Informal translation from Hebrew of the Elul 24, 5784, (25 September 2024) statement:

Sanhedrin - The Great Court of 71
Secretary: Rabbi Amnon Hever Tel: 054-9400909 b.d.hartzion@gmail.com

We call for increasing rights in preparation for the entry of the Jewish people into Lebanon

The Right of the People of Israel to Liberate Territory in Lebanon

In light of the possibility that the Israel Defense Forces may liberate territories in Lebanon, it is of great importance that the People of Israel have the right not only to conquer but also to inherit and settle in these liberated areas. Accordingly, we decree:

1. All of Lebanon is included within the borders of the Land of Israel that was given as an inheritance to the Twelve Tribes of Israel who ascended from Egypt in the first inheritance during the days of Solomon, as it is written: “At that time Solomon celebrated the festival, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from Lebo-Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt”—Lebo-Hamath, by all accounts, lies north of Lebanon.

2. The People of Israel erred when they ceded parts of the Land of Israel to Arabs, whether during the retreat from Beirut, the Oslo Accords, or the disengagement from Gaza. Because of these errors, God left other nations to test Israel and teach them the art of war, as it is written: “These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan... the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath” (Judges 3). However, the People of Israel have already suffered for these mistakes with thousands of casualties and tens of thousands wounded. They have awakened from the illusion of withdrawals, have "learned the art of war," and are now worthy of atonement, as it is written: “For her hard service has been completed, her sin has been paid for, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40).

3. Even those among the People of Israel who do not observe all the commandments have great merit due to their self-sacrifice in the wars for the Land of Israel, as well as their acts of kindness and volunteering.I

4. In contrast, 79% of Lebanese support Hamas, an organization that violates the Noahide law prohibiting bloodshed. Their judgment aligns with this violation.

5. The sins and low morale still present among some in the People of Israel are influenced by the leadership of the "Mixed Multitude" (Erev Rav). (Note: It is forbidden to identify any specific individual as part of the Erev Rav, as they may be akin to a "captive child," or they may be Israelites who have sinned, whose judgment requires due legal process, or they may indeed belong to the Erev Rav.)

6. We commit to ensuring that in all liberated territories, the mitzvot (commandments) related to the land will be observed. This includes the commandments of the Sabbatical Year (Shemitah), division of inheritances, the Jubilee Year, and the prohibition of idolatry and sexual immorality. We will prevent public displays of pride in transgressions, as it is written: “On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill” (Zephaniah 3).

7. We call upon the “Awaken the North” movement, founded by the “Nachala” movement, and upon all who wish to settle in liberated areas of the Land of Israel, to commit themselves in advance to settling the land in order to fulfill the mitzvot of the Torah.

8. From all the above, we decree that the People of Israel have the right to redeem the Lebanon region and settle there, subject to fulfilling all the commandments written in the Torah. We pray to God that the following verses be fulfilled through us: “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory as he promised your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to him” (Deuteronomy 19), and “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Deuteronomy 9).

Unanimously accepted on the 24th of Elul, 5784. And as we decree below, so we ask the Heavenly Court to decree above.

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