One of the main themes underlying Parsha Kedoshim is the loving care with which each Jew is to treat his Jewish brother. Indeed, we see that the first posuk of our Parsha conveys that spirit, “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “Speak to the entire assembly of B’nai Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your G’d.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 1) Our Parsha then goes on to enumerate the Asseret HaDivrot, the Ten Commandments in depth.
But the spirit of our Parsha is best expressed by the principle taught by Rabbi Hillel to the convert, on one foot, which says “V’ohavtoh L’reiachoh Komochoh” — “… you shall love your fellow as yourself…” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 18)
Once again this year, as with last year, two headlines struck me this week as being polar opposites as to what the spirit of our Parsha and these posukim IS, and what it is NOT.
Last year, the headlines were a contrast; the martial arts expert who refused to teach marshal arts to a Givati troop when he found out that the skills they would learned were to be used against other Jews on the day of the expulsion from Gush Katif contrasted with Justice Cheshin’s reaction to hundreds of cases brought against the government by then residents of Gush Katif, both related to the impending Geirush from Gush Katif and in the Shomron.
This year, again the headlines are a contrast; one of the headlines being about a young corporal who courageously refused to shake IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz’ hand on Yom Hatsma’ot at a ceremony at the President’s home at risk of rubuke of Israel’s political leaders, military punishment and loss of a reward for exemplary performance. The other headline being about the Israel High Court of Justice, or rather Miscarraige of Justice who disregarded PERFECTLY LEGAL documents of sale and rental approved for accuracy and legality by one of the biggest and best law firms in Israel for no other reason than to harrass, abuse, persecute and expell the new residents of the newly acquired Beit Shapira building as well as all of the JEWISH residents of Chevron.
In stark contrast to the two cynical, hateful, vindictive stories concerning the Supreme Court of Israel and Geirush, the stories of the the martial arts expert and the corporal who passed on shaking hands with the evictor of his grandparents from Gush Katif are true expressions of “V’ohavtoh L’rei’achoh Komochoh” — “… you shall love your fellow as yourself…” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 18)
The air is replete with other such stories of soldiers risking their careers and possible trial and imprisonment rather than to obey orders to take part in the immoral planned expulsion or to protest it. Soldiers such as these young corporals any many others exemplify “V’ohavtoh L’reiachoh Komochoh.” They are the future leaders of a Torah-based Jewish nation in Eretz Yisrael.
May it be in this year and beyond, that our brethren; the refugee families from Gush Katif and the Shomron (may they soon be restored to new homes and neighborhoods, Bati Knesset, Yeshivot in Gush Katif and the Shomron and only happiness and success for all time), as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard (may he soon know freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael) be central in our thoughts, prayers, chassadim and actions. May this abominable period of history called hitnatkut be as a bad dream.
May we be zocha in this coming year to take giant steps toward fulfilling Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!