Reactions to Israel – Gaza Conflict in the World
Adapted from Rabbi Braun’s sermon in 5774
I spend a lot of time during the week checking for updates on the situation in Israel.
I hope and pray that every time on log on – that I should not see any more. I have no interest is seeing any more casualties but the Israeli soldiers definitely hit me harder.
I have read with interest and horror as the world reacts to the conflict in Israel.
Trying to take it all in – the following famous Gemara popped into my head.
The Gemara in Baba Basra 10b records the following:
כי הא דיוסף בריה דר’ יהושע חלש, אינגיד. א”ל אבוה: מאי חזית? א”ל: עולם הפוך ראיתי, עליונים למטה ותחתונים למעלה.
A similar remark was made by Joseph the son of R. Joshua. He had been ill and fell in a trance. [After he recovered], his father said to him: ‘What vision did you have?’ He replied, ‘I saw a world upside down, the upper below and the lower above
Rashi explains that in the world to come those people who are considered important were very often not respected in the lower world and those who are well respected in the lower world are very often not respected in the upper world. Everything was topsy turvy. Olam Hafush Raisee!
He said to him: ‘You saw a well regulated world.
In other words – what you saw above was the clear and true world, and what we have here is an upside down world.
I also [he continued] heard them saying, Happy he who comes here in full possession of his learning. I also heard them saying, No creature can attain to the place [in heaven] assigned to the martyrs of the [Roman] Government.’ Who are these? Shall I say R. Akiba and his comrades? Had they no other merit but this? Obviously even without this [they would have attained this rank]. What is meant therefore must be the martyrs of Lud. ( Lulianus and Pappus, who were executed in Lydda in the reign of Hadrian
There are so many things to talk about and so many aspects to this war that should be addressed.
This Gemara highlights 2.
I have been feeling all week that Olam Hafuch raisi- we see an upside down world.
The United Nations has twice found rockets in their schools in Gaza and twice apparently returned those rockets to Hamas!
The UN Human Rights Council’s decided on Wednesday to open an international inquiry into Israeli violations that may have been committed during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.
Olam hafush Raisi!
Protests throughout Europe and the Middle East have been staged on behalf of the Palestinians. I don’t mean to minimize 700 dead, a fair number of who are civilians, but where were the protests when almost 200,000 were murdered with conventional and chemical weapons in Syria.
Where are the protests against the separatists who blew a passenger airliner out of the sky?
Indeed Olam hafush Raisi! Things are turned upside down. There is a skewed perspective in this world and we feel it terribly.
I am also struck by the irony when thinking about Solomon’s answer – the person of the next world is the one respected for their wisdom.
This is not the time for it – but the academic communities in America and throughout the world seem to belong more to this upside down world and its values than the clear true world to come.
A prayer that the world see things clearly might be a tefilat shav, (a prayer in vain) but there are those who do and we must reach out and thank them. Write to your elected officials in congress.
The last point in the Gemara is one that I have spoken about before but certainly bears repeating.
The martyrs attain a place in heaven that no one else can. Anyone killed by an enemy of the Jews, by a people or government looking to destroy us – merits a special place in Olam Haba. And the Gemara goes out of its way to teach us that this is irrespective of one’s religious attitude and behavior.
How much more so must it be true when we talk about a soldier fighting on behalf of the people and land of Israel?
There was a Rabbi in Israel this week that actually said – we don’t need soldiers we have God to protect us. That is also olam hafusch raisi.
We need soldiers and we need God.
Rabbi Soloveichik and Rav Kook in different ways each spoke and wrote about the various ways to contribute to the land and people of Israel.
It could be every soldier of Tzahal, regardless of religious belief and practice, does more for Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael than most religious American Jews.
And if God forbid they are killed by an enemy, they are to be considered martyrs who occupy a special place in the world to come!
Respect and appreciate these soldiers!
And know that this is not what we want. We want our children to live healthy and war free lives.
Racheli Frankel, in eulogizing her son, said that while she knows that he has a special place in heaven in the next world she had envisioned many more years with him in this world.
I will end with a prayer that we see no more casualties, and that every soldier in Tzahal should return home with menuchat hanefesh and menuchat haguf, (physical and spiritual tranquility)!
