העורך Editor

Avigdor and the Avoda Zara

There was a recent ‘incident’ between the representatives of two regimes; Avigdor Lieberman and Kim Jong-un.

Here are the highlights from Haaretz:

North Korea lashed out at Israel on Saturday after Israel’s defense minister called the hermit kingdom’s regime a “crazy and radical group,” blamed it of being an ally of Syria’s Assad and the Lebanese group Hezbollah and said growing tensions between the U.S. and Pyongyang have “direct implications” for Israel.

A statement released by the North Korean Foreign Ministry called Avigdor Lieberman’s statement “reckless” and a form of “sordid and wicked behavior” that posed a “grave challenge to the DPRK.”

In response, the North Koreans threatened, “it is the steadfast will and spirit of the service personnel and people of the DPRK to give merciless, thousand-fold punishment to whoever dares hurt the dignity of its supreme leadership.”

…

According to foreign reports, North Korea was also involved in helping Syria build a nuclear reactor, which was destroyed in an attack attributed to Israel in 2007.

…

Needless to say, Lieberman was attacked by his political opponents:

“Mr. Defense Minister, we have enough enemies in the region let’s focus on them,” Labor lawmaker Shelly Yachimovich tweeted.

Lieberman’s predecessor, Moshe Ya’alon, accused the defense minister of “prattling irresponsibly about North Korea.” Referring to past hawkish remarks made by Lieberman, Ya’alon tweeted: “After bombing the Aswan Dam, ousting Hamas, and taking out Ismail Haniyeh within 48 hours, the minister of talk is prattling irresponsibly about North Korea.”

“And there’s no prime minister to call his prattling and belligerent ministers to order!” he added.

Now, diplomacy is better than warmongering, pols have no right to free speech, and Lieberman was “moving his lips” aplenty, of course. However, it’s important to remember that the dishonorable Kim Jong-un is one of North Korea’s false deities (like the biblical Pharaoh). As such, he must be ridiculed if possible (same as the Unholy Poop, by the way), see Megillas Esther.

Ba’al Hatanya: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Is Not Mashiach

A Quote from Mr. Litvak:

The Alter Rebbe of the Lubavitch, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, is reported to have said, surprisingly, that Moshiach will be a Misnaged (not a Chassid), giving the following explanation.

If Moshiach will be a Chassid, the Litvaks (Misnagdim) won’t accept him. But if he will be a Misnaged, the Chassidim will accept him anyway, since Chassidim are (allegedly) ‘kabbolas ol’niks’ (בני קבלת עול).

See the rest (Hyehudi has dealt with this in the past, e.g., here).

True or False?

Kibbutzniks comprised a full quarter of the casualties during the Six-Day War, in spite of being only 4% of the soldiers.

UPDATE – Claude claims:

I retrieved the actual IDF historical research document on Six-Day War casualties. It breaks down the 781 fallen soldiers by front, brigade, date, rank, age, marital status, and type of service. Crucially, it does break down casualties by place of residence — city, development town, and “התיישבות העובדת” (the labour settlements, i.e., kibbutzim and moshavim).

The document notes that over 25% of fallen soldiers came from the התיישבות העובדת. But — and this is important — that category includes both kibbutzim and moshavim, not kibbutzim alone. And the document also explicitly cautions that many soldiers from kibbutzim (as well as moshavim, presumably) registered city addresses (military or family), so the figure likely understates their representation.

So the 25% figure appears to have a real basis in IDF data for the Six-Day War specifically — but it refers to the broader labour settlement sector, not kibbutzim alone, and the document itself flags the methodological caveat.

It’s also worth noting that kibbutzniks were historically overrepresented in combat roles and officer ranks, which would naturally affect casualty rates; IDF’s culture was the famous “אחרי” (“follow me”) doctrine, where officers led from the front.

Nothing specific to kibbutz casualty percentages in 1948.

Why the Chosen Nation Dwells Alone

Warning: I copy herein the ugly words of a Jewish ignoramus and renegade. I do this for just cause, but this post is not for the faint-hearted.
As we’ve said, exile (Galus) is a religiously unnatural state for Jews. Here’s an example of the kinds of heretical emotions engendered by life in exile, the sort of situations which proud Jews in their homeland are far less prone to.
An incident of this period did much to undermine whatever inclination I may have had toward the ancient tradition. One very cold night the rabbi tottered into our house in a pitiful condition; it took a half dozen glasses of boiling tea to thaw him out. He then told how a sympathetic “goy” had offered him a pair of gloves and why he had refused the gift; a Jew must not be the instrument of bringing a “mitvah,” or blessing, on a non-believer. That was the first time, I believe, that I came smack up against the doctrine of the “chosen people,” and it struck me as stupid and mean…
This isn’t cured by merely studying Rambam Hilchos Matnos Aniyim chapter 8, etc. Even a God-fearing, Jewishly educated person will wrestle with these all-too-human feelings.
Goyim are no good in essence. But as we know, man is greatly influenced by his neighbors – ויתערבו בגוים וילמדו מעשיהם.
Rambam Hilchos De’os 6:1:
דרך ברייתו של אדם להיות נמשך בדעותיו ובמעשיו אחר ריעיו וחביריו נווהג נוהג כמנהג אנשי מדינתו לפיכך צריך אדם להתחבר לצדיקים ולישב אצל החכמים תמיד כדי שילמוד ממעשיהם ויתרחק מן הרשעים ההולכים בחשך כדי שלא ילמוד ממעשיהם הוא ששלמה אומר הולך את חכמים יחכם ורועה כסילים ירוע ואומר אשרי האיש וגו’ וכן אם היה במדינה שמנהגותיה רעים ואין אנשיה הולכים בדרך ישרה ילך למקום שאנשיה צדיקים ונוהגים בדרך טובים ואם היו כל המדינות שהוא יודעם ושומע שמועתן נוהגים בדרך לא טובה כמו זמנינו או שאינו יכול ללכת למדינה שמנהגותיה טובים מפני הגייסות או מפני החולי ישב לבדו יחידי כענין שנאמר ישב בדד וידום ואם היו רעים וחטאים שאין מניחים אותו לישב במדינה אלא אם כן נתערב עמהן ונוהג במנהגם הרע יצא למערות ולחוחים ולמדברות ואל ינהיג עצמו בדרך חטאים כענין שנאמר מי יתנני במדבר מלון אורחים
Better to live in the Jewish homeland.
Hashem, bring us back!