Speaking Truth to Power
As the world watched in great anticipation for the miraculous return of the hostages earlier this week on Hoshana Rabbah, the climax of the Sukkot holiday, a momentous gathering took place in the Israeli Knesset.
Standing before President Trump, Yair Lapid, of the centrist Yesh Atid party and the head of Israel’s opposition parties in government, declared:
“Our neighbors must understand one thing: We are not going anywhere; we are here to stay. Our story didn’t end in the Bible; it began there. Hamas, Iran, and the Houthis all read the wrong intelligence reports. The real intelligence report on Israel’s intentions is found in the Book of Genesis: ‘And I will give you and your descendants after you the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession’ (Genesis 17:8).”
He also quoted a mother and survivor whose precious eight-year-old daughter was brutally murdered on October 7:
“We don’t want revenge; we want redemption.”
Throughout history, countless nations have tried to destroy the Jewish people, from the Egyptians, Amalekites, and Romans to Nazi Germany and today’s jihadist terrorists. Yet every time, we have endured and emerged stronger.
As we recite in the Passover Haggadah:
“It is this faith that has stood by our ancestors and by us. In every generation, enemies rise up to destroy us, but the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hands.”
Just as each individual is composed of body and soul, so too the Jewish nation has both a physical and spiritual dimension. The courageous soldiers of the IDF, with G-d’s help, protect us on the battlefield. But we must also fight spiritually, through prayer, mitzvot, unity, and faith. When we stand together and strengthen our bond with G-d and one another, we become invincible.
The Torah teaches, “One good deed outweighs a thousand sighs.” The measure of good is always greater than the measure of evil. To defeat darkness, we must amplify light, uniting as one people and unleashing the greatest power of goodness the world has ever seen.
While we are deeply grateful for the miraculous return of the living hostages and pray for the safe return and proper burial of all the deceased hostages, we must remember that the battle is still not over. Tragically, terrorists continue to roam free, and the Jewish people’s eternal connection to the Land of Israel is being challenged daily, on our streets, across university campuses, and in the halls of power.
The best defense is a strong offense. To truly defend Israel, we must first understand what Israel represents and how each of us is an inseparable part of it.
On the holiday of Simchat Torah, the anniversary of the tragic events of October 7, we celebrated the completion of the Torah and immediately began again with Bereishit (Genesis). This Shabbat, we read the full Torah portion of Bereishis when we start learning about the creation of the world:
“In the beginning of G-d’s creation of the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
The great commentator Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki 1040-1105 Troyes, France) asks: since the Torah is a guide for life, not merely a history book, why begin with the story of creation rather than the first Mitzvah? He explains that the opening establishes our divine connection to the Land of Israel.
“If the nations of the world say to Israel, ‘You are robbers, for you conquered the lands of others,’ we will reply: ‘The entire earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He. He created it and gave it to whoever He deemed proper. When He wished, He gave it to them; when He wished, He took it and gave it to us.’”
Written nearly a thousand years ago, Rashi’s words are even more relevant today. While many accuse the Jewish people of “stealing Palestinian land,” our unapologetic response must be clear and unwavering:
Our right to the Land of Israel is not rooted in the Balfour Declaration (1917), the UN vote (1947), or our historical presence there. It is rooted in G-d’s eternal promise:
“On that day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.’” (Genesis 15:18)
This is the foundation of our claim to Israel, divine, eternal, and unshakable. Moreover, billions of people around the world, Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, believe in the Bible and its truth. Even the Qur’an does not dispute the Jewish right to the Land of Israel. By standing firm and proud in this truth, we can lay the groundwork for lasting peace.
On a more personal and metaphysical level, the Rebbe, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson, uncovers a deeper layer of relevance from Rashi’s teaching:
The nations of the world may challenge us: “The notion of having a land was borrowed from the nations, and therefore is inherently ‘unjewish”. If the Jewish mission is spiritual, why do you need a physical land? Doesn’t being involved in materialistic pursuits distract from faith?
But this is precisely the mission of the Jewish people: to reveal that the same G-d who reigns in heaven also dwells here on earth, within our work, our struggles, and every act of goodness. Nothing exists outside of Him. The Land of Israel, universally known as the “Holy Land,” serves as the ultimate model and inspiration for this mission to elevate the entire world and infuse it with holiness. It is from this sacred land that we draw our strength and our calling to bring divine light and moral clarity to all humanity.
The world was created according to the divine plan described in the Torah, which serves as humanity’s ultimate guide for fulfilling life’s purpose. Before the Torah details its commandments, it first recounts creation and the beginnings of the Jewish people, to explain why a chosen people in a chosen land are essential to G-d’s plan for creation.
As the Midrash teaches, the purpose of creation is to make a dwelling place for G-d in the physical world. The Land of Israel is the primary home, the holiest place on earth. Our task is to extend that holiness outward, infusing the entire world with light, goodness, and divine purpose, ultimately ushering in the final Redemption.
