The Ruling Of Seventy Two Rabbis
That The Land Of Israel Belongs Only To The Jews

The Rebbe engaged in a lengthy discourse about the concept that everything in the world emanates from the Torah, and therefore, actions of Torah and mitzvos have a corresponding effect in the world:

When the nations begin to “conceive plans which are hostile towards G-d and His anointed one,”[72] then we must forestall these schemes with our own methods.

This is achieved when Jews rally together, with all the commotion — not, G-d forbid, against G-d and His anointed one (His “anointed one” refers to the little Jewish children learning Torah[73]) — but in order to speak about, and take action in the realm of Torah and mitzvos. This starts with “My anointed one — “these are the Jewish children learning Torah.”

Although any time during the year is appropriate for such undertakings, there are some occasions which require these activities to be performed with greater intensity. Such times are when we see that the nations are beginning to devise their plans. Even though we know that their plans are worthless, “Plan a scheme and it will be annulled; conspire a plot — it will not endure,”[74] this is because “G-d is with us.” Nevertheless, since the “hands of Esau”[75] have become more forceful, there must be a compounded corresponding response by the “voice of Jacob,” to be amplified much more than in regular times.

Therefore, when we hear that a new chapter is opening in the plans of the nations, the first thing we should know is, that it is an empty scheme. Yet since “G-d did not create anything in His world without purpose,[76] the very fact that such a report has reached our ears is in order to provide the Jewish nation an impetus to increase the “voice of Jacob.” This is the way how to dispell the dangers which emanate from the “hands of Esau.” Specifically, we must intensify the areas which relate to this, in order to overcome it.

Accordingly: When the nations speak against “G-d and His anointed one,” we must speak about the greatness of G-d and the greatness of His anointed One, about Jewish children learning Torah — the power of Jewish education, and how relevant it is.

When the nations scheme to divide the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, “The City of King David’s dwelling place,” we must respond in an agitated manner — with all the uproar that the Torah demands — insisting that the land is an inheritance from our fathers, and G-d gave it to the Jews as an everlasting covenant — the Land of Israel to the Nation of Israel with the Torah of Israel.

To this end, it is appropriate to mention the following point: Since there are many tens of Jews present here today (“the Divine Presence rests upon every group of ten Jews”[77]), yet all the gentiles together do not add up to more than seventy nations (because “He set up the borders of the nations to parallel the number of Jacob’s descendants”[78] accompanying Jacob to Egypt...”). Hence we must find seventy Jews to make a ruling on the indivisibility of the Land of Israel. Since this will be a definitive Torah ruling, it will definitely endure. As we derive elsewhere, “whoever occupies himself in studying the sections of Torah which deal with the sacrifices — it is counted as if he personally offered a sacrifice;”[79] the same holds true regarding one who involves himself in rulings relating to shleimus haAretz, shleimus haTorah, and shleimus Yisrael.[80]

This is the only reason for wasting Jewish time on the “commotion and empty plans of the nations,” time which could be better utilized learning Torah and performing mitzvos. We need to increase the “voice of Jacob,” in order to frustrate the “hands of Esau,” and this (increase) is the advantage resulting from this situation. Not only do Jews understand this — gentiles do also. The Midrash illustrates this with an extraordinary story:[81] Haman once saw Mordechai as he met small children coming home from school. He asked them to tell him what they had been learning. The first child related that he had learned the verse, “Do not fear sudden terror, nor the destruction of the wicked when it arises.”[82] The second child said, “Plan a scheme but it will be foiled; conspire a plot — but it will not materialize, because G-d is with us.”[83] The third child replied, “Until your old age I am with you, to your old age I will sustain you; I made you, and I will sustain you and deliver you.”[84] Hearing this greatly disturbed Haman.

This seems difficult to understand: Why would Haman be made uneasy by three Jewish children? This is evidence, that when the truth is spoken (and a child does not understand how to be deceitful) — when one expresses an idea from “the Torah of Truth,” it even crushes Haman; all the more so does it influence Jews.

This may seem like childish play-acting — but the Sages are teaching us a clear lesson from this incident involving Haman. There are present in this room many scores of Jews who have the power described by the sages as that of “rulers” or “kings”[85] — and the number of Jews which represents the Jewish people is seventy (corresponding to the seventy nations); and today, in fact, we have many more than seventy Rabbis present.

We know from the Zohar[86] that the nations [which number seventy] have two leaders — Esav and Yishmael — so altogether we need seventy-two Rabbis to establish a court of 72.

When seventy-two Rabbis will pass a resolution that the scheme of the nations should be for naught, because the Jews have an everlasting covenant on the entire Land of Israel, together with the whole Torah of Israel and the nation of Israel — then our actions will outweigh the nation’s attempts to pry the Land of Israel from us. All of their worthless schemes will then be totally quashed, so that even those who are enthusiasts of such notions, will realize, that their views are not consonant with reality.

The following must now be done: A Rabbi must be designated to stand up and expound, according to Torah, the sole Jewish claim to the Land of Israel. Afterwards, all the other seventy-one Rabbonim will concur, and the whole world will answer, “Amen, Amen.”

So may it be, that in the immediate future the entire Jewish people will go out of exile; whether they be currently outside of the Land of Israel, or those who find themselves in the Land of Israel (they will leave the exile which even exists in the Land of Israel, since the Holy Temple has not yet been rebuilt there).

And then all the Jews will go out to welcome our holy Messiah, and not a single Jew will be left in exile.

There are those who will consider this a joke — let them think what they like. But as for those who take this matter seriously — just as it is acceptable to them, so may it become accepted by everyone.

The most important thing is concrete action: The entire Land of Israel belongs to every Jew and to all the Jews, and no one has been appointed custodian with the right to change this; neither a gentile, nor even a Jew.

Since the word of G-d is everlasting, therefore what we say in “Ani Ma’amin” [87] will soon be fulfilled: “I await him every day”; Moshiach will redeem us with the full and true redemption.

If I choose the Rabbis, this may cause resentment amongst the others; therefore, decide amongst yourselves, and let a Rabbi with a long, white beard (or however he looks), or a leader from the Union of Rabbis, stand up and say a ‘good word’, a few words of Torah. We should hear good tidings all the time.

[Rabbi Yolles[88] then spoke; after he finished, the Rebbe said:

Surely there is a Rabbi or Rosh Yeshivah from the Holy Land present, who is able to stand up and deliver a talk on the indivisibility of the Land of Israel...

Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Ben Tzion Bruck then spoke. Following this, more Rabbis spoke, and afterwards, the Rebbe said:

Since there is a Rabbi from this synagogue present, certainly he will also issue a ruling...

Rabbi Zalman Shimon Dworkin[89] spoke; then, the Rebbe said:

The first public office of the Rebbe, my father-in-law, was his appointment by his father to run the Yeshivah, Tomchei Temimim. Since there are Roshei Yeshivah of Tomchei Temimim present, both from the town of Lubavitch itself, and from here, let them also issue a ruling now. Following that, the heads of the Yeshivah travelling back with the group from Jerusalem should make a ruling, followed by the Rosh Yeshivah from Tzfat. Each of them should individually address the issue of the indivisbility of the Land of Israel as much as they desire.

After the Roshei Yeshivah, Rabbi Rivkin,[90] Rabbi Piekarsky[91] and Rabbi Mentlick[92] spoke, the Rebbe said:

In order to pre-empt any contradictory claims, each one of the seventy-two Rabbis (including those who spoke here) who agree with the ruling, should raise his hand to be counted.... This is in accordance with the law in the Mishnah[93] which states, that the words of the defense are to be written down as well as the words of the prosecution....

After the vote, the Rebbe said:

Someone should count the Rabbis, and write down their names on a piece of paper.

   

Notes:

72. (Back to text) Tehillim, 2:2.

73. (Back to text) I.e. Jewish education; ibid., 105:15.

74. (Back to text) Yeshayahu, 8:10.

75. (Back to text) Cf. Bereishis, 27:22.

76. (Back to text) Bamidbar Rabbah, 18:18.

77. (Back to text) Sanhedrin 39a.

78. (Back to text) Devarim, 32:8.

79. (Back to text) Menachos, 110a. In these times, when we have no Holy Temple (may it speedily be rebuilt!), and are unable to offer the sacrifices there, one’s study of the laws concerning the sacrifices is counted as though one has personally offered a sacrifice.

80. (Back to text) By this analogy, the Rebbe reveals that a Rabbinic ruling on the indivisibility of the Land of Israel actually effects security, tranquillity, and peace in the Holy Land.

81. (Back to text) Esther Rabbah, 7:13.

82. (Back to text) Mishlei, 3:25. This and the additional two replies are said at the conclusion of daily prayers in many congregations.

83. (Back to text) Yeshaiyahu, 8:10.

84. (Back to text) Ibid., 46:4.

85. (Back to text) For they deal in adjudicating Divine Law, the Law of the King of kings.

86. (Back to text) III, p. 227b.

87. (Back to text) The Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith, Principle #12.

88. (Back to text) Rabbi Efraim HaKohen Yolles, o.b.m., was a frequent visitor to the Rebbe, though he was not a Lubavitcher. He was a distinguished Rabbinic leader from Philadelphia, and was present at this address when he was duly appointed to speak.

89. (Back to text) Rabbi Dworkin, o.b.m., was the head of the Rabbinical board of Crown Heights, and the Rav of the 770 Synagogue.

90. (Back to text) Rabbi Moshe DovBer Rivkin, o.b.m., was a noted Lubavitcher Rabbi, and a Rosh Yeshivah at the famous Yeshivah Torah Vodaas in New York.

91. (Back to text) Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak Piekarsky, o.b.m., was an noted Rav in Queens, NY, and the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch in 770.

92. (Back to text) Rabbi Mordechai Mentlick, o.b.m., was Rosh Yeshivah at the Lubavitcher Yeshivah in 770.

93. (Back to text) Sanhedrin, 36b.