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Sichos In English
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ISBN 1-8814-0082-4
5765 • 2005
In the Laws of Shabbos, Orach Chaim, Ch. 329. paragraph 6, it states: “When non-Jews besiege Jewish cities, if they come for money purposes, we do not desecrate the Shabbos because of them [by warring against them]. But if they come [with the intention] to take lives, or even if they come with no announced purpose, and there is reason to suspect that perhaps they are coming to take lives; then, even if they have as yet not come, but are making preparations to come, we go forth against them with weapons and desecrate the Shabbos because of them. When it involves a city close to the border, then, even if their intention to come is only for the purpose of [taking] straw and stubble, we should desecrate the Shabbos because of them; for [if we do not prevent their coming] they may conquer the city, and from there the [rest of the] land will be easy for them to conquer [since it is a city on the border]
One can find countless references to the inviolate right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel scattered among the scores of volumes of writings and talks by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The fact that this information is currently uncollated material, makes it difficult for those who wish to know the Rebbe’s directives in this matter. For this reason, and especially in light of the critical security situation in Israel today, we present this book,
When Silence is a Sin, which provides an organized approach to the Rebbe’s stance regarding the security of the Land of Israel.
The book contains three sections:
- The obligation to protest. This section quotes the Rebbe’s public addresses regarding the obligation encumbent upon every Jew — and especially the Rabbis — to vehemently oppose the ceding of any part of the Land of Israel to non-Jews. In these addresses the Rebbe explains in detail the need for such an outcry, ways of publicizing it, chances for its success, and more.
- “The main thing is action.” This section discusses the practical directives which the Rebbe issues to each and every individual Jew for assuring Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel, and for enhancing the security of those who live there.
- The obligation to settle the entire land. This section contains the Rebbe’s talks on this important topic. This is naturally one of the most essential methods of ensuring the security of Israel and her inhabitants. Some of the topics treated are: the reason why it is obligatory for Jews, to settle the entire area of the Land of Israel; which areas are especially in need of settlement; what the positive consequences of such settlement are, how to accomplish this, and more.
We must express our special thanks to Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gansburg and the students of the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshivah in Kiryat Gat: Meir Shlomo Bernstein, Mordechai Garelick, Meir Tabib, and Shalom DovBer Friedland. We would also like to thank Rabbis Moshe Wisnefsky and Shloime Thaler.
The original Hebrew version, which was called The Cry of the King, was published under the initiative of Reb Mottel Kozliner a”h, who with extremely limited funds, quietly and persistently toiled with self sacrifice for the Integrity of the Land of Israel. He did this at great cost to his poor health situation. The footnotes were not part of the original text and were added by the authors of the present work.
Due to the extreme urgency of the present situation in the land of Israel, this translation was published in great haste. Therefore we ask the reader’s forgiveness for any errors that may exist. The translators went to great pains to ensure that the English did not differ greatly from the original. The reason for this was to prevent the translation’s becoming interpretive in nature. Of course there are differing approaches to how the Rebbe’s holy words are translated, but we hope that the reader will recognise the advantage of the Rebbe’s view being available, before it is too late to act upon.
We would also like to thank Rabbi Yonah Avtzon of Sichos In English for his tireless effort in making this critical view of the Rebbe available to the English speaking public. The authors feel indebted to Rabbi Shimon Neubort for his wonderful editing and time spent to present the Rebbe’s views in a readable format.
A Glossary of Terms appears at the end of the book.
Mordechai Sones and Yankel Koncepolski
12 Av, 5765
