Rav Miki Mark HY”D was the 11th Jew from Otniel murdered in acts of terror. There is not a yishuv throughout Yehuda and Shomron without a list of victims, victims of murderous Arab terrorism and the same is true R”L for many cities around Israel.
Speaking to Kol Berama Radio, Tzfat Chief Sephardi Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita spoke of the need to take revenge against terrorists and those who send them. He explained this is what the Torah demands of us, and this must be addressed with each and every Member of Knesset and cabinet minister. Rav Eliyahu sites that according to halacha, Israel may not sell weapons to the PA (Palestinian Authority) and the same is true regarding the transfer of funds and steel [used to manufacture weapons and rockets].
The rav attacks the religious cabinet ministers, who he accuses of failing to adhere to the Torah’s mitzvah, which he states is no less an obligation that keeping shabbos as we are compelled to keep all the commandments and we cannot select which mitzvos we wish to fulfill.
“At present we cannot console for this is not the time but there is a mitzvah of revenge. There is a mitzvah to take revenge against heinous people such as these. This mitzvah compels the State of Israel to take revenge against these murderers. The PA names squares and streets after terrorists with the tax revenue funds we channel to it. Their families receive money and we encourage this and permit them to continue the incitement”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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16 Responses
Agreed !
Yes it is and your not supposed to let them live
It’s a sin to let them live
The Rav speaks emes but sadly, he is a chorus of ONE calling for revenge. It takes an army to extract revenge. However, since most of the other Chareidi rabbonim would have their talmidim hide behind a shtender in their beis medrash rather than serving in the IDF, it is difficult to protect the tzibur and there are fewer soldiers to carry out the needed retribution.
AMEN
It’s not a mitzva to take revenge. Sorry. I mean which mitzva would this be??
Just wondering if it will then also be a mitzva to demonstrate outside the prison for the avenger’s exoneration, and a mitzva to contribute to his legal defense fund, and to support his family while he’s in prison.
Which mitzva of the Taryag mitzvos is it?
Such words certainly are inflammatory, but are they really Al pi torah?
To Amen: Have you ever studied Parshat Matot, Tehillim or the Rambam Hilchot Melachim?
Yes war and revenge is a big part of Torah, but sadly was more or less forgotten through 2,000 years of exile and persecution.
Over the last 2,000 years, we reached such low points that we came to believe that only Hashem could take revenge on our enemies.
Wow! That is geoinus! Paskening from parshas matois, tehillim and rambam!
Is it a low to believe that hashem is the one to take revenge?
I would suggest that this is what kept us alive in golus!
To No. 8
Chazal bring down many concepts which are not taryag
mitzvos per se, but the inyan of a commandment to do or not to do something is derived from the language of the torah and the analysis of the meforshim. The “mitzvah” of tikun olam (which some mistakenly confuse with some reform or new age meshugaas) is not verbatim from tanach but clearly is hashem’s intent for us to take care both our own physicial bodies (u’shamartem es nafshosechem, etc>) as well as the physical world we live in
That does not include taking revenge and killing goyim while we are still in golus
Hisgorus bo’umos isn’t just an issur but also common sense to avoid
Hashem yikoim domoi aren’t just words but a prayer too
We are prohibited from putting ourselves and the rest of Klal yisroel in danger
May hashem protect us from all the roidfim
Whether HKBH ordered us to seek revenge or not, the State of Israel and the IDF have a long and illustrious record of exacting revenge on our enemies, no matter how long it takes to track them down. True, the legal system has had a chilling effect and today, when it is an operational option, the terrorists will be captured and brought to trial instead of being killed outright but even in those cases revenge is exacted, albeit within the limits of the legal system.
Oy le’einayim shekach roi’ois Oy leoznayim shekach shoimois
#12- You are no doubt aware that the D”L/Charda”l tzibbur and harav Shmuel Eliyahu are of the opnion that Jews living in E”Y are NOT in galut and that there is no longer (if ever there was) any inyan of ‘hitgarut beumot haolam’ (and, yes, everyone is familiar with the aggadetta in Ktubot).
Is there a mitzvah to build the beis hamikdash before moshiach arrives?.