IPCHA MISTABRA

 No, not a typo, but actually an Aramaic term used in the Talmud to state that the whole of what was the current subject, question or concern under discussion was actually the direct opposite of what it seemed to be. It was used during WWII on forced postcards sent to relatives by inmates, told to describe the wonders of 'resettlement'. They did, but also included the phrase above to convey the ugly truth. The truth will aways out; the difficulty is getting people to understand, to know the truth and act upon it.

In Prague there is a bridge, the Charles Bridge, named for their King Charles.  One of the 30 statues of saints and religious scenes purports to portray the Calvary and Crucifixion. Upon it, in gold plated letters, wrapped around the head, in Hebrew, is this:  Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Adonai Tzva’ot (‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts’) from the Jewish prayer, the Kedushah. It mocked a basic belief of Jews, forced them to know the presence of antisemitism perpetuated by Church and State. In 1696, Elias Backoffen, a leader of the Jewish community was ordered to pay the cost of gold plating the letters, as payment for his "blasphemy". Only recently was a plaque placed there explaining its history. That plaque did not come about easily. 

The ugly truth is that Church and State conspired together, reinforced each other in vicious officially sanctioned displays of antisemitism up to and including extermination as policy. Period. However, uglier is the horrendous truth of internal, self-consuming antisemitism. There is internal, fierce, often seemingly incompatible beliefs and societal divisions and rather than use moderation to resolve differences, the outside world is brought in, cheering on the self-destruction as public hatred of brother against brother rages on.  As friends stand by, helpless against the internal vitriolic division.

Time and again Jews have contributed to their bad situations by allowing or engaging in hatred of brother against brother, in hatred born of nothing, for nothing. It merely enables enemies, strengthens and encourages vile antisemites who twist things around and take advantage where they can. We lost kingdoms and Temples. We were forced into millennia of exile, deprived of and denied a homeland.  

Nor have we learned a lesson apparently. Horrific were the pictures and news stories of Israeli police using tear gas and horses against fellow Jews protesting a proposed awful change to the judiciary system of Israel. Yes, I oppose these proposed changes. I also oppose a Supreme Court gone rogue as we see right here in America. A compromise, difficult, appearing impossible, must be made possible. This open violence only reinforces and reencourages our foes as they wait for our society to collapse from within, even as they plan their attacks from without.

A divided Israel in extreme public display is open invitation to a repetition of history, a Jewish state destroyed, no homeland, only Galut, Exile, once again. Our foes will rejoice as Jewish blood floods the lands once again and friends will be helpless as they watch this awful rerun of history. 

That is the ugly truth with no ipcha mistabra in sight. Why must we continue this way? Told by G-d to be a light unto nations of the world, we have forgotten that charge. We must remember who we are, one nation, one people, some who observe one way and some in other ways. No matter what - we are all in this together. We have forgotten that truth, much to our dismay and detriment. 

We have forgotten the lessons of a bloody painful history. Inner cracks, foundering foundations, dismissing similarities and emphasizing, exaggerating differences only gives comfort to the enemy and disaster for us, the Jewish people and the world at large. We must refute that future, cite ipcha mistabra as we reassure ourselves, the world, that we have not discarded our truths, our senses, our responsibilities. Nor our need to keep our homeland, defend and repel attacks on its people, on Jews throughout the world, despite the incessant violent hatred directed at it. That too, is a charge upon us.

In the ugliness of the situation, we must also remember that there is hope, unity, when we understand that we are all people, together, the same, with the same basic needs and hopes. 

One of those hopes, points of unity, are the prayers for the healing of Yitzy. Jews, Catholics, atheists, Moslems, Protestants, Christians, whatever - we have all joined together and there is hope.

 The tumor has shrunk some and we hope to see it continue, but the road is long and hard. We need all your help. In that way, may all our united prayers and voices go to 

  HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer.