Jewish Heroism Project

Heroism begins in letting yourself see the world

From Divine cosmology to human existential anthropology, this class starts our exploration of the second telling of creation's story.

6 A taste of the world to come by Rav Mike

There is a certain type of leadership that looks beyond limited horizons

Vayigash - The heroism of a broken heart by Rav Mike

A point of heroism from the parsha - Yosef was ready for whatever came, and why he was can teach us all a lesson

Humanity adds a new face to creation, reflective of the Divine. But it's not without controversy.

Rav Mike's annual Hanukkah class in honor of the yartzheit of his father, Charles M. Feuer.

The four ways the will interacts in relationship are enhanced by a fifth - how it acts on itself. Tzimtzum, creative contraction, is the context for creation.

Shimon and Levi went beyond the bounds to rescue their captive sister. It is a heroic sory and a moral dilemma all in one.

If God is unbounded in creative capacity, why is it part of the Divine will that there be agents in creation?

Vayetze 5786: The power of sleep by Rav Mike

The relative nature of moral good defines the human perspective, but God sees the Essential Good of all creation

When a door is shut before you, how do you know whether to push harder or to walk away?

What is the mystery of the Torah's first word?

JHP - Teshuva - A Hero's Journey - September 2025 by Rav Mike

Tears of futility, words of hope and wisdom on the question - what model of heroism could best serve us now?

A backstory conversation w/David Goodwin. Follow all the way to hear the best anecdotes about my life in the woods!

A conversation on memory and self actualization. Rav Mike and Eitan dig deep into the struggle to be part of the national experience, and dream bid about the opportunity presented by national independence.

What is the difference between fantasy, myth and Torah? How does the sacred imagination serve as a vessel for prophecy? What are we meant to be doing on Seder night? Hear about these questions and more as Rav Mike and Eitan engage in a deep conversation about this unique human capacity.

Here is an introduction to a new way of being. If you are seeking the Torah's guidance on how to become your best self, looking for tools of growth and frames for new consciousnes - tune in and take the Jewish Hero's Journey. Find more information at www.jewishheroism.com and sign up to join a the seven paths workship live or online here - https://forms.gle/N2fauG5MPy4jANzv8

Rav Mike's annual Hanukkah shiur given in honor of his father's yartzheit. The commandment to sanctify God's name was foundational to the Hanukkah story, and has taken a central role once again today as the Jewish people are faced with war. What light can it help us shine in the world?

Join me for a live class at The Torah Cafe. We explore the intersection between the ten days of repentance and October 7th, asking how to take a heroic stance on teshuva.

Sometimes history and the Hebrew calendar coincide in remarkable ways. Join Rav Mike and guest R' Aaron Leibowitz as they discuss the nature of the the spiritual and material challenges faced by the Jewish people today. The conversation touches on the limits of agency, the nature of responsibility and the question of how we hold the pain of past and present in order to make for a better future.

American Jewry stands at a crossroads, facing great risks and real opportunities. Success in such a moment requires clarity of vision, confidence in identity and readiness for action - all elements of a heroic stance. This first class of Rav Mike's recent US tour is an exploration of what Jewish heroism is, how it can be cultivated in our lives and communities, and what a heroic path forward might look like for American Jews today.

There are many models of Jewish hero, and the healer is among the most important. In a time when Israeli Jews are struggling to be victorious warriors, here is a call for American Jewry to pick up the task of healing. Because if victory means nothing more than smashing your enemies, we are still left with a broken world in the end

Malchut is good made manifest. This class introduces malchut, the seventh and final step in the Torah’s heroic journey. Malchut is the ability to bring the pieces into right relationship - in the personal dimension as identity, between people as leadership and facing creation as Divine consciousness. On the heroic journey it is a manifestation of the goodness we are seeking, whole even when it is not yet the complete expression of creation’s good. We begin by understanding the three dimensions in which the heroic journey takes place, and how malchut can be a manifestation of good in all...

Here is a pre-Pesach conversation with R' Yehuda HaKohen of the Vision Movement where we explore the narrative arc of the Passover story and the nature of freedom. Along the way we touch on the State of Israel's struggle to be free of foreign influence, and how every Jew can become more of who they truly are.

Yosher is integrity, the ability to hold the line. This class introduces yosher as the sixth path of Jewish heroism. The quality of integrity guides us in forming a right relationship with self, other and world – all the facets of truth uncovered on the path of emet. The class begins by touching on how integrity is a quality of heart, and then goes on to an exploration of the root definitions of yosher as it appears in the Torah and the broader Jewish tradition. The second half unpacks the story of Joseph as the archetype of integrity. It traces the ar...

It's not every day that you turn fifty. here are some birthday thoughts from Rav Mike - and a blessing to all who tune in!

Here is a discussion with R' Aaron Leibowitz about some of the emotional and spiritual challenges posed by the uncertainty of our national situation, and what Purim might teach us about finding a way forward.

Emet is where the light of the Infinite enters our story. It is the engagement of truth without and within which requires a struggle with the shadow and the unknown. This class introduces emet, the struggle to embrace truth, as the fifth path of Jewish heroism. It begins with an exploration of the Torah's approach to truth as a holistic process with a many-faceted expression. Then it touches on the idea of the path of truth, contrasting the organic approach to the philosophical. Next we engage Yaakov as the archetype of truth, learning how his struggles with his own inner...

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from hardship and endure prolonged pressure - two qualities which are essential to any hero's journey. This episode explores the quality of חוסן/chosen which is the root of how we understand mental as a path in Jewish Heroism.

Mesirut is the threshold of heroism. It is the power of breaking through which can push a story, a life journey and even history past the bounds of what appears possible. This class introduces mesirah, the power to give more than you have, as the fourth path of Jewish heroism. It begins by introducing the element of heroism which involves breaking boundaries, and then offers an explanation of which our definition of heroism is mesirut nefesh, a going beyond the limits of the embodied self. Next we trace the meaning of term through a powerful metaphor, and three elements of...

R' Yehuda HaKohen gives his perspective on heroism, Jewish and universal. The conversation explores the nature of villains and enemies, the mission of the Jewish people and a vision for their heroic future.

We have arrived at the generation of victory. The challenge is knowing what that means. Here is a heroic thought on what the "netzach" (eternal) in "nitzachon" (victory) has to teach us about our task today.

How do I take a stand, and what does it mean when I do? This class opens with Avraham as the Ivri, the Hebrew. That name marks him as a descendant of Ever, immigrant from the other side (ever) of the river, and visionary who took a stand opposite the whole world over the Oneness of God. The first section ties these aspects of the Ivri together into a stance which might find expression in our own life journey. Then we trace some of the key events in Avraham’s life, exploring how his Ivri stance was decisive at each tu...

Here is a conversation with Gil Troy - historian, Zionist thinker and senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute (https://jppi.org.il/en/). He shares his insights on Zionism and American Jewish identity in light of our current war, as well as offering thoughts on what heroism looks like for the Jewish people today. Check our www.jewishheroism.com for more great content!

The second core episode of the Jewish Heroism Project! Check out www.jewishheroism.com for source sheets and supplementary videos. Life is work. What are we laboring for and whom do we serve? This class introduces avodah, work, as the ability to actualize creation’s potential and the first path ofheroism past the gate of good. It explores humanity’s original task as steward of creation, and how ourstruggle with agency and responsibility shifted the focus of our work to ‘the ground from which we were taken.’ Next we meet the first faithful servant, Eliezer, and follow his story in our ques...

A brief thought on the message of the 10th of Tevet. We are a people under siege, and when facing such a situation a hero has to learn to read the writing on the wall.

The first core episode of the Jewish Heroism Project! Check out www.jewishheroism.com for source sheets and supplementary videos. There are good things worth fighting for. But what is good? The first class of the Jewish Heroism Project introduces the Torah’s definitionof heroism as mesirut nefesh l’man tov, going beyond limited self for the sake of good. It is a call to set out on the twenty-six paths of Jewish heroism, to uncover the heroic face of Torah and make it your own. After the intro, tov is framed as the essential good of creation and as the...

Rav Mike's annual Hanukkah class in honor of the yarzheit of his father Charles M. Feuer, Betzalel ben Avraham. Also the official launch party of the Jewish Heroism Project - www.jewishheroism.com. The class unpacks the meaning of gevurah, what it can teach us about the Maccabean war and our present national struggle.

The questions our nation faces today are painful and even frightening. Here is a conversation for those seeking to raise their morale and their morals.

Israel is at war, and there are many battlefield on which the conflict is playing out. In this interview Rav Mike engages International Spokeman and media warrior Yishai Fleisher in an analysis of the important question - what is narrative war?

A conversation with R' Johnny Solomon about the Torah of healing, vision and action in the face of national tragedy.

A brief conversation between Rav Mike and Eitan Ben Avraham about our present situation

Here is a conversation with Rav Aaron and I engaging some of the questions raised by the war we are now waging - how we got here, how to handled it and how to think about where we are headed. God bless and stay strong!

Here is a taste of what is to come - both this week and this year! Because of its roll on Yom Kippur the book of Jonah is one of the most read books of the prophets, yet it remains one of the least. Here are some insights on how Jonah's story connects to Jewish Heroism that offer a "prequel" for the Jewish Heroism Project as well as some insights for Yom Kippur.

Introducing the Jewish Heroism Project! Thanks so much to Israel365 for inviting me to speak about the importance of Heroism, and how it has the potential to change the Jewish people and the world.

Sign up for this coming year's class through TJS live - https://www.patreon.com/TJSLivesubscription?fan_landing=true&view_as=public Do it now and get access to a FREE Elul webinar

The Israeli Judicial Reform protests come the same week 18 years after the Gush Katif protests and 2,000 years after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. What can we learn from Tisha B'Av and the Nine Days about modern Jewish and Israeli unity? Sometimes the echoes of history are so loud that they seem to drown out the present. This conversation with Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz, former Jerusalem City Council member, was recorded in Jerusalem at a Jewish unity tent with the sounds protesters in the background.

There is no way to give closure to six seasons of a story, but you have to try! Here is an interview with R' Mike that looks back on the lessons of history and reflects on the challenges of today. It also announces tomorrow's new project - so stay tuned for more amazing stories!

Was Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount in 2000 the trigger for what the Arab community calls the Al Aqsa Intifada? Or was this a pre-planned assault orchestrated by the likes of Marwan Barghouti, Raed Salah of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel and even the Palestinian Authority? In this final installment of the Temple Mount series, learn about the assassination attempt against Rabbi Yehudah Glick, the lynching of two Israelis in Ramallah, the rejection of Jewish history by PLO leader Yasser Arafat during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and US Secretary of State...

Why is the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism a lighting rod for terrorist attacks and central to Israeli-Arab peace negotiations? Learn about how the Har HaBayit shifted from being acknowledged by Muslim leaders in the 1920s as a Jewish site to a complete denial by Yasir Arafat by the 1990s. The Oslo Accords, the Camp David Summit and reactions of President Bill Clinton. Plus, the history of the destruction of Jewish antiquities by the Muslim Waqf and the creation of the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Another show live and on the road! Here is a talk on behalf of the Valley Beit Midrash entitled "Is There a Future for American Zionism? American Zionism in the Era of the Ethnic State." Image: Public Domain Dedication. Public Use Notice of Limitations: https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright

I am on the road! Here is an interview with educator and activist R' Shmuly Yanklowitz where we discuss what it means to be both progressive and orthodox, as well as his vision of the Jewish story present and future.

Should Jews be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount? Or will it inflame Muslim sensitivities? Learn the history of this debate from the Six Day War in 1967 when General Moshe Dayan argued with Rabbi Shlomo Goren on the issue, to the fire started by Australian tourist Denis Michael Rohan, the shooting by Allan Goodman, through the 1980s up until the riots in 1990. Plus learn more about Zionist philosopher Shabtai Ben-Dov, radical activist Yehuda Etzion, Gershon Salomon and the Temple Mount Faithful. What Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif and Al Aqsa Mosque and what Jews call the Har HaBayit and...

Every tale has a point around which it revolves, and for the Jewish Story that is the Temple Mount. Here is the opening round in a new series tracing the way in which the sacred mountain in the middle of Jerusalem is still at the center of our story.

A live webinar on behalf of for Fuel For Truth: Israel Education & Advocacy Training, on "The Crisis of Israeli Sovereignty." First Rav Mike lays out his innovative approach to three dimensions in which sovereignty is exercised - territorial, economic and cultural. Then in the question and answer he engages the judicial reform protests, the purpose of Israel, what it means to be a Jew in modern society and whether one can believe in both the Nakba and in the miracle of Israel's founding.

Here is my call for a constructive alternative to the current mass protests against judicial reform being debated in Israel's Knesset. Along the way we touch some historical context about Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, Supreme Court Justice Aharon Barak, Meir Kahane's Kach party and what the Israeli Declaration of Independence actually says. On the way toward a new model of national covenant we need to learn to speak to one another again, and that also requires understanding how the Disengagement from Gaza and destruction of Gush Katif in 2005 affect our current political situation.

The final installment in the series on the tri-partite part nature of American antisemitism. This episode revisits all three forms of Jew-hatred characteristic of society in the United States and touches base with their manifestation in the new millennia. Along the way we identify the narrative endgame driving each of these stories of destruction and consider what the Jews ought to do about it. Learn about the 2001 Durban Conference, James Baldwin, the Oklahoma City Bombing, and Jewish students on college campus today. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode https://www.flickr.com/photos/ethnosax/15483604147

Just a little touch of pre-Purim madness! Rav Mike Feuer discusses the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Book of Esther(Megillah) and how it relates to us today Image created by Wolfgang Beyer with the program Ultra Fractal 3 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

Part six of the series on Antisemitism takes a turn toward the manifestation of hate in the progressive culture of America. In addition to outlining some of the theory and history of hate on the American left, this episode also outlines the glory and complications of the rise of 'tikkun olam' as the civil religion of liberal Jews. image https://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/3833624039 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode

Is Judeophobia getting worse in the US? Kenneth Jacobson has worked for the Anti-Defamation League since 1971 and as deputy director, he shares his unique view on the history of Jew-hate in America.

This episode opens up our exploration of the third face of American antisemitism with the backstory of progressive Jew hate. Listen in to uncover the ongoing impact of Soviet era propaganda, and to learn what is "the socialism of fools."

When the cracks start to open up in American race relations, Jew-hate seeps into the mainstream. Here is an episode about Reverend Jesse Jackson, Minister Louis Farrakhan and the evolution of black antisemitism. image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gotovan/49958357796/ license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

Sometimes you have to get out of your own head in order to know what you really think. Here is an episode where my good friend Eitan Ben Avraham interviews me on the fundamental tensions underlying the Israeli/American Jewish relationship and how they find expression in our present political challenges. Image by - https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/173110448 lic - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode

Jew hate has two fundamental elements no matter where it manifests - one connected to the role Jews play in society, the other the role we play in the mind of the hater. This episode opens a new facet of American antisemitism as we turn from white hate to black, and try to understand the roots of them both.

Part two of our exploration of the new face of the oldest hate focuses on the history of Jewish response to antisemitism through a look at the ADL. As a bonus you get a brief interview with my mom!

It's an old topic, but somehow seems to be making yet another comeback. Here is the introductory episode in my quest to understand the rebirth of humanity's oldest hatred in the United States today. Image attribution: Ted Eytan lic: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

Here is my annual Hanukkah class in honor of my father, Charles Feuer/Betzalel ben Avraham ob'm. As the end of the Hasmonean kingdom that was established after the Hanukkah war, the Sages decreed "cursed by the man who teaches his son Greek wisdom." This talk explores what that wisdom might be, how to hold it off and why doing so is central to our national struggle for cultural sovereignty.

Here is an interview with my dear friend and co-author Dave Mason. In it we explore imagination as a tool of spirituality, the challenges of co-writing a novel and the idea of an Age of Prophecy. Join the Age of Prophecy 7-day challenge at https://theageofprophecy.com/self-fulfilling-prophecy/

Uzi Dayan was national security advisor to both Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, helping them navigate the stormy waters of the Camp David summit, the Oslo war and Operation Defensive Shield. Through it all, he labored to build his vision of a separation wall on a solid political foundation.

Though the first intifada paved the way for the wall, the second - known as the Oslo War - brought it into being. This episode makes a bridge between these two conflicts, tracing the arc from suppression to separation and asks the question -why not sovereignty?

Violence often has an arc, and in this episode we trace how the intifada progresses together with the Israeli policies of suppression and separation. Along the way we outline the birth of the Hamas terror organization and end on a childhood note from yours truly. image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marypmadigan/3191791902 lic: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

When the intifada erupted it caught the Israeli army and leadership unprepared. Part two of the series exploring the evolution of the separation barrier explores Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin's "iron-fist" policy response as part of arc of government decisions that move from suppression to separation - all in avoidance of sovereignty.

In this episode we take a break from tracking the evolution of Israel's separation wall to consider the deeper issues of violence on which it is built. Rav Yehuda Hakohen of the Vision Movement joins me for a conversation about Max Nordau, Zev Jabotinsky and Frantz Fanon. Along the way we consider issues of decolonization, settlement and the hope for a new Jewish consciousness that might soon emerge.

Almost two thousand years ago the Sages determined that Am Yisrael was bound in exile by an oath not to go up to the land "like a wall." Now two millena later there is a wall built by the Israeli government running through the heart of our biblical homeland. Here is the introductory episode to a new series that aims to break down the evolution of Israel's security wall. image license - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/hjl/8504846235

The Zohar calls the Sukkah "the shade of faith." Here are some impromptu thoughts from me to you as I sit in the shade of my sukkah - inspired by these holy days, but relevant all year round.

Here is the final installment in the series detailing the evolution of Israel's electoral system. It brings us almost all the way to the present, touching on topics like the Oslo Accord, electoral reform and Israel's Supreme Court along the way. If you want to have a better understanding of our current electoral dysfunction, then tune in now.

The unity government wasn't born yesterday, it has a long history in Israel. Tune in to this ongoing exploration of the evolution of Israel's electoral system to learn about the government shared by ex-underground fighter Yitzchak Shamir and Shimon Peres through the 80s, how it held together Mizrachi pride, religious tension and territorial confusion. A government that withdrew from Lebanon, tamed galloping inflation and faced the First Intifada before being brought down by the infamous "dirty trick." Image lic - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode attribution: Israel GPO HARNIK NATI, 03/15/1988

Here is an interview with R' Aharon Ariel Lavi, expert on the biblical sabbatical year - shemitta. This is our first taste of a "future vision" for the Jewish people, as well as some stirring thoughts for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Here is part one of an indepth look at the historical sources of our present electoral issues.

Season six has finally begun! Here is a prologue to help frame the chapter to come. In it I touch on the power of prophetic sight, the book of Daniel and why in the month of Elul we say that the king is in the field. image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/52212049510 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

Another one of Rav Mike's favorites. Just because I'm taking a break doesn't mean the content has to! Don't forget to sign up for TJS live starting Aug 28th! jewishstory.co/the-jewish-story-live-2/ graphic license - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

Another one of Rav Mike's live favorites! The author of the Zohar is traditionally said to be R' Shimon Bar Yochai, but since its first appearance in the hands of R' Moshe DeLeon in 13th century Spain its origin has been in dispute. The Zohar has been a source of spiritual strength in the Jewish Story for more than a millenna, which is far more importance than its role as a source of controversy. Just because I'm taking a break doesn't mean the content has to! Don't forget to sign up for TJS live starting Aug 28th! http://jewishstory.co...

I may be on break, but life does not stop! Here is a old favorite of mine - a live exploration of the foundations for Jewish life in the Middle Ages. Stay tuned for season six in September!

All things good things must come to an end, so here is the concluding episode of season 5. In it you will find an exploration of how to relate to the brokenness of the world, some thoughts on our present posture and even hints about what the future might hold. See you in the fall!

A second wrap up interview for season five. Dr. Zhenia Fleisher lived in all three of the 20th century's major centers of Jewish life - USSR, Israel and the USA. Tune in for her thoughts on past present and future.

Here is a talk with Rav Yehuda HaKohen of the Vision Movement, the first in couple of conversations which will close our exploration of American Jewish life in the 80s. We range from the personal to the political, touching on tough Jews, Soviet Jewry and what is was like growing up at a time when American Jewry flourished so well. graphic attribution: https://www.flickr.com/people/56639832@N03 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

American Jewry in the Eighties were as safe and comfortable as a Jewish community had ever been - and yet the shadow of the Holocaust still loomed large over their identity. Here is an exploration of how the political power and personal charisma of Meir Kahane intersected with this fear - and had explosive results. https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/46846447592 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

The 1980s saw many seismic shifts in the fabric of American Jewish society, and among them was the earthquake of the Pollard affair. The 1985 arrest of the Navy analyst rocked the US/Israel relationship and accelerated the fragmenting of attitudes toward Israeli among Jews in the US. Whether you see Jonathan Pollard as a traitor or a prisoner of Zion, his story must be heard.

Here is the third and culminating episode in a story that we have been following since season four. The Eighties saw a welding together of American Cold War policies and the struggle for Soviet Jewry in a dramatic fashion. Super power summits, glasnost, the release of Natan Sharansky and the Freedom Sunday march all came together to achieve one purpose - let my people go!

As we circle in toward the end of season five, it is time to check back in with American Jewry. The Eighties were a time of economic and social security for the Jews of the US, and the overall growth of their religious communities was boosted by a surprise source - the kollel. It was a decade in which the assumption that Jews vote Democrat was first really challenged, and in which the early rumblings of antisemitism in the public sphere could be felt once more.

Jerusalem Day is a time when past and present come sharply together, and have the potential to define our future. Social activist and former city councilor Rav Aaron Leibowitz joins me to discuss the potential of the holy city and this momentous day.

Menachem Begin has been part of our exploration of the Jewish Story since the uprising against the British back in 1944, and the Lebanon War was the last chapter in which he took an active role. In order to give a fitting wrap up to such an important character, here is an interview with Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of the biography Menachem Begin: the battle for Israel's soul. picture credit: Yoram Reshef studios

Even if you only count until 1985, Lebanon was Israel's longest war and so it's no surprise that it left some of the deepest impressions. The birth of Peace Now, the murder of Emil Gruzweig and the personal struggles of soon-to-be famous Israelis like Avraham Burg and Donniel Hartman all illustrate how far Israel's social fabric was stretched by the conflict. Across the ocean in America Jews like Norman Podhoretz and the rabbis of the CCAR are asking about their support for the Jewish State, and the world media is focused on Lebanon. When this war ends, the story will be...

The RRG Bet Midrash Torah Cafe hosts Rav Mike for a live word of Torah on Yom Haatzmaut. How does history create obligations, and why is it important to rejoice? If you want to discover the connection between gratitude and redemption, listen all the way to the end of this Yom Haatzmaut 5782 Interlude!

The assassination of Phalangist leader Bashir Gemayal was an explosion which rocked the region, and the massacres at Sabra and Shatila which followed in its wake horrified the world. This episode touches on a rabbinic debate over the morality of war, the political struggle over its consequences and sets the stage for a sea-change in Israeli society.

Crossing into Lebanon to destroy PLO started as a successful mission, and when the IDF destroyed the Syrian SAM belt in the Bekaa Valley through Operation Mole Cricket 19 it looked like victory was assured. Nonetheless as Defense Minister Ariel Sharon pursued Yasser Arafat (and his dreams of a peace treaty) into the Siege of Beirut, he discovered that his Maronite allies were not to be trusted and that it is easier to enter Lebanon than to leave.