WHO AND WHAT

Who are we as individuals and as a group, a people? What do we owe each other and to ourselves? We must be clear about this, for if not, others will tell us exactly who we are and what is owed to us by them, from them and we will have little to say about it. Bullies are cowards and step back when challenged or defied and are surprised when that opposition manifests itself. It is a great shock to their system when that happens and that challenge must be mighty and consistent, not wavering or weakening, for if so, the bullies will return, more confident in their chances to prevail over all opposing forces.  

One ingredient necessary for successful challenge is unity of the opposing forces. Signs of disunity, cracks appearing, becoming public knowledge, serve the enemy well as they insert wedges within those cracks, broadening them until repair and regrouping are impossible. The inevitable result: enemy 1, home team 0, game over. Thus, the understanding must be deep within, that disunity and discord are our worst enemies, serving the named enemies well.

Why is this important? It is historical fact and truth that in the history, our history, of the Jewish people inner discord and vitriolic relations have brought about our downfall time and time again. We argue so loud against each other that we drown out the noise of the enemy breaking down our doors, crushing our people beneath their booted feet and thus ensues times of domination, grief and tragedy, for decades to come. Either too stupid or too stubborn, the lesson we need to learn from our history has never been caught. Certainly not truly and permanently even as it should be engraved in our bones and part of the very marrow of our souls.

Time, and time again we have allowed sinat achim, hatred between brothers, to bring our people down. To be sent into exile into a Diaspora lasting multiple millennia where we are surrounded by those with ungodly determination to see us gone, no holds barred, no end in sight. Even when it appears the lesson is learned, it is for a short time as success breeds discord. 

The differing factions within our people inevitably allow differences to grow, to become bitter and incompatible in our minds. We forget who the enemy is in truth, and begin instead to target our family members, disregarding the relevance and importance of that relationship. Inevitably, our enemies see the cracks visible in size and seize their opening to storm in and defeat us in repetition of an ugly, historical truth.

I believe we are suffering from an overabundance of inbreeding and assimilation at one and the same time. A large fraction of our people has turned inward of its own making and desire, concentrate solely on solidifying their dominance of the people and condemn those who oppose or refuse to pay any attention to their words and demands, who follow their own stars. 

The disagreement grows so large, becomes so bitter, that lost in the dust is the important principle of unity, of knowing we are one and face the same fate together. In so forgetting, unfortunately too often, one of the factions extends feelers to the true enemy and unites with them. They stand with them. They shout with them. Once again, we enable our enemies and they rejoice as we suffer, and the pendulum of destruction swings ever lower over our national entity. A tragedy of historical repetition, seemingly inevitable.

The other idea, the trend or the theory of assimilation and the supposed safety it provides as we disappear into society is also wrong. By assimilating to a huge degree, we do indeed disappear, or do we? By ceding all that makes us who we are, we are acquiescing in our own disappearance. We weaken our ties, tear the sinews of our commonalities, of our history, our nation.  Even as we do so, thinking we have done one over the enemy, we have not. To them, always, we are seen as one, no matter the degree of observance or lack of ritual and connection, no matter the DNA percentage. 

They ramp up their bloody campaigns against us, taking advantage of our weaknesses, our lack of unity and shared defenses. Within those of this group, there too are those who join with the enemy, choosing the temporary over the permanent and side with the haters. Unite with them - until they are discarded, used up. Once again, we are lost. 

Time and again. We never learn, never internalize the importance of unity, of shared understanding, of knowing who we are. To comprehend deeply the lessons of our history and accept that we can break the ugly, bloody cycle, repair the present and build a better future for ALL of us, all Jews, of all opinions and degrees, and be accepting rather than not, nor barring the door to the those we find objectionable as they do not fit within our preferred mold. 

We are so few, so outgunned so to speak, surrounded by filths forever perpetrated upon us, of persecutions tragic and harrowing, whose echoes never fade. Unity. Acceptance. Valuing all. Acknowledging our brotherhood, even as we might differ. We are all Jews. Together in history and fate. Like it or not, deny it or not.

History has taught us so. It is time, way past time that we learned that lesson, caught it deep within our souls and etched it upon our hearts.

It is this state of mind and being which irritates and confuses me, which drives me and sets me to wondering as to how and where I fit within the spectrum of Judaism. Do I accept all I have been taught, or   challenge some or all of it? Do I change some or all of it? What are the issues roiling and boiling within? Will it necessitate a complete cleansing of all, a total rewrite, or can I find a place where past and present thinking can be melded and form a stronger, deeper, surer entity of thought?  Can I find that place for me? Will I be able  to reconcile hard blows, inexplicable abominable ones, with strong faith and understanding? Is there strength within to do so?

I believe so and, on the morrow, will go further, I hope, in positive manner and result.

On the morrow.