Rav Moshe Weinberger on the UN Vote

Via Dixie Yid:

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The Rashbam explains that the angel with whom Yaakov wrestled fought with him all night to prevent him from avoiding the confrontation with Eisav. It was as if he was saying to Yaakov, “No more running! You ran away from Eisav years ago and you ran away from Lavan. Now you wish to run away from Eisav again to avoid the confrontation?!” He therefore fought with Yaakov all night so that he would be forced to fight and would not be able to run away. According to the Rashbam, the prohibition against eating the גיד הנשה, the sinew injured by the angel, is meant to serve as an eternal reminder not to run away from our battles with the side of evil. Rather, we must engage in battle with it, in whatever guise it appears.

On an outward level too, we cannot run away from the enemies who wish to destroy us. In seems that in some of our recent battles with ישמעאל, the Palestinians, we give up the battle before finishing off Hamas, or whichever group is attempting to destroy the Jewish people at any given time. While it is difficult to sit in America and advise our brothers living in the shadow of deadly missiles regarding the best course of action, a pattern of not finishing the job does seem apparent.

Just as Eisav married Yishmael’s daughter (Bereishis 28:9), the United Nation’s vote this week to give the “Palestinian Authority” observer status consummates the marriage between the descendants of Eisav, the Christians, and the descendants of Yishmael, the Arabs and Palestinians, right in the heart of Manhattan. I am told that this status has only been granted to two entities, the Vatican and now the Palestinians. It is therefore fitting that this evil unity of purpose between Eisav and Yishmael has been put on public display. The external enemy is now clear and we must not run away from the battle.

In both our internal and external battles with the side of evil, may we merit to always stand ready to engage in battle no matter what form our enemy takes and may we soon see the fulfillment of the last pasuk in this week’s haftara (Ovadia 1:21) “וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת-הַר עֵשָׂו וְהָיְתָה לַה' הַמְּלוּכָה,” “And the saviors will ascend the mountain of Zion to judge the mountain of Eisav and kingship shall belong to Hashem.”