A short time ago, at the end of the month of Av, Rabbi Shlomo Ra’anan was murdered by an Arab terrorist in his caravan home at Tel Rumeida, Hevron.
Rabbi Ra’anan, who was a grandson of the late Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, settled in Hevron with his wife and children about five years ago. (His wife Haya is a nurse. She witnessed the stabbing of her husband and tried to revive him.)
I didn’t know Rabbi Shlomo Ra’anan, but I knew his parents, Rabbi Shalom Nathan Ra’anan and his wife Rabbanit Batya Miriam, who was a daughter of Rabbi Kook. I met them many years ago when I used to visit Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, to whom I was very close, at the old building of the Rav Kook Yeshiva — on Rav Kook Street in the center of Jerusalem — which was also the home of the Ra’anan family. Their home, of course, was permeated with the spirit of Rabbi Kook.
Last week the Mizrahi daily HaTzofe reprinted an interview with Haya Ra’anan, which was published two years ago in the mouthpiece of the Hevron settlers. In the interview she explained her and her husband’s decision to settle in the city of the Patriachs.
“We wanted to follow through the teachings of Rabbi Kook who stressed the major importance of the Mitzva to conquer and settle the land of Israel,” Haya said. “For years we felt that it was not enough only to study about this Mitzva. Now we have the privilege of fulfilling it.
“We looked for a suitable place. We felt that Hevron is the root of the Mitzva of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael, especially Tel Rumeida, which is Old Hevron. The large stones of the ancient wall connect us with our ancestors, the fathers of our people and with King David. We know that by our presence here we guard the entire country. This gives us much joy and strength.
“We have no fear living among hostile Arabs. Perhaps this attitude has been bequeathed to us by our families. I, for example am a descendant of the builders of Me’ah Sh’arim. Since my youth I have learned the value of the Mitzva of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael must outweigh any feeling of fear. A person must act with faith and determination and the L-rd will crown his efforts with success.
“We walk around Hevron, freely without fear. Thus we demonstrate that this is our home, our country, and fulfill the Mitzvah of conquering the land.”
In the course of the interview, Haya related that her mother, while still a youngster, had gone to Hevron to help her sister who had given birth. She happened to be in the city during the massacre of 1929, but was not harmed.
At the end of the interview, Haya expressed her faith and hope that Hevron will [once more] become a Jewish city.
Reading these words, I could not help being reminded of a speech by the late Rabb A.Y. Kook, the grandfather of Rabbi Shlomo Ra’anan, ZTL at a meeting held in memory of the victims of the Hevron massacre of 1929.
Simha Raz, in his beautiful biography of Rabbi Kook (Malachim Kivnei Adam) devotes an entire chapter to the Hevron massacre.
He quotes Rabbi Aryeh Levin that when Rabbi Kook heard the terrible news of the slaughter in Hevron, he fell backwards to the ground and lost consciousness. When he came to, he cried bitterly, tore his clothes and rolled in the dust.
Rabbi Betzalel Zolty (later Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem) related that his teacher and master, Rabbi Yehezkel Sarna, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Hevron yeshiva once said to him: “See how great is Rabbi Kook’s love for Jews. At the time the misfortune befell the Hevron community and the Yeshiva, I was already one of the heads of the Hevron Yeshiva and I knew well the students who were murdered. Then the bitter news reached me, I became completely confused, my heart shrank from pain and my grief was unbearable. But I didn’t lose consciousness. Rabbi Kook, when apprised of what happened in Hevron, lost consciousness and fell to the ground. His pain was much deeper, his shock much greater.”
Six months after the massacre a meeting in memory of the victims was held in Jerusalem’s Jeshurun Synagogue. Chief Rabbi Kook was one of the main speakers.
(Continued next week)
The Jewish Press, Friday, Sept. 11, 1998, p. 105
Conclusion
In his speech Chief Rabbi Kook said that, undaunted by the terrible catastrophe which the Jewish community had suffered, “we must declare, as we did Caleb ben Jephuneh in his time: ‘We will go up and possess it for we are able to overcome it” (Bamidbar 13:30). Rabbi Kook went on to say that this courageous Jew (Caleb) said many years later (when he asked Joshua to be permitted to conquer Hevron and inherit it) “I am still strong… as my strength was then, even so is my strength now” (Joshua 14:11). “Likewise we must rise and make it clear to everyone, “Rabbi Kook stressed, “That we have the strength– as we had in the past– to rebuild Hevron to establish a larger and stronger Jewish community where Jews would live in peace and seurity. With the help of the L-rd we will be privilged to see Hevron rebuilt speedily in our days.”
It is appropriate to add here some details about Rabbi Kook’s words and deeds during the tragic summer of 1929, as told in Simha’s Raz’s moving book. After the Hevron massacre, rumors spread throughout Israel that the British had, in some ways encouraged and aided the Arab murderers. Harry Charles Luke, the chief secretary of the Palestinian Administration– his father was a Hungarian Jew who had settled in Britain and had converted there– was particularly strongly criticized.
Rabbi Kook phoned him and asked that the administration act firmly against Arab pogromists. “What should be done?” Luke asked. “Open fire on the murderers,” the Rav said.
“We received no such order,” was Mr. Luke’s reply.
“I order you to do so, I demand this in the name of the conscience of mankind,” Rabbi Kook retorted.
A short time later, the British Administration gave a reception in honor of dignitaries of Palestine’s Jewish community. Mr. Luke stretched out his hand to greet Rabbi Kook. The rabbi refused to press it, saying “I don’t shake a hand which is besmirched with Jewish blood.”
Rabbi Kook’s stand made a great impression throughout the Jewish world. The Hebrew writer, Avigdor HaMeiri wrote that Rav Kook was the only person who defended the Jews’ national and human dignity. If not for him, we would have had to perform Keriah over the demise of Jewish self respect.
Simchah Raz did much archival and other research in writing his Malakhim Kivnei Adam. The narrative is interwoven with stories, sayings and excepts from writings of Rav Kook and contains much hitherto unknown material.
The book, which is lavishly illustrated with photographs and facsimiles of documents appeared several years ago and it is a pity that it is not widely in this country. I plan to write about it in the near future.
1 want to conclude with a story about Rabbi Kook relating to the Hazon Ish.
About two years before his death, Rabbi Kook wrote to Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky inviting him to the Land of Israel where he would enjoy the status of a Reish Galuta (Head of the Exile) deciding Halakhic problems submitted by the Jewish communities of various countries, “For from Zion shall come forth Torah,”.
Rabbi Chaim was unwilling to leave Vilna, but in his reply he informed Rabbi Kook that “ari Alah Mibavel” (A lion has come up from Bavel -the Hazon Ish was coming to settle in the Holy Land.
As soon as the Hazon Ish arrived in the country, Rabbi Kook hastened to welcome him and offered him a position befitting the great Gaon that he was. However, the Hazon Ish who had refused to serve as rabbi in Vilna did not accept the offer; he preferred to continue studying and writing as a “private scholar.”
Sometime later, the foundation stone for the Yeshiva Beth Yosef (Novardok) was laid in Bnai Brak. Rabbi Kook spoke at length at the celebration. All present listened to the address while seated. Only the Hazon Ish, who attended the event stood throughout the speech. When asked why he did not sit down, he replied, “The Torah (referring to Rabbi Kook) is standing” (and for that reason he could not sit).
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Three weeks ago, we read in the portion about the Egla Arufa: “And the elders of the city… and they shall speak and say: Our hands have not shed this blood….” (Devarim 21). Do the authorities of Israel declare likewise? Have they done everything in their power to defend the settlers, to prevent the murder of Rabbi Shlomo Ra’anan?
The settlers claim that Israel’s military authorities have failed them.
The Jewish Press, Friday Sept. 18, 1998