One of the main themes underlying Parsha Kedoshim is the loving care with which each Jew is to treat his Jewish brother.   Indeed, we see that the first posuk of our Parsha conveys that spirit, "Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, "Speak to the entire assembly of B'nai Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your G'd."  (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 1) Our Parsha then goes on to enumerate the Asseret HaDivrot, the Ten Commandments in depth.

But the spirit of our Parsha is best expressed, and the principle taught by Rabbi Hillel to the convert, on one foot, says "V'ohavtoh L'reiachoh Komochoh" -- "... you shall love your fellow as yourself..." (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 18)

Two headlines struck me this week as being polar opposites as to what the spirit of our Parsha and these posukim IS, and what it is NOT. And both of these headlines relate to the Sharon Regime's attempts to implement Chas V'Chalila, the Expulsion of Jews from their homes, from their neighborhoods, from Their Land in Gush Katif and in the Shomron.

Supreme Court Justice Cheshin stated, during High Court hearings this week regarding nearly 300 cases related to the Expulsion and it's compensation rates, "The people decided to disengage, the people must pay," (Ha'aretz, 4 May, 2005).  I saw this quote written slightly
different in two other online news sites ("The Jews decided to disengage, the Jews must pay" and "Israel has decided to disengage, the Israelis must pay,"

Upon reading this headline, one not knowledgeable about events in Israel might think that Justice Cheshin was a caring, loving, compassionate Jew for his expression that his fellow Jews be fairly and justly compensated.  But alas, in reality the Justice, by his statement, is
being grossly disingenuous, as if compensation for the residents he hopes to see expelled was the chief and only issue.  The Justice cynically accepts the Expulsion Law and it's planned implementation as being reality and fact without the slightest concern or the slightest consideration for the other issues involved.  These issues, of course include; the teaching and training of Jewish soldiers in skills of brutality towards their fellow Jews, giving away Jewish Land, giving away Jewish Land to an avowed enemy who would soon be targeting Israel's major urban centers with Kassam missiles, all of the Jewish death, suffering and economic poverty sure to result from this abomination which tells the Al Aksa Brigades, Fatah, Hamas, Hizbullah, etc. that terror, that Islamakazi attacks upon the Jews, pays off and wins. 

But there was another headline in this week's news.  It read; "IDF Martial Arts Champ Refuses to Train Soldiers to Expel Jews."  And this is far from the first such refusal of a soldier to be part, even unwittingly, of the planned expulsion.  

In stark contrast to the cynical words of Justice Cheshin, this headline and accompanying story is about an IDF Corporal who has been decorated for his superior martial art skills and who was asked recently to give a martial arts curse course to a Givati troop. 

The young soldier expressed concern and asked his commanding officers whether this training had anything to do with the planned expulsion from Gaza and the northern Shomron.  He received assurances that the training had nothing to do with expulsion of Jews.  With these assurances, the soldier accepted the task.

During his preparations to teach the course, the soldier was instructed to include in the training the teaching of repelling an attack  by “a settler with a knife” and other such situations. It became obvious that the training would, in fact, be used against those
opposing the disengagement.

The soldier told his superiors that he refused “to train soldiers against Jews.”   He demanded of his superiors that soldiers be made to sign a declaration promising not to use the training against Jews under penalty of imprisonment.  That demand was refused and so, the soldier refused to train other soldiers in martial arts skills, even at the possible risk of having to stand trial for his position in an IDF court.  Fortunately, in this soldier's case, rather than being charged and brought to trial, he was removed from his position and
is now stocking IDF warehouses.

The air is replete with such stories of soldiers risking their careers and possible trial and imprisonment rather than to obey orders to take part in the immoral planned expulsion.  Soldiers such as this young Corporal and many others exemplify "V'ohavtoh L'reiachoh Komochoh."  They are the future leaders of a Torah-based, moral Jewish nation in Eretz
Yisrael.

In the merit of B'Ezrat Hashem, our collective unity -- "Adat B'nai Yisrael", our emunah and actions, and the proper motivations for them, may we ALL be zocha to have our Tefillah reach Shemayim, unimpeded, ungarbled.  And in recognition that if we all emulate Aaron HaKohen and his consistency and constancy of Avodat Hashem, may we be zocha, as Rabbi Moshe Ungar would say each Thursday evening at his Gemara Shiur back in Philadelphia, in "the old country",  B'Ezrat Hashem, to demand, to compel HaKodosh Borchu to do "what he wants to do, to bring us the Moshiach and the Ge'ula  Shlaima, "bimhayro b'yameinu -- speedily, in our time." 

May we see an end to low, dirty politics, political equivocation, perfidy and false cheshbonot; freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael for Jonathan Pollard and special merit for our brethren currently subject to police harrassment, political interrogation and political persecution. 

IY'H, may it be that come this Rosh Hashana, that we pray thanks to Hashem for the Ge'ula Shlaima and for keeping our Brethren in Gush Katif and the Shomron in their homes and neighborhoods and away from the horror and Chillul Hashem of expulsion.

May we see the "Yom Hashem Al Kol HaGoyim" Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!

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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.