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Parshat Chukat The Legitimate Rights of the Ammonites by Rabbi Binyamin Zev Kahane |
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Written by Binyamin Zev Kahane
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The
modern concept of "Jewish occupied territories" rears its ugly head in
Parshat Chukat and in our haftarah, Shoftim(Chapter 11). We read in our
parasha how Og ,the king of Bashan, and , the king of Ammon, try to
prevent the Jewish people from passing through their borders to get to
the Land of Israel. Both kings decide to wage war against The Chosen
Nation and both kings lost. The children of Israel conquer their
enemies and inhabit their land. Interestingly enough, no one at the
time suggested that the Jewish people return the land that they just
conquered to the nations that tried to annihilate them. No, such a
proposal was never even considered. But, what if such a proposal was
raised? How would a Jewish leader have reacted?
Land For Peace
To
answer these questions we move the clock ahead 300 years until we
arrive at the haftarah of our parasha. In the time of the Judges, the
king of Ammon brazenly demands that Israel return to him the
territories that were conquered, and if Israel refuses, there will be
war. The king recounts some well-known history: "Because Israel took
away my land when they came out of Egypt, from Arnon as far as the
Yabok, and the Jordan." (Judges 11:13) Compared to the demands of
today's Arabs, this demand is quite "moderate". The king of Ammon,
unlike the P.L.O., does not call for the total destruction of the
Jewish State. He only wants that which was taken from his people. In
words that echo in the U.N. and in Washington, the king concludes his
demand in the following manner: "Now, therefore, restore those lands
peacefully." Peace - that magic word. What normal Jewish leader can
refuse such an offer? After all, Ammon's claim is not an unreasonable
one; the lands were taken from them. Ammon, unlike the P.L.O., once had
a sovereign empire with a capital and an army on that land. And most
importantly, here was a genuine opportunity for peace - no more war, no
more bloodshed.
Not One Inch
The answer Yiftach returned
to to the king of Ammon is far different than what Rabin and Peres told
Arafat. Yiftach recounts all the past history, and then concludes: "So
now the Lord of Israel has driven out the Amorites from before his
people, Israel, and you should possess the land?! Will you not possess
what your god, Kemosh, gives you to possess? And all whom the Lord, our
G-d, shall drive from before us that we shall possess." (Judges
11:23-24) This is the reaction of a true Jewish leader. A reaction
based on emunah - faith in the word of G-d. The land is ours not
because of any historical claim or because we defeated the former
inhabitants in battle. Rather, the land is ours because G-d gave it to
us and we have no right to give it up...
How To Subdue the Enemy
Ma'ase
abot siman labanim - the deeds of our fathers are signs to the
children. One needs only to study our Torah to learn how to deal with
our enemies who initiate wars and then cry "Jewish land for peace". The
Arabs have attempted to destroy the Jewish State through four wars and
much terrorism and when that failed the P.L.O. and the other Arabs went
to the negotiating table and demanded Jewish land or else there will be
no peace. Unfortunately, there are Jews who have little or no faith in
the G-d of Israel who are (mis)leading the country today. These
politicians are unfamiliar with the story of Yiftach and do not
understand that our true right to the land of Israel is only because
G-d gave it to his people as an eternal inheritance. May we, and our
leaders, be worthy of having faith in the Al-mighty so that our enemies
may be subdued as they were in the days of Yiftach.
(Written in 1992) Translated by Lenny Goldberg
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