HaTikvah

The national anthem of Medinat Yisrael is "HaTikvah." Before that, it was considered the anthem of the Zionist movement, and after the establishment of the state, Israeli society regarded it as the state anthem. In 2004, it was officially enshrined in law as the official anthem.

The song carries lyrics expressing the yearning to be a free nation in our land. The Rebbe opposed playing the song at public Chabad events for various reasons, in addition to its heretical meaning that contradicts the values of Yiddishkeit which require obedience and kabolas ol to Torah and mitzvos.

The Rebbe's Position

The Rebbe sought to ensure that the anthem would not be sung at public Chabad events. In a letter written before a Chabad event organized in 5717 (1957), the Rebbe wrote that if possible, they should ensure not to play tunes that would bring about differences of opinion (referring to 'HaTikvah'), since the purpose of the event was not to participate in controversy. In response to an institution organizing a banquet, the Rebbe wrote, "May Hashem grant that it be with great success, and it is proper to clarify that there should not be things during the event that disturb the success, such as the known song that does not align with the wishes of the Previous Rebbe."

In a letter to Rav Menachem Zev Greenglass regarding the notification of a student ordination celebration in Montreal, the Rebbe wrote: "It is understood that if I had even suspected they would play the known tune - I would not have sent a letter to the celebration... and such craftiness from the yetzer hara - I did not even imagine."

According to tradition, once the anthem was sung at an event attended by the Rebbe and R' Pinchas Althaus in 5710 (1950). Pinye Althaus stood while the Rebbe remained seated. Pinye remarked to the Rebbe, "A little ahavas Tzion won't hurt the Rebbe..." The Rebbe responded: "And ahavas Yerushalayim won't hurt you" and continued saying: "And if you want to see the difference between Tzion and Yerushalayim, see the maamar in Likkutei Torah - Tzion Bemishpat Tipadeh."

On the 12th of Teves 5717 (1957), during the annual dinner of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim 770, "HaTikvah" was sung. When the Rebbe learned of this, he reacted strongly and expressed that had he known about it, he would not have sent a letter to the event, as doing so indicated his participation. Subsequently, a notice was published in the press from the Rebbe's secretariat stating that the Rebbe was not connected to what occurred at the event since the yeshiva was managed by an administration independent of him. Additionally, the Rebbe instructed to remove his name from the yeshiva's letterhead, thereby expressing the withdrawal of his nesius from the yeshiva.

The Rashag wrote an apologetic letter to the Rebbe and requested instructions going forward. The Rebbe wrote to him to take several people who are not easily impressed, and they would be responsible for and supervise the yeshiva, and if he did so, it would be possible to discuss returning the nesius under the Rebbe.

In a letter written during those days regarding the incident, the Rebbe wrote, "It is understood that the matter of the tune causes agmas nefesh, as this is a matter of the greatest public nature, and particularly as it appears from the letter that it was further strengthened by one of the speakers."

On the other hand, once the shliach R' Shalom Posner played "HaTikvah" at an event he organized in his area of shlichus. Afterward, when he passed by during kos shel bracha, he feared the Rebbe would dismiss him from his shlichus. In practice, when he passed before the Rebbe, the Rebbe whispered to him "Od lo avda tikvatenu..." (Our hope is not yet lost...).

Singing the Song in Shul

In the Bronx neighborhood of New York, there was a shul where the chazzan was the chassid R' Shneur Zalman Baumgarten. The shul's gabbaim wanted him to sing HaTikvah in shul, but he refused due to the Rebbe's negative stance toward the anthem. The gabbaim wanted to fire him and complained to the Rebbe about his refusal to sing. The Rebbe responded with a lengthy answer expressing astonishment about the "dispute connected to 'going down to the livelihood of a Jew' (the Shulchan Aruch's term for taking away a Jew's parnassah) for the above reason!" The Rebbe added that it is not among the chazzan's obligations to sing the anthem, and even if he were a chazzan in Yerushalayim, he would not be obligated. The Rebbe further added that on the contrary, if the chazzan had sung the anthem against his conscience, "a person who acts against his conscience, particularly in matters of religion - apparently cannot be an Orthodox shaliach tzibur."