Letter from the Rebbe to Ariel Sharon - 1970

Letter from the Rebbe to Ariel Sharon - 1970

Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
770 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY

Lubavitch




FREE TRANSLATION

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.