If this is the case, I would very much like to communicate with Rabbi Pear. Please let me know if I have the correct family.

Thank you.

All the very best,

Sherman Rosenfeld

July 4, 2008
Rehovot, Israel

All the very best,

Sherman Rosenfeld

July 4, 2008
Rehovot, Israel

And like Rabbi Pear I too felt a communal responsibility for my people. I write a weekly dvar Torah to more than 100 people, many in the U.S. ranging from Charedi to almost totally unconnected to anything Jewish or to Israel. At least 4 nonJews are on my list. I find that writing helps me to get clarity.

In writing my pre-Shabbat message, I was becoming defiantly determined to not let the terrorists who have hijacked Gilad Shalit not also hijack my own and our own relationship to Hashem, to each other and to life. That feeling of davka, that determination, is what led me to dance with such fervor at Shir Hadash on Friday night, Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet, the night after the murderous attack.

I am saying several things which are not contradictory:

1. Israel has a moral imperative to hit hard preemptively at those who seek to murder us before they commit murder even though it means that innocent Palestinian civilians will, very unfortunately, be killed and injured.

Israeli law, International law and American law agree on the right to self-defense. If a person tries to murder you, you have the legal right to kill the murderer. To prevent Hamas from continuing to murder our people, much more serious strikes are needed, inevitably killing many civilians. This is absolutely abhorrent to me. But the alternative is much more immoral. To show restraint, as the countries of the world are demanding, is to lay our necks down on the slaughter block. I came to Israel to live. I don’t want to kill anyone; but I will not let anyone kill me. Left and Right, we Israelis are united in choosing life.

2. My message in speaking to my fellow Jews and to people of good faith everywhere: I believe that love, i.e. God’s love and our own love which is our response to God’s love, will ultimately prevail over hate. If you wish, read this: “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Mashiach and though he may tarry, with all that, I will wait until he comes.” In the meantime as it was causeless hatred that brought about the destruction and the exile, causeless love will bring about the return and the rebuilding.

We in Israel live in a neighborhood of people who hate; they hate so deeply that they celebrate murder. They hate so deeply that their most holy are those who blow themselves up killing innocent, women, children and men.

The only answer that I can find is to love; to love with all our hearts and all our souls and all our might. First of all to love God who despite what we see, I believe really, truly loves us more than we know. Second, to love all that that God has created, all His Creatures, starting with ourselves.

I truly believe that love will conquer hate. Love will overcome. I believe that in the end the love of God will triumph.

3. All of us who love truth and all of us who love Israel, no matter what our political position, must do everything that we can to help fight for Israel, at least in the propaganda war, by speaking up for the truth against the lies and distortions of Israel’s haters. That includes you. You, personally, must do everything you can to help fight for Israel and our people. You are already doing a lot by maintaining your own strong Jewish identity and by raising your children, if you have children, to know who they are and to treasure who they are. I am asking you for a little more. I am asking that instead of just complaining about how the world hates the Jews, proactively fight for our people and fight for Israel. You are a warrior in the battle for public opinion. You can write letters, write on websites, call in to call-in shows, write op-ed pieces. You can also get pieces by others that you find effective, to the media. I believe this is a mitzvah because this is our own family.

You are a leader. You have what it takes. All you have to do is do. The Jewish people is counting on you. I know that we can count on you. And so do you.

I am consciously and purposely emphasizing the unifying in my messages to my fellow Jews and our supporters and without lying about my own political position.

I have established a emailing list that goes out to more 100 persons in the U.S. and also in Israel, my family and friends. At least 4 nonJews, all in the U.S., are on my list and receive all the emails including my divrei Torah and they appreciate them.

In sum, we must lead by example. We, immigrants from the West, have an important role in the propaganda war for world public opinion. Please help Israel by fighting the good and just fight against those who hate us.

Use your own language. Take off your gloves and start typing. You have talents. Use them! The Jewish People, Am Yisrael, needs all our soldiers to fight for our lives, Left and Right. We need you! Now!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

With love,

Steven “Shaya” Kelter

next time take me along
tzilia