From Adversary to Ally
Continued dialogue about engaging Senator; growing anti-Israel sentiment in Washington requires vigilant Jewish leadership; Timely picture featured in the NY Times
By the Grace of G-d
5th of Tammuz, 5744
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Prof. [Alan Dershowitz]
Cambridge, Mass. 02138
Greeting and Blessing:
Thank you for your letter with enclosure. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending me same, though I received it also direct from the author, who, apparently has an extensive mailing list. Indeed, I also received similar material several weeks ago.
There is no need to point out to you that the enclosure has no direct bearing on the subject of our “dialogue” as you call it. The point I made that the person had not been invited to be honored, but came to pay tribute to an important cause and a Jewish cause and that this could open further opportunities to gain his influence in behalf of other Jewish causes.
I mention this again because one cannot overemphasize the need that Jewish leaders stand on guard and at the highest degree of alertness in the nation’s capital in behalf of our brethren in Eretz Yisroel, regardless who is at the helm of the government.
In order to preclude any misunderstanding in this connection, I must add that my concern is for our three million brethren (ken yirbu) in the Holy Land and has nothing to do with politics and the like. Unfortunately, as you know, ill winds have recently begun to blow in Washington, with the crescendo of agitation to our financial aid on the pretext of runaway inflation, etc., while increasing arms sales and credits to the neighboring Arab states. The person who has been the subject of our dialogue has—as I understand—an influence in the circles of the anti-Israel agitation. It is therefore worthwhile to make every effort to gain his influence in behalf of the security of our Holy Land that is so closely linked with the security interests of the USA, as is generally recognized by experts.
No doubt you know of the Torah concept of Hashgocho Protis, especially as it is illuminated in Chasidus, to the effect that G-d’s benevolent Providence extends to everything in the minutest detail. Thus, it is noteworthy that on the same day that I received your letter, the N.Y. Times carried a piece, with a picture captioned “President Reagan with Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin at White House barbecue.” How true the saying “One picture tells more than a thousand words,” — including those in the same issue about the cardinal differences and antagonisms, etc. between the two and what they stand for.
Needless to say, I am not suggesting that the Jewish approach should necessarily be the same as that of the president of the USA. It is also well known that the Torah has a very strong view about ends and means and abhors the idea that “the ends justify the means” as is clearly expressed in the rule of ׳וכו הרבעב האבה ה ו צמ עצובו and ׳ה תא ץאינ ךרב. But, certainly, other — kosher — means should be fully utilized, even if sometimes unpalatable. And this is — in practical terms — the crux of the matter.
With blessing,
In the New York Times issue from July 3, 1984 (Anatoly Fyodorovich Dobrynin was then the Soviet ambassador to the United States).
See article titled US Says It Regrets Soviet Position.
A Mitvzah which comes by the means of an Aveirah (sin) See Bava Kama 94a.
Tehillim 10:3 “and the robber congratulates himself for having blasphemed the L-rd.” used in halacha to mean “One who praises he who makes undesirable compromises has blasphemed the L-rd” - see Sanhedrin 6b.
