The Satmar Rebbe Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum Shlita arrived in Eretz Yisrael on Wednesday, 19 Adar I 5774. On his way to daven mincha in Savion, where he will be hosted by philanthropist Meir Gurwitz, the rebbe was briefed on the Shaked Committee and the accompanying efforts to draft bnei yeshivos into the military.
The rebbe was reportedly startled and upset by the events and stated emphatically “Now everyone knows that chareidi Jewry must go to war, one that is heard around the world against the gezeiros in unity among all factions and communities”.
“We must launch a holy war towards safeguarding the bochrim that do not attend yeshivos. Even those who are not learning do not serve a punishment of spiritual annihilation.”
With regard to recent concerns voiced by prominent Sephardi poskim, that the Ashkenazi community will abandon them, the rebbe stated there will be no differentiation between Ashkenazim and Sephardim in the battle “for we will take care of everyone”.
There are reports the rebbe will work to arrange a mass protest against the draft during his stay.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
24 Responses
Maran Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach shlit”a and many other gedolim both in EY and America agree with the Satmar Rebbe shlit”a. Indeed it was Rav Auerbach and Rav Wachtfogel who together with Satmar organized the mass protest against the Zionist State in New York City.
WAY TO GO!!!
if the government get wind of his protest , they can send him home very quickly
A war was declared long ago. As soon as the zionists created their secular government that harasses and discriminates against the frum, war was declared. We all know that the entire reason the zionists began their cause was simply to shmad the frum from a life of Torah and mitzvas. I applaud the Rebbe for his kind words and his love of all frum yidden.
The hiloni government of the Zionists won’t stop until they’ve conscripted all truly frum Jews (i.e. the Hareidis). Their plan isn’t really just to conscript them into the army or the workforce though. Their real plan (and actually the real goal of Zionism) is conscription into their battle against Hashem and His Torah. It is well known that the IDF (even the dati leumi and “modern orthodox” ones) was really created by a group of missionaries. Their expressed goal is the destruction of Torah and Mitzvos under the guise of trying to protect world Jews from anti-semitism. The truth is that the whole concept of anti-semitism never really existed – it was created as a lie by the Zionists for hundreds of years (if not more) to justify their oppression of the Hareidis.
Declare war? “Holy War”? The first requires people who can do more than yell “Nazi”, throw stones and demonstrate love for their fellow Jew by considering them less than Jewish; The second is a term used by the worst enemies of the Jewish people to rationalize their murderous hatred. We Jews have three kinds of war, as the Rebbe R’ Aharon knows: Milchemes mitzvah – commanded by HKBH explicitly, Milchemes Reshus – determined by the malchus or mamlacha to conquer territory or safeguard the physical wellbeing of the people preemptively, or Milchemes Chova, an obligatory war as explained by Rambam and others to include defensive wars and other battles against external enemies. None of these is called a “holy war” in halacha. No other war is legitimate.
Calling for a Jihad against Jews can’t be a positive or practical thing to say no matter who it comes from. I’m sorry but I cannot remain silent, and I tempered my words as much as I could because the Rebbe deserves respect even if I can’t abide his comments. But it is simply wrong.
No, it’s time to threaten to declare war, and to consider the serious ramifications. At this point no one has been arrested for refusing conscription (the handful of arrests were for not doing the correct paperwork, and they were released immediately). It is the time for posturing and negotiating. Based on their media, the zionists assume most hareidim will end up reporting for military service and once in the military will act similar to those who now volunteer. When the zionists realize there will be massive resistance they may back down since it will be in their interests to do so.
The “war” will mean a probably permanent split between the hareidim and the religious zionists (we’ve already split off from the secularists, though Chabad keeps chasing after them). You will either be “for” or “against” whereas most orthodox Jews in America have been both pro-Israel and pro-Torah – they will be forced to choose. In America, it means being pro-Israel in Congress results in losing Jewish votes in some areas. The hareidi resistance will be cited as a reason to oppose Israel, and quite likely some of the enemies of Israel will realize that this is a good time to recruit the hareidim as allies. If sufficient groups that had been pro-Israel the past decide to stop being involved, Israel may start facing serious boycotts and sanctions. It will be hard for Israel to justify itself as a Jewish homeland and refuge if hareidim are forced to seek asylum elsewhere (and as victims of religious persecution, they will certainly qualify).
Akpuperma
Well said and written.
Sad black day for Jews today.
even boys that are not learning give me a break. This show that herideim have no intention of helping the country they live shame on them
Who is protecting him as he travels around israel? is it the treifa Tzahal or Police? The same question can be asked about all the other amebnities he is experincing while in the treifa Medina.
Peakman
Even boys who are not learning should remain frum
The atmosphere in the army is such that hareidi young men will suffer spiritual decline
Declare war strong words for a man with a USA passport. But this is nothing new this organization has always been at war with isreal from the safety if Williamsburgses other then this and several right wing journals no one is listening
As to the leader this jockeying for position and support from the fanatical wing and one up his brother
“[email protected] says:
February 19, 2014 at 4:15 pm
Who is protecting him as he travels around israel? is it the treifa Tzahal or Police?”
Yes. If they’re trying to shmad yidden they’re treif even if they protect the rebbe. It’s called yotzoh sechoro behefseido.
#13 – if the army or the police were to attack him it would give up tremendous publicity. If you look at the Ukrainian situation, those in authority who sponsor attacks on the opposition get in lots on international trouble. The last they want to do is make him an international martyr.
This is the first the Rebbe is hearing about this?
I would like to see the satmar rebbe and his followers live in the west bank with the arabs
Lets see how they get treated there
peakman – it seems to me that you lack a lot of background on the history of this secular Medina and the constant conflict that has been going on between the secularists and Torah Abiding Jews in Israel “specific” and worldwide in “general” for the last 200 years (counting from the Rasha Moses Mendelssohn until now).
The problem is not with the concept of an Army, but rather “who’s” Army. Inscription into the Israeli Army may allow one to protect other Jews, however, it puts one under the control of wicked people who would like nothing more than to uproot Judaism from the Jewish people. Enlisting is liken to jumping into a lion’s cage and expecting it not to eat you. It’s just plain stupid!
Of course, you obviously have trouble seeing this. However, your limitations do not affect the veracity of the statement I just made.
“I declare war”, what is this a game of “war”? Who does he think he is? Had I been in charge I would arrest him while he is EY, throw him in jail and confiscate the million dollars he was just given by that philanthropist. Don’t like it? Too bad, we declare war right back at you.
6.
I know you feel like you are the numero uno daas torah here but compared to either satmar rebbe, you dont even come to the cracks of the sidewalk in front of their house.
Holy War?????
A Holy Jihad is not the way to do it.
#18 – you clearly lack Torah hashkafas when that is the way you talk about one of our Rabannm in Klal Yisrael. (especially when you consider that many gedolim feel in kind)
As far as those that complain about the Lashon “Holy War”. First, remember that this is a translation from Hebrew. מלחמת קודש is different from מלחמת ה . The later implies physical warfare. The prior implies spiritial warfare, “davening”, Learning, and the like.
Finally Finally The Satmar Rebbe will b in the place where it counts 2 make the protest, all other times it was in Manhattan but now he is really walkin the walk bec if he does it in Israel that’s where the issue is & he is showing every 1 that he is serious all other times in Manhattan isn’t where the issue is, only if som1 sponsored all of Williamsburg & KJ 2 Go that would really b Gr8. So this is the 1st time he will b organizing a PROTEST IN THE HOLY LAND !!! THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED B4
He has to keep a perpetual war going. That is the only way to keep all the Yolis in Wili and KJ from going off the derech. Give them something to rally around.
I don’t think it will work.
#16– As a zionist,you should be terrified at the prospect that the Arabs will offer asylum to hareidim. It would totally undermine Israel’s position, and be seen as proof that the war was caused by the bigotted zionists, and would be seen as vindication of the idea that being anti-zionist has nothing to do with being anti-Jewish. Are you willing to bet the survival of the zionist state on the hope that the Arabs will not be interested in exploiting Israel’s anti-hareidi policy?