The anti-Torah forces in Eretz Yisrael have struck another blow to the Torah-abiding public.
Israeli Army Inducts Third Mixed-gender Combat Unit
The Israel Defense Forces is expanding the number of female combat soldiers and establishing a third mixed-gender light infantry combat battalion. The first recruits for the new unit, which will comprise half of men and half of women, enlisted on Sunday.
According to another source...
"[A senior] official stated that the IDF chose a religious officer from the Shomron (Samaria) for the controversial unit as part of the IDF spokesman's plan to "change viewpoints" within Religious Zionism and to cause young religious people to enlist without fear of modesty issues during the course of their military service. There is no way to avoid modesty issues in mixed units, so the IDF is attempting to downplay their importance."
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Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, continuing...
If the government or a Jewish king establishes a law or decree against Torah law, the laws of G-d, we are duty-bound to reject it. The issue here is not Jews rebelling against the government and breaking the law, but Jews seeking to uphold the law and rebelling against a government which breaks the law and tries to keep Jews from living by it.
It is forbidden to obey a governmental decree or law which opposes G-d's Torah, and obviously, it is forbidden to aid these sinners in implementing it. Rambam wrote (Hilchot Rotzeach 12:14):
Whoever makes a blind man stumble by giving him inappropriate advice, or gives strength and encouragement to sinners, blind people who do not see the way of truth due to the desire in their heart, violates a negative precept: "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind." (Lev. 19:14)....a king's appointment is conditional on his following the path of Torah and mitzvot. Otherwise, it is forbidden to appoint him king or ruler over Israel. Rambam wrote this explicitly (Ibid., 1:7): "Whoever lacks the fear of G-d, although he be exceedingly wise, cannot be appointed to any position of authority over Israel."
...A king or any other ruler over Israel derives his chief authority from the Torah. He is forever subject to G-d and Torah, and let him not even think about rebelling against G-d, the Supreme King of Kings.
...It is fitting to ask whether the Torah, indeed, commanded that there be a monarchy, rule by an individual. It would seem that the Torah did so, for we have seen that when the time came to choose a ruler over Israel after Moses died, Moses said to Joshua, "Be strong and brave, for you will come with [תבוא את] this nation to the Land" (Deut. 31:7). by contrast, when G-d addressed Joshua, he said, "Be strong and brave, for you will bring [תביא] Israel to the Land (Ibid., v. 23). Our sages comment (Sanhedrin 8a):
Why does it first say, "for you will come with" and then, "for you will bring"? R. Yochanan answered: Moses said, "You and the elders of the generation with them," but G-d said, "Take a staff and smite their skulls. There must be one leader to the generation, not two."We see that G-d, in His great understanding of human nature, knew that rule by the many would in time of crises lead to paralysis and total chaos, and to an effort by those who wish to rule, to flatter the people and promise them all kinds of gratuities which would spell tragedy for the people and the state. G-d, therefore, decreed, "One leader" - only one - who will be able to rule and to force the people to follow a certain path. That way, the people and the state will be spared the sorrows of licentiousness which are the lot of the regime with many leaders. "Too many cooks..."
Sefer HaChinuch wrote (Mitzvah 71 [77]):
The rationale for this mitzvah is that it is impossible to maintain a human society without one person being appointed ruler over the rest, so that they do his bidding and fulfill his decrees. People think differently from one another, and they will never all agree to one course of action. The result will be that they will accomplish nothing. They must, therefore, accept the view of one of them, whether good or bad, so that they can succeed and carry on normal affairs. Sometimes the ruler's counsel and wishes will prove beneficial and sometimes the opposite. All this is better than the total breakdown caused by controversy.This is clearly the type of regime G-d desired; and when there is a prophet and Sanhedrin together with the king who stands at their head, they comprise a Torah regime of "one leader to the generation, not two."
...The king or ruler is obligated to view himself as G-d's representative to herd His holy flock, Israel, and to conduct himself with them in ways that will be beneficial to them, and all in accordance with the ways of the Torah.... (Source)
~~~ END of SERIES~~~
If you think about it, the whole world was still living under monarchy until the American colonies rebelled against the King of England and set up self-rule. This spirit of rebellion underlies everything "American" and it spread from there. No one believes anyone else has the "right" to tell them what to do and this extends to HKB"H! Today, the idea of rebellion against authority is so ingrained, it is difficult to imagine how the Davidic Monarchy will be re-established. Nonetheless, it will. From the looks of the situation in America today, it could be that democracy has just about run its course. Maybe when it's all over, people will be ready for a real change - the survivors, that is. Either way, it's coming.
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