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Correspondence

June 24, 1967

Letter from R. Peli about the Six-Day War (1967)

Six-Day War
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The Religious Meaning of the Six-Day War (1968)

I am convinced that any attempt to explain the events in June 1967 as no more than a remarkable coincidence of natural factors reveals, on the part of the non-believer, an extraordinary act of naive faith in the dogmas of agnosticism, and, on the part of the believer, a defense-mechanism by which to protect himself against possible future disappointment. The Six Day War was certainly a case of “revelation.” But even more than a revelation of divine power and direction of history, it was a revelation in the sense that the author of the Tanya (R. Shneur Zalman Miladi) uses the term: a revealing to man’s consciousness of the unsuspected reservoir of religious faith within him (“The hidden and natural love”). The sense of elation was universal amongst Jews, and it was authentically religious rather than nationalistic. It was the return to Mt. Moriah, notthe capture of Mt. Scopus, that aroused this unparalleled exaltation. And, the existence of this inner Jewish religiousness, for whatever the reason, was not “revealed” to this extent before— neither in 1948 nor in 1956.In attempting to understand these events in theological terms, I would rather not speak the language of messianism and redemption. Overloaded with centuries of sentiment, and so abused by repetition these past twenty years, terms such as at'chalta di’geulah (beginning of the Redemption) and ikvata de’-mashichah (Messianic Era) inspire but do not clarify.I prefer to analyze our situation in terms of the Biblical concept of hester panim (“the hiding of the face,” i.e., God’s withdrawal from a direct relationship with Israel). This is a concept which has been insufficiently explored but has immediate relevance to contemporary Jewish history. The need for brevity forces me to condense my remarks, perhaps beyond the limits of comprehensibility, and to eliminate mention of my sources. Nevertheless, I consider it a more fruitful approach than the language of Messianism.The Torah considers hester na-nim the ulti…
Six-Day War

Correspondence

Exchange with Monroe Levie about Request for Copies of Six-Day War Sermons (1968)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I am presently writing a Master’s Thesis for the Department of Speech of the University of Minnesota. The subject of my thesis concerns a rhetorical analysis of rabbinic sermons which dealt with the Middle East crisis of 1967. These sermons may have been delivered before, during or after the crisis. I am writing to you upon the recommendation of Rabbi Jerome Herzog of Knesseth Israel Synagogue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the sincere hope that you may be able to provide transcripts of any sermons you may have delivered before your congregation concerning the Israeli crisis. If you have transcripts which you could send to me, I would appreciate if you could indicate the date of delivery, the approximate number of people who heard the sermon, and the occasion during which the sermon was delivered (Friday evening service, Saturday morning service, etc.).My department feels this is a unique study which has not been previously attempted, and any assistance you may be able to provide regarding transcripts of your sermons will be greatly appreciated.Sincerely,Monroe Levie 21116 Rhode Island Minneapolis, Minnesota ^^26
Six-Day War

Correspondence

Letter to R. Karasick about Proposal from L. Carmell (1967)

Dear Joe: You recently received a rather long letter from a Mr. L. Carmell in London about trying to exploit the current hitorerut in a positive manner. I have never met him, but he certainly seems to be an active, efficient, and scholarly individual. I just received, this week, a complaint that his communications to you, to Dr. Weiss, and to Rabbi Kotler, have gone unanswered. It might be a good idea to reread his proposal and at least keep in contact with him. Best wishes for a happy year for all. Cordially yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm.
Six-Day War