Jewish War

by Moshe Feiglin - Future Prime Minister of Israel

"And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before G-d your G-d, and you shall be saved from your enemies.” (Numbers 10:9) The above verse in this week's Torah portion holds all the elements that we need to fight the rockets being shot at us daily from Gaza. But nothing in this verse exists today in
Israel. That is why we cannot deal with our current security challenges. First, "War". This is not a low-intensity conflict nor any other type of post-modern aphorism used to blur reality. When rockets and shells fall in Sderot and Ashkelon, that means that we are at war. He who does not understand that he is at war cannot win. Second, "In your land". The simple and basic understanding that this is our land does not exist today. A government that does not internalize the fact that Gaza is an inseparable part of Israel cannot really fight there. It will necessarily be lured into policing operations. And when here or there it actually accomplishes something, it will immediately be at the receiving end of international condemnation
- and justifiably so. If you have decided that you are a policeman, then don't expect the respect reserved for soldiers fighting a just battle. Third, "The adversary who oppresses you". There is a good side and an evil side in this story. It is not just a meaningless conflict. We are the “good” side. The destruction of evil is a lofty cause. This is not the war of survival of the browbeaten weakling gasping for just one more breath of life. It is the war of the Jewish Nation, fighting to realize its Divine destiny. Fourth, "Then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets". The trumpets must also sound in the hearts of the residents of Tel Aviv. This is not the war of the outlying areas alone. Just like the siren sounded on Yom HaZikaron unites the entire nation, we must all unite around our common goal and destiny. Fifth, "Before G-d, your G-d". We have a G-d. We are empowered by an unquestionable moral force. We rely on our G-d while we prepare ourselves for war with the utmost military professionalism. We understand that it is not the might of our IDF that brings us victory, but rather our faith and humility before G-d.
We pray that we will soon merit Jewish leadership that will build Israel's army on the above foundations and will restore Israel's security and national pride.