And the answer to that question would be a resounding nope! Evidently, we of this world have thick heads, stubborn minds, and extremely stiff necks when confronted with the task of collating something within one's mind or ignoring it, much to our detriment. It is a choice to either accept reality as it is, not as we wish it would rather be, or understanding the problematic schemes which arise when we deny the truth, substituting wishful thinking for actual understanding and acceptance as such.
It is only when all that is in place that we can take a clear and incisive and insightful look and build a plan to reinforce that which we like, which we deem preferable, and deprive the negative of all sustaining breath. The main problem appears to be that too many of us turn the blind eye and the deaf ear, the cold heart and a battered soul to that reality which displeases us. We cast a fog over its distinctive outlines and claim there is nothing to be seen, anything demanding of emergency tackling, nothing foreboding in our present and future.
Why do we do this? Why do we persist in this stupidity, in this dangerous denial of reality and delayed response, to troubles already here and/or plainly visible on the horizon? If only we would look. If only we would open our eyes and see clearly. If only we would remember to put on our spectacles and see the truth. Understand that history can and will repeat itself but only if we allow it to.
Yes, there are many others who will have shameful percentages of responsibility for the return of evil. However, we must be candid and understand the part that we play in this when we refuse to exercise the mind and understand what is galloping down that road towards us full speed ahead. No brakes
It is good to be an optimist. It lends itself to a more pleasant life; however, denying the justified pessimism, denying the fact proven over and over again that people have an inclination to do evil, is a sucker's game. The advice to know your enemy is clever and lifesaving advice. If one does not know how, or one does not know why, to delve into and beneath the surfaces of ideas and behavior found inimical in one's eyes, or causes chills to run up and down the spine, or raising gooseflesh, then one is denying of reality, sees only what is wanted to be seen until it is too late to know the truth and one is already in the clutches of an ugly, very possibly even mortal situation. With exit from such not necessarily either easy or even possible.
Take a look around today to very obvious headlines. One predicts an exit, if not a good old-fashioned expulsion, of many, if not most, of the Jewish population from New York City. One headline says that if Mamdoni wins, the Apple will rot. Nations of the world are still refusing to acknowledge the fact that Israel is the offended, not the offender.
Or when we read how people walked out of a commemoration of the shooting of Yitzhak Rabin 30 years ago because they did not like what the speaker says, and the truth of it all. How and when do we understand that if we refuse to even stay in the same room, talk to each other, how will we be able to hear the words and feel the grievances and somehow, via that, engender a compromise hurting and satisfying in equal manner, enable a time of even a shaky one of peace to exist, thus allowing for time, intelligence and understanding to forge a way through to a true, fair and lasting one?
If we do not 'get' that truth, if we cannot assimilate that understanding, that 'must' into the very molecules of the opposing parties, how are we ever to truly listen long enough, sit still long enough to hear the words of truth beneath the rough and seemingly untamable surface? Is this the permanent reality that we wish to live with, to bequeath to our children and generations forthcoming if indeed there will be any? In fact, is there even a chance of a future if we refuse to solve the problems of the past and their complications of today and thus enable the future, one we all want, if we would just admit it to ourselves and to all the world!
However, if we stop up our ears, if we refuse to hear, if we refuse to admit there is a point of no return, unless we talk honestly, discard our extremes, those of impossible greed and possibility, and know, truly and deeply know we are the same, with families, hopes and dreams and fully understand that in this life no one, absolutely no one, gets all one wants and nothing for the other. In fact, that situation only leads to more disagreement, more violence and war again. Inevitably, for that has been the history of the world.
Are we not tired of fighting with each other? Why was Lapid wrong when he said that we must fight the extremes on both sides, unite in the center, and then we will have Israel, the nation, we need, want, aimed for, dreamed of, since its founding in modern times. I wonder, is the power of some appointed position or seat in Knesset worth violating one's principles, to retain that power, to make deals with the devil to keep that position?
For what!!! For what exactly? To see our nation collapse of its own weight, fighting with each other, giving the true foe encouragement and ability to cause us to widen that split even more, leaving them, endowing them with a wider entrance through which they can attack? Giving the true foe encouragement and ability to enlarge the opening even more, and defeat us, the broken nation once again, meant for exile once again.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we insist that one faction of this nation deserves real power and control over another? This is a nation meant for all Jews, not meant to be a nation denying those who desire to be part of this nation. Are Jews, in fact, but cannot bring up the silliest minutia that is requested of them because of lost and/or destroyed records, because of impossibility to find those records. Because of impossibility to find the graves of their ancestors, because these graves have been destroyed, built over, or they have died anonymously, in a cattle car, of starvation in a ghetto, or in a pogrom? Why do we do this to each other, to ourselves?
For that matter, why do we insist that religion rule this nation? I myself, my family, consider ourselves to be observing Jews, but there are people who don't, because I don't follow their strictures in some form. But who are they to be judging me? And who are they to be forcing me to follow their commands their commands - to cover my hair if I walk into their neighborhood, even to purchase something; to wear what they consider modest clothing, or keep the hours of holidays according to their desire, their judgment and not my rabbi's decision?
In fact, these outward criticisms leave out one important aspect. That is, that these rules and strictures pouring down from the various rabbis are simply there according to their decision and their followers. However, these rabbis who oftentimes disagree with each other, even wage a kind of war against each other and their followers, are not of my belief, and more important, there is no conclusive convincing proof of their direct link to G-d nor that He approves it all. Frankly, I don't believe that there is any one rabbi today capable of understanding it all and issuing instructions and explanations that all would accept, so why do we cater to those who insist upon this? It's wrong. And yet we fight about this.
Furthermore, why is the largest growing sector of our population automatically excluded from defending this nation, from defending their families, themselves, from the enemies who would have no truck with them? Who would kill them as soon as kill an absolutely nonobservant Jew and Israeli? For like it or not, living in this country, the Haredi faction is Israeli, and they must perforce pay their obligations. Due from any and every citizen here. And if they insist that all those thousands upon thousands of students in the myriad numbers of Yeshivas are worthy of that privilege, let them prove it so via a test of knowledge, of capability, of true worthiness drawn up by a wise, trusted person whose test will separate those indeed worthy of remaining and those not. Those not, must be treated as all other citizens of this nation. If we do not do this then we are telling our boys and girls, dati and lo dati, that they are not as worthy, that they must struggle even harder. To make a life here for themselves, for the families, to defend this nation over and over again. What are we doing here?
No! This is wrong. On the one hand it must be understood that we are one, meant to be one. On the other hand, from the very beginning of time, the Israelites, the Jews, have been held within the sheltering arms of their Lord. In a covenant with Hashem, who will always be their Savior, albeit not always as timely as we would have hoped for.
But there it is. The truth of the world. Always. One cannot force another into observance for that is as fake as the observance of Catholicism by the Anusim of Spain and Portugal. It must come from the heart and the soul, from the mind, of true belief, of Emunah deep within. Certainly, there must not be a war between the factions, for that weakens us tremendously, opens us before our true foes who wish to destroy us. Already we kind of have war between these two factions, even the sects within these two factions.
Those nonobservant must understand the mindset of those who are observant and those who are observant must be mindful of those who are not. Or who are of differing observances without condemning one or the other or all else other than one's own self.
It is only with patience of and with each other and the deep understanding that we are all Jews together, and that only together can we remain strong enough to defeat our enemies always there, always besieging us. It is only when we are strong enough together. That is the only way.
So, we have learned from history. Sinat Chinom has wielded a terrible sort of death within our numbers. Must we constantly emulate it? Be it here in Israel or in the nations of the world, do we not see the spread, the growing enmity of the world towards Jews, smirking and arrogant. Because they know that we ourselves are weak, split, divided amongst ourselves?
When will we learn? When will we learn that we are our worst enemies? When will we learn anything from our past?
Have we not yet learned anything? Unfortunately, the answer is still no. A desperate no, an unfortunate no. It wipes the ground clear of all obstacles before our enemies, to be able to defeat us once again, to wreak harm and havoc upon us. Be it here, in any city in America, in any country of Europe or Asia. It matters not. Hate is contagious. Hate of each other is even more contagious. So it seems. It has power enough to make us violate principles, violate religious laws, laws of humanity.
What are we doing?
Our yesterdays' years of blood spilled.
Todays are lost to the ugliness of the past.
Our tomorrows are cringeworthy unless we change our ways.
Unless we humble ourselves and fall at the feet of the Lord, to help His people, to hear them, to heed their needs, to enable them to find one another and to raise arms of welcome to each other. Rather than arms of steel in combat.
The burden is upon us. The harm of its incessant foreverness is upon us as well. It is we who are enabling those who hate us to defeat us, to refuse to talk of wisdom and compromise.
It is we who are doing this to each other.
Will there ever be an end?
UP TO US.
ALL OF US.
THE SOONER, THE BETTER.
Truly, which one of us can speak for G-d?
Who has that arrogance within?
No comments:
Post a Comment