..... Moving forward several thousand years to Chevron in 1929, the entire Jewish world was stunned by the slaughter of the Jewish community in Chevron and the destruction of the yeshiva there by the Arabs. The mood in the Jewish community in Eretz Yisroel at that time was one of despair and sadness. People were discouraged and felt that the Jewish people would never be able to successfully settle Eretz Yisroel. The Arabs were too numerous and too powerful and the British government was doing nothing to restrain them. Two months after the massacre, on Simchas Torah, the students in what would eventually be known as the yeshiva Merkaz Harav Kook, could not bring themselves to dance for Simchas Torah. They could only say the text but simply could not bring themselves to sing or dance.
Suddenly, Rav Kook got up, grabbed several of the guys hands to start dancing, and yelled out the pasuk in Haazinu (Devarim 32:43) “הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ כִּי דַם-עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ,” “Rejoice nations over His people for He will revenge the blood of His servants and He will render vengeance against His adversaries and He will forgive his land and His people.” This clarion call stirred something in the students, who began to weep. One, who was musically talented, composed a tune to go with the pasuk on the spot and began singing it. Everyone else joined in and the yeshiva sang and danced like never before to Rav Kook’s pasuk, reminding everyone that Hashem would take revenge upon those who shed innocent Jewish blood and that they would ultimately be successful in settling Eretz Yisroel.
That same year, the Jewish community in Eretz Yisroel held an “Azkara,” memorial event, to honor those who were murdered sanctifying G-d’s name in Chevron. Rav Kook spoke (as recorded in Ma’amarei Haraya 461-462) and asked why they were holding this memorial event. The pain of every Jew was so raw. No one needed to “remember” what had happened. He therefore explained “מטרתה להביא את הזכרון הזה והרגשות התוססים בלבנו גם לידי פעולה מעשית לשם בנין חברון והקמת הריסותיה,” “The purpose is to bring this memory and the feelings which are bubbling in our hearts to practical expression in the form of building Chevron and reestablishing that which was destroyed.”
Rav Kook was the lone voice, the Calev of his time, speaking out to strengthen the flagging strength of the Jewish community to continue building up Eretz Yisroel. The general feeling at the time was (Bamidbar 13:31), “לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת אֶל הָעָם כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ,” “We cannot go up against the nation because it is stronger than us.” Rav Kook was the first voice to call out “Let us ascend and take possession of [the land] because we can surely succeed!” Rav Kook concluded, “אם פושעים ורשעים גמלו לנו רעה תחת טובה, אין לנו אלא תשובה ניצחת: חברון היהודית תשוב ותיבנה אי"ה לכבוד ולתפארת,” “If these sinners and wicked people have repaid us with evil for the good we have done for them, then we have only one answer for them: Jewish Chevron will again be rebuilt with G-d’s help with glory and honor!”
Rav Kook never forgave the British for their complicit role in the Arabs’ murder of the Jews of Chevron. In particular, it became known that a certain chief government secretary named Charles Lock (whose father was Jewish but converted to Christianity in England) was particularly guilty of cooperating with the Arabs. The Hebrew version of one of Rav Kook’s biographies, “Angels Among Men,” by Simcha Raz, recounts an incident, while the siege and massacre was still taking place, in which Rav Kook called Lock demanding that he send in British troops to stop the Arabs from killing the unarmed Jews and yeshiva students in Chevron. Lock dismissed the suggestion, saying “What is there to do?” Rav Kook answered, “Shoot the murderers!” Like many before him, Lock answered, “I have not received any orders to do this.” Putting himself in danger, Rav Kook responded, “I order you in the name of human conscience!” Lock did nothing and the massacre continued.
Some time later, at a major reception held by the British government, at which many reporters were present, Lock and Rav Kook found themselves near one another. Lock stretched out his hand to Rav Kook but the Rav said loudly, for everyone to hear, “I do not shake hands with someone whose hands are soaked in Jewish blood!” Lock angrily responded, “You Jews can protect yourselves but you cannot attack other people.” Rav Kook then answered, to everyone’s shock, “People who transgress ‘Thou shalt not murder’ cannot give anyone ethical advice. When someone arises to kill a person, he must rise up to kill the attacker first!” The press was present at the event and reported on the entire incident, which reawakened the Jewish world’s honor, self-respect, and confidence in their ability to continue building Eretz Yisroel.
