          The Sin of the Spies has come back to Haunt us
                We Must give Territory for Peace,
             "...for they are stronger than we (Him)"
                                   Numbers Chap. 14, vs 31
                      by Gary M. Cooperberg
                          June 9, 1991
                                
       In the January 1991 issue of the Jewish Observer magazine there appeared an article
by Rabbi Tzion Kokis called, "Striving for Zion".  While citing Biblical and historical examples
to make the case that the religious leaders of the settlement movement in Israel are
overzealous in their desire to see the redemption and thus are creating "a new agenda" of
"religious militancy" and endangering Jewish lives by insisting upon maintaining Jewish lands
redeemed in wars begun by our enemies, the case misses its mark.
       Let us first examine the examples he cites:
       The Baryonim, religious zealots who burned the storehouses of food thus forcing
the war with the Romans which resulted in the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, were,
indeed, desperate zealots who recklessly endangered the lives of Am Yisrael.  To compare
such a stand to those who build new settlements in Judea and Samaria, under a Jewish
government and with its participation does not remotely resemble the acts of the Baryonim.
       The former, in an act of desperation, literally destroyed, and endangered Jewish
lives and went against the authorities, while the latter, far from desperate, have responded to
very real events in a positive way.  Rather than destroying, they are building, growing,
ensuring the well being of the state and are working with its help and approval.
       And I am truly surprised that the Rabbi chose to compare today's settlement of
Eretz Yisrael with the incident in the Torah where Moses warned the people against going up
to the Land after they had sinned against G-d by refusing to do so out of fear!    
       The whole point of this chapter is to accent the lack of faith in G-d by the great
leaders of Israel, even in that generation which witnessed the miracles of Egypt; a lack of faith
and a fear which Rabbi Kokis' article clearly articulates today.
       "We will not be able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we."  
       "... and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." 
Numbers, Chap 14, vs 31 & 33.
       The logic propounded by Rabbi Kokis, who weighs the very real fact of the
miraculous return of Jews to our ancient holy lands, with the fear of "possible Arab responses
to Israeli statements or actions, and also the weight of general world opinion.", is an exact
replica of that of the spies as quoted above, except for the fact that the People of Israel then
were called upon to go up and take the Land, where we already were given the Land!   They
were afraid that they couldn't succeed in conquering the Giants.  Rabbi Kokis is afraid that
"Arab responses and World opinion" will enable our enemies to undo that which our
G-d has already done for us!


       If G-d was so provoked by Jews refusing to go up and conquer the Land, how
much more so would He be by Jews who were already given the Land yet chose not to accept
it?!  What twisted logic can justify an attack against Jews who have succeeded in going up to
the Land?  These are Jews who recognize the reality of the return to and our physical control
over our homeland, and have actively accepted that reality.  Does Rabbi Kokis place himself in
the role of a modern day Moses?  Does he presume to suggest that we cannot keep our Land
which was given to us by G-d because G-d doesn't will it?  Upon what can he base such a
suggestion?
       The basic premise that we cannot be certain if we are experiencing Geula may have
been appropriate prior to 1948, but most certainly not any longer.  
       When the secular zionist movement attempted to go up to the land, strangely, they
succeeded.  I would compare this to the Biblical story of the lepers during a siege of Jerusalem
(Kings II, Chapter 7).  Realizing that they faced starvation anyway, having nothing to lose,
they chose to enter the enemy camp and beg for food. 
Upon their arrival, to their profound astonishment, they saw the results of a Divine miracle in
that the great Syrian army had fled, leaving behind all of their food and belongings!
       Should the lepers and the Jewish nation have ignored the reality of this miracle? 
Perhaps they should have pursued their

fleeing enemies and "negotiated" with them.
       One needn't be a religious zealot nor possess prophetic powers to witness the reality
of the rebirth of a sovereign Jewish state in a world which would truly prefer not to have one.  
       One very significant fact which Rabbi Kokis failed to address is that the Jewish
leadership in Israel has always followed the cowardly and sinful reasoning he espouses.  Every
step of the way our people have tried to be "realistic" and compromise.  It was only G-d who
prevented the intended compromises from taking place.                 We agreed to the original partition plan which would have created a tiny pathetic
and indefensible country with artificial boundaries, because we took the attitude expressed so
eloquently by Rabbi Kokis, that we cannot force our will upon the nations.  Our enemies took
the choice away from us and, in the course of merely defending our very lives, we found
ourselves with larger borders than we had expected!  
       Every war fought in this country was begun by our enemies and resulted in our
acquiring more of our ancient homeland in spite of our intentions, not because of them.  This
isn't "militarism".  The lands we acquired in the miraculous Six-Day War of June 1967,
including all of Jerusalem, the holy city of Hebron, Shechem, Jericho, Beth El, Bethlehem and
others were, and continue to be, held in escrow by the secular leadership of our country.  For
twenty-four years now the Jewish government has been trying to give away those lands for
peace!  Our enemies have consistently refused to accept them.  
       I do not know when the Messiah is coming.  I hope it will be today.  I do not claim
mystical powers, nor do I advocate attacking our enemies in an effort to conquer the rest of
our Divine inheritance.   But I cannot imagine any reason for me to deny the facts which
enabled me to live in Eretz Yisrael, in the city of Abraham.
       To follow the reasoning in Rabbi Kokis's article to its absurd "logical" conclusion,
would have us advocating a return to British colonial control of our homeland until Mashiach
arrives!  That is genuine zealous religious fanaticism, flying in the face of "reality". 
       The fact is, just as the Children of Israel failed in their 


attempt to go up to the Land when it was in opposition to G-d's Will, if today a Jewish State
were not the Will of G-d, it would not have arisen.  When the Children of Israel rejected their
destiny and chose to remain in exile they were punished by G-d.  How much more so will we
be punished should we choose to reject the miraculous return of these same lands into our
hands?  
       As far as the "pikuach nefesh" argument goes there is absolutely no "realistic" basis
for it.  On the contrary, when our neighbors possessed Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan
Heights they used them to launch terrorist attacks against us.  By what stretch of the
imagination is one to conclude that by handing over these areas to those who seek our
destruction we will make Jewish lives safer?  Perhaps a halachic decision to give away Jewish
lands can be based upon the promises of Yassir Arafat.  
       The fact is that our possession of those lands has reduced the threat to Jewish lives,
not increased it as implied by Rabbi Kokis.
       Why is it that Rabbi Kokis refuses to recognize the physical realities of Jewish
return and sovereignty in our homeland?  From what source does he derive that we, not
merely submit to the will of those powers upon which we "depend", rather that we serve them
our collective necks and rely upon the mercy of those who so cared for Jews during the
holocaust?  
       From the serenity of Monsey it might seem wise to give away Hebron in return for
the promises of our enemies, and the satisfaction of George Bush.  But those of us who
confront those enemies are not so suicidally zealous for peace as to take steps which will only
guarantee more Jewish bloodshed.  
       No, it is not we who are fanatic.  We do not ignore reality.  On the contrary, the
settlement movement has grown in accordance with the reality of our physical return to our
ancient lands and has not forced its will upon anyone, nor placed any Jewish life in danger by
its actions.        
       For Jews to live in all parts of our homeland which are under our control today is
most certainly not militancy, nor is it remotely similar to the acts of desperation of the
Baryonim.  It is merely an act of acceptance of a clear manifestation Divine Will and reasoned
faith in the future of our people and our country as promised by our G-d to our Father,
Abraham.  
