It seems as if the concept of justice, a fair and impartial justice, has had its day, come and gone. Yet as much as we despair, look carefully, read carefully, listen carefully, and you will see that it is not the case. Justice delayed, maybe. Justice tampered with, maybe. Justice trampled upon, maybe. But justice will prevail even though it might take even years for that to happen. And while the results of this justice, especially the delayed justice, often seem inadequate, at least history will record that there was always a group of people who refused to allow apathy, fear and boredom, weakness and immorality to prevail.
Last week we were celebrating Passover, a holiday celebrating, amongst other things and ideas, the concept of freedom, of the value of human beings, of the necessity to free people bound up in the chains of slavery. Today we are still battling slavery in the form of poor people being oppressed with inadequate wages or lack of choices in life. We battle human trafficking. We battle a concept of using children as slaves!!! I cannot believe that one at all!. The hardness of the heart of people engaging in these forms of slavery and others is beyond imagination. And why is slavery still here, still a vital part of society in many African and Asian lands? Answer me that if you can is the question of the Riddler to Batman and it is mine to the world.
Hard upon the end of Passover we have Yom Hashoah Oo gevurah, the day of remembering, of crying, of holiness, of anger, of rememberance and of vows to "never again" allow this to happen. And yet, even as the youngest survivors of the camps, of the slaughterhouse that Europe and North Africa became for the Jews, are dying, we frantically attempt to hear all the life stories, the horrors, the miracles, and the wonder that people even survived. Even as many of us have become involved in seeking out our roots, our broken roots, even as I was lucky enough to find a branch of the family that had survived, making it out to what was then called Palestine, the only place where a Jew was welcomed - though not if you asked the British or the Arabs, for let them die appeared to be their mantra - even now, there are deniers. And yet, the memories are there for all to hear in any of many museums and memorials. Truth and justice cannot and will not be denied.
And the tears do not get a chance to replenish themselves for soon after that we have a day of tears beyond words, the Israeli Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron, no sales at the malls, no barbecues, no beach day, just an evening and day of tears, of recognition of the sacrifices of so many in establishing the State of Israel, an ancient country come to life again, a place of refuge and hope, but a place that also "eats its inhabitants" in the cost of maintaining this country. The deaths of so many young soldiers, barely shaving, the horror of bombings, mass shootings, and no boundaries to them, for soft targets are always preferred by the terrorists, the sirens at night and in the morning that bring the entire country to a literal standstill - as the country remembers and mourns.
Finally, there is a sudden turn to joy as the result of the sacrifice is appreciated, as justice prevails. For generations, throughout all the exiles, throughout the Diaspora, through the pogroms, the burnings, the slaughters, the concentration camps themselves, always and forever, the Jewish people prayed to return to Zion, to Jerusalem and no matter how history tried to deny this, we have returned, and in fact, throughout the ages there was always and forever a Jewish population in the ancient land. And there we intend to remain. And all of us, be it in America or France or England or Australia or wherever we are in this small globe of ours, even as we are loyal and contributing citizens of our respective countries, even so, we know that Israel is there for us, a place that will welcome us, a place of refuge. So important to know that these days.
In today's world with its frightening growth and rise of a vicious anti Semitism, with the mass murder of Jews once again becoming a growth industry of the extremists, of the white supremacists, of nativists, of Islamic terrorists, though that is more in European attacks, we must remember that justice, though often frighteningly delayed - justice will happen. It will prevail. But we need to work for it, to combat its enemies, for we need to be active partners in the pursuit of justice, be it against prejudice and terrorism, or truth in government, or honesty in daily lives, in the laws by which we live.
Justice, justice shall ye pursue.
Well worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment