Special Choveret for Shabbat Ha’Irgun:
Kiddush Hashem
Aims:
1) To learn about the concepts of Kiddush Hashem and Chillul Hashem
and to understand how important they are in everyday life.
2) To think about our actions and always try to make a Kiddush Hashem.
3) To use the Shabbat Ha’Irgun Tochnit as a great opportunity to make a
Kiddush Hashem and to avoid makng a Chillul Hashem at all costs.
Volume 28
Issue 12
Shabbat Ha’Irgun 5771
Bnei Akiva is proud to be supported by
Dear Madrichim
Welcome back to the special Choveret for Shabbat Ha’Irgun!
Your Shabbat Ha’Irgun is now only days away! Shabbat Ha’Irgun is a great opportunity to show many
people who do not usually come to your Sviva how wonderful it is – whether its local Chanichim who
don’t usually come, family members of Chanichim who do usually come, guests from other Svivot, or
Mazkirut members. Please take advantage of this opportunity and do your Sviva proud!
The Choveret is on Kiddush Hashem, which is a very important topic both in general and specifically
for Shabbat Ha’Irgun, as your Tochnit may well bring you into contact with people who have never
met religious Jews, and almost certainly with people who have never heard of Bnei Akiva. Please
emphasise this point throughout Shabbat – in the meetings, in Mifkad, in a Dvar Torah at a meal, in
your songs, or wherever else you can think of – so that your Sviva make a Kiddush Hashem on
Saturday night and not a Chillul Hashem.
There are a few suggested games and discussion points on page 8, but please make sure that this
week more than ever before you come up with as many exciting ideas as possible of your own, so
that your Shabbat Ha’Irgun meeting is exciting and original. There is also a special section on what
Shabbat Ha’Irgun is all about on pages 6 and 7.
On behalf of the entire Mazkirut, we hope that you have an incredible and successful Shabbat
Ha’Irgun, and that all the Chanichim love it so much that they come back again every week!
All the best
Alan 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------‘You shall not desecrate My Holy Name (Chillul Hashem); rather I should be
sanctified among the Children of Israel (Kiddush Hashem) - I am Hashem
Who makes you holy.’
(Vayikra 22:32)
We often hear the terms ‘Kiddush Hashem’ and ‘Chillul Hashem’, but what
do they really mean? What are we expected to do and not do? The Torah
speaks about desecrating Hashem’s Name, but how can mere humans like us
affect the status of Hashem?
Nechama Leibowitz, a renowned twentieth century Torah commentator,
gives the following definition of Kiddush Hashem: ‘The propagation of
human acknowledgement and recognition of Him and His holiness.’
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In other words it’s about the extent to which Hashem is acknowledged and
respected in the world: if we cause Him to be revered then it’s a Kiddush
Hashem; if we lessen His esteem in the eyes of others it’s a Chillul Hashem.
We are all familiar with the idea of Jews needing to be an „Or La‟Goyim‟ (A
light unto the nations), and as we say in Aleinu our role is to “perfect the world
as a kingdom of Hashem”. So how exactly do we sanctify Hashem’s Name?
There are many opportunities to make a Kiddush Hashem in our everyday
lives and this is the most important point to get across to our Chanichim.
Simple things like being the first to stand up for someone on the bus,
returning lost objects, and giving charity in the street, all have the potential
to create a Kiddush Hashem. People associate Jews with serving God, so
when they see Jews helping others they associate serving God with good
things happening in the world, ending up with a positive impression of God.
However, the opposite is also true; any wrong that we do also impacts on
people’s view of God. When Jews who look religious do things wrong it
gives the impression that being religious does not make you a good person.
People are quick to jump to conclusions, so we have to watch our actions
all of the time. Kiddush Hashem and Chillul Hashem are a reaction to human
nature; we should not look for stereotypes or be judgmental, but often
people do. Therefore, Chillul Hashem is viewed as a very grave sin:
„A person who committed a Chillul Hashem, even if he repents, and Yom Kippur
arrives and he continues his repentance and he experiences suffering, he will not
be granted complete atonement until his death.‟ (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva 1:4)
The reason why it is so hard to be forgiven for causing a Chillul Hashem is
that the element of sin does not primarily affect the sinner. The people who
see the sinner are caused to think badly of Hashem, and this is damage that
we cannot repair. Do not underestimate the implications of our actions!
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Other forms of Kiddush Hashem
In the medieval period a different form of Kiddush
Hashem arose as a response to the Crusades that of dying for one’s religion. There are three sins
which we should rather die than transgress: murder,
idolatry and sexual immorality. However, at times of
oppression like the Crusades, all the other Mitzvot
were included, so many chose not to convert and
instead died while sanctifying the name of Hashem.
The story of Rabbi Akiva dying at the hands of the
Romans with the Shema on his lips was cited as a
source and example for this type of martyrdom.
This idea of death as a form of Kiddush Hashem is often
cited with regard to the Holocaust. Those who died at the
hands of the Nazis are said to have died for Kiddush
Hashem. There are many examples of people in the most
terrible conditions who risked everything in order to
sanctify Hashem’s Name through certain Mitzvot or actions.
Similarly we can see the State of Israel as a massive Kiddush Hashem. The
land promised to us by Hashem has been returned to us, and miraculously
we have survived in the land despite attacks from all sides. This serves to
sanctify the Name of Hashem. However, it doesn’t end there; being the only
Jewish state in the world gives us the great responsibility of having to make a
Kiddush Hashem through our actions. Great moral standards are expected
of our army by the rest of the world. Wherever disaster strikes in the
world, Israel is usually among the first to provide aid and assistance, which is
an incredible Kiddush Hashem. A Jewish state gives us incredible potential to
sanctify the Name of Hashem on an international level.
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We are not just obligated to sanctify Hashem’s Name among
non-Jews, but even more so among Jews, as the verse states ‘I
should be sanctified among the Children of Israel‟. As religious Jews
we are watched closely as an example of religious life, so if we
behave well then not only can we sanctify Hashem’s Name, but
we can also bring other Jews closer to Judaism and to Hashem.
See how religious soldiers made a Kiddush Hashem in the Yom Kippur War:
“The religious community, in particular, took great pride in a clearly perceived
Kiddush Hashem. Almost everyone had seen some striking picture or heard some
moving story: of boys (they really were not much more) who had gone into battle
wearing tefillin; of a group which had stunned its brigadier by inquiring, during a
nocturnal lull in the Sinai campaign, whether and when they would be provided
with a lulav and an etrog; of another which, after a disheartening day on the
battlefield, improvised Simhat Torah dancing and hakafot by the banks of the
Suez Canal. Almost everyone had read comments of leading Israel Defence Forces
commanders praising the courage and commitment of bnei yeshivot, noting both
the inspirational qualities which had done so much to boost collective morale and
their vital role in the forefront of the actual fighting.”
(Rav Aharon Lichtenstein)
We are in an incredibly influential position when it comes to Kiddush
Hashem and Chillul Hashem. We are not just Jews on show to the rest of
the world, but religious Jews being watched by the wider Jewish community
to see whether being religious has any value. As Madrichim we have an even
greater responsibility; everyone is watching us and the slightest action can
either sanctify or desecrate Hashem’s Name in the eyes of many people.
But we must not think that we only need to be good when other people are
watching. The Rambam says in Hilchot Teshuva that we must see ourselves
as if our lives are perfectly balanced between Mitzvot and sins. Therefore,
each and every action can tip the balance, even if nobody else is watching.
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Why Shabbat Ha’Irgun?
We all get very excited about Shabbat Ha’Irgun, but most of us don’t really
know where the idea came from. Let’s take a brief moment to look at how
it all began and what it’s all about!
Although we now describe Bnei Akiva as a ‘Tnua’ (movement), it was
originally known as an ‘Irgun’ (organisation). In the early days of Bnei Akiva,
members felt that they needed to dedicate some time to learning about the
organisation and what it stood for. So in the year ‫( תש"ב‬1941-42), they came
up with the concept of Chodesh Ha’Irgun to take place in the month of
Cheshvan after the Chagim.
Chodesh Ha’Irgun (literally: ‘month of the organisation’) is a month where
each Snif (Israeli equivalent of Sviva!) re-establishes itself and renews itself
for the new year. At this time, each year group ‘moves up a level’ – i.e. Year
8 become Maapilim, Year 9 become Haroeh, etc.
There are many activities that take place during this month, including
competitions between year groups and painting the local Bayit, but the most
famous event is at the end of the month – Shabbat Ha’Irgun! In Israel, it
usually falls on Parashat Toldot, and it is the time at which the new Shevet
name for Year 10 is released in an exciting way at Mifkad on Motzei Shabbat.
The revealing of Shevet Lehava at Mifkad… and Torani 5770 at Sussia Shabbat Ha’Irgun.
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Over the years, the British version has
changed slightly, and we now have a system
whereby each Sviva has their own date for
Shabbat Ha’Irgun, usually some time between
January and March. However, the idea still
remains that Shabbat Ha’Irgun is the time to
encourage the Sviva to move up to the next
level!
Should Shabbat Ha’Irgun be aimed at those who already come each
week to Sviva or should it be seen as an opportunity to bring more
people in who don’t usually come?
Should Shabbat Ha’Irgun be seen as the beginning of the year, as in
Israel, or the climax of the year?
Should Shabbat Ha’Irgun become Chodesh Ha’Irgun?
However you look at Shabbat Ha’Irgun, it is important that
Shabbat Ha’Irgun is more than just a one-off weekend of fun;
Shabbat Ha’Irgun should have a legacy! Whether it’s starting new
Sviva projects for Tzedakah, having other events aside from on Shabbat
afternoons, persuading the Shul to let you decorate your own room as a
‘Bnei Akiva room’, or just getting more Chanichim to come – this is your
chance to leave a legacy to YOUR Sviva!
As a Tnua, we need to make sure that Shabbatot Ha’Irgun
continues to be the highlight of the Bnei Akiva calendar. This will
only happen if you dedicate yourselves to ensuring that not only
will it be a great weekend, but it will have a legacy for your Sviva
that will live on for many years to come!
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Peulah Planning
While it is essential to make sure that Sviva is full of fun and games, it is also
important to make sure that your Chanichim learn something. Therefore
this section of the Choveret contains both GAMES and DISCUSSION
POINTS, to help you plan meetings that ensure that your Chanichim get the
most out of Sviva, both in terms of enjoyment and in terms of knowledge.
GAMES
 Name Games: Hopefully you will have some first-timers or guests!
 ‘Hashem Says…’: Variation of Simon Says using Mitzvot or sins which
can easily create a Kiddush Hashem or Chillul Hashem as examples.
 Optical Illusions: Things are not always as we perceive them to be.
 Army Games: The army is an important place for Kiddush Hashem.
 Kiddush: Eat some sweets to introduce Kiddush Hashem in a fun way!
 Song Teaching: Don’t forget to leave time for this and try to slip into
your song how you have learned about Kiddush Hashem!
(Remember that your Sviva has two excellent games booklets with tons more
suggestions and also that not every game has to be linked to the weekly theme.)
DISCUSSION POINTS
 Set up an assault course with different teams having different routes or
tasks to show that there are different routes to the same goal. Lead
into discussion of different ways that one can make a Kiddush Hashem.
 Show them examples of lots of different Mitzvot and ask which they
think are the most important. Use this to explain how it is often the
small and simple Mitzvot that can bring about a big Kiddush Hashem.
 Tell a story about how you and your friends or family made a great
Kiddush Hashem or Chillul Hashem once upon a time when out in
public and inspire them to make a Kiddush Hashem at the Tochnit.
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