PAPAL VISIT IN ISRAEL
The State of Israel, and its citizens of all religions,
extend greetings of welcome to Pope John Paul II upon his
upcoming pilgrimage visit to Israel.
The State of Israel commends Pope John Paul II on his part
in the struggle against antisemitism, xenophobia and racism
in all its forms.
-- Israeli Foreign Office Press Release
We can still recall the voices of joy and
cries of triumph in the winter of 5754 (1993), when the
"historical treaty" was signed between "the Jewish religion"
and the "Christian religion," as defined by the head of the
Israeli Foreign Ministry. Diplomatic relations were agreed
between the Vatican and the State of Israel. We heard the
"good news" that at long last the head of the Roman Catholic
church, the Pope, had consented to come and visit this
country, and the politicians rejoiced and celebrated victory.
The media took great pleasure in broadcasting this important,
historical, resounding message over and over again.
And now after celebrations of two thousand years since the
founding of a religion that has ruthlessly persecuted and
continues to pursue our people, by means of cunning, power,
incitement, and oration, they hope to destroy kol
habira, the whole capital, R"l.
The "important" visit of the Pope is scheduled for the
innocent date of March 21st, according to their calendar. On
our calendar this day is Purim in which Yishletu HaYehudim
heimo beson'eihem. This may very well not be incidental
to the schedule of the visit which was determined at the
Vatican in Rome.
The signing of normal relations with the Vatican has aroused
an internal storm in Jews who believe and live by the words
of Chazal.
In the future, the nations of the world will say, "We are
Israel," say Chazal. This terrible vision has expression
already in the Christian Church, which is built on this very
foundation. They said, wrote, rejected, drew, and even acted
in this direction. They did not simply believe and preach
this way, but they also acted, killed, tormented, burned, and
spilled the blood of our nation as much as they could. And
when HaRav Dov Weissmandel zt"l asked for mercy,
during the European Churban, from one of the Church's
Bishops for the blood of innocent children, that official
replied, "There is no such thing as blood of innocent Jewish
children."
The very base of Western culture is completely built on
Christianity, with its deep hatred and pursuit of the Jews,
whom they describe with various disparaging descriptions. For
this, the blood of acheinu kol beis Yisroel was
spilled throughout the generations.
There is no doubt that the European churban during
World War II required, for its success, at least the silence
of the Church and the Pope, and the moral support drawn from
the teachings that church believers all over the globe had
imbibed for two thousand years.
In all generations, understanding that the Golus Edom
we are in is, in fact, the Catholic Church and its cohorts,
acheinu beis Yisroel have tried to come to agreements
with the Church in order to weaken its pursuit of us as much
as possible. But it has always remained clear that it is the
number one enemy of our nation, the nation of Hashem, and so
will it be until the end of history, bimheira beyomeinu
amen. The Jewish people traditionally presented
restrictive and conditional agreements, and tried to couch
them in a way that the Church wouldn't be able to exploit the
agreements, and not to give it any legitimacy.
Since Yaakov's dispersal around the world, Eisov, the
progenitor of the Roman dominion over us, relates to us in
two ways. One is defined by Chazal as a neshicha, a
bite, that is the threat of murder, tzoros, and
yissurim.
The second way of pursuit is neshika. This second one
is much more sophisticated, and it aims at breaking Am
Yisroel from the inside through enticements and
manipulation of Knesses Yisroel's temporary
weaknesses.
The Torah describes the meeting between Yaakov and Eisov,
which was ma'aseh ovos simon lebonim as, "Vayipol
al tzavorov veyishokeihu, He fell on his neck and kissed
him." One opinion states that he literally kissed him, and
the word is dotted in the mesorah to say that Eisov's
act was unusual and out of character, because generally he
pursued him mercilessly.
Another view holds that at this meeting he also attempted to
bite Yaakov. According to this, the dots of the
mesorah teach us that this was actually a bite.
Klal Yisroel has always known whom to try to have
dealings with and has fled from the wolf's bites. They also
kept far away from its kisses. Nesa'eiv neshikos
sonei, detest the enemy's kisses.
The fourth of the four kings who fought in Sodom at the time
of Avrohom Ovinu, o"h was Tid'ol melech Goyim.
Our predecessors questioned this. With all the other kings
the Torah wrote where each one ruled; only here it is not
written. (Rashi comments that goyim here refers to the
name of the place.)
The Ramban adds that the four kings parallel the four exiles,
and the last kingship will not actively rule over the whole
world like the preceding ones, but will not be restricted to
one place. However, it will spread its hatred to the whole
world. With its scorn, its ideas, its missionaries, it will
rule over all the goyim. Enough said.
Until now the Vatican never recognized the State here, since
it interfered with their ideology. According to their
ideology, the Jews, and especially the Jewish nation, should
never have any revival. Yet the Jewish nation is clearly
still around and is in fact building a State with all the
accepted characteristics. Furthermore, their own perspective
convinced them that if they withheld recognition it would
undermine the Jewish state's legitimacy in the eyes of the
world, and especially its control over Jerusalem.
But the unbelievable has happened: an agreement for mutual
recognition between the Vatican and the State. The business
was accompanied by superlatives talking about a "historical
treaty." And now the well-planned visit by their leader. This
follows declarations he made expressing regret, so to speak,
for the troubles the Church afflicted on Am
Yisroel.
An expert on Christianity commented that in doing so they
changed their own theological foundations, and that from now
on a new page will open on the relations between Eisov and
Yaakov, and so forth. From now on Jews and Christians will
live side by side in brotherhood, Uvo letzorer
go'eil.
But we know what Chazal have taught us: Le'om mile'om
ye'emotz, when one arises the other one falls, and when
the other falls, the first one rises. If someone will tell
you, "Jerusalem exists and Edom (Tzur) is destroyed," believe
it, and vice versa, R"l. But if someone tells you both
are flourishing or neither, don't believe it.
We turn to the words of Chazal, because from them we draw out
our path and our relationships in the darkness of
golus: a political treaty, temporary pragmatism (even
if the "temporary" is long), is possible and sometimes even
necessary. A treaty of brotherhood is not possible,
and is even frightfully dangerous.
In the first years after the establishment of the State of
Israel, one of the Church's bishops delivered a broadcast
speech on the "religion of love" in the "first Hebrew city."
Someone got up and asked, "How is the existence of the Jewish
State reconcilable with the Christian theology of the
destruction of Judaism and its heritage?" The bishop replied,
"What are you talking about? What Jewish State is there? Here
we have a state of Israelis, who are in every way an integral
part of western culture. And look how your own ruler is
trying to erase all the symbols of Judaism." That's how the
perturbed bishop answered, ukedai bizoyon vokotzef.
Hashem in His chesed has not forsaken us, and Israelis
tried, but ka'asher ya'anu oso, ken yirbeh vechein
yifrotz. But this government is leading a breakdown of
our Jewish strength. This is no longer a State that pretends
to be Jewish, this is merely a state of its citizens. If its
Arab citizens increase, it will be Arabic. If the majority of
citizens are influenced by Christianity, R"l, it will
be Christian, etc. (And the well-known dream of the visionary
of the Jewish state about mass conversion of Jews to
Christianity will materialize, R"l.) How all this
relates to our stance and our struggle in the future is not
the topic of this essay.
But the chachmei Edom in the Vatican (vechochmo
bagoyim ta'amin) have studied past deeds well. They sense
that an ideological-moral breakdown has befallen the majority
of Israeli residents. Life has absolutely no meaning to them,
all the more so life in a battle-stricken land. Why is it
worth living, why is it worth sacrificing your life? This was
the central (not technical) reason that government leaders
made a treaty with Arafat, Israel's worst murderer in the
last century, a true descendent of Yishmoel. Why think about
anything but "eat and drink" amidst a peace of sorts, "for
tomorrow we shall die."
They are pushing Judaism farther and farther away. It is
forbidden to present talks on Judaism in army camps, and in
other public gatherings. The media was enlisted to slander
anything connected to Torah and mitzvos. So much so that if
it should enter someone's mind to search for meaning, he
would turn first to all kinds of outside broken wells rather
than to his own sources.
Here is the Vatican's opportunity, by way of a treaty with
the government of Israelis. Kisses, flattery, etc., followed
by the Pope's visit and his recognition of this state. They
will be allowed entrance into the main door for whatever they
want. They will be able to "sell" their religion more easily
than until now. It is very possible that soon their schools
will be granted a budget allocation from our taxes, including
that of the faithful believers of Israel. There will be no
criticism of their schools or their activities. It will be
almost prohibited to speak against the mission, because they
are official representatives of the Vatican, whose diplomatic
relations it is so vital to keep.
Who knows how many of our brethren, particularly Russian
immigrants and yuppies from northern Tel Aviv who are
searching for a high "scholastic level," may then run to
their schools, if they are recognized as official
institutions by mandatory educational law. How many hundreds
of thousands of young people will come to study Christianity,
R"l? Since the previous educational minister let
Christian studies into their schools, it will be easy and
legitimate to search for them from their source. The visceral
reaction that Christianity once drew is fading. Who knows if
meshumad will not turn into a title of honor to
them?
On the contrary, whoever speaks against the missionaries will
be considered from the Dark Ages. The Vatican's
representatives, under the aegis of our government of
porkei ha'ol, will set the tone. And Purim, R"l,
will turn into a day that they captured the queen even
though the king was there in the symbolic house. It will turn
into a day, R"l, representing assimilation and
shmad.
Of course all of this will not come about in one day. But
this is the one-time opportunity for the church to come in
like peaceful allies, and not in order to give in, but to
conquer once and for all, and to poison the souls of
acheinu beis Yisroel.
If one should ask, "Why be suspicious?" Besides all the
intellectual answers, here are the words of the Rambam in his
commentary to Ovos, chapter 1, at the end of the sixth
mishna: "When there is a known evil doer, whose deeds
are well known, and afterwards we see him doing one deed that
indicates that he is good, but there is still a remote
possibility that the deed was bad. In such a case, it is
fitting to be wary of him and not to believe that he is good,
as long as there is a possibility for the bad. About this one
is said (Mishlei, 26): "Even if his voice is sweet,
don't believe him, because seven abominations are in his
heart."
