We need permission from America to even fire just one bullet
Comments made by Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, on Parshat Ki Tetzae:
“When you go out to war”
When was there a war? We’ve been in galut (exile) for 2,000 years, and in the time of the Shoftim (Judges) there wasn’t war. There was Devorah HaNevia…but this war only lasted for one day. So there were wars that lasted a day, but what period of time is this passuk (verse) really referring to?…
Even today, they launched 500 rockets – missiles – and we didn’t do anything back to them in return.
So what sort of army is this? They are deaf and dumb. They fired 500 rockets at us in one week – missiles.
Don’t run to the security room
And one woman heard the siren, so she ran and she fell. It’s forbidden to run. Even if they are firing rockets, don’t run! So, she ran, and she was the only person who was injured. And another rocket damaged a children’s kindergarten a minute before the children arrived – a minute!
So, this is what they remonstrate about: Our rockets don’t do anything, while your rockets kill 50 people straightaway! You are the guilty ones, here. At Unesco, in the United Nations, they say: Why are you equating your rockets to the rockets of the Arabs?! Not even a single one of the Arabs’ rockets injure someone, whilst yours….
Every rocket you fire kills 50 people!
So, how can you do such a terrible injustice, such awful things?! Shooting your missiles and rockets at people is unjust, it’s unfair.
The UN is fighting for ‘justice’
So, they [i.e. the UN and Unesco] are fighting for ‘justice’, and for ‘equality’. They call this ‘equality’ – because none of us (i.e. the Jews) are being injured so ‘we won’t let you hurt them, either!’
[They say that] Our rockets don’t hurt anyone, not even one person. Just one woman, who ran too fast to get to her security room, so she fell and slipped, and she got injured.
And when they hit the childrens’ kindergartens, it always happens just a minute before the children show up. So there’s no equality here, there’s no justice! Nothing is straight! “Justice, justice you shall pursue” (Devarim 16:20).
What’s happening, here? Where’s the justice? Where’s the fairness? This is what the whole world yells out.
Where’s the war?
So, what war is going on? They fire 500 rockets at us, and we’re forbidden to fire back even one. If we fire even just one back, then they cry out: “Look! They fired a rocket! The Jews launched [missiles], the Jews are murderers, the Jews are a people drenched in blood, they are a nation of killers!”
So, when is there a war?
Even now, when we are in Eretz Yisrael, it’s impossible to “go out to war”.
It’s impossible! You first have to receive permission from America. You need to get a permit for every single bullet fired, it needs to be signed off by the Congress, and by the White House. Every single bullet requires five different signatures – signature after signature after signature after signature after signature.
For us, it’s enough just to have two people sign it off, but they need five signatures: Congress, the White House, the President – Trump needs to sign. Then the Senate needs to sign – for every bullet, you need five signatures.
And then we fire it, and the bullet kills 50 people in one shot, and then they become infuriated that this is unjust, it’s not fair. There is no equality! They lob a bomb at us that weighs even 150 kilos, and they don’t even kill a single person.
But by us, even the smallest bullet kills 50 people.
Translated and adapted from the Sparks of Light Newsletter.
I don’t appreciate to see “deaf and dumb”. I am deaf but I’m not dumb. I’m professional worker. God commanded Israel not to curse deaf. See Le. 19:14.
The word ‘dumb’ is being used in the context of being unable to speak, not in terms of a slur against deaf people’s intellectual capabilities, God forbid. In another shiur given recently, Rav Berland specifically praised Chushim, the deaf son of Dan, who killed his uncle Esav for trying to prevent Yaakov’s burial in the Mearat HaMachpela.
In any case, we apologise for any offence inadvertently caused.
Judging from your use of English, it appears that it is not your first language. So, clearly you are not an idiot if you are multi-lingual. For those whose English is deeper, the word “dumb” also means mute. There is no insult here. It is a very common phrase.