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The Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem

Fight Or Flight? The
Rules Have Changed

Parshat Devarim:
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Isaiah 1:1-1:27.

A

s Tisha b'Av begins this
Temple and Jerusalem as being cardinal
Saturday night, we may ask,
to the mission of Israel, a holy nation
"What is the significance of
and a kingdom of priest-teachers (to the
the destruction of the Temple? How
world) through whom all of the families
important could the Temple have been if of the Earth are to be blessed.
Judaism managed to survive without it
The city from which this message
for the past 2,000 years?"
must emanate is the City of Jerusalem,
By exploring a fundamental difference
the City of Peace (Yeru Shalom); the
mechanism by which this mission is
of opinion between two great Jewish
leaders of the Roman era — Rabbi
to be advanced is the Holy Temple, the
Yohanan ben Zakkai and
beacon from which the Torah
Rabbi Akiva — we can gain
will go forth to all nations of
insight into the significance
the world, impressing upon
of our Temple and the irre-
them how "nation shall not
trievable loss we suffered
lift sword above nation and
humanity will not learn war
from its destruction.
As the Romans besieged
anymore:'
Jerusalem, Rabbi Yohanan
Rabbi Akiva believed that
managed to leave the city
unless we disseminate this
and meet with Vespasian, the
teaching to the world, there
leader of the Roman armed
is no purpose to our national
Rabbi S hlomo
forces carrying out the siege.
being; hence the centrality
Ris
The rabbi requested that the
of our Messianic vision and
Romans spare the city of
the necessity of continuing to
Yavne and its wise men, the
fight for Jerusalem and the
Holy Temple.
Sanhedrin of sages.
Rabbi Yohanan was willing to relin-
Bar Kochba's revolt ended in failure.
quish Jerusalem and the Temple so long
The subsequent Hadrianic persecutions
as the Jews could remain in Israel and
and the resulting Jewish exile wrought
maintain their ongoing interpretations of havoc upon our nation, and it became
the Oral Law.
clear to the overwhelming majority of
Approximately six decades later, Rabbi our sages that Rabbi Akiva was wrong
Akiva bitterly condemned this accom-
and Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai had been
modating stance of Rabbi Yohanan.
correct. He had rescued Judaism by his
Apparently, Rabbi Akiva believed that
initiating the "exchange" with Vespasian.
Rabbi Yohanan gave up too much too
But our situation has radically
soon, that he should have continued to
changed. Contemporary history, post-
fight in order to retain Jerusalem and the Holocaust, teaches us that the nation of
Holy Temple.
Israel cannot survive without a Jewish
Indeed, Rabbi Akiva put his ideas into state and a Jewish army.
practice by spearheading the Bar Kochba
We live in a global village where one
rebellion against Rome (135 C.E.) for
madman with nuclear power can (God
the avowed purpose of Israel's liberation
forbid) destroy the entire world. This
of Jerusalem and rebuilding of the Holy
teaches us that, unless the inviolability
Temple.
of the human being and the universal
What was the fundamental difference
acceptance of a God of peace becomes
an axiom of all humanity, there will be
of opinion between these sages? Rabbi
Yohanan concluded that, given the over-
no free humanity left in the world and
whelming might of the Roman armies, if certainly no Jewish nation.
the Land of Israel and the Torah of Israel
Rabbi Akiva has been vindicated for
could be secured — Yavne and its wise
our times; only by teaching fundamental
men — it would be unnecessary and
absolute morality in our City of Peace
even halachically unacceptable to risk
can we secure the future of Israel and the
the survival of the Jewish people in a war free world. ❑
for Jerusalem and the Holy Temple.
Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah
Rabbi Akiva believed differently. He
Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel
understood the function of the Holy

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July 23 • 2015

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