Strategic and Armed Independence
Parashat Hashavua– Shabbat Chayei Sarah – and the War of the 'Iron Swords' 5785
Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald
Praying for the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.
Strategic alliances with other countries are an important component of the overall national security. They are very necessary in the international and diplomatic arena, especially in the era of globalization and the international axes that are increasingly being created, and when it is necessary to deal with enemies in more distant circles. In this war, the strategic alliances that the State of Israel has made have proven to be of great importance. The alliance with the United States saved us from the negligence of supply stocking, the lack of weapons, ammunition, and armament, and the alliance with the countries of the region in intercepting the ballistic missiles and anti-aircraft missiles that were fired at the State of Israel. On the other hand, the alliance with the US was a 'bear hug' and created a certain dependence that limited us from reaching goals and acting for our strategic interests on the way to defeating Hamas and returning the kidnapped.
There is a well-known rule that "there is no friendship between countries, there is a partnership of interests". Recently, when there were conflicts of interest, especially leading up to the elections in the US, there were threats and also delays in shipments of weapons, important for the continuation of the war. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, they prevented us from launching a preemptive strike against the Syrians and Egyptians. This cost us thousands of lives.
It is also necessary to emphasize the great difference between an alliance and desirable diplomatic friendship, which is based on reciprocity, and between creating dependence on the ally and becoming his protectorate, which is negative and harms our independence.
This is one of the cornerstones of the security doctrine outlined by Ben-Gurion at the beginning of the state, which requires strategic and military independence: "It is imperative that we know and acknowledge that we must rely solely on ourselves for the existence of our security". (Ben-Gurion 1950). It is imperative to ensure that, in the face of the different security threat scenarios, we have the power to provide a full response, without needing the help of others. We need to be able to provide the IDF with the weapons it needs and make sure that there are appropriate production lines that will increase output in times of emergency. The IDF needs to have order of battle and manpower, a sufficient number of highly competent assault divisions, capable of responding, and maintain stocks and spare parts that will last for the duration of the fighting for which it is preparing.
Unfortunately, this was not the situation at the beginning of the war. For many years, we depended on American aid funds, at the expense of domestic production atrophy of some of the warfare and armaments. According to various publications, we allowed ourselves to reduce the stocks necessary for a long war, because we relied on receiving real-time assistance from the US, similar to the airlift of essential weapons during the Yom Kippur War. According to what has been published, immediate steps are being taken to change the situation from now on, to create strategic and armament self-sufficiency. If we need armaments and weapons that we cannot produce ourselves, buying them rather than receiving them as a gift is better.
A few days ago it was announced that "on the first day of President Trump's term, immediately after the ceremony on Capitol Hill, he will lift any delay or embargo on military aid and the supply of weapons to Israel." This is certainly good news, but it must not cause us to give up on strategic and armament independence. The Trump administration will be a test period to see whether we have internalized the pre-war lessons and will continue to work to create strategic and armament self-sufficiency.
Abraham Avinu was a strategist with a long-term vision. He made a strategic alliance with Avimelech in Beersheba, for many generations ahead (Bereshit 21:22-31), to ensure the security and status of future generations and to consolidate their hold on the Land of Israel.
Based on this strategic vision, Abraham did not want to receive the Cave of the Patriarchs (Mearat HaMachpelah) and the field of Hebron as a gift, but to buy it for full price: "Why did Abraham Avinu A"H, not want to take the Cave of the Patriarchs from Ephron as a gift, and made the effort to try to buy it for a lot of money. Let us explain some reasons… The fourth reason - because when we receive a favor from someone, we become his debtor, and we have to repay him more and more. And it is written in Bereshit Rabbah 38:
אִם קִדֶּמְךָ חֲבֵרְךָ בַּעֲדָשִׁים קַדְמֶנּוּ בְּבָשָׂר, לָמָּה שֶׁהוּא גָּמַל עָלֶיךָ תְּחִלָּה.
"If your friend received you with [serving you] lentils, receive him with [serving him] meat. Why? Because he performed an act of kindness for you first". And if the first giver is a bad person, he will later demand a large payment and can cause trouble all the time, demanding again and again, … and not to be enslaved to an evil man, etc." (Hastipler, Birkat Peretz Chayei Sarah).
It is said: שׂוֹנֵ֖א מַתָּנֹ֣ת יִחְיֶֽה׃
"He who spurns gifts will live long" (Proverbs 15:27) because he does not depend on the gift giver. "There are no free meals." A balance of obligation develops between the giver and the recipient, and sometimes a dependence that reduces the recipient's self-sufficiency. The gift does indeed pass into the recipient's possession but remains a certain degree of belonging and obligation to the giver.
The possession of Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs is Abraham's first possession in the Land of Israel. Hence, its strategic and sovereign importance for generations. This is why it holds significance and all the patriarchs decided to settle in Hebron. Hebron was also the first destination of the spies on their journey to the land. King David founded the sovereign kingdom of Israel in Hebron. Therefore, Abraham asked to buy it for full price and not receive it as a gift, only this way will the place belong exclusively to the people of Israel without leaving a trace of belonging and dependence on Ephron and the Hittites, in the present and the future. It is not for nothing that
מִשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁאֵין אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם יְכוֹלִין לְהוֹנוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹמַר גְּזוּלִים הֵן בְּיֶדְכֶם, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, וּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וּקְבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף.
"This is one of three places that the nations of the world cannot deride Israel and say: ‘They are stolen [property] in your hands,’ and these are: The Cave of Makhpela, the Temple, and Joseph’s tomb". (Bereshit Rabbah 79:7)