The way of Aaron, distorted...but we have to understand
A number of years ago, before he made Aliya, Rav Chaim Wasserman made one of his frequent visits to Israel; as usual he spoke about it in the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton, NJ when he returned. One of the things he spoke about was how war-weary many Israelis are; and our need to understand that before we criticize. Many Israelis have lived here there entire lives; there are still plenty who are older than the State itself. During the past 58 years, they have sent many loved ones to war; spouses, children, parents. Many never came back; others came back missing arms or legs or with other lifelong injuries.
Is it any wonder so many of them don't want to see it happen any more? Don't want any more Korbanot? And is it any wonder that it makes them so desperate for peace that they will grasp at any straw, make any compromise, in order to get it?
It made sense to me at the time; I believe I was able to understand those feelings. Now that I have children in the IDF, and one has been in combat while the other's commander was killed at a checkpoint, I can feel it on a deeper level. I would do anything within reason to protect my boys; I worry both for their own safety, and, as I have already pointed out, for the possibility that they would have to kill others.
The key is "within reason." If we let our desperation and despair make the decisions, we will end up signing our own death warrants for a few short moments of illusory peace. This is true of the leftists who would have us go back to the 1948 partition lines, and also of the frum people I mentioned who want to make a hudna with Hamas.
Deep in the heart of every Jew runs the desire for peace. We are all striving to follow Hillel's advice (Avot 1:12) to be talmidim of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace. But here the anguish of suffering has distorted it to an unhealthy willingness to give away the baby with the bathwater.
But we MUST understand, not hate. Too many frum people simply choose the path of hate. They call such people eirev rav or worse; they call for Chanuka-style civil war (sometimes only metaphorically but sometimes far too literally.) I have heard someone who agonized about the missiles falling in the North during the war say, at the same time, that if they have to fall they should at least only fall on the houses of those who voted for Kadima!
Because we know where the blame is. None of this would be happening if WE, the frum world, were doing what we should to perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty. If we stop the hate and bring on "love your neighbor as yourself," if we champion the downtrodden and emphasize the Mitzvot between man and his fellow, we can bring about the true peace of Aaron and bring the true world of peace and Mashiach for all Jews and the entire world.
Is it any wonder so many of them don't want to see it happen any more? Don't want any more Korbanot? And is it any wonder that it makes them so desperate for peace that they will grasp at any straw, make any compromise, in order to get it?
It made sense to me at the time; I believe I was able to understand those feelings. Now that I have children in the IDF, and one has been in combat while the other's commander was killed at a checkpoint, I can feel it on a deeper level. I would do anything within reason to protect my boys; I worry both for their own safety, and, as I have already pointed out, for the possibility that they would have to kill others.
The key is "within reason." If we let our desperation and despair make the decisions, we will end up signing our own death warrants for a few short moments of illusory peace. This is true of the leftists who would have us go back to the 1948 partition lines, and also of the frum people I mentioned who want to make a hudna with Hamas.
Deep in the heart of every Jew runs the desire for peace. We are all striving to follow Hillel's advice (Avot 1:12) to be talmidim of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace. But here the anguish of suffering has distorted it to an unhealthy willingness to give away the baby with the bathwater.
But we MUST understand, not hate. Too many frum people simply choose the path of hate. They call such people eirev rav or worse; they call for Chanuka-style civil war (sometimes only metaphorically but sometimes far too literally.) I have heard someone who agonized about the missiles falling in the North during the war say, at the same time, that if they have to fall they should at least only fall on the houses of those who voted for Kadima!
Because we know where the blame is. None of this would be happening if WE, the frum world, were doing what we should to perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty. If we stop the hate and bring on "love your neighbor as yourself," if we champion the downtrodden and emphasize the Mitzvot between man and his fellow, we can bring about the true peace of Aaron and bring the true world of peace and Mashiach for all Jews and the entire world.
posted by meturgeman | 10:19 PM
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