Where Are the Jewish Leaders?

[muman613]

Last Shabbat I was invited to a special minyan at the Orthodox Jewish institution I am involved with. A special Rabbi was visiting from Israel and they needed me to fill out the minyan. I took this opportunity to ask the Rabbi some very pointed questions about the Jewish state.

I asked the Rabbi what his opinion about the situation in Judea and Samaria for the Jewish settlers. I was a bit upset about the ill-treatment of the Gilad Farms settlers so I asked the Rabbi about it. This Rabbis response was very pleasing to me, and I was very happily surprised with his answer.

First the Rabbi asked if I was aware of the 'three vows' which, according to the Talmud {Mesechat KESUVOS 111} the Jews made after we were exiled from the land {the last exile}. One of these oaths is that the Jewish people will not take the land, Eretz Yisroel, by force against the will of the nations. I was afraid of where the Rabbi was going at this point but he clarified himself in the next statement.

The Rabbi said that the nations also made an oath, that they will not oppress the Jewish people. The Rabbi then said that since the nations have obviously oppressed the Jewish people for over 2000 years that they have reneged on their part of the oath. As a result the Jewish people can fight to hold onto the land which Hashem promised us.

Then I asked the Rabbi about whether he thought Netanyoohoo will hold on to power. All the people at the table nodded and said they hoped that Netanyahoo would retain power while I shook my head and said I hope that a REAL Right Wing leader would arise to push the weak Netanyahoo out of power. But everyone at the table said that they were afraid that if Netanyahoo would lose power then the weak left would gain more power.

At this point I said, "Rabbi Kahane was Right"... And then my friend said something along the lines of..

"Where are the strong Jewish leaders today?"

To which the Rabbi said:

"They are afraid if they say something they will be killed."

I left it at that....

Where are the strong Jewish leaders today?

[muman613]

http://www.ou.org/shabbat_shalom/article/masechet_ketubot_111112/

Ketubot 111a-b

Based on passages in Shir ha-Shirim (2:7, 3:5, 8:4), Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Hanina understands that there are three oaths that bind the Jewish people in their relationship with the non-Jewish world:

1. That the Jews should not return to the Land of Israel be-homah – "like a wall"

2. That the Jews should not rebel against the nations of the world

3. That the nations of the world should not oppress the Jewish people overmuch.

Rashi interprets the first oath to mean that the Jewish people should not return to Israel by force, all together (in fact, some manuscripts have ka-homah, which would indicate "all together"). The Maharsha argues that it refers to the actual building of a wall – which would indicate a rebellion against the ruling nation. Such building could not be done without the permission of the nations that ruled over the land, as took place with the return of Ezra and Nehemia at the beginning of the Second Temple era.

Based on his reading of the pesukim (=verses) in Shir ha-Shirim, Rabbi Levi believed that each passage implied a double oath. Aside from the three mentioned above, he adds three more:

4. That the end (ketz) should not be revealed

5. That the end should not be pushed off

6. That the secret should not be shared with the non-Jews.

Rashi understands that the fifth oath is a warning that sins and transgressions will delay the Messianic end of days, while the Maharsha suggests that it means that the people should not push off the ends of days in their hearts, but that they should believe that the Messiah will come swiftly.

There are also a wide variety of opinions regarding the secret that cannot be shared with non-Jews. While Rabbenu Tam believes that it is the secret of the Jewish calendar and Rabbi Avraham Ya'akov Neimark in his Eshel Avraham suggests that it refers to the oaths that are under discussion, it may not be connected with a religious issue at all. In a mosaic floor that was found in Ein Gedi, a curse is placed on the person who reveals the secret of the city to non-Jews. It is an apparent reference to a security secret; a way to enter the city.


http://www.dafyomi.co.il/kesuvos/halachah/ks-hl-111.htm