Ariel
Sharon & the Rebbe MH"M
(The Rebbe’s Letters
translated by Rabbi Zushe Kohn)
After
28 years of outstanding military service and 25 years in the political
arena, Ariel Sharon has been elected Prime Minister of the State of
Israel. * How a family tragedy led to a warm relationship and a
decades-long correspondence with the Rebbe MH"M. * Sharon’s life
saved by a miracle. * Exclusive to Beis Moshiach. * Part 3 of 3
(Click here for Part 1)
In
the period between the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Arik
Sharon had several confrontations with Chief of Staff Chaim Bar Lev, for
the simple reason that their personal military philosophies were
completely antithetical. But as Bar Lev was the superior officer and
Sharon the underling, Sharon’s opinions fell on deaf ears in the high
command, and against his judgment the famous Bar Lev line was
established.
Then
one day Sharon found an order of discharge on his work desk; he was
being fired, thrown out of the army! He immediately lodged an official
protest and appealed to then Prime Minister Golda Meir, but she refused
to intervene in what she saw as an internal military affair.
The
former powerful general suddenly found himself a civilian. As elections
were then approaching, Sharon decided to enter the political arena.
Still wearing his uniform, he met with Menachem Begin and Yosef Sapir.
As he later related in a newspaper interview:
"I
was having a fundamental disagreement with the high command over how to
defend the Sinai. I was utterly opposed to the Bar Lev line, which later
tuned out to be a disaster. In any event, that is the reason why I was
pushed out of the army and decided to go into politics.
"Around
that time I had a joint meeting with Menachem Begin and Yosef Sapir. It
was an election year. The meeting ended up on the front page of the
newspapers, and Bar Lev got a phone call from Pinchas Sapir advising him
to keep me in the army so I wouldnstick my nose into politics. They
decided to keep me in."
Throughout
this time the Rebbe was keeping close tabs on Sharon’s exploits, and
sent him many letters of encouragement in which he spelled out, among
other things, his concerns about security.
The
following letter to Sharon was not included in the official Igros
Kodesh of the Rebbe, no doubt because the Rebbe indicated on the
rough draft that parts of it were secret. In this letter, the Rebbe
implores Sharon to stay in the military "and continue in your most
responsible capacity and function," and strongly criticizes what
came to be known as the Bar Lev line.
LETTER
OF 18
MENACHEM AV 5730
By
the Grace of G-d
18
Menachem Av, 5730
Brooklyn,
N.Y.
Greetings
and blessing!
I
gratefully acknowledge receipt of your letter of August 16. Due to the
importance and urgency of the matter I am hastening to respond,
especially to the letter’s conclusion.
As
we discussed when you were here, it is my opinion that your proper place
is in Tzahal, and it is there that with G-d’s assistance you
are successful and will continue to be so. Of course, this is in
addition to the benefit derived thereby by the general public - the
Jewish Nation, the Holy Nation that dwells in the Land of Israel, the
Holy Land, which G-d has blessed you with the privilege of protecting by
means of your exceptional abilities, effort and vigor.
For
this reason - and I told you this when you were here - you must
certainly continue to serve in this very important capacity and role. I
strongly hope that even if someone in Tzahal is not treating you
properly, he too will ultimately acknowledge that you are a sincere
person with a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to your
mission - indeed, to the extent that it is your very life.
Based
on the above-stated, one can readily appreciate my opinion, that it
makes no sense at all for you to switch to a different occupation, and
most certainly not in the political arena - even to become a government
official - for that is not your mission, and you will not utilize your
talents and experience thereby. Quite the contrary.
In
addendum to the above-mentioned, if only Mr. _____ had also not left the
army... The fact that he was harmed by others, who reportedly humiliated
him and broke their promise to him, etc., does not make it sensible for
him to harm himself. His departure from the army has harmed him, and
likewise, the rest of the army which now lacks his skills and talents.
This would be true even if had remained in the government; all the more
so considering that he has not.
I
generally do not meddle in army regulations, but I consider it very odd
that when an amateur soldier, in whom only a few months of training was
invested, wishes to leave the army, it is reckoned - and rightfully so -
as a serious offense, yet when a general or the likes - in whom training
of the highest order was invested, as well as considerable energy,
money, and so on - wishes to leave, the decision is left to him, even
when he explicitly states that his considerations are of a personal
nature, and moreover, even when it is certain that his absence will harm
the army and consequently, the general state of security.
The
above-stated is intended as a parenthetical remark. With regard to you,
however, I have not the slightest doubt that your mission and your
success is specifically in the Army, especially at present when you fill
a high-ranking position that is also vital to the security of the entire
land. Of what consequence is a bit of personal discomfort or squabbling
relative to the well-being and security of the general public?
All
of the above is true even now, when their is no war. But, although I am
not at all pessimistic, one cannot ignore the reality, i.e., the
situation that will arise if things continue in their natural course.
The enemy, situated on the other side of the Suez Canal, continues to
strengthen and fortify itself. Despite all of Israel’s official
condemnations, the enemy utilizes each and every day towards
strengthening its military might, towards acquiring the most potent
weapons, etc. - for there is no doubt that the Unites States is not
going to enter into a war with the Soviet Union over this. As for Israel’s
demand and outcry, "How dare they not abide by their promise?"
(in reality, no one ever believed that the enemy would not take
advantage of the ceasefire to reinforce itself, as was also stated
publicly by General Chaim Hertzog in a newspaper interview, which means
that by now it is clearly evident that even fools can no longer be
deceived - if such fools who believed the enemy would not take advantage
of the ceasefire ever existed. Most certainly, neither the members of
the Israeli government nor of the U.S. government ever believed it, and
the same is true of the Soviet Union and all the rest. This was also the
case regarding the ceasefire of three years ago, fourteen years ago, and
a number of times before that - no one ever believed that the enemy
would not reinforce itself), these will continue as long as possible,
and then in the end the Israeli government will resolve to maintain the
status-quo, as they always do in the end. From this it is understood
that in the negotiations concerning peace conditions - now that the
enemy is reinforced and so on - the Israeli side will be at a
disadvantage, because the state of security will have changed from one
extreme to the other between the day the ceasefire was put into effect
and the end of the above-mentioned negotiations.
I’m
afraid - or perhaps I should say, I sort of hope - that just as they did
at the beginning of the Six Day War, the enemy will again make a foolish
move which will necessitate an annulment of the ceasefire agreement, and
G-d will once again perform miracles and wonders, empowering Israel to
mobilize all of its resources (in complete defense, rather than partial
defense, as the case has been until now) immediately after the annulment
of the ceasefire and the reinstitution of self-defense, the sole
definition of which, in our context, is the launching of a preemptive
strike. If these things would be done then there would be some hope that
enemy-fire would cease permanently and peace would finally prevail -
unlike the current situation in which, as mentioned above, the path
being followed is one that leads directly to war, G-d forbid, with
conditions much worse for the Israeli’s than they were on the day of
the ceasefire agreement..
The
above elaboration comes in response to your claim that what I wrote
regarding the Canal is no longer relevant, for I suspect that in the
not-so-distant future the matter will become relevant once again. If
only this assessment of mine would turn out to be incorrect - but
judging by the natural course of things this does not seem likely.
I
was pleased to be informed by Mr. _____ that matters are well with you
and your family. May it be G-d’s will that we should finally hear
tidings of true peace in the land, which certainly will not come about
by showing signs of weakness and readiness to make broad compromises and
concessions, as is being done in the current negotiations, as even the
newspapers are now publicizing. Quite the contrary. As the saying goes -
if one truly desires peace, then he must demonstrate that he is even
prepared to fight for it, with the utmost intensity and under the most
advantageous conditions.
With
esteem and blessing.
May
we hear good news.
P.S.
I didn’t want to mention it during the conversation we had when you
were here - but on the other hand, I don’t see what right I have not
to mention it - I strongly hope that you are careful to put on t’fillin
every weekday. In your case it is not merely a matter of a single mitzva
performed by a single person, but rather, a matter which concerns the
well-being of the general public. Despite the fact that you are
extremely busy with security matters and so on, as is well known,
nevertheless - in fact even more so because of it - you should be
careful to fulfill this mitzva properly. This relates to both the
hand-t’fillin and the head-t’fillin. I hope you will
pardon me for mentioning this.
***
The
letter greatly influenced Sharon, as he later revealed in an interview:
"The
Rebbe kept insisting that the Bar Lev line would be a terrible mistake.
Even though all negotiations had been conducted in the utmost secrecy,
the Rebbe apparently got hold of the information. He sent me a letter
describing the disaster that would befall the Jewish people if the Bar
Lev line were implemented. The letter was written several years before
the Yom Kippur War, yet the Rebbe accurately foretold the terrible
losses that were later sustained. The Rebbe compared the Bar Lev line to
the Maginot line [a zone of French fortifications erected along the
French-German border prior to World War II]. It was a difficult military
decision. Then the Yom Kippur War broke out and we saw that the Rebbe
was right. The discussions I had with the Rebbe always had an effect on
me."
Later,
when Ariel Sharon had just about left the army for good, the leaders of
Mapai decided it would be better if he stayed in the military rather
than become what they feared would be a formidable political opponent.
Sharon returned to his former post, and a short time later, was
appointed head of the southern command. In this capacity, he introduced
a strong Israeli military presence into Gaza, and personally turned Gaza
into a "sieve" for Arab terrorists. For many years Gaza was
quiet, as the fear of Sharon had fallen on its inhabitants.
Four
years later, Sharon took off his uniform for the last time and entered
the world of politics. He founded the Likud party, uniting all the
right-wing parties under the leadership of Menachem Begin.
When
the Yom Kippur War broke out in 1973 the Israeli forces were taken
unaware. Almost 3,000 Jewish soldiers died. The Egyptian army easily
broke through the Bar Lev line, and hundreds of soldiers were trapped in
their positions, exactly as the Rebbe had prophesied.
The
State of Israel was thrown into a panic. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
started talking about an apocalypse, and Golda Meir even hinted at
having to resort to nuclear weapons. Arik Sharon was quickly called back
and reinstated as commander of the armored tanks.
Sharon
later stated that when the existence of the Jewish people is in danger,
one cannot sit around waiting for generals to make decisions.
Against
this backdrop of pitifully low morale, Sharon proposed that the IDF
cross over the Suez Canal and attack the Egyptians. It was a risky plan,
which was not immediately authorized. However, Sharon did not wait for
official permission and proceeded anyway. The operation essentially
turned the tide and ultimately led to Israel’s victory. (In fact, it
was only authorized after the fact!) The Egyptian army was taken by
complete surprise. Sharon later stated that when the existence of the
Jewish people is in danger, one cannot sit around waiting for generals
to make decisions.
After
the war was over Sharon returned to politics. Four years later, in 1977,
Menachem Begin was elected prime minister of a right-wing government.
Sharon was appointed Minister of Agriculture, and for the next few
decades served in a number of different posts under several Israeli
administrations. Today, after 28 years in the military and 25 years in
politics, Ariel Sharon has now been elected head of the Jewish State.
The
last time Arik Sharon came to the Rebbe was for Sunday dollars, Erev
Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5749. The Rebbe greeted him warmly, and Sharon asked
for a bracha for the security and integrity of Eretz Yisroel. The
Rebbe replied with the words of the verse, "And I will give peace
in your land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you
afraid." The Rebbe pointed out that the Torah doesn’t say
"in the land" but "in your land,"
meaning that it must be obvious that the land is Jewish. The Rebbe also
quoted the saying of our Sages, "Whoever refutes avoda zara
(idolatry) is termed a Jew," and explained that avoda zara
refers to anything that is contrary to the spirit of Yiddishkeit.
In order for people to feel that the Holy Land is indeed Jewish, the
observance of mitzvos must be encouraged and strengthened.
Unfortunately,
Mr. Sharon does not have an unblemished record when it comes to
upholding the Rebbe’s principles and teachings. As Defense Minister
under Menachem Begin, he was responsible for implementing various
stipulations of the Camp David Accord, including the heart-rending
forced evacuation of Yamit in the Sinai. All of the Jewish homes were
destroyed, and the land was handed over to Egypt.
Sharon
was also involved in implementing the Wye agreements under Netanyahu,
which essentially handed Chevron over to the terrorists in 1996. This
was despite his promise to a group of Chabad rabbanim before the
elections that a right-wing government would never give up an inch of
land to Israel’s enemies. As a result of these actions, thousands of
Jews are still in acute danger in Chevron and throughout Yehuda and
Shomron.
We
can only hope and pray that Mr. Sharon will rededicate himself to
following the Rebbe’s guidance, which will guarantee the ultimate
peace and safety of the Jewish people.
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