[Avodah] Drasha of Rebbe Yaacov of Husiatin May of 1948

[Ben Waxman]

BS"D

OHALEI YAACOV- EMOR 5708

(FOR YOM HAATZMAUT)

REBBE YAACOV FREIDMAN OF HUSIATIN ZT"L

(Translated and annotated by Rav Zvi Leshem)*



(Emor - The Hebrew State has been declared in the Land of Israel).



We are in the midst of a difficult war, a war of defense, the forces of darkness and impurity have gathered upon us to prevent Jewish sovereignty in even a small part of the Land of Israel. We are not "pushing the end"[1] - but the end is pushing us. The troubles, sufferings and bloody events of the last ten years have pushed us to the Land of Israel,[2] and forced us to take steps to end the rule of foreigners from our necks and to liberate the Land from the control of gentiles. We also did not rebel against the nations, for behold they recognized our right to an independent state in the Land of Israel. We also didn't rise up as a wall - together as with a strong hand, rather we entered with permission, a bit at a time, subtly, without the use of warships. The opposite is in fact true, it is the nations of the world that violated their oath, not to persecute the Jewish People too much, and they added even more evil, torturing and murdering. Therefore we hope and pray for G-d will deliver Zion and rebuild the cities of Yehuda, and they shall live there and inherit it; the offspring of His servants shall possess it, those who cherish His name shall dwell there.[3] This verse is found in Psalms chapter 69, and chapter 70 begins Lamenatzeach of David to remember, and Rashi explains there (in the name of Midrash Tehilim); above it is mentioned that G-d will deliver Zion etc, and the offspring of his servants shall inherit it etc, behold the pen is built and the sheep have been brought in, but the shepherd, David, is not mentioned. Thus it begins "Of David to remember". 



This means to say that when, despite the threats of our enemies, 

G-d will deliver Zion and rebuild the cities of Yehuda and the offspring of His servants shall possess it, we need to remember David. This means that we need to remember that the establishment of the Jewish State, despite its priceless value, is still not the Redemption we hope for and that was promised to us. The true Redemption is bound up with the coming of the Messiah - son of David - Of David to remember!



Furthermore we must remember as the State is being established, the conditions for the State to continue to exist:



1: Peace and unity, for behold strife was the cause of the destruction.[4] 



2: Holiness and purity, as it says at the end of Parshat Kedoshim, and said to you; you shall possess their land (of the gentiles who dwell in the Land), etc, you shall be holy to Me, for I the L-rd am holy[5] - (this is the condition!). Eretz Yisrael is the aspect of the King's palace,[6] and must be pure from any trace of filth. And I am not here referring only to the prohibitions at the end of Parshat Achrei Mot and Parshat Kedoshim,[7] for all of HaShem's commandments without exception were given to purify and sanctify the Jewish People, as it says in Midrash Tanchuma[8] "The words of the L-rd are pure words"[9] - whatever the Holy One Blessed be He warns Am Yisrael is for their holiness and purity. If so, the full observance of all of G-d's commandments is a condition for the State's existence. 



Behold the command; you shall have an honest balance, honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin.[10] Behold, these are financial laws relating to interpersonal relations, and one who violates this law and lies about his measures also causes the exile of the Jewish People.[11]  And in Rav Chaim Vital's She'ary Kedusha,[12] the reason the Jews were exiled from their land was only because they violated the verse "keep far from falsehood".[13] At the time when the State is being established it is crucial to remember carefully all of the conditions for its existence; not only financial and security arrangements and international relations are the conditions of existence! 



>From this you can say that to warn the great ones regarding the small ones, according to the Toldot[14] this doesn't refer only to adults and children, but rather to those who are great in faith and those who are small in faith. For those who are great in faith are obligated to influence those who are of little faith. And it is possible to have more influence regarding those mitzvot that are of an interpersonal nature. As Rav said,[15] what is an example of desecrating G-d's name? If someone like me purchases meat from the butcher and doesn't pay immediately. 



Now we are in the period of Sefirat HaOmer, and the mitzva of Sefirat HaOmer is to purify and sanctify our character traits. If we succeed in doing this properly it will give us the merit to inherit the Land, for purity and holiness are conditional, as we stated above. This is hinted at in the statement of Rabbi Yochanon in Midrash Raba,[16] the mitzva of the Omer should not be light in your eyes, for through the mitzva of the Omer Avraham merited to inherit the Land of Canaan. This means that through pure and sanctified character traits unity is achieved and peace is made between Knesset Yisrael and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And this is hinted at in the statement of Reish Lakish in Midrash Raba,[17] the mitzva of the Omer should not be light in your eyes, for through it peace is made between a man and his wife, which hints at the relationship between Knesset Yisrael and HaKadosh Baruch Hu, as it says,[18] if a man divorces his wife, and she leaves him and marries another man, can he ever go back to her?...can you return to Me - says the L-rd. And this is what is written in the holy Zohar,[19] and you should count.when Yisrael left Egypt, they left defilement.from then on they should count, these fifty days to bring a woman close to her husband to unite with him.



Beloved Jews, the Muslims are here, we are engaged in heavy warfare with a wild people, who are sacrificing their lives for the honor of their people and their land, how can we participate in the war and help to defeat them, for we are too old to join the army? We can assist in the area of sanctity and purity and complete teshuva. Great is teshuva, for it speeds up the redemption.[20]





*This drasha was delivered by the Chassidic Rebbe Yaacov of Husiatin zt"l (of the Rizhiner line) in Tel Aviv on Shabbat Parshat Emor in May of 1948, a week and a day after the declaration of Israel's independence, and at the height of the War of Independence. In subsequent years the Rebbe would preside over a festive tisch on Yom HaAtzmaut. His drashot are collected in Ohalei Yaacov, Jerusalem 5766. May his memory be blessed and may his teachings continue to guide us.





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[1] The first references are to the "three oaths" in Ketubot 111a; that we should not return to Israel "like a wall", rebel against the nations or try to push up the Redemption, and upon Rashi's comments there. The gentile nations were sworn not to oppress Am Yisrael "too much". According to numerous authorities the prohibition of rebelling against the nations is not applicable after the Balfour Declaration and the League of Nations decision that Palestine would become the Jewish homeland. For a summary of the material, see Rav Shlomo Aviner, Sh'Lo Ya'alu K'Choma, Jerusalem 5740. 

[2] The Rebbe himself made aliya in 1937.

[3] Tehilim 69:37.

[4] Yoma 9b.

[5] Yayikra 20:24-26.

[6] Sifrei Ekev.

[7] Forbidden sexual relationships. 

[8] Parshat Emor 1.

[9] Tehillim 12:7.

[10] Vayikra 19:36.

[11] Rashi there in the name of the Torat Cohanim.

[12] Part Two, Gate Five.

[13] Shemot 23:7.

[14] Toldot Yaacov Yosef, Emor 4, based upon Yevamot 114a.

[15] Yoma 86a.

[16] Emor 28:6.

[17] Ibid. 

[18] Yirmiyahu 3:1

[19] Emor 97a.

[20] Yoma 86b.
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