Page 56 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut AUS 2021

GENERAL INTEREST STORY

Rabbi Binny Freedman

Lessons from Tzfat in 1948

I n 1948, things did not look promis- earlier. One of the fighters turned to This week’s parasha, Tazria, focuses on

the issue of tzara’at. Tradition teaches
ing for the Jews.
one of his religious comrades asking:
The Arab armies of Iraq, Egypt, “Doesn’t G-d want us to come home? that tzara’at was the direct consequence
Syria, Lebanon, and forces from How could He let it rain in May?” of lashon hara and rechilut, evil speech
Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria prepared (Eventually fighters managed to cross and gossip, and as such it was an oppor-
to attack the newly declared State of the street under heavy gunfire and det- tunity for a person to do some intro-
Israel as soon as the British pulled out onate the explosives from close range, spection and consider the error of his
in May of 1948, vowing to push the Jews but losing many men in the process. ways.
into the sea. The bullet holes still mark the walls The Sefer HaChinuch points out (mitz-
where this fierce battle took place.)
In Tzfat, where 80,000 Arabs sur- vah 168) that this particular process
rounded approximately 3,000 Jews Meanwhile, down below, at the entrance enabled us to recognize the power of
living in the Jewish Quarter, the to the Jewish Quarter, things were going Divine Providence, and relates to the
Jews were braced for the worst. Sure from bad to worse, and in desperation, larger issues of destiny, reward and
enough, as the British pulled out of the Jews decided to employ their last punishment, and the balance between
Tzfat, thousands of Arabs armed with resort. the nature of miracles and the miracle
hunting rifles, knives and clubs attacked Desperately short on arms, they had of nature.
the Jewish Quarter. The few hundred developed what they hoped would be
Jewish fighters were hopelessly out- an answer to Arab armor and artillery. As an example, one of the many signs
numbered and fierce fighting broke out The Davidka, (literally: ‘little David’) of tzara’at for which an expert Kohen
at the entrance to the Old City. had to be consulted, was when a hair
was essentially a home-built mortar. on a person’s body turned a particular
The Citadel, the most important posi- One could fill the Davidka with rocks, shade of white (“like snow”) or yellow
tion in the city, with a strategic com- nails and metal balls and, setting it off (like winter grass; see Vayikra 13:30).
mand of the entire area, was a British with explosives, fire a deadly stream And the Kohen’s challenge was not
fortress, which the Jewish fighters had at the advancing enemy. It was a bril- only to find the correct shade, but to
to take in order to survive. But the liant idea, as it would allow the Jews ensure that indeed there were two hairs
Arabs, with advanced notice from the to use readily available supplies to arm
British, had already taken command of themselves. Unfortunately, it did not which had turned white, and not one,
the Citadel. In a bold move, members work, barely knocking a man down at because when only one hair had turned
of the Palmach (the fighting arm of the close range. It did, however, produce white, the person was not confined but
Jewish underground Haganah) planted an incredibly loud explosion, and the remained in a state of ritual purity.
explosives at the base of the thick Cita- Jews at this point had nothing to lose. Think about it: the difference between
del walls, determined to blast their way Faced with thousands of Arabs, and being a metzora and being pure was one
through in a desperate attempt to save without even enough bullets to fire at hair on a person’s body.
the Jews and establish a position from them all, they fired the Davidka just as
which to hold out against the furious the rain began pouring down. And to The Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah (15:3)
Arab onslaught. their amazement, the Arabs stopped, shares a magnificent insight related to
turned and ran. this detail of halacha:
Suddenly, just as they were ready to det-
onate the explosives, a freak rainstorm Not quite understanding what was hap- “You will not find a single strand of
broke out, soaking the detonation wires pening, they fired the Davidka three hair for which G-d did not create an
and preventing the explosion. This was more times until the entire Arab army appropriate follicle in the skin, so that
May, the beginning of spring. The rainy had fled the quarter, and the miracle one (hair) should not benefit from what
season usually ends a month or two legend of Tzfat was born. ‘belongs’ to another.”

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