Zachi HaNegbi and the Bankruptcy of Secular Zionism (1/97)

Zachi HaNegbi and the Bankruptcy of Secular Zionism (1/97)

Written By: Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane
Translated by Lenny Goldberg

If there was not a Zachi HaNegbi, we would have had to invent him. Whatbetter example is there to illustrate the bankruptcy of secular nationalism.Who can better teach us how even the most fervent of them has no real truestance, because only faith in G-d is the ingredient which enables the Jewish leader to with stand the difficult pressures which one may be faced with. One who does not possess the objective and absolute values of Judaism cannot with stand the pressure. Some may require mild pressure to fold, while others may require more, but in the end, there is nothing real to hold him.And so he proceeds to convince himself that it isn't so terrible, and it's better to concede a little than to lose a lot, and all the other"cheshbonot" which there is no end to.

It is important to note how Zachi HaNegbi himself explains how he underwenthis change: "As a result of my learning law, I began to understand that without democracy, there is no life on the "monument" (in his younger days, HaNegbi barricaded himself on the top of a monument in Yamit in an effort toprevent the "legal" government decision to evacuate Yamit). It is democracy which enables the people to fight for what it believes in, without having ahair on it's head being harmed." Afterwards, he proceeds to pour praise onthe judge Aharon Barak.

On the other hand, someone who embraces absolute values according to the"halacha", knows that the "halacha" is "stubborn" and can't be toyed around with. What we have here istwo entirely different and contradictory points of view which will eventually come to a head, as exemplified by the halachic ruling forbidding soldiers to fulfill orders negating the Jewish halacha. What is frightening, however, is how far some Jews, who started out with good intentions, canactually go.

By the way, last month Hanegbi as Justice Minister demanded that the rabbiscancel their "psak Halacha" which forbids soldiers to carry out orders which negate the Jewish law. Our faithful readers know how much we have stressedover the past few years the cultural war taking place in Israel between theJews and Hellensits. And now, the Justice Minister's call to the rabbissounds like a returning nightmare which we thought had gone away andwouldn't come back. After all, such behavior we had grown accustomed to inrecent years from past Justice Ministers such as David Libai, or from thelikes of former ministers Yosi and Shuli from the Meretz party who openlyfought against Torah and Jewish halacha. And now, we are getting the sametreatment from one of "our own" Justice Ministers, who, by the way, recentlyreplaced someone who was spit out by the system because he was religious!Yes, one of "our own" is now demanding that the rabbis - the same rabbiswhom he boldly stood by in the struggle for "Eretz Yisrael", take back theirhalachic ruling!

Well, let Zachi HaNegbi know: Just like your predecessors in all generationsdid not succeed in forcing Jews to cancel halachic rulings which are G-d'sword, so too will you fail to cancel even one halacha!You, who once barricaded yourself on the Yamit monument to prevent thewithdrawal from the Sinai, and who now has become a supporter of the Hebronwithdrawal and an eager servant to the ambitions of Netanyahu and your ownquest for power; You, who with such utter ease went from being a bitterenemy of the left to a defender of the leftist-oriented legal system whichtoday you warmly embrace - Know: Relief and deliverance will arise to theJews from elsewhere, and you, despite your past "record", will be tossedinto the trash can of history in but a short while...