In the Six Day War all the Arab armies, for each of our soldiers they had 10,000 soldiers, for each of our tanks they had 10000 tanks, for each of our planes they had at least 10 planes.. how is it possible that the Jewish people went to war against all the Arab armies? If they would only walk they could have walked all over us. Can anybody explain the miracles?
And then we have the Second Lebanon War, without Syria, without Jordan, without Libya. A grand total of 2000 "Hezballonim". And look what happened! Do you know why? Because we said "kochee v'Otzem Yadee". What do you think? That we can succeed without help from Heaven? Without the Torah? Without those who learn Torah?
Whoever does not believe that the Jewish Nation lives in a realm beyond the natural is a denier.
It is unbelievable what is happening in education today – crime, violence, drugs, stabbings. When you study the Torah you don't need a police officer in school – you don't need a metal detector to see whether a student has walked in with a knife," he said.
"In the pure education according to the Torah there is no such thing."
--- Minister of Interior Eli Yishai
There are so many things wrong with this.
ReplyDeleteIt oversimplifies the vast strategic difference between fighting a "traditional" war and a gorilla war. As many nations the world over have seen, it's nearly impossible to "win" a gorilla war. The outcome we achieved in Lebanon, while not a clear victory in traditional terms, was certainly not a "loss" either.
There geometrically more people learning in Israel now than there were during the '67. Is Yishai saying that it's a lie of the Chareidi establishment that these people's learning is in defense of the nation?
And of course, in the absence of prophecy nobody as the right to speak the mind of God, not the greatest Rabbi and certainly not a political hack.
I suggest everyone find a copy of a sefer called מעלות ממעמקים, and read Rav Amital's talk to his students about the meaning of the Yom Kippur War. He answers there similar misuse of the idea of Kochi v'otzem yadi, and the arrogance of people who are so sure they can pinpoint causes for such events. His point that most sticks out in my mind is that if Hashem will come with complaints against anyone, it will likely be those who sit in the beit midrash.
ReplyDeleteMenachem is right. Before we go looking for esoteric connections, how about the pshat reasons he noted, plus lack of appropriate leadership, preparation, etc.
I've come to expect such idiotic pronouncements from the moral 'on high' from certain rabbis and hacks. Unfortunately, while they do seem to speak to the hearts of some (who already agree with them), they really only distance further from Torah those whom we most need to bring to respect for Torah.
I say the bigger problem isn't lack of Torah (we should always address that); it is the loose mouths of too many public figures who style themselves the leaders and know-it-alls in our society.
The phrase כוחי ועוצם ידי is only used in the Torah to describe a reaction to material wealth, no military prowess.
ReplyDeleteMenachem - Presumably you mean guerilla war. Gorilla wars only happen in Congo.
ReplyDeleteEli - it also refers to the control of eretz yisrael, which is of course obtained by warfare.