This Week In

This week in....

1959–5719, after Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion asked for the Rebbe’s position on how to define who is a Jew, the Rebbe replied formally that Jewish status can only be determined by the Torah’s guidelines, which have been accepted for generations and defined in the Code of Jewish Law. The following day, the Rebbe sent a second letter — this one “unofficial” and “undiplomatic” — in which he urged the Prime Minister to use his influence to “redirect the entire landscape of life in the Land of Israel” to be in accordance with “our inherent value, ever since we stood before G d at [Sinai].” He warned of the danger of raising a generation that might speak Hebrew and live in the land of the forefathers, yet remain estranged from the eternal values of the Jewish people. At the same time, he held out hope, writing that “the youth of our everlasting people will not be satisfied by man-made philosophies,” and emphasizing that Israel stood at a decisive hour, a rare moment of “opportunity knocking on your door,” demanding to be recognized and acted upon.

8-9 Adar I
1. Igrot Kodesh vol. 18 p. 209