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Also in>thislssue: 111y1:lw • xnp K:l:l • riiJyri Ii oi~pw • I11jjj. ilii il11:lY • xyiy)J K:l:l • i!~lllJ Ii KlJ1l • I1:l!V. 111i11il • x111:l K:l:l • 1up ivin Ii i!j10 II p:l11iy. t:Pn:lt • pi1i!JO • i!llln II i!Yl:l II oinon • I11j)J • I11)Jjl II i!J!Vil !VKi II THE JEWISH OBSERVER (ISSN) 0021-6615 is published monthly except July and August by the Agudath Israel of America, 84 William Street, New York, N.Y. 10038. Second class postage paid in New York, N. Y. Subscription $24.00 per 4 year; two years, $44.00; three years, $60.00. Outside of the United States (US funds drawn on a US bank only) $12.00 surcharge per year. 4 Single copy $3.50; foreign $4.50. A Shocking Act of Violence- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Tracing Its Sources, Absorbing Its Lessons Jewish Observer, 84 William Street, N.Y., N.Y. Rabbi Elya Svei, N"\?>?'1!1 10038. Tel: 212-797-9000, Fax: 212-269-2843. Printed in the U.S.A. 8 RABBI NISSON WOLPIN, EDITOR Surprising Settings, Yearning Souls Nissan Wolpin EDITORIAL SOARD DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Chairman 12 International Law: RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS JOSEPH FRIEDENSON A New Front in the Campaign to Protect Torah Values RABBI NOSSON SCHERMAN Moishe Zvi Reicher MANAGEMENT BOARD 21 AVI FISHOF NAFTOLI HIRSCH Remembering Dr. Isaac Lewin 7"r ISAAC KIRZNER Joseph Friedenson RABBI SHLOMO LESIN ARTHUR MARX 23 NACHUM STEIN Outrage in Ashkelon RABBI YOSEF C. GOLDING Yonason Rosenblum Suslna$$ Managor 29 Published by Agudath Israel of America The Shatnes Story RABBI MOSHE SHERER Baruch Shubert PRESIDENT 31 POSTSCRIPT SOLE U.S. ffiAOE DISTRIBUTOR EUROPEAN REPRESENTATIVE Feldhelm Publishers M. T. Bibel man Religious Zionism Receives a "Dear John" Letter 200 Airport Exetutive Park Grosvenor Works Spring valley, N.Y. 10977 Mount Pleasant Hill 33 SECOND LoOKS London ES 9NE. ENGLAND ISRAEll DISTRIBUTOR AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR The Berya Principle-How to Make the Most of a Disaster Nechemla Rosen1ter11 Gold's Book & Gitt co. Kiryat Telshe Stone, 108A 36 William Street 34 BOOKS IN REVIEW 0.N. Harel Yehuda, ISRAEl Balaclava 31B3. Vic., AUSTRALIA Make Me, Don't Break Me, reviewed by Rabbi Labish Becker THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Kashrus Full Circle, reviewed by Tehilla Weisberg of any product, publication, or service POETRY advertised in its pages ©Copyright 1996 33 How Do You Live'?, by Rabbi W. 39 Poverty of the Senses, by Rivka Schmelczer JANUARY 1996 VOLUMEXXVllJ/NO. 10 36 LEITERS TO THE EDITOR AShocking Act of Violence Tracing Its for such protection. Sources, How, though, _- -<-;:4t is one zocheh to ,,,, such protection? Its The Vilna Maggid cites a Midrash that points out that Yehoshua was cho Lessons sen to fight Amalek because, as a descendant of gree we too have fallen short of what the one (Yosef) who said, "! fear An analysis ofthe recent is expected of us. Hashem," he was the perfect nemesis events in Eretz Yisroel that for the nation (Amalek) that "does not TO BE MERCIFUL HUMAN fear Hashem." rocked the world, based on an BEINGS Normally, when one faces an en address by Rabbi Elga Svei emy, the Maggidexplatned, one tries e early Zionists decided that to discover the nature of his weap N"V'7V. Rosh Hayeshiva of hey had had enough of the omy, so as to counter it with some the Yeshiva ofPhiladelphia, T:passive. refined Golus Jew thtng stronger. StnceAmalek's power who, as they saw it, could be Jed like lay tn its Jack of fear of Heaven, its member ofthe Moetzes sheep to the slaughter; they, instead, lack of any scruples, and its willing Gedolei Ha Torah (Council of would create a new Jew, one capable ness to employ whatever means were of truly dealtng with his enemies with at its disposal to destroy Kial Yisroei Torah Sages) ofAgudath strength. How do we relate to this without inhibition or restraint, it Israel ofAmerica, delivered at goal? might be assumed that, to fight such The Ohr Hachaim explains the an enemy, one may also resort to the recent national Conven seemingly redundant phrase whatever means are deemed neces "v'nosan lecha rachamim tion ofAgudath Israel. v'richamcha-and He will give you sary, without any hesitation. mercy and bestow mercy on you" But the Torah says otherwise, A e anger and invective that was used by the Torah in its command to Jew must always be one who "fears imed by liberal Jews at the destroy an ir hanidachas, a Jewish Hashem"; that is the only way in 11ntire Orthodox world in the city in Eretz Yisroel that embraced which he can emerge victortous. wake of the assassination of Prime idolatry. The Ohr Hachaim explains When a Jew, chalila, becomes vio that the very act of killing others Mtnister Yitzchak Rabtn. by an iden would naturally create an inherent lent and cruel simply because he is tifiably Orthodox young man, was as cruelty, a callousness toward human fighting an enemy who is violent and relentless as it was illogical. These life in the killers, even if they are act cruel; when he is not guided by the accusers potnted with disdatn to our ing in accord with a command of the Torah's directives but by those of a claim that an educational system de Torah. Chazal note, "When one has secular movement; when he goes be void ofTorah values is bankrupt, and mercy on creatures, Hashem has yond the bounds of what the Torah in response accuse us of having mercy on him." In normal circum permits tn fighting a cruel and sadis stances one would expect that G-d raised the likes of Goldstein and would not deal mercifully with those tic enemy, and employs their cal Amir. who destroy an ir hanidachas. Thus, loused tactics-as has been widely It is obvious that their accusations Hashem assures them that He will reported about Ylgal Amir's excessive do no have a gratn of truth tc them. provide them with special Divine pro violence toward Palestinians as a But our recognition is not enough. We tection to shield them from that natu member of the Israeli army's "Golani have a responsibility to take careful ral desensitization to the holiness in Brigade"-then Hashem's special herent to a human life. When a Jew is note of what did indeed nurture that explicitly commanded to resort to vio protection is denied him, and he him act of violence and to see to what de- lence for a holy purpose, he can hope self becomes desensitized to violence. 4 The Jewish Observer. January 1996 Let us not forget that the Zionist lie? One might suggest several possi sorely lacking in the only element credo of worship of brute strength as bilities. First-we should focus on the truly relevant to such a vital topic: the a viable tactic for the New Jew served midda of azus (the character trait of Torah's directive. The majority of as the root for "Kahaneism." The fol- boldness). Gedolei Yisroel have expressed the 0 lowers of Kahane likewise arrogated The Gemora associates K1al Yisroel opinion that it is, if unfortunate, nev to create a Jewish defense posture by with azus. On the one hand, Rabbi ertheless permissible to give up parts training young Jews to protect their Meir sees brazenness as a negative of the Land for hatzolas nefashos. brethren wherever they are found by trait, and we Jews require Torah to saving lives. They do not, however. relying on brute strength, so that neutralize it. On the other hand, have confidence in the current "Never Again" will Jews suffer perse Tanna d'vei Rabbi Yishmael views government's policies in terms of cution-an approach utterly anti azus as a positive attribute that safeguarding the populace's seculity. thetical to Torah. For without G-d's makes Jewry, endowed with this The persistence of a political debate Divine protection, we are vulnerable strength. a worthy recipient of Torah on a halachic issue demonstrates a to the worst mistreatment imagin (Beitza 25b). In a similar manner, lack of that obstinacy. that determi able. It was those movements that Rabbi Yehuda ben Teima (Avos V:23) nation, thatis demanded of aJewre were the root cause of acts like those exhorts a person to be "az (bold) as a gardingTorah-based values. of Dr. Goldstein. who gunned down a leopard," giving azus a positive spin; At the same time. azus panim-the number of Arab worshippers two yet in the statement that follows, he external coarseness that is the very years ago in Hebron, and Yigal Amir. relegates" az panim (a brazen person) antithesis of the defining Jewish Mr. Rabin's murderer. The attitudes to Gehinom" How do we reconcile the characteristics of being rachmanim, that fostered their actions are totally two seemingly contradictory ap- baishanim v'gomlei chassadim (mer- alien to Torah. LESSONS TO BE LEARNED If we stand accused of something of which we are not hen an unusual event guilty, we must take that imputation as a Divine strikes the Jewish people, W it is a call for us to engage charge to strive for greater perfection, for more in introspection. If Hashem has al lowed such a chillul Hashem to take exacting standards in that very area where we are place. wherein we are accused of an act of murder, and the Torah is held unjustly faulted. Where, then, do our weaknesses lie? responsible for such acts, we must view it as a demand that we realize- and respond te>--<;omething we are proaches? ciful.

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