Saving Eretz Yisroel

Mrs. Geulah Cohen was a member of the kneset in Israel, who was also a long-time admirer of the Rebbe. She understood and identified strongly with the Rebbe’s position regarding various crucial issues pertaining to Eretz Yisroel, and was actively involved in furthering the Rebbe’s goals.

Once, she attended a farbrengen of the Rebbe in 770. She listened from the Veiber shul, while the Rebbe spoke passionately about the terrible danger in returning territories - that were captured by Israel – to their enemies (according to another version, the Rebbe was discussing the scandalous law regarding mihu yehudi, and the urgent need to have it changed).

After the farbrengen, she was asked for her impressions. “I am very much in agreement with everything that the Rebbe said”, was her reply, “but I don’t understand why he speaks about it here, to the Chassidim in attendance of his farbrengen. These are matters that need to be dealt with by Israeli politicians and public figures; what assistance can be provided by Crown Heights-based Lubavitchers?”

When the Rebbe was told about her query, he responded: “Zog ir, az oib di yungeleit vellen ton in taavos hetter, vet dos brengen di yeshua in Eretz Yisroel” [ - tell her that when the Chassidim here put their efforts into abstaining from worldly indulgences, this will bring about the betterment of the situation in Israel. According to another version, the Rebbe said this about the bochurim applying themselves diligently to their learning (the first version is probably the version of the bochurim, while the second is the version of the yungleit)].