Category — Peace

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.

Moshele was a new immigrant to the United States of America ; after much hardship in his native Poland , he had arrived to the country of hope. When he went into immigration office, the official asked him, “Will you support the constitution of the United States ?”
Moshele gets uncomfortable, and he answers, “Well, I will try, but I first I have to find a job to support my family…”
* * *
Most of Jewish history is filled with tales of our ancestors being oppressed by their governments and kings. Starting from Abraham being thrown into the fiery pit as punishment for destroying his father’s idols, down to Egypt, Babylon and Rome , then from France to Spain and Russia to Germany , the list goes on and on and on.
Rarely have we had a government which left us alone, and even then it was for selfish purposes, i.e. the Jewish taxes and loyalty. To be confined to a ghetto and taxed heavily was a blessing for the experienced sufferers – “at least they left our bodies alone…”
In 1776, however, a new country was born, a country which established for posterity in her Declaration of Independence: ” We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Finally, there was a people who appreciated the right of freedom for all humans, and granted it to millions of oppressed immigrants who would join together to build the super power of the free world.
Finally, a people who had the belief, understanding and conviction to declare on their currency the words “In G-d we Trust”. This seemingly simple fact symbolizes how even mundane activities, business and living are permeated with trust in the Almighty.
And five years ago, this pillar of freedom and trust was attacked and tested by the old world, by the few who refuse to acknowledge the freedom that is every creature’s right. In the name of religion and G-d, they caused death and destruction to the country which grants freedom of (not from) religion.
They tested us – but we prevailed. They hurt us – but we recovered, and emerged as a healthier nation than we had been before. They challenged our faith, yet our faith is stronger then ever. They thought that our pride in freedom would diminish, yet they dragged the world into a global war on terror – war for freedom.
I’m proud of my country; it proved itself. Now I look toward my homeland, Israel , hoping that they will learn that same lesson, praying for the day when it will be governed by true and honest individuals who will fight for justice and equality.
Is that ever going to happen? Not in my lifetime, from the way things look. And so I turn to the Almighty and beg: Please, send us Moshiach and usher in a time of true freedom and peace. After almost 5767 years, the time has come!