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The Gaza War - Why Are The Rabbis Silent?

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Tag-MehirTzedek:

muman613:
My Rabbi is not silent. When I spoke with him the other day he clearly said that Halacha is to never give an inch of Holy Land. He says this to me knowing I am right wing to begin with. He is giving a class in a few weeks when he will teach this to the class...

muman613:
In our discussion we brought up the famous Gemara which is expressed in Rambams Halacha 23 in Mishne Torah, volume Zemamin (Shabbat)


http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/935201/jewish/Chapter-Two.htm

Halacha 23
[The following rules apply] when gentiles lay siege to Jewish cities:89 If their intent was financial gain, the Sabbath laws should not be violated because of them, nor are we allowed to wage war against them.90 If a city is located near the border, however, we should march against them with weapons and wage war against them even when they are demanding hay or straw.91

In any location, if the gentiles' intent was Jewish lives, or if they engaged in battle with a city or laid siege to it without stating a specific intention,92 we must wage war against them, and the Sabbath laws should be violated because of them. It is a mitzvah93 for every member of the Jewish people who can come [to their assistance] to go out and aid their brethren who are under siege and save them from the gentiles [although it is the] Sabbath. It is forbidden to wait until Saturday night.

After they have saved their brethren, they may return home with their weapons on the Sabbath, so that a dangerous situation will not be created in the future.94


91) The rationale is that if a border city is conquered, the enemies will have a vantage point from which to conquer the entire land. This concept has relevance beyond the Sabbath laws. For example, the Lubavitcher Rebbe Shelita has explained that these principles are relevant to the territorial disputes between Jews and gentiles in Eretz Yisrael today. Returning any territory to the Arabs would jeopardize the safety of the entire land.

92) War must be waged against them because it is possible that their intent is to kill. Hence, we follow the principle that the Sabbath laws may be violated even where there is merely a question of a threat to life.

93) I.e., an obligation. See Hilchot Rotzeach UShemirat HaNefesh 1:14, which describes the mitzvah (Leviticus 19:16): "Do not stand by idly while your neighbor's life is in danger."
It is told that in the Maccabean revolt, the Greeks once attacked the Jews on the Sabbath. The people, unaware of this law, refused to take up arms in defense and thousands died. Afterwards, the Rabbis publicized this ruling.

Tag-MehirTzedek:
Did you listen to the shiur?

muman613:

--- Quote from: Tag-MehirTzedek on December 04, 2012, 09:25:07 PM ---Did you listen to the shiur?

--- End quote ---

I just got home from work.. After I eat I will have a listen/watch...

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