October 13th: Beraysheet
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
My custom this time of the year is to send out my High Holy Day sermons in the weekly e-mail announcements. This week, the plan was to present my Yom Kippur Morning sermon in which I discuss some of the origins of the current political crisis in Israel. That crisis, tragically, has been pushed to the back burner by the Hamas attack. The sermon is posted on the website for anyone who is interested, but my weekly essay has of necessity a new subject.
In Genesis 1, when God begins to create the heaven and the earth, we are told that the earth “was unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God hovering over the water.” The Hebrew for “unformed and void” is tohu vavohu, a term which can also mean utter confusion and senselessness. The story begins with tohu vavohu while God hovers above it—presumably preparing to bring some order and morality into the pointless mess.
Much of life is conflict, and much of that conflict comes from wildly diverging goals and agendas. It also comes from people doing things impulsively and without thinking ahead. If you feel it, do it. If you feel it deeply, do it vigorously. And, if that feeling is hate, act on that hate regardless of the implications or consequences. For too many of us, the act of violence is reward in itself. It does not need a purpose other than self-expression. Let the anger flow!
There are many discussions and opinions about Israel and Israel’s policies over the years. There are many opinions about how best to live with or apart from the Arabs. And, among Arabs, there are many opinions about how best to navigate the tricky waters of the whole Middle East. We could spend hours or years discussing these ends and outs, but what happened this weekend is not part of this logical and orderly discussion. What happened this past weekend is tohu vavohu, an unmitigated flow of anger and impulse without any redeeming value.
Hamas and its sponsors purport to be fighting for the sake of the Palestinian people, but what they did—attacking Israeli towns and massacring civilians—will not in any way further the cause of the Palestinians. It will not bring anyone closer to a Two-State Solution. It will not convince or force the Israelis to abandon the Land of Israel—purging the land of Jews “from the river to the sea.” It will not convince the Israeli population that the Palestinians can be good neighbors “if we are just nice to them.”
What will happen?
(1) The attack will cause many deaths. The numbers of Israeli casualties are heartbreaking. And the many deaths of Palestinians will also be tragic.
(2) Israel will win this war. It will devastate military targets in Gaza, killing many militants and forcing Hamas and its partners underground until they can be resupplied.
(3) The Israeli counter-attack will also kill many Palestinian civilians. This sad fact is what happens when terrorist organizations like Hamas put missile batteries next to day-care centers and hospitals. This is what happens when citizens are not allowed to leave buildings after the Israelis drop announcements warning residents to evacuate. This is what happens when international press offices and humanitarian agencies are forced into offices next door or downstairs from terrorist organizations—and then threatened if they report what is really going on.
(4) Significant aid will pour into Gaza, but instead of using the funds to help the Palestinians, more weapons will be bought, more tunnels will be dug, and more terrorists will be trained.
(5) The borders between Israel and Gaza and between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will be closed for quite a while—which means that the thousands of Palestinians who make their livings in Israel will be without work and salaries.
(6) Those in the tourist industry will suffer financially. This includes many Jews, but it also includes thousands of Israeli Arabs who work at hotels, managing the front desk, working in the restaurants, and cleaning rooms. Even if their salaries continue, the tips will not.
(7) Many building projects will be suspended—so the thousands of Israeli Arabs who work in the building trades will not be working or earning money.
(8) If any Israeli Arabs join in the attacks—as Hamas is instructing, the precarious position of all Israeli Arabs will be damaged. Their livelihoods and social integration will suffer serious setbacks.
My point is that these savage attacks will have no positive effects for the Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, or in Israel. Poverty will not be relieved. Employment will not be increased. Living conditions and health-care and education will not be improved. Gaza will sink further into the morass, and Palestinians in the Occupied Territories will also suffer. This murderous crusade is not part of a cogent plan to help the Palestinian people. It is tohu vavohu and evil.
The only positive effect will be for the bloodthirsty reputations of Hamas and its leaders—individuals whose only goals are raising their own profiles and solidifying their grasp on political control. Anyone in Gaza who opposes Hamas is threatened or murdered, and any suggestion of democracy is just a veneer. Hamas’ rule is a tyranny as terrible as any totalitarian state in history. Israels are the victims for now, but the Palestinians are the victims of Hamas every single day.
As we pray for peace, let us remember to think clearly. As we pray for peace, let us encourage reasoned policies that will actually help people. And, as we pray for peace, let us be thankful for strength.
“Adonai oz l’amo yiten; Adonai yivarech et amo va’shalom.
The Lord gives strength to our people so the Lord can bless our people with peace.”
(Psalm 29.11)