In conclusion, concessions encourage the enemy. The spiritual power that nurtures the enemy is their hope for achievements, and if our reply to war and terrorism is to speak about giving away land, or even disengage from flourishing Jewish settlements – then with our very own hands, we invite the next terrorist attack, God forbid. Perhaps the most grievous act is releasing murderous terrorists whose hands are full of priceless Jewish blood (referred to ridiculously as “gestures”). This is an unbearable “revolving door” policy whose bitter lesson is written in Jewish blood, yet this nonsense continues. Isn’t it clear that these murderers should be punished with the full severity of the law? Isn’t it obvious that rewarding their brutality can never lead to true peace? The only thing that can restore Israeli defense policy and return it to its route is by reestablishing it upon its correct basis, which stems from the “Living Torah.”
Jewish Law – Beauty
After the sefirot of chesed (loving-kindness) and gevurah (might) comes the sefirah of tiferet (beauty), which is attributed to Jacob who is referred to as “The beauty of Israel.” Beauty is the ideal blend of loving-kindness and judgments, as harmonious as a magnificent blend of colors. The inner attribute of beauty is compassion – empathizing with another as they are, through conscious choice, respect and attentiveness. While loving-kindness and might correspond to the right and left hands, respectively, beauty corresponds to the torso itself (which is on the central axis of the sefirot). This implies that it refers to our innermost identity: the Jewish quality of being “compassionate children of the Compassionate One.”
With reference to rectifying the state of Israel, this brings us to Jewish law. In contrast to our present level of beauty, loving-kindness and might are concerned primarily with outward actions; those more physically-manifest aspects of a rectified state. But at the level of beauty we find ourselves asking: By what right can the state truly be called a Jewish state? The root of the word state (מְדִינָה) stems from the concept of judgment (דִין). And the most significant definition of a public sphere is the legal system that runs it.
The current state of affairs – in which rabbinical law courts have limited authority and zero power of law-enforcement, while the state-run law system is founded on a combination of remnants of Ottoman and British law – is in need of an overhaul. The Jewish People have a law system of its own, “And these are the laws that you shall place before them,” covering everything from civil law to criminal law. Obviously, an updated set of statutes and regulations is required to cover all walks of modern life, including business on the stock exchange, or a traffic code – but everything must be under the umbrella of the Torah’s laws. Torah law tends neither towards pitiful sensitivity, nor to harsh vengeance. Instead, it is the revelation of the attribute of compassion for all. Indeed, the Zohar equates law with compassion.
In practice, we must remember that as a general rule; Jewish law forbids initiating legal action in court systems that are not committed to Torah law (except in specific cases). We must always make use of the Torah law courts wherever possible, and must set our goal to establish Jewish law in its rightful place in our Jewish state, which is relevant to the judiciary, the legislature and also to the executive branches. Once the legal system is rectified, it will be possible to rejoice in and be proud of the fact that we are citizens of a state that follows the path of justice and honesty, and regard it as the realization of the prophecy, “And I will restore your judges as at first and your counselors as in the beginning; then you shall be called the City of Righteousness, Faithful City. Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through righteousness.”
TO BE CONTINUED
Micah 7:2.
Psalms 102:15.
Maimonides, Laws of Kings 5:10.
Deuteronomy 6:5.
Leviticus 19:18; Rashi ad loc.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18.
Avot 1:14.
Ibid 4:1.
Psalms 128:2.
Leviticus 25:36.
Genesis 31:42.
Sanhedrin 107b.
See, for example: Ketubot 26b; Maimonides Laws of Idol Worship 10:6.
Isaiah 2:4.
Isaiah 33:14. See also Berachot 60a.
Lamentations 2:1
See Yevamot 79a.
Exodus 21:1.
Isaiah 1:26-27.
