Subject: Rav Aviner on the Assassination Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 21:20:36 -0500 Ateret Cohanim The Jerusalem Reclamation Project *************************************** THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL HAS FALLEN *************************************** Comment by Rav Shlomo Aviner Rosh Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim _______________________________________ It is a black day for Israel - perhaps the blackest since the ýfounding of our state - a terrible sin has been committed. One Jew ýhas been murdered by another in the Land of Israel and allegedly ýý"for the sake of" the Land of Israel. Not only that, but the ýmurdered Jew was the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the ýhead of our government, not a private citizen. He represents the ýentire nation. In his private capacity, he is as liable to ýpersonal criticism as anyone else. As Prime Minister, he must be ýtreated with holy respect. ý Once, during Mr. Rabin’s previous term of office, a Torah scholar ýcame to Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, and spoke in burning epithets ýagainst the Prime Minister. Rabbi Zvi Yehuda listened but refused ýto respond. When the man left, the Rabbi said: "The Prime Minister ýof Israel cannot be spoken of in such a fashion." ý To murder the Prime Minister because you don't agree with him is ýnot only to murder a Jew, but almost to murder the State, almost ýto destroy the State. Is that the way you run a State, you murder ýthe Prime Minister if you don't agree with him? It makes no ýdifference how critical you are of him! ý Nowhere in the Bible did David insult King Saul, despite the fact ýthat he pursued the innocent David all his life. David never ýattempted to attack him. Once, David caught King Saul unaware and ýcut off the corner of his garment. He did this in order to prove ýhis good intentions at a time when the King was completely ývulnerable. Nevertheless, his conscience bothered him for this ýlack of respect he had shown. Later, after King Saul’s death in ýbattle, a lad proudly announced to David that he had shortened the ýKing's life, and that he had brought the King's crown to David. He ýwas surprised that he was not received with great enthusiasm. On ýthe contrary, David tore his clothes, fasted and exclaimed: "How ýis it that you showed no fear in lifting your hand to kill God's ýanointed?”ý We all tear our clothes in mourning and weep over a precious ýJewish soul, devoted to his nation. Despite our opinion that some ýof his deeds were unacceptable, he clearly had good intentions. ýAlthough he was party to the unacceptable plan to narrow the ýterritory of the State of Israel, he thought that this was the way ýto save the Jewish nation.ý Not only the murderer is guilty. No matter what our political ýparty or religious affiliation, we are all guilty. When words of ýhatred are spewed forth, one's connection with his fellow Jew is ýgradually severed, and the fact that he too is a Jew, and not ýmerely a political animal who must be eliminated, is forgotten. ýThe murderer derived justification and legitimization from the ýpoisonous atmosphere in which Rabin was called "a traitor, a ýslanderer, a murderer, riffraff", and it is no surprise that he ýwanted to kill him. Serious people asked the halachic question ýwhether Rabin was to be considered a murderer or one with intent ýto murder. How shameful this is! How low have we fallen that ýpeople dared to ask such questions! How is it that people who ýspoke hatefully about the Prime Minister of Israel - or any person ýof Israel - were not immediately silenced!ý This is such a simple matter, as I said on the radio (Arutz 7) on ýý26 Av this year:ý ý". . .Any demonstrator who uses violence must realize that this is ýhis own personal initiative, and this is even more true of anyone ýusing a weapon. He is forwarned in advance - no one will stand ýbehind him! He will castigated by one and all - no one will even ýgo to talk to him when he is sent to prison. He must be aware that ýthis is his own private insanity, his own private eruption of ýhatred, that no one will come to his defense. A “war of words” is ýjustifiable, but not one of violence, of one Jew raising a hand ýagainst another, nor of using hateful and abusive language against ýanother. Our ideological struggle is justified only when the ýthread of brotherly love is preserved.”ý We always knew we would not receive a state of our own on a silver ýplatter, that the revival of the Jewish nation would be a painful ýprocess - but such a terrible occurrence - the murder of a ýPrime Minister - committed “on behalf of Eretz Israel”, hatred ýenlisted in the service of the Nation of Israel - who could have ýimagined such a thing!ý Let us not despair, in any case. This teaches us - in a terrible, ýcruel lesson that force cannot be used to impose one’s opinions on ýanother, only love and persuasion.ý After the Altelena incident, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook wrote that we ýmust make an effort to increase our love and faith, in order to ýprevent ourselves from falling prey to hatred. We must strengthen ýourselves through “the storehouses of quintessential Jewish unity ýand our inner spiritual faith” (Len’tivot Israel I, p.124). Let ýall political parties and all groups desist from expressions of ýhatred. Every verbal attack invites a similar reaction, causing a ýsnowball effect, until it finally comes to physical expression, to ýthe extent of murder. The Torah has warned us that a man may ýmurder his fellow man because “he has hated him since yesterday ýand the day before.”ý Let us all recall the noble proclamation of our teacher, Rabbi Zvi ýYehuda Kook before the establishment of the State, when conflict ýbetween the various underground defense forces reached the point ýof bloodshed (It is My Brothers Whom I Seek”, Len’tivot Israel I, ýp.106).ý From now on, let us pay more attention to the merits of our fellow ýJews and less to their faults. Let us remember that what unites us ýis much greater than that which divides us. From now on, let each ýperson, in every organization and group, be more careful in his ýspeech. Let him understand the weighty responsibility he has, and ýnot decide that he alone is the sole “owner” of truth and ýjustice. From now on, let no one try to use force to “convince” ýhis fellow, nor raise his hand against him. Every Israeli citizen ýmust express his opinions verbally or in writing in an honest ýmanner. From now on, let each one remember that his friend also ýhas good intentions. From now on let every person seek ýopportunities for cooperation, communication and coordination.,ý We all want peace with our enemies, but disagree on the path to ýachieve it. However, we all certainly want peace amongst ourselves ýimmediately. If, after our Prime Minister has been killed, we ýlearn to make peace amongst ourselves, this shall be his and our ýcomfort and consolation. Let us all come together, so that we may ýsay that his death was not in vain, but that from now on, we begin ýto build true peace and amity from within.ý From now on, let us have mercy upon our own souls, and on the soul ýof our nation, let us desist from the desecration of G-d’s Name ýand from hatred, and increase the glorious sanctification of G-d’s ýname. . . “Much peace among your sons - your builders.”ý ý ý Rabbi Shlomo HaCohen Aviner, 18 Heshvan, 5756 (Nov. 10, 1995).ý Translated by Bracha Slae.ý ************************************************************** ý(c) 1995 Ateret Cohanim. All Rights Reserved.ý Quotation and redistribution is permitted without permission but ýrequires citation of author and source.ý ============================================= Ateret Cohanim The Jerusalem Reclamation Project In Israel: In the United States: P.O. Box 1076 3 West 16th Street Jerusalem 91009 New York, NY 10011 Tel: (+972-2)284-101 Tel: 1-212-924-4755 Fax: (+972-2)273-668 Fax: 1-212-924-4809 MAKING THE OLD CITY YOUNG AGAIN