The Importance of Joy and Confidence in Wartime

by Rabbi Avraham Vasserman, prolific author and lecturer in Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav, translated by Hillel Fendel.

I. The Yom Kippur War

Every year in commemoration of Israel's great victory in October 1973, the press chooses to treat us to a plethora of articles on the "failure" that accompanied it. This word is so frequently attached to the Yom Kippur War that it often seems as if the war was one big failure. 

Yes, there was a failure, in Israel's intelligence. The enemy's war preparations were very obvious, yet our "intelligence elements" either didn't see them or ignored them. Thus, Israel was caught by surprise, and enemy armies penetrated into our territory. Yet, only 11 days later, on the day before Simchat Torah, the IDF crossed the Suez Canal westward into Egypt. And after only a week more, our forces had practically erased the Egyptian army. In Syria, as well, Israeli forces managed to turn the enemy advance into a retreat, and marched to within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of the Syrian capital, Damascus. Were it not for American pressure, our victory could have been massive and Egypt would have signed a surrender agreement.

By both simple logic and natural instinct, our incredible comeback in the Yom Kippur War should be commemorated as the greatest achievement in the history of the State of Israel. Alongside the grief and sorrow at our heavy losses, it should be celebrated as a miracle of salvation and victory. On the contrary: the failure of the beginning of the war is precisely that which highlights the enormity of what we achieved. 

But the agenda-driven wailing of the media outlets took over the national ambience. A type of national trauma has developed, with the active maintenance of certain elements, to the effect that the army cannot be counted upon – even though the facts proved otherwise. This was a main reason for the signing of the scandalous peace agreements in 1979, in which we had to give away the Sinai Peninsula and its strategic depth, oil fields, airports, tourist attractions, and, certainly not least, its Jewish communities. 

The absurdity is that it's the defeated Egyptians who celebrate every year their success at surprising us and their early battlefield accomplishments. They thus raise their morale and strengthen their resolve to defeat us at the next opportunity. Of late we have seen the wide-ranging preparations of the Egyptian army, which they don't even seek to hide, in anticipation of the next war. [For instance, IsraelDefense reported that this past May, Egypt signed a contract to buy 30 advanced French Rafale fighter jets, even though it is under no significant security threat from any country. – HF]

II. Nothing New Here

A similar story happened in the Bible when King David defeated his rebellious son Avshalom. Despite his boastful and arrogant behavior, the latter was able to take his father by surprise when he actually sought to overthrow and kill him. David, crowned with victories in past wars, became in one moment a man running for his life, with several hundred of his fighters. However, he did not despair, and instead did the unbelievable: winning with his small force a decisive victory over Avshalom's much larger army. 

David's soldiers returned home as joyful victors from the battle they had waged and won against all odds. They expected the tambourines and drums of a victory parade, just as those that greeted David when he defeated the Philistines. But then – David stood at the gate and cried out in anguish, "Avshalom my son! Would I have died instead of you!" The victory celebrations ended abruptly, and the people left quietly, as if they had been defeated.

Yoav, David's Chief of Staff, blessed with sharp instincts, realized what was going on. He understood that under no circumstances should the joy of victory turn into mourning. He even threatened David - the only time he did so - that if David continued to mourn, the situation would become even worse for him.

David wiped away his tears, went out to the people and congratulated them on their victory, and thus restored their pride, joy and enthusiasm. Later, when David commanded his son and successor Shlomo to take vengeance on certain people who had committed unforgiveable offenses, one of them was Yoav. But David said that this was because he had killed Avner and Amasa, and mentioned nothing about Yoav's having killed Avshalom; apparently, David agreed with Yoav's approach. 

III. An Opportunity for National Repentance

Maimonides teaches us the definition of genuine and total repentance: "It is when a person has the opportunity to commit the same sin that he once committed, under the same circumstances, yet restrains himself and does not do so – not because of fear, and not because of lack of strength, but only because he has done teshuvah." (Laws of Teshuvah 2,1)

It is very rare that a person finds himself with the chance to commit the exact same sin under the same circumstances. But it appears that now, we have this precise opportunity, on the national plane. 

Just like during the Yom Kippur War, an intelligence failure on the part of our experts, who ignored the open preparations of the enemy, led to the massive tragedy of last year's Simchat Torah. 

The mass murders, kidnappings, abuse and humiliation were terrible beyond description. Our enemies are proud of what they did, and show off videos of their "achievements" to glorify their name to their countrymen who appreciate this type of cruelty. This, even though they have been defeated in a way that no one could have imagined. But most unfortunately, once again, elements among us – driven by their own agenda of toppling the government at any cost – seek to cast what happened only as a failure and a defeat, and to create a national spirit of doom - one that is liable to bring about an even greater disaster.

This, then, is our opportunity to rectify that which happened after Yom Kippur in 1973. Together with the mourning, pain and sorrow we are experiencing, we must remember that we have what to celebrate and rejoice: We are winning the war, on several fronts. We have shown the wondrous ability to arise from a terrible thrashing and recover to beat back the enemy and attack them wherever they are. 

We are in the midst of an amazing reversal in which the IDF's ground-forces army – which had been all but dried up for years by irresponsible elements who promoted the concept of a "small, smart army" – became within a short time a tremendous war machine filled with an optimistic and idealistic fighting spirit. Even more: We are witnesses to another national reversal of a renewed confidence in our path and general insistence that we not stop the battle until our enemy is vanquished.

This is thus the opportunity for our national repentance. Let us not squander it.

Four Mistakes That Need Not Happen – Please!

by Prof. Ron Breiman, former Chairman of Professors for a Strong Israel, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Most unfortunately, it appears that even after we are administered a massive, painful lesson, we still don't necessarily learn it. Instead, we occasionally doom ourselves to repeat the same, very costly mistakes. Here are four recent examples. 

1. There are those in various positions of leadership or influence who still believe that a partial deal for the release of just some of the captives from Hamas tunnels is a good idea. The notion being floated is that individual captives, such as women and possibly older men, would be freed in exchange for a ceasefire of as-yet undetermined length. This deal is supported by the Hostages' Families Task Force – which claims to represent all the families, but in actuality does not – as well as many in the media. 

However, this is clearly an immoral initiative, as it would relegate the majority of the hostages – soldiers and young men – to continued suffering, with no prospects for release from the cruel terrorists and return to their families. There is thus no reason to keep on discussing or considering it.

The only possible deal that Israel can consider is one in which all the hostages are released at once, even at the price of a cessation of the war. As long as Hamas does not itself initiate such an exchange, it means that the terrorists are not deterred, not afraid, and not defeated. And that means that there is no such animal as a "victory photo" that many seem to believe is something realistic to strive for. There will be no such morale-raising photo, and certainly not following an unethical deal that abandons our kidnapped soldiers.

2. Another failed idea that is once again being raised for consideration, and even being entertained seriously in some circles, is that of a diplomatic agreement with Hizbullah/Lebanon. Some are saying that we must return to past UN ceasefire resolutions. But it will be recalled that these were advanced by failed Israeli leaders Ehud Olmert and Tzippy Livni for the purpose of ending the Second Lebanon War, and that they heavily involve the incompetent – some say the correct word would be "malicious" – UNIFIL peacekeeping forces. We are witness to daily cooperation between UNIFIL and Hizbullah (just like UNRWA with Hamas), as well as anti-Israeli (arguably anti-Semitic) activity by the French president and government, as well as the head of the superfluous body known as the United Nations. 

There can be no logic to imposing an agreement in Lebanon without Israeli retaining the capacity to respond immediately to any enemy violations. This idea, too, must be dropped from the table immediately. 

3. And yet another notion that, sadly, is being raised once again is called "The Day After." This is a popular codeword for what is expected to happen after we complete the conquest of Gaza and the destruction of Hamas – and not a few expect this to involve the transfer of power over Gaza to another terrorist organization, one that is named the Palestinian Authority. 

For us to enable the PA to take over Gaza is simply unimaginable. Whoever is still stuck in past conceptions – mostly the Oslo Accords conception, that peace can be attained with the PA – continues repeatedly to try to sell this same dangerous idea again and again while hoping for different results. This is why the official Iron Swords War committee of inquiry (which has still not yet been formed or even decided upon) must begin its work from the (mis)conception that led, predictably and despite many warnings, to the Oslo War, also known as the Second Intifada. There are many in the political and security establishments for whom the other shoe has not yet dropped, and who still believe in the same ideas that the Simchat Torah massacre proved so wrong. Most unfortunately, they are willing to lose the current war, and many IDF soldiers, so that a PA state can be formed in western Eretz Yisrael – adjacent to Israel at first, and upon its ruins at a later stage, Heaven forbid. 

According to this conception that they simply cannot shake off, there are only two options: either the formation of an enemy state in the heart of our Land, or the annexation of Judea and Samaria, which would render the Arabs a sizeable Trojan horse minority in Israel. They simply ignore the existence of a third alternative: the very likely possibility that the current situation can continue until the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan collapses, leading to the actualization of the "Palestine is Jordan, Jordan is Palestine" option promoted by none other than King Hussein.

4. "Territories for peace." What a terrible idea, dating back to just after the Six Day War! - and yet some are considering it once again. Aside from its military and political folly, it would be an unforgivable turning of our backs on the heart of our country - Judea and Samaria, and a betrayal of our soldiers – our sons, husbands, and brothers – whose contribution to the IDF is and has been invaluable.

In light of the above, it would certainly be in place to repeat the immortal words attributed to Albert Einstein: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."