Dear Friends,
Golda Meir, of blessed memory, famously stated about 50 years ago, and I paraphrase, “There will be peace only when Arab mothers and fathers love and protect their children as much as Israeli mothers and fathers love and protect their children.”
I have offered that quotation many times to explain the differences between two warring neighbors. Yet, today, and in light of our Torah portion, I am a bit conflicted about it.
You see, I do not think it is so true. There are plenty—millions—of Arab and Palestinian mothers and fathers who love their children no differently than do Jewish and Israeli parents. Their dreams are for their children to grow, learn, and contribute to their world, just as our dreams are. But, yes, too many Arab and Palestinian young people have died as martyrs to their cause, too often killing Israelis while they destroy their own lives. Is that an indictment of their parents’ love or lack of love? I do not know. Yet, I am unwilling to offer a blanket condemnation, especially when I have known many admirable Palestinians over the years, including the obstetrician in the West Bank, Dr. Ahmed Muhktady, who delivered my eldest child.
And then we read this week’s Torah portion. In our Torah portion, we read the very difficult and upsetting vignette of God testing and calling Abraham to bring his son, Isaac, to the mountain as a potential sacrifice, only to be stayed by God’s vigilant messenger. We learn from that episode that God does not want martyrs nor sacrifices; but, God wants our children and grandchildren to live, learn, and grow. Yet here is the first Jewish person, the patriarch of our people, offering his son as a sacrifice for the cause of his own demonstrable righteousness. I have long argued that Abraham failed that test of righteousness by agreeing to even bring his son to the mountain. A parent, and especially a Jewish parent, must fight with all one’s soul against such a deed and instead do anything necessary to give our children the potential for a meaningful future.
Thus, this week’s Torah portion calls us to reevaluate our biases. We must recognize that we have difficult moments in our people’s heritage and history and that it is up to us to work for the future which we desire and which is admirable for all. Otherwise, how do we look at ourselves in the mirror?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
Golda Meir, of blessed memory, famously stated about 50 years ago, and I paraphrase, “There will be peace only when Arab mothers and fathers love and protect their children as much as Israeli mothers and fathers love and protect their children.”
I have offered that quotation many times to explain the differences between two warring neighbors. Yet, today, and in light of our Torah portion, I am a bit conflicted about it.
You see, I do not think it is so true. There are plenty—millions—of Arab and Palestinian mothers and fathers who love their children no differently than do Jewish and Israeli parents. Their dreams are for their children to grow, learn, and contribute to their world, just as our dreams are. But, yes, too many Arab and Palestinian young people have died as martyrs to their cause, too often killing Israelis while they destroy their own lives. Is that an indictment of their parents’ love or lack of love? I do not know. Yet, I am unwilling to offer a blanket condemnation, especially when I have known many admirable Palestinians over the years, including the obstetrician in the West Bank, Dr. Ahmed Muhktady, who delivered my eldest child.
And then we read this week’s Torah portion. In our Torah portion, we read the very difficult and upsetting vignette of God testing and calling Abraham to bring his son, Isaac, to the mountain as a potential sacrifice, only to be stayed by God’s vigilant messenger. We learn from that episode that God does not want martyrs nor sacrifices; but, God wants our children and grandchildren to live, learn, and grow. Yet here is the first Jewish person, the patriarch of our people, offering his son as a sacrifice for the cause of his own demonstrable righteousness. I have long argued that Abraham failed that test of righteousness by agreeing to even bring his son to the mountain. A parent, and especially a Jewish parent, must fight with all one’s soul against such a deed and instead do anything necessary to give our children the potential for a meaningful future.
Thus, this week’s Torah portion calls us to reevaluate our biases. We must recognize that we have difficult moments in our people’s heritage and history and that it is up to us to work for the future which we desire and which is admirable for all. Otherwise, how do we look at ourselves in the mirror?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn