Parsha Ki Tisa --  Heart, Will and Principle.
By Moshe Burt

For many years, since 1991 when Parsha Ki Tisa marked my son Philip's Bar Mitzvah, I have spoken of a posuk in our Parsha which alludes to an event which took place 40 year later, in a subsequent Parsha.

The posuk being referred to (Sh'mos, Perek 30, posuk 30)says that while Moshe Rabbeinu was on Har Sinai being given Torah, Hashem said, "You shall annoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them to minister (to serve) me."

This seemingly obscure posuk raises a very interesting question which cuts to the chase of what we are facing today.  That question is what about that Pinchas Ben Elazar?

The answer seems to be that Pinchas, who was born in Mitzrayim, before Matan Torah, did not get "grandfathered" into the Kehunah.  Although his father, Elazar was a son of Aaron and thus, he (Elazar)and all future descendents of Aaron's son's inherited the Kehunah, Pinchas received the merit of the Kehunah only by virtue of an act of zealousness.

It was the final year in BaMidbar and the B'nai Yisrael were deep in crisis.  It was a time when the Jewish men backslid and thus were being enticed and seduced by the thousands to serve the avodah zora known as the Ba'al Peor.  Moshe Rabbeinu and Aaron HaKohen were weeping with sorrow and fear in the Assembly of the B'nai Yisrael.  What was to happen?  Another 40 years in the Dessert? Destruction of the people and a new beginning from the seed of Moshe?  Thousands were dying (24,000 to be exact)in the plague resulting from the avodah zora and the co-habitations.  It was in this deadly crisis that Pinchas stepped up to the challenge slaying of both Zimri, one of the Princes of Israel, and the Moabite Princess Cosbi as they co- habitated. This act brought an instantaneous Divine cessation of the plague and the dying.

The action of Pinchas was not popular with the B'nai Yisrael.  The Rashi on Parsha "Pinchas", so titled by Hashem in recognition of the merit of Pinchas, records that Elders of B'nai Yisrael accused Pinchas of wanton murder and wanted him tried and some sought his execution for the act.  And so Hashem conveyed the Kehunah and eternal life onto Pinchas Ben Elazar, thus validating that Pinchas indeed acted L'Sham Shemayim. The Ohr HaChaim relates that "G'd wanted the entire nation to know that Pinchas saved them from calamity and had earned for himself the reward
specified..." (The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash, Parsha Pinchas page 876.)

This brings us to discussion of today's events; the passage of the Expulsion into law by Knesset and the Cabinet Ministers of "strongman" Arik Sharon's dictatorship as well as the accurate, authenticated, authoritative sources and documentation which prove beyond doubt Sharon's unflinching, evil, hard-hearted plans and designs to harm, persecute, break and destroy our Gush Katif brothers and ALL of their property and possessions. 

Read what Uzi Landau relates to Israel National News; the comparisons to the "Altalena."  Or how about the facts published of the "Police Plan to Use Non-Jews for Expulsion!"

And how about these quotes from the above article; "Police are preparing non-Jews to force Jews out of Gaza and northern Samaria ..."  "The police department will not act on any complaints against police brutality during the evacuation."  "Police are being trained how to use violence without leaving any external signs which could be used as evidence against them."  "The government plans to close off Gush Katif as a closed military zone from May 15 ..."  "The law enforcement agency plans to place four policemen for every resident to be evacuated."  Over 32,000 police, mostly Goyim!  "They also are preparing how to force mothers to release their babies, who are to be turned over to social workers until mothers agree to board buses."  "The Gaza and northern Samaria residents are to be transported to hotels or mobile homes, where  guards will keep them from protesting or blocking roads."  I've seen the term "Internment Camps" used as well. 

Not in my lifetime, and probably not since the Holacaust, have we seen such a heinous event perpetrated against Jews as what is being planned by the Israeli government against Am Yehudi.

The published date of government plans to close off Gush Katif as a "closed military zone" is currently set at 15 May.  I want to caution that we should not breath any kind sigh of relief that we have until 15 May before Gush Katif and parts of the Shomron are sealed off.  And when the "closed military zone" happens, no one enters, no one leaves.  No visits to or by relatives, friends, etc.  No working jobs outside of Gush Katif.  No Egged transportation to or from Gush Katif. No banking.  No mail. Gush Katif residents will then apparently be in default of any bureaucratic reponsibilities, such as Bituach Leumi and thus lose their benefits.  The Sharon regime seems intent on cutting all services and utilities -- Electric, telephone, cellular klita and more in Gush Katif.

My take is, Sharon does not presently have the votes to pass his budget.  If he can't get Shinui to rejoin the coalition and support the budget that they (Shinui) left the government over, he (Sharon) will begin blackmailing Shas to try to compel them  (Shas) to join his government and vote for the budget and will blackmail Aguda to retain their votes in favor of the budget.  He will also blackmail the Likud Rebels to try make them vote in favor.   I hold that the bait for the blackmail will be the threat of moving up the date of the "Closed Military Zone."  

Expect that a desperate Sharon will clamp a "Closed Military Zone" on Gush Katif in mid or late March if his budget is still in trouble.  He will use early closure as yet anotherweapon of ultimatim against the Likud rebels, the Likud Central Committee, Shas, Aguda -- whoever stands in his way.   If we go to new elections because the budget is not passed by 31 March, he will want to have the "Closed Military Zone" in effect -- a fait accompli before any elections.

Thus, the Jews must prepare for any eventuality.  Actions, roving transient actions must be undertaken based on a consensus starting date in order to totally occupy and monopolize the police by having them scurrying around Israel trying to quell situations, thus reducing the numbers of police available to either "close military zone" or to expel and torture our Gush Katif brothers.

We need people of principle, such as Pinchas HaKohen was, to step up, take resonsibility and take on tasks such as calling, faxing or emailing politicians ahead of the budget vote to vote against the budget; visiting Likud Central Committee Members urging them to approve a measure compelling Likud MKs to vote in favor of a Referendum; sidewalk demonstrating, holding up signs and chanting at major traffic intersections throughout Israel (such as Beit Shemesh Residents are doing at the entrance to the BIG Mall; roving traffic blockages; re-instatement of the tent city by Knesset -- this time manned by tens of thousands of people at ALL TIMES -- 24/7; people willing, starting immediately, to devote one day per week each week in Gush Katif; tens of thousands of people willing, if and when closing is enevitable,
to get to Gush Katif and the towns threatened in the Shomron and to stay there and disrupt and disable the expulsion.  We need all of this and more which I am not even privy to or can't imagine.

Because we didn't stand Hashem's test in foiling this Gezeira Rah in it's legislative stages, Hashem has given us a sterner test.  Are we up to it?  Do we have the principle, zealousness and the "fire in the belly" of Pinchas HaKohen?   Are we up to the tasks ahead?  Just as Pinchas saw what was at stake, do we grasp all of the implications?  Do we grasp that Eretz Yisrael, Am Yehudi both in Israel and worldwide, Torah and Kiddush Hashem are all at stake?

In the merit of B'Ezrat Hashem, our collective unity, emunah and actions, and the proper motivations for them, may we ALL be zocha to have our Tefillah reach Shemayim, unimpeded, ungarbled.  As Rabbi Moshe Ungar would say each Thursday evening at his Gemara Shiur back in Phildelphia, in "the old country", B'Ezrat Hashem, may we be zocha to demand, to compel Hashem 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.  And IY'H, may it be that come this Rosh Hashana, that we pray thanks to Hashem 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 -- Immediately, 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.
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