שלוחא דרחמנא

Blogger Amshinover writes:

From Artscroll's Reb Shraga Feivel: The Life and Times of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the Architect of Torah in America, pp. 331-332, 335-336,

On Friday, November 29, 1947, the United Nations debated the issue of partitioning the British Mandate for Palestine into two countries, one Arab and one Jewish. Reb Shraga Feivel prayed fervently for partition. He had no radio in his house, but that Friday he borrowed one and set it to the news, leaving it on for Shabbos. He waited with such tense anticipation to hear the outcome of the U.N. vote that he did not come to shalosh seudos. When he heard the U.N.'s decision to establish a Jewish state, he stood up and recited the blessing הטוב והמטיב .

Four days after the United Nations vote, on 19 Kislev, Reb Shraga Feivel spoke in Bais Medrash Elyon, to present his talmidim with a Torah perspective on the event. He began by emphasizing that in the absence of prophecy no one could interpret the U.N. declaration with any certitude.Nevertheless the whole tenor of his remarks reflected his hope that the moment was a positive one for the Jewish people.He described three aspects of the final redemption: the redemption of the Land, the ingathering of the exiles, and the return of the Divine Presence to her proper place. The redemption of the Land is the first of the three...

In a similar vein, he also explained why the secular Zionists might have been chosen to play such a fateful role in the history of the Jewish people... Divine Providence might have arranged that the secular Zionists play a major role in the redemption of Eretz Yisrael precisely in order to maintain their connection to Klal Yisrael.
In a conversation with the Satmar Rav, shortly after his talk on the U.N. declaration, Reb Shraga Feivel was subjected to the sharpest criticism for his "Zionist leanings." Later he told his family, "I could have answered him Chazal for Chazal, Midrash for Midrash, but I did not want to incur his wrath, for he is a great man and a tzaddik." He added with a twinkle, "And besides, he has a fiery temper"

I'm very surprised Artscroll would print this, maybe they were not as PC then, I doubt they would write it now.

There's lots to be said about this, but this line says it all:

"I could have answered him Chazal for Chazal, Midrash for Midrash, but I did not want to incur his wrath, for he is a great man and a tzaddik." He added with a twinkle, "And besides, he has a fiery temper".

Others did incur the wrath, I guess it was before Yossel Ashkenazi could control him.

The haters will jump out of their seats and start quoting Kuntres U'Ma'ayon and the Sefer Tikkun Olam, and there's no disputing that, but we need to trust the adaption that was made by the Rabbeyim in policy with regards to the "Zionist entity" a.k.a. Israel once it WAS established. Let's leave the sticking of heads in the sand to the haters.

Much has been said in the names of the FR and the Rebbe with regards to what their reactions were on those fateful days of November 29, 1947 and May 14 1948. I have yet to draw a clear picture of it maybe some others can. However, the approach that Medinas Yisroel was founded by the irreligious so as to keep them connected to Judaism WAS negated by The Rebbe Rashab, at least in 5662.