B"H
If I Strive to Be Compassionate, How Can I Accept What’s Happening in Gaza?
The rabbis in the Talmud wrote that one of the characteristics of a Jew is compassion; the moral obligation to sympathize with the hurt of others. If that is true, how can Jews be insensitive to the plight of the thousands of children who died in Gaza? How can we be complacent and not join the growing chorus of ‘cease fire now’ advocates?
Let me reassure everyone that I ask these questions to explain why I strongly support Israel in its effort to destroy Hamas and bring home the hostages. While these questions must be asked, they also must be answered. Hence, I will start by touching on the words found in this week's Haftorah. Almost 2900 years ago there was a major upheaval in the Jewish world. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel ruled Israel and held virulently anti-traditional Jewish values. They murdered the prophets of God and replaced them with those affiliated with the Idol Baal. Elijah (whose cup we fill during the Seder) was one the few remaining prophets and confronted the Jewish people who he saw vacillating on Mount Carmel with these challenging words “Lamah Atah piseach al shtei haseifim” - you can’t straddle the fence. If you believe in God, then Believe in God. If you choose to deny God and replace Him with idols, then believe in idols. One has to have integrity and pick sides. It’s disingenuous to imagine that one can serve both God and an idol. The words of Elijah resonate today with the same passionate exhortation as yesteryear. I could hear his voice asking all those who will listen to cease vacillating; either Israel is justified in its pursuit to eradicate terrorism and save hostages or Israel is morally obligated to cease its attack on Hamas and the people of Gaza. Unfortunately, both can’t be successfully accomplished.
However, the question still remains. How can the compassionate Jew fail to be compassionate? To answer that philosophical challenge, I will discuss another story from 3,000 years ago. King Saul, the first king of Israel, was tasked by God to destroy the nation of Amalek. He was told to completely eradicate their existence on earth and leave no traces behind. He was to destroy them entirely, including men, women, children and livestock. King Saul goes into battle and wins decisively. However, he shows compassion on the life of Agag, the king of Amalek, and decides to spare his life.
The Malbim, a creative Jewish thinker, explains why Saul was punished and his reign as king was ended. He states that in Hebrew there are two different words for compassion. One is chemlah and the other word is rachmanus. In the English translation there can be no distinction, however, in the Hebrew language the differences are vast. Rachmanus means to feel for the person suffering regardless of why they are suffering. As an example, a person smoked his entire life and developed lung cancer, we must have rachmanus and show compassion. Even though he caused his ailment, we still must be sympathetic. We also should show compassion to a person who commits a crime and is given a long sentence. This sort of compassion does not minimize or justifying the guilt or the punishment. However, regarding King Saul’s compassion for Agag, the verb used for compassion is chemlah, a compassion that challenges the premise for the punishment. When King Saul has the audacity to question God by acting compassionately, he is immediately dethroned.
I believe that every Jew is morally obligated to feel sad about what is happening in Gaza. We should all have rachmanus on the destruction of innocence. We must all see death as tragic regardless of the necessity. But we mustn’t confuse rachmanus with chemlah. While all compassion seems laudable, chemlah questions the legitimacy of justice. We mustn’t allow our sensitivities to challenge our moral clarity. While compassion sounds laudable What Israel is doing is not only courageous but obligatory.
Every country has a moral obligation to protect its citizens and to ensure their safety. If Israel will give in to the demands of the world, they will fail their people and lose the respect of the world. I’m saddened that 2.3 million chose to live under Hamas. I’m saddened that the Arab world has decided to ignore the plight of their brothers and sisters and forced them to remain under an oppressive regime. I’m saddened that since 1948 the Palestinians chose to remain refugees and failed to free themselves from the shackles of despair. I truly have rachmanus for their lack of foresight and future. However, I don’t for a moment doubt Israel’s justification and necessity in protecting its citizens and trying to create a meaningful and lasting peace. I am sad that the only means the Gazans permitted for Israel’s victory was their destruction. It could have been different had they chosen a different path. They didn’t and paid the price. I feel vindicated and justified, but sad nevertheless.
Rabbi Jack Engel
