four Lands.

Platform for the united Religious party [Keneset elections 1949], signed by Rabbis Hertzog, Shlomo-Zalman Aurbach, Yechezkel Sara, Tzvi-Pesach Fran and others; "Let's give thanksgiving to G-d on that we've been privileged in his mercy to see the first sprouts of redemption with the founding of the State of Israel G] Not concluded….

Rav Yehuda Amital z"l [ibid]

In any event, we must rejoice today just as we rejoiced in 1948. We must recognize that just as the Holocaust was a gargantuan chillul Hashem , so the State of Israel is the greatest kiddush Hashem . We have a problem with giving away parts of Eretz Yisrael , but let us look at what the Holy One has done for us! We have an independent State, we are a prosperous country, and we are militarily strong. True, there is poverty and there are plenty of other problems, but it is difficult to conceive of the magnitude of the change that has been wrought in our condition over the past sixty years. משנה ברכות ט/א 7 נכנס לכר ... נות הודאה על שעבר וצועק על העתיד Mishna Berachot 9/1 ; when one goes into a [dangerous] city…[when he leaves] he gives thanksgiving for what was and pleads to G-d for the future.