Rav Shmuel Eliyahu calls upon the Sovereignty Youth “to conquer the bridges” with signs that will prove to the people and bolster its faith in the virtue of its path and in its love for the Land of Israel.
Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat and the Rabbi of the Sovereignty Movement, addressed the Sovereignty Youth Conference and asserted that the real battle over the land is a battle over consciousness and spirit.
“In the riots in the mixed cities and in Gaza, we did not emerge victorious because there was a lack of faith in the virtue of our path, a lack of resoluteness, and there were not enough values. The IDF has the power to win the battle and eradicate Gaza in a few hours. What is lacking is faith. We are called upon to add faith, might and monarchy.”
Regarding the verse: “Do not touch My anointed ones; do not harm My prophets” (Psalms 105:15), Rav Eliyahu raised the kabbalistic interpretation: Who are “My anointed ones [meshiḥai]”? In each one of us there is a messianic spark. If it is extinguished within us, it is extinguished in the kingdom as well. However, if it is bolstered within us, the messianic king will arrive. The messianic king can be found in each and every one of us. If we are cowards, he will not reveal himself. However, if we become stronger, the messianic king will be revealed. If we sit idly and anticipate that he will arrive from the heavens, we will wait a long time. We are required to intensify the courage within us.”
“We conquered Tzfat, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem during the War of Independence with virtually no weapons, but with much faith, might, dedication, and wisdom, and we caused more than half a million Arabs to flee the country. There were no pangs of conscience back then because all of them understood that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. If we leave it in their hands, we will not have a state and we will have no right to exist. “I am peace…but they are for war” (Psalms 120:7), because that is their culture, even among themselves…” Harav Eliyahu said, and added: “We will liberate Jerusalem by the power of the might that is within us.”
The Rabbi also asserted that the victory is not dependent on any particular government. “A government is a reflection of the people. If the people are filled with might, the government will act with might. That is our role,” he said and charged the Sovereignty Youth with a mission:
“When I come from Tzfat to Jerusalem, I pass central highways. On every overpass there is a sign of one of the left wing movements, incitement against Netanyahu, against Judea and Samaria, etc. In that way, employing simple methods, they seek to alter the national consciousness and to create the impression that this is the spirit of all the people. Our next mission must be to conquer all the bridges in the State of Israel; each of us must make sure to conquer the bridge near his home and to hang signs about love of Jerusalem and the application of sovereignty. In that way, these messages will conquer all the people. This is our task, to spread our light to all of Am Yisrael.”
This message was delivered by Rav Eliyahu at the Third Sovereignty Youth Conference taking place today (Thursday) at the Oz VeGaon Nature Preserve in Gush Etzion, where the “Greater Jerusalem” initiative to expand the municipal borders of Jerusalem has been launched.