SECURITY THROUGH THE REBBE’S LENS: Chabad Delegation Holds Unusual Strategy Discussion With Defense Minister Israel Katz
An unusual meeting was held at the office of Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, where a delegation from Agudas Chassidei Chabad spent an extended period discussing Israel’s security challenges and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s positions on matters of national security and foreign policy.
The meeting took place on 13 Tishrei, the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Maharash, and just before Sukkos. The centerpiece of the discussion was the recently published Oseh Shalom, a volume compiling and presenting the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s teachings and positions on issues involving Israel’s security, diplomacy and territorial policy.
During the meeting, members of the delegation reviewed passages from the new volume and cited the Rebbe’s sichos as they discussed current security questions with Katz. The conversation reportedly continued at length, with participants examining broader strategic principles and how the Rebbe’s teachings might relate to Israel’s present security situation.
Rav Yosef Yitzchak Hakohen Aharonov, chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, spoke about what he described as the importance of Israeli decision-makers adhering to the principles articulated by the Rebbe on security and the governance of the country. He also emphasized the weight of responsibility borne by government officials when making decisions affecting the security of Israel’s population.
Katz, for his part, presented members of the delegation with Israel’s current security outlook, using maps displayed in his office to illustrate the country’s strategic environment. The participants discussed the geographic and security considerations underlying Israeli policy and compared some of those issues with positions expressed by the Rebbe over the years.
The delegation included Rav Ariel Lemberg, secretary-general of Agudas Chassidei Chabad; Rav Yechiel Gluchovsky, the Rebbe’s shliach in the Science Park and rov of the young community in Rechovot; Rav Elisha Pearl, who helped compile and edit Oseh Shalom and is a member of the committee that publishes the Rebbe’s talks in English; Rav Itai Boimengarten, also a member of that committee; and Rav Menachem Mendel Ofen, who directs the security forces division of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad.
During the conversation, members of the delegation pointed to the prominent role of nevi’im throughout Tanach in guiding the Jewish people, noting that Jewish kings and leaders were expected to know and heed the words of the navi. They argued that contemporary Israeli leaders likewise bear a responsibility to familiarize themselves with the Rebbe’s teachings, particularly his extensive statements concerning the security of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel.
The gathering also focused on the significance of 13 Tishrei, the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Maharash, and his famous Chassidic teaching of Lechatchilah ariber — the approach of overcoming an obstacle from the outset rather than attempting to work around or beneath it. At one point, those present joined together in singing the niggun associated with Lechatchilah ariber.
With Sukkos approaching, the Chabad representatives presented Katz and members of his advisory staff with sets of arba minim.
{Matzav.com}
