Chabad Rabbis Gift Netanyahu Ritual Items Before UN Trip

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a delegation of Chabad rabbis shortly before departing for New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. The rabbis presented Netanyahu with the "Four Species" (etrog, lulav, myrtle, and willow), traditional items used in the Sukkot holiday rituals.

During the informal meeting, held in the Cabinet room, the delegation, including Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov, chairman of Agudat Chassidei Chabad, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Glocovsky, deputy secretary of the Chabad Rabbinical Court, offered words of encouragement to the Prime Minister. Rabbi Aharonov told Netanyahu, "The Rebbe gave you a mission to light a candle in the house of darkness. You are going there with a large torch on behalf of all the people of Israel."

The meeting, which deviated from standard protocol, included discussions on Israel's standing in the international arena. The group also sang the traditional Chabad song "L'Chatchila Ariber," which signifies overcoming limitations.

In addition to the Four Species, the rabbis gifted Netanyahu a new book titled "Oseh Shalom," which compiles the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on political and security matters. Netanyahu stated he intended to read the book during his transatlantic flight.