A 40 minute video of the Rebbe passionately addressing a number of burning events in Israel has been newly subtitled and published by Jewish Educational Media. The address carries numerous uncanny comparisons to today’s most critical issues — including many matters of life and death for the Jews of Israel.
Airing his urgent attempt to put a stop to the multiple “long-term calamities” that Israel is inviting upon itself, the Rebbe declares that he knows he will pay a price for his words.
Knowing full-well that the powers-that-be in Israel will “take it out by withholding funding from my institutions in Israel,” they will not stop him from crying out, the Rebbe declares. But he cannot remain silent. “Jewish blood is literally being spilled. Torah prohibits me from standing by.”
Against the backdrop of current events, the Rebbe’s words provide insights into the persistent “promises of peace” versus the ongoing threat of terrorism. Offering clear recommendations for how to navigate these pressing challenges, the Rebbe urges Israel’s leaders not to repeat mistakes of the past.
JEM’s decision to invest the time and effort to translate this address at this time is intentional. Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin, JEM’s director, emphasizes the extraordinary relevance of the content, particularly in the wake of recent events. Shmotkin notes, “In the twenty-five years I’ve been studying the Rebbe’s opinion on Israel’s security, I don’t know whether I’ve heard a talk quite like this one, with the combination of timely topics and raw emotion on the Rebbe’s part.”
“That is saying a lot, considering how passionate the Rebbe always is about Israel’s security.”
After declaring his hopes that his warnings will finally make a difference, the Rebbe asks the obvious: “Why are others not speaking out?”
“I don’t know,” the Rebbe concludes, in a sorrowful tone. “That’s a question for them to answer.”
The Sicha covers various current issues, including:
– The scandalous prioritization of politics over security
– The not-so-peaceful origins of the Nobel Peace Prize
– Political self-censorship which leads to deadly results
– The disastrous outcomes of the Camp David Accords
– The fallacy of Israel’s 1985 attack on the PLO base in Tunisia
– Israel’s political parties coercion of its members beyond Soviet extremes
JEM invites those interested in the Rebbe’s approach to shleimus ha’aretz, to explore the complete 39-minute Sicha, gaining a deeper understanding of the Rebbe’s views on these urgent issues. In a world grappling with complex challenges, the Rebbe’s timeless wisdom continues to serve as a guiding light for those seeking clarity and understanding.
Also available with Hebrew subtitles
I don’t want to be insulting but someone wrote an article a few months ago suggesting that the Rebbe somehow supported Begin’s Sinai withdrawal. Good to hear the Rebbe himself clarify this to be most untrue. I would also like to just suggest, as one who knows Israeli society a bit from intimate familiarity, that there is hope for the future. The youth in Israel are right wing and they are fighters. They have overcome the galut mentality. The galut is elsewhere. True that the elite have not overcome it, and this elite will have to be pushed aside. It… Read more »
What year was this Sicha said by theRebbe?
Zos Chanukah 5746
How is this situation similar? This attack came unprovoked, there were no peace for land talks going on, and Jews were still murdered. Also, are the camp David accords really still seen as a failure? Imagine Israel had to deal with threats from Egypt (and Jordan – that likely wouldn’t have happened without camp davids precedent) now as well, on top of the threat from Hezbollah. I’m sorry, I just don’t see the similarities to the situation back then, and really how the outcomes are still relevant. Also, we all know how Democracy in the US is working now. Voting… Read more »
If Israel insisted on Egyptian control of Gaza or no return of the Sinai, we would not be facing a situation wherein the world tries to attach Gaza to Judea and Samaria, and while we confront the menace from Gaza the world acts as though if we don’t let the Gazans into Israel, there is nowhere for them to go. The world would not be blind to the reality that is actually embedded into the geography: the enormity of the Sinai peninsula.
You might be right, but who knows. What is clear though: 1. Camp david was long in the past (something the Rebbe mentioned not to dwell on). 2. Egypt hasn’t been a threat to Israel for 40+ years (before then, many Israilies were killed due to clashes with the Egyptians). 3. There were no peace talks, or anything of the sort that would imply weekness on Israels part leading up to the Oct. 7 massacre. This situation is very very different then what the Rebbe was talking about. Since camp david, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank have been… Read more »