העורך Editor

Quoting the end of chap. 2, “Sport” of “You Gentiles” by Maurice Samuel):

… I shall be reminded that wherever war was declared we Jews have responded as readily and as eagerly as you gentiles. Statistics (which are quite reliable in such rule-of-thumb matters) bear this out. But I do not believe that we did so from motives that resembled yours. Many reasons compelled us. We are everywhere, to a large extent, aliens. A sense of inferiority in status drives us to extremes of sacrifice in justifying our claims to equality. More than that: we Jews are so frequently and so vigorously reminded, in all constitutionally governed and liberal countries, that we ought to be grateful for permission to live there, that we develop a gratitude which is not only disproportionate but occasionally grotesque. Our children, in schools and elsewhere, are taught, year in, year out, to contrast their present freedom and equality of opportunity with the oppression and bitterness which was the lot of their parents elsewhere. Frequently the contrast, as painted in their imagination, is not a duplicate of the reality. However this may be, these incessant and vehement reminders produce their effect. The child almost comes to believe that it was for the especial benefit of oppressed foreigners that America became a “free country” and, instead of accepting American forms of government level-headedly, with the proper degree of appreciation and criticism, he develops a suppressed hysteria of gratitude. This is not a healthy and natural feeling. Children should not be made to feel such things. And if it comes to the matter of contributions to liberty, we Jews have done as much for the enfranchisement of man as any other people. But the Jew, the oppressed par excellence, begins to look upon America’s liberty as a personal favor. No wonder then that Jews will rush to fight for America. Yet, despite the contradiction of figures there is still a strong impression abroad that the Jews”failed in their duty,” were “slackers.” This feeling rises from an instinctive appreciation of that difference between us. We Jews don’t like fighting. You gentiles do. Moreover, because you like fighting, you are much more skilful than we in hiding occasional reluctance to fight. Indeed, it is obvious that the more fearful you are of taking a hand in the combat, the more you will glorify and idealize it: while the Jew who is afraid adds actual and overt dislike to his cowardice.

Short story found here:

My late colleague Gideon Doron once told me the following story: Doron was, c. 1996, briefly head of the policy planning staff of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, under David Levy. He invited his counterpart in the Palestinian Authority to spend a day together so he could show how Israelis live. Gideon showed the Palestinian official his beautiful house in Omer, shopping malls, beaches, cafes, etc. Gideon concluded by telling the fellow, “and you could have all this, if you wanted, by concentrating on building for yourselves instead of trying to destroy us.” The Palestinian official, according to Gideon, was convinced; he went back to Ramallah and started preaching to his colleagues.

A few days later Gideon called the Palestinian official and asked when he was going to reciprocate by inviting him to Ramallah. The PA guy said: you brainwashed me, and I repeated your line to my colleagues, and they told me that if I didn’t shut up, or if I continued to meet with you, I would be fired.

Gideon from this point could not get any PA officials to take his phone calls, so after seven weeks he had no choice but to resign from the Foreign Ministry.

מתוך פורום אוהבי ציון:

Quoting Sefer ניצוצי שמשון פרשת שלח עמ’ קסט-קע:

“[יקום אחד ש]יעשה את התכלת בפועל… ובודאי הגדולים שבדורו לא יסכימו על זה במהרה… והכתוב מרמז שלא תשמעו להם.”

What is important here is not the Kabbalistic speculation but the forthright regard of future unborn “greats” as being the sort of people who would “of course” frivolously oppose the reintroduction of a genuine mitzvah of the Torah, simply in the name of a distorted “conservatism” (no different than in the editor’s own times). And the writer’s expectation appears to be that the reader will immediately concur, needing no proof.

Not to speak of the actual persecution against the Radziners.

Note: I didn’t see the book within, so I’m not clear who exactly transmitted the above thoughts of Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli, and how felicitously.

Oops, I thought you were Jewish!

Please forget what you just read here, thanks.

Not to detract from the man himself and his many good deeds, but we should have learned from his example a Kal Vachomer never to found a State.

Think: “Benevolent” rule by bureaucrats officially controlled by a single, faraway purse…