            It is Impossible for Tiny Israel to Oppose
                the Mightiest Nation in the World

                      by Gary M. Cooperberg
                        November 8, 1991
                                
       That statement was made by the majority of Jews in nearly every generation.  None
the less Jewish history is replete with examples proving it to be untrue.  To mention but one
which is fitting to mention at this time of year, the Macabbean rebellion against the mighty
empire of Antiochus.
       The majority of Jews living in Judea (no, Palestine wasn't even a concept then),
were left-wing "peace now" types who wanted to be in tune with the times and be accepted in
the community of nations.  It mattered little to them that a foreign entity ruled in their country. 
Not only could they live here in peace, they could be accepted as good Greeks if they would
only drop their old-fashioned customs and become more modern.  So why make waves?  
       At any rate what was their choice?  They could take on an empire and be squashed,
or learn to live with these Greeks and have a good life.  What normal person could see a real
choice here?  Survival has always been the name of the game.  Even if you don't approve of
the Greeks' style of life it has got to be better than having your entire nation slaughtered.  I
would imagine that some rabbinical leaders might even have suggested that pikuach nefesh,
danger to life, might justify playing along with the Greeks.
       While the majority of Jews did not really intend to discard the mantle of Judaism
altogether, the acceptance of the decadent, if attractive, life style of the Greeks presented a
very real threat to its continuance.  When the Sabbath, Rosh Chodesh, and brit mila were
officially forbidden, however, no honest Jew could fool himself any longer into thinking that
there could be any accommodation in which Judaism could survive.  But having worked so
hard to convince themselves that it could, few were prepared to consider the grim alternative.  
       Some sainted Jewish mothers chose martyrdom rather than abstain from
circumcising their sons.  And, as we all know so well, the aged high priest, Mattityahu ben
Yochannan, personally killed a Jewish traitor who publicly bowed down to a statue of the
Greek Emperor, and himself led the rebellion which could not possibly have succeeded, yet
did.
       Mattityahu would never have gone to Madrid and asked the world to recognize his
right to exist.  He could not have cared less what the world thought.  He knew that without
authentic Judaism his people could not exist.  To compromise Jewish values is like
compromising on only one vital organ in your body.  It may seem like a very small part, but
without it the body cannot survive.  So where others saw clearly that there was no choice but
to please the Greeks, Mattityahu clearly saw that there was no choice but to oppose them-- to
the death if need be.


       Mattityahu had no F-16s.  He had no army.  He didn't even have a country, as the
Greeks ruled Judea.  In terms of simple logic he had no reason to expect to succeed.  But
better to die by the sword and inherit the world to come than to accept the eternal death of
assimilation.  So he fought and he died.  But Israel lived on and the war he began did result in
victory and the return of Judea to the Jewish people.  
       Can we not learn a lesson from our own history?  Can we not see the Hand of G-d
protecting us in every generation, and especially today?  Was it not a miracle as great as that
of Chanukah, or maybe even greater when, in June of 1967, Arab nations united on all her
fronts, attacked the Jewish State with the intention to destroy her, and not only failed in their
efforts, but were roundly defeated in a span of only six days, (so that we could rest on
Shabbat), and which saw Israel return to all of Jerusalem and her holy places?  Dare we deny
this fantastic miracle?  Rather than sing Hallel shall we come to our G-d with bowed heads and
tell Him that President Bush will bring us peace if we only deny some of His miracles?
       "It is impossible for tiny Israel to oppose the mightiest nation in the world," we are
told again by so called "realists" and "modernists".  But, in view of Jewish history, the
statement is not realistic nor modern!  We can and must oppose anyone who demands that we
deny our G-d.  Just as Mattityahu realized that, indeed, it is not a matter of choice, rather one
of total allegiance to the 
G-d of Israel, so too must we realize that the same holds true for us today.  To believe in G-d
means more than to daven three times a day and make a bracha when you eat.  It means to be
willing to stand up to those who demand that you deny your G-d.  
       The Madrid conference is nothing less than a test of our preparedness to do just
that.  We have nothing to "compromise".   The Land of Israel was deeded to the People of
Israel via a direct Promise by the G-d of Israel to our father, Abraham.  Parts of that Promise
were fulfilled when the G-d of all Wars took them from the Arab thieves and gave them to us. 
We can never give them up.  What is more, should the Arab nations refuse to make peace with
Israel, all of the other stolen Jewish lands will soon be returned to us by our G-d.
       "It is impossible for tiny Israel to oppose the mightiest nation in the world?" not
when we know that the G-d of Israel stands with us.  Happy Chanukah!
