Betach Nislach...surely we WILL forgive
The Hitnatkut was not quite over; most of the people were out but the homes were not yet demolished; and it was almost Elul. I was on my way back from Malcha Mall with one of my children, when I saw some Gush Katif supporters set up with their new slogan: "Lo Nishkach V'lo Nislach." "We will not forget and we will not forgive."
I was sickened. What do you mean, we won't forgive? At the eve of the season of repentence, of SLICHA, do you mean to say that if Sharon suddenly and sincerely realized he was wrong, apologized, and set out to make amends, we would spit in his face and tell him too bad, he was already condemend for eternity? If we treat our fellow man, and in this case our fellow Jew, that way, how can we turn around and ask Hashem to forgive US?
It sounds to me like we are trying to fit into our enemies' stereotypes of us. Religious "fanatics", "ayatollas", preaching "fire and brimstone" like the best Bible Belt preachers. This is NOT the Torah way.
(I have had several apologists try to explain to me. One view is, only if "they" are not repentant will we not forgive. Well of course not. And only if I stand up will I be standing. It's a pointless statement. The other view is that it is talking politically, about not forgiving when it is election time. Well that proved false almost immediately; Netanyahu tried to move up the Likud primary and lost the vote to Sharon supporters.)
The lesson that is repeated over and over again on Yom Kippur is that ANYONE can do T'shuva, and that Hashem waits with open arms until the moment of our death. This is the way we, too, are expected to treat our fellow human beings.
(I will IY"H have another post shortly about the ability of the worst evildoers to do T'shuva.)
Our job is, not through hate and confrontation, but through love, to bring our fellow Jews back (including and most especially the ones within the frum community who are not truely frum) so that we can gladly forgive them and then turn to complete the work of bringing about the true Geula.
I was sickened. What do you mean, we won't forgive? At the eve of the season of repentence, of SLICHA, do you mean to say that if Sharon suddenly and sincerely realized he was wrong, apologized, and set out to make amends, we would spit in his face and tell him too bad, he was already condemend for eternity? If we treat our fellow man, and in this case our fellow Jew, that way, how can we turn around and ask Hashem to forgive US?
It sounds to me like we are trying to fit into our enemies' stereotypes of us. Religious "fanatics", "ayatollas", preaching "fire and brimstone" like the best Bible Belt preachers. This is NOT the Torah way.
(I have had several apologists try to explain to me. One view is, only if "they" are not repentant will we not forgive. Well of course not. And only if I stand up will I be standing. It's a pointless statement. The other view is that it is talking politically, about not forgiving when it is election time. Well that proved false almost immediately; Netanyahu tried to move up the Likud primary and lost the vote to Sharon supporters.)
The lesson that is repeated over and over again on Yom Kippur is that ANYONE can do T'shuva, and that Hashem waits with open arms until the moment of our death. This is the way we, too, are expected to treat our fellow human beings.
(I will IY"H have another post shortly about the ability of the worst evildoers to do T'shuva.)
Our job is, not through hate and confrontation, but through love, to bring our fellow Jews back (including and most especially the ones within the frum community who are not truely frum) so that we can gladly forgive them and then turn to complete the work of bringing about the true Geula.
posted by meturgeman | 7:50 PM
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