Once again, we are frustrated, devastated, and emotionally drained. Egypt announced on Wednesday that a ceasefire had been reached to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, starting later in the day. Once again we look at the lives that were lost, the fresh korbonos HYD, at the injuries and terrible turmoil that was endured. And we ask, why, once it was started, could it not have been completed, so that all the fresh sorrows should not have been in vain.
We recall all the times that the Rebbe spoke, in great pain and anguish, about these very tragic occurrences. How the Rebbe expressed aggravation each time the Israeli army began campaigns, and were already in the position to carry them through to their successful end in a way that would prevent future troubles, and instead caved into pressure in the middle, jeopardizing all the – so costly acquired – gains, and even regressing through these displays of weakness.
Once again the Israeli army was in a position to weed out the insidious presence beyond the border with finality, so that we should not have to fear the repeat of the past attacks ch”v r”l once again, as soon as the dust clears, and our enemies finish licking their wounds. How we are filled with justified indignation upon hearing once again about the meaningless ceasefire that was announced, about the tragic truce, that allowed our evil enemies to declare victory after all that we went through.
What should have, could have, been done different?
Well, for starters, our soldiers should have been pounding the enemy until they had inflicted on them complete irreversible damage, until they seriously destroyed their fighting ability.
In the year 5712, there was a gathering during which the Rebbe met with the Rashag (his brother in law) and the donors of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva. This was during the week of Parshas VaYetzei, and they were discussing the upcoming dinner that would benefit the Yeshiva. During the course of the discussion, they repeatedly asked the Rebbe to participate in the dinner, but the Rebbe did not consent.
One of the philanthropists there promised $5,000 to the Yeshiva (in those days!), and added that if the Rebbe would attend the dinner he would increase it to $10,000. A number of the other attendees as well, when stating their pledges, promised a significant increase if the Rebbe would attend the dinner.
After a while, the Rebbe remarked smilingly: “It is now 10 years since “Pearl Harbor”, which resulted, after a few years [due to America entering the war], to the new concept of an “unconditional surrender”. “Why must you make conditions?” the Rebbe asked them. In the spirit of an “unconditional surrender”, you should commit to the increased donations without any strings attached!”
Definitely, the first thing that could have been different would be to inflict irreversible damage on the enemy until they get down on their knees and “cry uncle”; - until they back down and commit to an unconditional end to all of their terrorism.
But, even were that to happen, the result would still be a very uneasy peace. Although their defeat would leave them in no position to further harass Jewish people, the potential threat would still be there. We would always be conscious of the fact that, given enough time and resources, they would always be able to recover and become an active threat again. Germany, which was totally humiliated and deemed powerless at the end of WWII, has by now restored its’ power and is once again a force to be reckoned with.
A better option, therefore, would be to totally destroy and obliterate our foes. Flatten their structures, expel all their people, and leave no remnant of the terror cells. Defeat them in such a manner that there is no room – in their wildest imagination (or exaggeration) – for them to declare victory. But there are obvious flaws in this plan as well, not the least of which would be the public outcry which – slanted heavily against us to begin with – might just be too powerful to handle. Besides that, the case can be made that it’s not a peaceful solution, and it’s not really a solution at all, the problem was not solved but removed.
This brings us to the optimal option; - to embark on a very intense educational campaign, geared to reforming and repairing the sick mindset of our Palestinian cousins. We would invest the money and manpower that were engaged in the conflict to transforming those creatures into human beings, to transform their hate into tolerance, their repulsion into respect and their sense of confrontation into a sense of cooperation.
Not very likely to happen, you say?
I beg to differ. Not necessarily with regards to the Gazzans. But there is no doubt that every conflict being fought down here on a physical plane is merely a microcosm of a spiritual (and more real) battle taking place on a different plane. And in this case, I am quite certain (and there are also various additional indications that are not for here and now...) that this intense battle between the forces of extreme evil and depravation and the forces of purity and innocence are a reflection of the spiritual battle between good and evil.
The spiritual battle is one that has been taking place since time immemorial, in all the worlds, and in everyone of us individually it is the ongoing battle between our nefesh ho’Elokis and our nefesh habehamis. And this battle – just as the one on the physical plane – can be won in various ways, that correspond with the different ways listed above with which the terrorists could have been vanquished.
In fact, many of the maamorim of this month – and specifically the time in close proximity to the announcement of the ceasefire -, both maamorim of Yud Kislev and maamorim of Yud Tes Kislev (including the maamar that’s being learned currently in the Monday night shiur, remember that?) deal with this precise issue: They speak about the various manners in which the neshomo can defeat the nefesh habehamis, and the differences between the “peace” that is achieved by each of them:
The lowest level is an uneasy truce, a ceasefire. The enemy may in actuality not be in a state of combat for their own reasons, and these reasons may be able to last long term, but there is no real peace; - the danger is ever present. Likewise, there can be a situation in which the nefesh habehamis is not actively fighting against the nefesh ho’Elokis for a variety of reasons (including, but not limited to: fear of public opinion, a grudging respect for the strength of its’ opponent etc.).
However, this uneasy truce can surely not be considered “peace”; - it is definitely not “podoh besholom”.
A better situation is when the nefesh ho’Elokis overpowers the nefesh habehamis. There is such a frontal attack by the neshomo, i.e., the neshomo develops such a powerful feeling of love towards the Eibishter that the nefesh habehamis is defeated. Its forces are subjugated and destroyed (because the experience of loving and caring for G-dliness negates the entire existence of the beast within). In this there can be various stages, but in any case it is not a true peace. There is always the underlying risk of the enemy, over time, gathering and renewing his strength (this happens in the most unexpected circumstances, during meals, in the middle of conversations etc.) to the point of being prepared to launch a new attack (or – at the very least – create more havoc).
A better option is to completely destroy and obliterate the enemy in a way that doesn’t leave any trace, such as what Dovid Hamelech did through his fasting. This can likewise be achieved by other means, such as tapping into a powerful and all-consuming yearning of the neshomo to Elokus that completely eradicates any remnant of the foe.
But in some respects, the best way to achieve a true state on peace (and (depending on which particular maamar you’re learning) each method has its’ particular advantages) is by transforming the enemy. This would involve bringing about inner peace by embarking on a very intense educational campaign, geared to reforming and repairing the sick mindset of our animalistic cousin. We would invest the energy and effort that were engaged in the fighting to instead transforming those animalistic and beastly instincts into human beings, to transform their hate into tolerance, their repulsion into respect and their sense of confrontation into a sense of cooperation.
And the one and only way to achieve this is through learning chasidus, a lot of chassidus (as in an intense educational campaign), and learning it in a manner in which it is communicable to the nefesh habehamis, for only then can it be effective in reeducating her. This means increasing both our time and our attention and our intensity of learning chassidus, to learn more and to learn it better, And to convince our nefesh habehamis to cooperate with us in achieving our joint goals.
I don’t know if there’s much we can do about the ridiculous ceasefire and truce recently proclaimed in Eretz Yisroel (neither Netanyahu, Obama or even Mrs. Clinton had the good sense to call me for my advice). But there’s definitely plenty that we can do to achieve a true and lasting victory in our own internal conflict. And it is without doubt that when each of us do our part to successfully resolve our inner conflict and bring true peace, this will be the most effective way to bring about true peace in the world around us, including and especially the ultimate “podoh besholom nafshi” through the immediate hisgalus of Melech haMoshiach TUMYM!!!
L’Chayim!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
לזכות 'ר שלום מרדכי הלוי בן, רבקה לגאולה וישועה קרובה, ושלימה י"תומ ממש ג"ב טוהנוהנ
