Oscar-award winning actor John Voight was awarded the Tzedakah Award by Noahide Nations at this year’s first Noahide World Conference.

Voight said,

“The Seven Noahide Commandments appeal to my own sense of what I feel is a higher purpose, which is to try to get everyone to an understanding of what they’re asked to do, what life’s responsibilities are. These very simple Seven Laws of Noah, are good basics.”

- Jon Voight

Below is an interview with John Voight on Israeli television from May 2008 after he visited the rocket-battered town of Sderot.

Notables:
“G-d says to Abraham: Those who bless you will be blessed, those who curse you will be cursed.  And isn’t that what has happened [in history]?”¹

“All sane people should have a passion for Israel at this time.”

“I’m thinking about the future of our children, about the future of this world that we’re in.”

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When Noahides express support of “Israel,” it is important to know who it is that you are supporting.

It is important because the spiritual concept of a Noahide is a soul that attaches itself to G-d’s people (as opposed to a convert who becomes one of them).

“I support Israel.”  Do you mean the Israeli government? the Israel Defense Forces? the Israeli Rabbinate?  The Israeli citizens?

Unfortunately, G-d has not brought us the Final Redemption yet.  Hence, the Land of Israel is filled with the Children of Israel, but run by (some) people who are very anti-Torah-of-Israel.¹  It’s a twisted situation of transition, and is far more complicated than this.

The Israeli government is not based on the morality of the Torah.  It is based on the morality of secular Democracy (with a sprinkle of Jewish culture).  Democracy is only a vessel, a garment, a body - but not a soul.  It holds no inherent moral system.  Rather, Democracy holds the morality with which it’s leaders and population inject it.

Hence, the Israeli Knesset’s (parliament’s) approval of Operation Cast Lead could not be more opposite from Torah values:

(IsraelNN.com) All Knesset parties except for Meretz [(very liberal party -iHN)] and the Arab parties approved the decision to support the action in Gaza. The decision stated: “It is the right of the State of Israel to defend itself just as it is the right of any nation to do so. It is the right of the citizens of Israel to live with security just as it the right of any other citizens to do so.”

First of all, all Torah thoughts aside, it is not the government’s right to defend its citizens, it is the government’s job!

Secondly, the secular Zionists did not found the State of Israel as a fulfillment of redemption from 2,000-year exile.  Rather, they wanted a state “like any other nation.” They thought that this would end the phenomenon of anti-semitism. It was their solution to the “final solution.”

But G-d does not want Jews to be like any other nation!  The Jews are meant to be a holy nation of priests who will share G-dliness with the entire world.

Because the secular society in Israel strives to be like “any other nation,” the hand of anti-semitism, no matter be it Kassam rockets in Israel or Al Qaeda terrorists in Mumbai, strikes a lethal reminder that we Jews are not like any other nation.

Neither should we live like any other nation, nor should we die like any other nation.

Therefore we must fight for our lives in the manner that befits G-d’s priestly people, and not in the manner of “any other nation.”  That is to say, relentlessly - without fear - and with complete faith in Hashem.

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I was shown the following in Rambam’s list of the 613 commandments.

Negative Mitzvah 58: Those engaged in warfare shall not fear their enemies nor be panic-stricken by them during battle. (Deut. 3:22, 7:21, 20:3)

IDF Soldier of the Nahal Haredi battalion dons his tefillin.

Deuteronomy 3:22 “You shall not fear them; for HaShem your G-d, it is He that fights for you”
Deuteronomy 7:21 “You shall not be terrified by them”
Deuteronomy 20:3 “1 When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for HaShem your G-d is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And it shall be, when you draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

3 and shall say unto them: ‘Hear, O Israel, you draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint; fear not, nor be alarmed, neither be you affrighted at them;

4 for HaShem your G-d is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”

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When a Jewish soldier is called up to the battlefront, he must trust in HaShem. He must realize that he is fighting for the sake of the Master of the Universe.

The Jewish soldier is commanded not to fear the enemy. He must gather all his courage and rely on HaShem to protect him.  This is no small feat.

A Jewish soldier who retreats from the enemy because of fear violates this Negative Mitzvah.

It is forbidden for Jews to give away parts of the land of Israel, even for “promises” of peace.  The only thing that has come out of Gaza since the Israeli government evicted 8,000 Jews from their Gaza homes is rockets and increasing Hamas terror (as well as worsening living conditions for Gazan Palestinians).  Since Israel left Gaza in 2005, the Palestinians have fired 5,000 rockets into Israel.  The current Israeli military campaign is a response to this Hamas terror.

Thank G-d, the first aerial strike against Hamas was successful. However, the Isaeli government says the military operation has just begun.

We pray that we will see victory of the kind that will bring true peace. With people like Hamas, seeds of peace do not grow in the soil of negotiations, no matter how much manure you add to it. (I will refrain from further gardening analogies that would include weeding and salting slugs.)

Rabbi Brody who lives in Ashdod on the coast of Israel recaps the situation thus far.

Below are Psalms to say when the Land of Israel and the Jewish people who dwell within her are in danger.

Psalms 83, 121, 130, 142

These should be said aloud, but need only be loud enough for you to hear the words yourself. If you feel the quality of your concentration is enhanced by saying them in a normal voice or crying them out, that should be done. The words are vessels, powerful vessels. Into these vessels one should place powerful spirit and intention, especially if you are moved to tears. Your spirit is like a bow, and the words are your arrows. Aim well. Give them strength to pierce the Heavens.

English is fine, which is why I posted English here. If you read Hebrew, you should say these Psalms (or “Tehillim”) in Hebrew even if you don’t understand the words. In that case, you should read the English first a couple times to know what you are saying.

There is no limit to the number of times you can or should say Psalms.  The same goes to personal prayer in your own words and native language.  I personally find it powerful to say Psalms and add my own prayers afterwards or in between the Psalms, aligning my own words to the themes of the particular Psalm.

I think you will find the first Psalm (83) most relevant to the war against Israel. See how those who hate G-d’s people are the same today as they were when Dovid HaMelech (King David) wrote these words!

Psalm 83

1 A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.
2 O God, keep not Thou silence; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God.
3 For, lo, Thine enemies are in an uproar; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head.
4 They hold crafty converse against Thy people, and take counsel against Thy treasured ones.
5 They have said: ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.’
6 For they have consulted together with one consent; against Thee do they make a covenant;
7 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites;
8 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
9 Assyria also is joined with them; they have been an arm to the children of Lot. Selah
10 Do Thou unto them as unto Midian; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook Kishon;
11 Who were destroyed at En-dor; they became as dung for the earth.
12 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and like Zebah and Zalmunna all their princes;
13 Who said: ‘Let us take to ourselves in possession the habitations of God.’
14 O my God, make them like the whirling dust; as stubble before the wind.
15 As the fire that burneth the forest, and as the flame that setteth the mountains ablaze;
16 So pursue them with Thy tempest, and affright them with Thy storm.
17 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek Thy name, O LORD.
18 Let them be ashamed and affrighted for ever; yea, let them be abashed and perish;
19 That they may know that it is Thou alone whose name is the LORD, {N}
the Most High over all the earth. {P}

Psalm 121

1 A Song of Ascents. {N}
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come?
2 My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.
8 The LORD shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for ever. {P}

Psalm 130

1 A Song of Ascents. {N}
Out of the depths have I called Thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hearken unto my voice; {N}
let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4 For with Thee there is forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning; yea, more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. {P}

Psalm 142

1 Maschil of David, {N}
when he was in the cave; a Prayer.
2 With my voice I cry unto the LORD; with my voice I make supplication unto the LORD.
3 I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble;
4 When my spirit fainteth within me–Thou knowest my path– {N}
in the way wherein I walk have they hidden a snare for me.
5 Look on my right hand, and see, for there is no man that knoweth me; {N}
I have no way to flee; no man careth for my soul.
6 I have cried unto Thee, O LORD; {N}
I have said: ‘Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’
7 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low; {N}
deliver me from my persecutors; for they are too strong for me.
8 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto Thy name; {N}
the righteous shall crown themselves because of me; for Thou wilt deal bountifully with me. {P}

“Anyone who has been following the progress of the Jewish population in Eretz Yisrael can see clearly how from every step backward came an even greater development for the good, and out of every crisis came a step forward.”

(Rav Kook’s Ma’amarei HaRe’iyah: “Shuvu LeBitzaron”)

(Source: Nava)
translated from http://www.bhol.co.il/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=1&topic_id=876666&forum_id=771

My friend and I were sitting at a restaurant and out of nowhere my childhood friend Yossie Admoni shows up. He joined our table and tells us the most incredible story that recently occurred…

Tal Admoni recently ended his army duty; he was a commanding officer in combat engineering. Tal is 9th generation Israeli from his mother’s side, the Slonim family. Tal’s grandfather is Yaakov Slonim, one of the very few people that survived the Hevron massacre in Israel August 1929.

A few weeks ago commanding officer Tal was stationed in Hevron. His duty was to check all the Arab Muslims before allowing them entrance into the city; including men, women, seniors, and children. The barricade was placed on the main central road and every day he and his troop would regularly check for potential Jihads.

One evening the most remarkable thing happened. There were a few people that looked suspicious and they did not have permission to pass the barricade till their ID was checked to authenticate they are not potential suicide bombers. The Arabs were sitting on the side waiting while the soldiers were surveying them. One of the detainees, a 30-year-old Arab, requested to speak with the commanding officer. They bring him over to Tal while watching his every move with 70 eyes. The Arab tells Tal, ‘I have a document I want to show you but the document is inside my taxi.’

Together with his soldiers, Tal walked over to the taxi with the Arab and when they reached the Taxi, the Arab takes out of his glove compartment a document and explains that this certificate belonged to his grandfather. Tal takes the documents and as he reads it, he sees a list of people, all written in Hebrew. While Tal was glancing at this document, the Arab tells him, ‘my grandfather was in Hevron during the massacre of 1929 and he saved his Jewish neighbors.’ Tal continued reading the document and behold, he sees his grandfather’s name on the list, Yaakov Slonim.

Tal was stunned and thrilled, when he spoke to his mother a few hours before she told him that her father, Yaakov Slonim, is very ill and might not live much longer. Everyone in the Admoni/Slonim family knew the famous story of how his grandfather Yaakov Slonim was hidden by an Arab neighbor during the 1929 Hevron massacre and thus, saved his life.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tal gave the Arab taxi driver permission to go home, much to the dislike of the other detainees.

Less than 24 hours later, Yaakov Slonim, one of the few survivors of the 1929 Hevron massacre, passed away, zs’kl.

However, I have heard of particular Christian groups that do honestly support Israel and the Jews without a hidden agenda to convert Jews.  Is it possible?

Any input on this from iHN readers is appreciated.