21 Nov IS IT BETTER TO BE LOVED OR FEARED? A REFLECTION ON THE WASHINGTON RALLY

According to a new
Reuters poll, a majority of
Americans now back a
ceasefire in the war Israel
is fighting again Hamas.
Disturbingly, nearly 70
percent of Americans said
the Israeli government
should pursue a ceasefire, including three quarters
of Democrats and half of Republicans.
Predictably, as time passes and Palestinian
propaganda continues to be promoted, support for
Israel has begun to wane.
While the calls for a ceasefire ring, rockets
continue to rain down on innocent Israelis, and
not in areas that are “in dispute,” but in central
Israel and “undisputed” cities like Tel Aviv. This
is not the first time and sadly sure not the last that
the world will hold Israel to a double standard and
deny Israel the most basic right, the right to take
the necessary steps to defend its citizens.
While modern Israel’s founding fathers, David
Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin disagreed on
much, they both understood that Israel cannot
afford to bend itself to conform to the will of the
nations of the world. Ben-Gurion once said,
“What matters is not what the goyim say, but
what the Jews do.” Describing the lessons of the
Holocaust, Begin said, “When a Jew anywhere in
the world is threatened or under attack, do all in
your power to come to his aid. Never pause to

wonder what the world will think or say. The
world will never pity slaughtered Jews. The
world may not necessarily like the fighting Jew,
but the world will have to take account of him.”
Last week, former Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett was in New York when he offered a
similar sentiment: “A huge wave of antisemitism
is sweeping the United States and the world. It’s
incomprehensible: Hamas massacres, murders,
rapes, loots, and who is blamed? Jews. A
combination of radical Islam flooded with hatred
and a progressive left flooded with stupidity.
Especially on campuses. My interim conclusion:
More than all the words, arguments, pictures and
interviews, one thing is needed: defeat Hamas.
We will not convince antisemites, but our victory
is clear and clear, and the elimination of our
enemy will put fear in the hearts of our enemies.
We don’t need to be loved. Just let them be afraid
of us. Forever. At all costs. There is no choice.”
Ben-Gurion, Begin, and Bennett were not the
first to weigh in on whether it is better to be loved
or feared. Five hundred years ago, philosopher
and historian Niccolo Machiavelli concluded,
“Whether it be better to be loved than feared or
feared than loved? One should wish to be both,
but, because it is difficult to unite them in one
person, it is much safer to be feared than loved.”
The question – is it better to be loved or feared
– is indeed an age-old question, one contemplated
and debated by leaders, philosophers, and mob

bosses alike. As Israel relentlessly decimates
Hamas and fearlessly pushes back at Hezbollah,
it is instilling fear in the hearts of enemies and
planting it in the mind of friends. Jews around the
world are pushing back at antisemites, not with
violence or physical weapons but by shining a
light and holding accountable those that tear
down posters of hostages or tolerate hate on their
campuses. Publicizing the faces of antisemites
and withdrawing financial support of universities
are powerful weapons and will instill fear in those
who don’t want to suffer those consequences.
Legislation must be passed and prosecutions
must be pursued against those who spread hate
and incite violence against the Jewish community.
We can and should continue to make the case for
Israel, spread the truth of the beauty the one and
only Jewish state and its positive impact on the
world. The likelihood is that we will never be
loved; if we want to secure our own future, let us
be feared.
ו ְרָאּו כל־עַמֵּ֣י,us tells) 28:10 Devarim (Torah The
all And “, -הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁ ם- ה׳ נִקְרָ֣א עָלֶיָך- ו ְי ָרְאּו מִמֶָּךּ
the peoples of the earth shall see that Hashem’s
name is proclaimed over you, and they shall stand
in fear of you.” Commenting on these words, the
Talmud (Berachos 6a) explains that this pasuk is
referring to Tefillin Sheberosh, the Tefillin on the
head. Inspired by this comment, before the Six
Day War in June 1967, the Lubavitcher Rebbe
announced “Mivtza Tefillin” — the “Tefillin
Campaign” — and that every effort should
be made to put on Tefillin with as many Jews
as possible. Once again today, during Israel’s
current war we are seeing an enormous
spiritual awakening including “secular”
soldiers seeking to wear Tefillin.
If you look more closely you will notice
that the Talmud doesn’t say “Tefillin al
harosh,” Tefillin worn “on the head,” but
Tefillin sheberosh, in the head. I wear
Tefillin on my head, what are Tefillin “in”
the head? The story is told that the Vilna
Gaon was once staying at an inn when a
stranger came in and attacked the Jewish
owner who was wearing Tefillin and praying.
The Gaon heard and opened the door to his
room where he was davening in Tefillin.
When the attacker saw the Vilna Gaon, he
was overwhelmed with fear and fled. When
the owner asked what happened, the Gaon
explained that our rabbis taught when
someone sees the head Tefillin that they will
fear you. The owner responded, “But I was
also wearing Tefillin on my head and that
didn’t stop him from attacking me?” The
Gaon explained, “You are wearing your
Tefillin on your head, I am wearing my
Tefillin in my head. I don’t just place the
leather box on top of my head, I place its
messages, values and ideas inside my head.”
Said the Gaon, when we believe, live and
practice what Hashem wants from us, the
nations of the world will fear us.
Fear or love? Let our enemies fear how
much we love, how much we love Hashem
and how much we love each other.
This week, BRS proudly brought a large

delegation to Washington, D.C. to stand with at
the largest rally for Israel in history. For the
overwhelming majority of attendees, taking a day
off of work and traveling to the nation’s capital
was inconvenient, time-consuming, and
expensive. And yet, almost 300,000 did it. We
stood together to rally, demand the hostages be
brought home, and support elected leaders who
support Israel. But we also did so to sing, daven,
dance and stand with an enormous array of our
brothers and sisters, incredibly diverse but united
by a shared concern about our people and
committed to our homeland. Participating with
the spectrum of the Jewish people from great
Roshei Yeshiva like Rav Schachter, Rav Willig,
Rav Lopiansky, and others, and with Rabbonim
from Yeshivas Chafetz Chaim and Chabad, to
Jews of all backgrounds, beliefs, and practices
was a demonstration of unity to Hashem and to
ourselves and of steadfast resolve to our enemies
local and abroad.
While most of the attendees were eager to post,
stream, and stay connected, Hashem had other
plans. The dense gathering overwhelmed the
local towers leaving almost all with no service or
connection. While frustrating and challenging, it
quickly became clear it was a beracha from
Above. It felt like Hashem was looking down
and saying, “My sweet kinderlach, you have
never stood together in these numbers before.
Look around at your brothers and sisters, some
like you and many very different. Savor this
moment, be fully present, disconnect from the
world and connect with those you are standing
right next to.”
The highlight of the rally for me was when Ishay
Ribo took the stage. While I enjoy his singing
and am regularly moved by his songs, it was what
he said, not sang, that transformed the gathering
into a religious experience for me. Ribo led more
than a quarter of a million Jews in a perek of
Tehillim and turned to the mass gathering
imploring everyone to be mekabeil ol malchus
shamayim with him by reciting Shema together.
People were excited when Ribo sold out
Madison Square Garden earlier this year. This
week, he touched the hearts, prayed, sang and led
ten times that number in making a Kiddush
Hashem.
While many American Jews didn’t attend for
various reasons, the nearly 300,000 Jews gathered
in D.C. this week were filled with love – Love for
each other, love for our brothers and sisters in
Israel, love for the hostages, love for the IDF and
love for Hashem.
Hamas, Hezbollah and antisemites should be
very afraid. Fear the power of our love, for it will
always defeat them and whatever they plan.