May 4, 2010: Orthodox Jewry mourns its great loss with the
passing of the scholarly and righteous Rabbi Moshe Hirsch,
of blessed memory.
This great man was outstanding in his dedication to Torah study,
fear of the Almighty and refined character. But he was especially
outstanding in his determination to stand up for the true Jewish
faith and Torah, a determination which brought him into a fierce
conflict with "Zionism" - that is, the notion that
Jews can or should cast off the yoke of exile. Whether this
casting off of the yoke of exile is done in a secular or religious
manner, it is a falsification of the true Jewish faith.
The true Jewish faith, as stated clearly in the Torah, is that
we must wait for the revelation of the glory of the Almighty,
an event that can only be initiated by the Almighty Himself.
He will bring it about in a wondrous manner, with hitherto
unseen miracles, and He will bring the entire world, with one
heart, to serve Him in peace and unity. This is what the Jewish
people have been waiting for from time immemorial. To this
day, they wait patiently, trusting fully in the Almighty's
promise and oath to redeem the world.
The concept of "Zionism," to strive for a natural "homeland" and
military power, is thus a falsification of the true Jewish
faith. This is especially true of the so-called "religious
Zionism", which turns the explicit words of the Torah
upside down, claiming that the Torah's promises actually refer
to Zionism and its goals of a homeland and an army, or that
through our own natural efforts the supernatural, Divine redemption
can come about. Actually, these two ideas - natural effort
and Divine redemption - are as antithetical as life and death.
In order to actualize this falsification of Judaism, Zionism
(both secular and religious) undertook a policy of crime, theft,
murder and oppression of the Palestinian people, chasing them
out of their ancestral land where they had lived for centuries.
They do all of this in the name of the people of Israel - that
is why they call themselves "Israel". All of this
is a terrible desecration of the Almighty's name, and a terrible
embarrassment for the entire Jewish people.
The great man who just passed away, among his other fine traits,
was someone whose heart was pained by this falsification of
Judaism, and the transformation of the peaceful Jewish people
into cruel oppressors. He therefore threw himself into the
work of proclaiming before the world, and especially to the
Palestinian people, that Zionism is a falsehood, that the name "Israel" was
stolen by them, that the Jewish people are forbidden to have
their own State, that we are forbidden to take the land from
the Palestinian people or oppress them in any manner and that
the true Jewish people sees Zionism as its greatest enemy and
is at war with it.
Rabbi Hirsch knew how to clarify all these issues, in a manner
that would make clear to everyone that the philosophy of Zionism,
the mere existence of the so called "Jewish State" and the
rejection of the Divine yoke of exile, is completely against
Judaism, not merely that we criticize certain flaws in the
Zionist state. In addition, the injustice being committed against
the Palestinian people was always on the forefront of his battle
against Zionism. He constantly proclaimed that the Palestinian
people are the rightful owners of the Holy Land, and that they
were expelled and oppressed by the Zionists in contradiction
to the laws and justice of the Torah.
By proclaiming these truths, Rabbi Hirsch brought the Jewish
people and the Palestinian people closer to peace, a peace
they once enjoyed in centuries past, before the era of Zionism.Â
His hands were always outstretched in search of peach.
Rabbi Hirsch was appointed by the late Palestinian president
Yasser Arafat as a minister in his cabinet and an adviser on
Jewish affairs.
Rabbi Hirsh was blessed by the Almighty that his children,
grandchildren and students are continuing in his exalted work.
Rabbi Hirsch can be considered one of the greatest Jews in
history in the area of sanctifying the Almighty's name and
working for peace.
By his example, Rabbi Hirsch demonstrated clearly that Jews
do not need a state to protect them, and that the Zionist propaganda
- that Arabs hate Jews and seek to kill them - is utterly false. All Jews need to do is give up the state and make amends with
the Palestinians, the victims of Zionism; then peace can quickly
be restored, as it was prior to advent of Zionism.
It must be noted that Rabbi Hirsch carried on his activities
at great personal risk. He suffered much embarrassment and
persecution from the Zionists, including attempts on his life,
yet he stood strong and resolute. We must follow his example
and follow the path he forged.
May his memory be blessed.
View New York Times article here
View Associated Press article here
To see photos of representatives of the Palestinian Authority
showing condolences to the family, click
here
Those who wish to express their condolences, may send them here
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