Do we Jews need a war in order to be united? Are we only friendly with each other in times of a crisis? Are we inviting trouble to bring us back together?
אך טוב לישראל (Akh tob leIsrael)
TEHILIM 73
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF A CRISIS
Rabbi Moshe Azancot, z”l (the grandfather of my colleague and friend, Rabbi Ari Azancot of Beth Torah, NY) taught me a very original meaning (a derasha?) of these three words from Tehillim: “Akh” the first word of this pasuq, should be understood as an onomatopoeia, that is, a word whose meaning is in its sound. In Hebrew –like in Spanish (Aj!), or in English (“argh”)– the onomatopoeia “akh” has a negative connotation. It expresses suffering, frustration and anguish. Having this in mind, these three words are saying something a bit ironic and sad. “Akh”, that is, suffering: a crisis that sometimes happens to us Jews, is “tob leIsrael”, might be the one thing that brings a positive outcome for us collectively. When we are well and in peace, it is difficult for us to agree: we fight with each other, each one pulls to his or her side. Sadly, as these three words indicate, the only thing that will surely unite us is an “Akh” situation: the enemy attacking us or waging war.
WHO NEEDS A WAR?
Israel already had four parliamentary elections in recent times. Israeli society is very divided, so no party reaches an automatic majority of 61 votes needed to form a government. The only way to have a government is through alliances between the different political parties. There are basically two major groups in the Keneset: the right and the left, with many variables in between. The Israeli right, among other things, believes that we need to have a heavy hand on terror, and in negotiations with our unfriendly neighbors would make the minimum possible concessions. This conservative position is more pragmatic than ideological: there is no one to talk on the Palestinian side. No Palestinian leader who openly declares (in Arabic!) that Palestinians want “to live in peace alongside a neighboring Jewish State, which they would recognize.” Israeli conservative parties could have more than 70 votes, which represents the will of the majority of Israel, if they were together! But, particularly in the last election, there was another factor that prevented this natural coalition: these parties were divided because of “personal resentments” (שנאת חינם) among political leaders, rather than ideological differences. And literally, “a few hours” before the bombings from Gaza began, three of these conservative parties were negotiating a coalition with political parties that are explicitly opposed to national Jewish observance or that do not recognize the right of the Jewish people to their land! Then the bombings of Gaza began, the riots, and the Arab “progroms” in Lod, Aco, Haifa, etc. And only then, a representative of the conservative parties decided to put aside his personal resentments (or aspirations) and avoid an artificial coalition that, in my opinion, would have been tragic for Israel.
Now, today, at this moment, Israel’s political leaders from the right and the center finally came together. And a natural conservative coalition is within reach again. As those three words of Tehillim suggest, “Akh,” the crisis that we are suffering ended up bringing some “positive” opportunities for unity. But it is very sad to realize that: rockets, extensive material damage and the irreparable loss of precious human lives is what can bring us together. Are we involuntarily inviting wars and crisis to befall upon us, in order to assure our “unity” ?
THE LESSON FROM MATAN TORA
Shabuot celebrates the giving of the Tora. And our Sages explain that there was a prerequisite that needed to be fulfilled before we would be worthy of a Pact with Bore Olam. VAYICHAN SHAM ISRAEL NEGED HAHAR “the people of Israel camped [united as one] in front of Mount [Sinai].” The rabbis mentioned that the Jewish people were organically together as “one individual, with one single heart.” At that moment WITHOUT CONFRONTING AN ENEMY we put aside our differences, and we felt part of the same nation. We stood together not because we were facing a common enemy, but because we were pursuing a common purpose: receiving the Tora and becoming the People of God.
This is the way to go!
I have no doubt that B”H Israel will be victorious in this war “in every front”. And I have no doubt that we will emerge from this crisis stronger than we were before this conflict.
But I pray to HaShem, and I beg to each of us, that we should “be and to remain united” not because of the deadly missiles of the enemy, but because of the life-giving words of our Tora.
