This past Shabbat Chazon, the hesder yeshiva of Kiryat Arba traveled to Sderot as an act of identification with the local hesder yeshiva and the courageous residents of that besieged southern border town.
Fortunately, no rockets fell on Shabbat, but early Sunday morning there were again two rockets that shattered the quiet.
The Shabbat encounter was significant, taking place as it did just before Tisha B’Av, and illustrating the strength and beauty of Jews faithful to the Torah, their people and their country. They continue to live fruitful lives, worshipping the Almighty with great joy, even though the government has inexcusably exposed them to terror attacks day and night.
Only recognition of the importance of the mitzvah of settling Eretz Yisrael, especially the dangerous border areas, can provide the inner strength to confront terror without compromising on our rights to our homeland. This unforgettable experience of faith certainly prepared us for the sorrow and pain of Tisha B’Av. But this was not enough; we needed another demonstration of faith and devotion.
After returning to Kiryat Arba on Motzei Shabbat, we began making preparations to go up to Chomesh, one of the northern Shomron communities uprooted two years ago by the government. A few months ago we launched a campaign to return thousands of Jews to the places that were destroyed, as a confirmation of our conviction that we must restore Jewish life to our homeland.
Our mission is to reconstruct flourishing towns upon the rubble left behind as the result of the hideous crime of displacing Jews from their homes in Eretz Yisrael. The Prophet Ezekiel said: “I [the Almighty] will resettle the cities and rebuild ruins” (36:33), a statement pertaining to acts of destruction by non-Jews. How much more urgent is it for us to rebuild the ruins of Jewish destruction?
Three campaigns were implemented corresponding to Jewish festivals, and thank God thousands of Jewish families undertook the rugged trek through the northern Shomron to express their complete devotion to their homeland, declaring by doing do that we will not allow desolate areas to exist in Eretz Yisrael. Jewish life must flourish everywhere.
This past Motzei Shabbat, busloads of Jewish youth set out for the Shomron knowing that at a certain point they would have to leave the buses and continue on foot because the roads were blocked by army and police barriers. On Sunday night they camped out on the mountain opposite Chomesh and by Monday reached Chomesh itself, quietly using trails and footpaths and remaining unnoticed by the police.
The army eventually discovered hundreds of young people, each of whom had brought one brick in his knapsack to be used to construct a small temporary building. We knew that the armed forces would expel them and ultimately they were forcibly removed, but not before they declared they would return again and again until Chomesh was rebuilt.
As I write this, we are preparing for the fast and the reading of Lamentations in another few hours, remembering the roots of Tisha B’Av and the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. The Mishna at the end of Tractate Taanit describes the first tragic event that occurred on Tisha B’Av, the sin of the spies (meraglim) who were sent by Moses to Eretz Yisrael and brought a negative report, saying we cannot enter and settle Eretz Yisrael because “they are stronger than Him” (Numbers 13:31).
The Torah tells us the Jews cried bitterly that night – the night of Tisha B’Av – and the Almighty responded by telling them that since they cried unjustifiably, He would give them a reason to cry for many generations to come. It was then that Tisha B’Av was selected as a day of punishment.
Remembering this as the origin of Tisha B’Av and destruction of Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael makes us tremble to this very day. Are we hearing the same evil declarations again? Are our leaders again saying we must not keep and develop Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria? Do we want another Tisha B’Av because we haven’t learned a lesson? Haven’t the terrible crimes of destroying Jewish communities in Gush Katif and the northern Shomron stimulated more Arab terror?
The responsibility of a Jewish leader today is to prove that the Jewish people have come back to life and are completely and faithfully devoted to the divine process of redemption. This process has aroused Jews to settle and build communities in every corner of Eretz Yisrael. These flourishing communities in Judea and Samaria, areas liberated by divine guidance in the Six-Day War, reflect the deepest roots of Jewish life and culture. This thrust of Zionist faith has already ignited four generations of Torah pioneers who continue to carry the eternal torch of genuine Jewish life.