Category — Yisro

Chaim came back from a long trip to Minsk. “Minsk is a crazy city!” he told his friends.

“Why?” they asked.

“Well, in Minsk I found a socialist, a communist, a Zionist, a Bundist, a leftist, a rightist, a devout religious, a secular, a closed minded in the box and a free thinker!”

His friends didn’t understand: “But isn’t that a normal community, where you have different people with different ideas?!”

“Ah, said Chaim, you don’t understand;

“This was all the same person!”

***

We are a nation who argues. A lot.

From ancient history when Abraham and Moses argued with the divine, to the present where the bricks and cement of synagogues and Jewish social halls vibrate from the sound of verbal battle on the widest spectrum of subjects, from how-cold-is-it-really-outside-including-the-windshield, to the ‘only’ solution to global hunger.

Life as we know it. I say yes you say no.

But then we hear the peace loving nudniks who cry for peace; “Why must we argue?” “We are all sons from the same Father!” “All problems arise from disagreement!” and a whole lot of peace babble. ‘If we would all agree to agree’, life would be so simple and harmonious. Blah blah.

Now could anyone please tell me where this notion that we must think alike originate from?

I’ll tell you who came up with the idea of mouth shutting due to “it’s gonna cause a fight!”? The tyrants, the dictators, the communists! This is not and never was a Jewish concept.

Our history is full of rabbis and teachers debating arguing and defending their ideas and thoughts. The Talmud is but a microcosm of hundreds of years of debates on a myriad of topics. It is but part of our psyche.

All the way back when it all began, the Jews had come to Sinai for the giving of the Torah, as they prepared for this momentous occasion, Rashi says they camped “as one person and one heart”. Peace.

Notice how he says “One heart!” No mention of ‘one brain’, because we are not supposed to share brains!

Imagine what the world would be like if we all looked the same, thought the same, and agreed on everything, following the leaders like a bunch of zombies. One man says something and we all nod.

I guess it would look like Israeli politics.

G-d came down and first he went to the Germans and said, “I have Commandments for you that will make your life better.”

And the Germans asked, “what are Commandments?”

And the Lord said, “Rules for living.”

“Can you give us an example?”

“Thou shalt not kill.”

“Not kill? We’re not interested.”

So He went to the Italians and said, “I have Commandments.”

And the Italians wanted an example, and the Lord said, “Thou shalt not steal.”

“Not steal? We’re not interested.”

He went to the Jews and said, “I have Commandments.”

“Commandments? How much will they cost?”

“They’re free.”

“Good then, we’ll take 10!”

***

We are told by our Sages that all Jews from all generations were present at the giving of the Torah at Sinai.

Now imagine your feeling standing there. For many months, you have been preparing for this momentous occasion. You have counted down the days breathlessly. This was to be a one-time event, never before and never after. To see G-d Himself in all His glory, what a sight to behold!

Finally, the day arrives. After three days of intense prayer and preparation, the moment has come. With lighting and thunder, smoke and fire, G-d makes his first grand appearance before his chosen nation. Awesome!

With a fast-beating heart and a mind overwhelmed with emotion, you stand there with your pad and paper ready to transcribe the constitution of the Jewish people.

BOOM! G-d’s voice is heard throughout the universe: “I am the Lord your G-d that has taken you out of Egypt .”

OK, sounds fair. After all, He first has to introduce Himself! The second one, “Thou shall have no other G-d,” doesn’t raise too many eyebrows either; its common sense that one should remain loyal to his boss.

BOOM! “Don’t use my name in vain!” The pad continues to fill up – no question marks, it’s all totally logical.

The fourth clause changes direction. It is no longer about belief and respect, now it’s about action: “Keep the Shabbat holy!” Wow!

Then you hear the words “Honor your father and mother.” You pause for a second. Did G-d have to come down to this world to teach us about honoring our parents?

But you ponder for only a moment, quickly reminding yourself of the confrontation you had but a few minutes ago with your mom. Yes! What a real challenge it is, to respect and honor your parents at all times, even when they say no!

You wait expectantly for the next set of five.

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And then the big bang comes – "Don't kill!" You fall over backwards; all your journalistic training has not come close to preparing you for this one! \n

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"Don't commit adultery!" For Heaven's sake, is that what you have prepared so long to listen to? \n

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613 commandments were given to us through Moses. Weren't any of them more "Jewish" and G-dly than murder, adultery, theft, lies and jealousy that these needed to be included in the exclusively powerful Ten Commandments? \n

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It takes sometime and, slowly, you understand. As you travel through history and meet the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Cossacks and, finally, the Holocaust, you understand that nothing is too obvious. \nUnfortunately, personal morality has too often failed humankind. Social norms are relative, and sophistication is no guarantee of peace. As world-renowned Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel put it, "Cold-blooded murder and culture did not exclude each other. If the Holocaust proved anything, it is that a person can both love poems and kill children".\n

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Don't take anything for granted. Just look at the silence in the world against the backdrop of Hitler-sounding speeches coming from \n”,1] );
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And then the big bang comes – “Don’t kill!” You fall over backwards; all your journalistic training has not come close to preparing you for this one!

“Don’t commit adultery!” For Heaven’s sake, is that what you have prepared so long to listen to?

613 commandments were given to us through Moses. Weren’t any of them more “Jewish” and G-dly than murder, adultery, theft, lies and jealousy that these needed to be included in the exclusively powerful Ten Commandments?

It takes sometime and, slowly, you understand. As you travel through history and meet the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Cossacks and, finally, the Holocaust, you understand that nothing is too obvious. Unfortunately, personal morality has too often failed humankind. Social norms are relative, and sophistication is no guarantee of peace. As world-renowned Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel put it, “Cold-blooded murder and culture did not exclude each other. If the Holocaust proved anything, it is that a person can both love poems and kill children”.

Don’t take anything for granted. Just look at the silence in the world against the backdrop of Hitler-sounding speeches coming from
Iran , and you’ll admit it.

The only absolute morality is Divine morality – a code of law made for man, not by man.

Between me and you: G-d knew what He was talking about - and to whom.