Israel’s Kiddush Hashem: Ascent Within the Descent

“In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but it seems that G-d continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear His glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think that we have done the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our evident lack of qualification, then there’s no danger that we will confuse G-d’s work with our own, or G-d’s glory with our own.” ― Madeleine L’Engle Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.

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“I tremble for my country when I hear of confidence expressed in me. I know too well my weakness; that our only hope is in G-d.” – Robert E. Lee

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There is a famous adage that says: “All is fair in love and war.” Well maybe so but not for the Jew, it appears. Then again, nothing about the Jew is normal, so why should the rules of war be any different? Israel apparently, is meant to protect itself and attain security by a different set of rules than the rest of the world.

I’m not bemoaning here the fact that the world holds the Jew to a different standard than any other people on the face of the earth even with regards to matters of life and death and self-defense. That’s an issue for another discussion. While there are clear anti-Semitic overtones to that mindset, one cannot help but note the implied compliment and reverence for the Jew, albeit grudgingly and spitefully. But as said that’s a whole other discussion.

I am rather lauding here the enormous Kiddush Hashem – Sanctification of G-d’s name – which the Jewish State has brought about in the way it has conducted the recent war, or the way it is conducting it, I should say. While Israel has always stood head and shoulders above the rest of the civilized world in its sensitivity for human life, even in war – it always sought to protect the lives of civilians, even at the cost of its own blood – there is something about this campaign that tends to be shining through like a laser beam in the dark of night.

In many ways the situation seems like de-javu all over again. Once again Israel comes under attack from hostile neighbors; brazenly blanketing its civilian population with hundreds upon hundreds of deadly missiles, as the world looks-on in (almost) complete silence – a narrative that has repeated itself in the past decade time and again. Once again Israel responds with force to stop the anarchism and to protect its citizenry. Yet for some reason, this time Israel’s “Self-imposed” restraint and painstaking effort to preserve the lives of the civilian enemy population is somehow getting noticed.

Let me be clear, this is not a political commentary on what Israel ought or ought not to do.  As far as I’m concerned that’s nobody’s business but Israel’s alone. I believe that Israel has the right and duty to do everything in its means to curb and root-out its attackers. What I’m highlighting here is the enormous respect that Israel has brought on itself and the Jewish nation through its extraordinary self-discipline, something I believe that has finally caught the attention of the world.

One could hypothesize as to why this is the case. Why the world has suddenly taken note? Perhaps it is because this time Israel might’ve gotten away with a less reserved response, due to the given state of the political map – the already deteriorated relations with the Obama administration, the laxer attitude from the world community (including some of its Arab neighbors) who seem to be getting tired themselves of the absurd terrorism and wanton brutality. Perhaps it is because of the unprecedented scope of danger and tyranny to Israel’s civilian population.

Regardless of the reason, it seems like Israel’s exemplary model of kindness and respect for human life is finally shining through the blinders of the world’s shaded eyes.

It especially difficult for a country like Israel, who has been under constant attack ever since its inception; who is outnumbered by its foe at a rate of a hundred to one and who fights for its very survival in a mean and hostile environment, to maintain its moral balance and not fall into the trap of playing by its enemies rules.  The fact that the world has never been willing to recognize Israel’s resilient efforts to that end makes it all the more natural for Israel to have given up trying and do the easy thing of playing the enemies’ game.

Yet the length through which Israel continues to go in order to save the lives of its combating neighboring population is inexpressible; the word “Unprecedented” falls way short. Israel has even created a smart missile that’s retractable after being launched, just in case…

It appears that the Jew is tasked with the burden of teaching the world not only how to live in peace, but also how to act in war. The latter is far more difficult than anything imaginable. The notion that there are no limits or constraints in how far one goes to defend one-self from a sworn enemy or threat is basic human nature that has been historically institutionalized by all peoples in all places.

The idea of “Measured response” in such situations is an absurd construct invented especially for the Jew. It is a complete fantasy as far as it relates to the rest of the world. It is the kind of thing you read about in poetry or hear from the mouths of would be saints:

“You’re going to meet many people with domineering personalities: the loud, the obnoxious, those that noisily stake their claims in your territory and everywhere else they set foot on. This is the blueprint of a predator. Predators prey on gentleness, peace, calmness, sweetness and any positivity that they sniff out as weakness. Anything that is happy and at peace they mistake for weakness. It’s not your job to change these people, but it’s your job to show them that your peace and gentleness do not equate to weakness. I have always appeared to be fragile and delicate but the thing is, I am not fragile and I am not delicate. I am very gentle but I can show you that the gentle also possess a poison. I compare myself to silk. People mistake silk to be weak but a silk handkerchief can protect the wearer from a gunshot. There are many people who will want to befriend you if you fit the description of what they think is weak; predators want to have friends that they can dominate over because that makes them feel strong and important. The truth is that predators have no strength and no courage. It is you who are strong, and it is you who has courage. I have lost many a friend over the fact that when they attempt to rip me, they can’t. They accuse me of being deceiving; I am not deceiving, I am just made of silk. It is they who are stupid and wrongly take gentleness and fairness for weakness. There are many more predators in this world, so I want you to be made of silk. You are silk.” ― C. JoyBell C.

Nice words JoyBell, but how do you “Show them that your peace and gentleness do not equate to weakness?” Exactly what do you mean by: “To be made of silk?” You are obviously alluding to the notion of resisting your enemies – “Predators” – yet not stooping to their level, but how so? Where has this ever been practiced? Where has this been seen? America is a great country, May G-d bless her and protect her, but when it comes to its enemies, she pulls-no-punches. Let’s not forget that in WW II we dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Is that the “Silk” you speak of?

After 9/11 America invaded sovereign countries and toppled foreign governments. If I remember correctly that war was dubbed the war of “Shock and Awe” not the war of “Silk” and “Measured response.” When thinking in terms of countries, JoyBell’s words brings to my mind only one country; the Jewish Country that is, in its battle for survival against a plethora of enemies who are sworn to its demise.

But it should be pointed out that this extraordinary trait did not begin with the modern State of Israel, it is rather the culmination of thousands of years of Jewish religious cultivation; it is part of the Jew’s G-d given mandate to be a “Kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” – a “Light onto the nations.”

The above is not meant to diminish in any way Israel’s extraordinary heroism. Israel has indeed risen to the occasion and perfected its technique to the point that even its staunchest critics and detractors are finding it hard to deny. As stated, Israel has caused an enormous sanctification of G-d’s name, but at the same time it must share the credit with Judaism’s religious morals and values. If we’re going to fault religion for its role in the world’s violence and bloodshed, we ought to give it its due credit for its part in effectuating restraint and civility, or better yet kindness and mercy, in a time of anarchy and chaos, or perhaps cruelty and madness.

The Jewish approach of discernment in combat can in fact be traced all the way back to Biblical times. Our Parsha, Matos, contains one such example: Moshe speaks to the people of Israel, saying: “Arm from among you men for the army that they can be against Midian and carry out the revenge of the Lord against Midian. The Term “Men,” asserts Rashi, connotes “Righteous men. Similarly: ‘Choose men for us’ – Exod. 17:9 and ‘Men who are wise and renowned,’” – Deut. 1:15.

When you think of warriors you don’t usually associate them with the characteristic of righteousness. A warrior should be strong and tough perhaps a bit callus, but righteous? Why righteous? The Torah teaches here that Jewish warriors and Jewish wars require righteousness. War is not an excuse to kill and should not be waged to oppress and terrorize a people; there are rules in war as there are in peace. Yet historically, few if any, have been able to live up to this standard.

Controlling one’s emotions, especially towards an enemy people, is not an easy thing. Yet it is the real test of strength, as the passage in Ethics of the Fathers reads: “Ben Zoma said: ‘Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination (he who controls his passions) as it says: “He who masters his passions is better than one who conquers a city,’” Avos 4:1.

The message here is clear: Self-control requires the incredible strength of restraint. It requires holding back to consider and process the Divine will in the matter. We need to train ourselves to use our unique human ability to stop and ask ourselves the question: “Is this wrong or right?” It takes amazing strength to do so, but it is the difference between an animalistic act and a Divine one.

The Jews are called the Chosen People; it certainly does not mean that G-d chose us to ride a Magic Carpet through the centuries and millennium, or to be blessed with an easy life. That notion belies the reality of our history. Jews have lived through the most difficult times, this is not debatable. It might appear that the Jew was chosen to suffer because of all the persecution that has befallen His people. It seems like to be a Jew is an affliction. Personally, I might have preferred an easy safe life as a people and as individuals. But G-d has chosen us to follow His commandments and we have chosen to accept His choice; to serve as His priests to the world and with that comes suffering.

The Jew has to struggle just to survive; the political terrain seems to be forever shifting under his feet. The world is complex and there are many factors for the Jew to consider in order to live and prosper. But it is all to his advantage, for with the responsibility and strife comes great reward. The Jewish people recover from each catastrophe to be a stronger and a more productive People.

How did Jews become so resilient? It is not easy to become strong, smart and morally high-minded. G-d did not make the journey from slavery to a strong modern Jewish nation easy. Jews had to seek and find meaning in difficult and frustrating situations as well as traumatic events.

The seeking after G-d’s meaning, trains ever deeper levels of reasoning and emotional understanding. The difficult journey builds the necessary resilience to take on challenges and do the impossible; G-d provides the path and the Jewish people make the journey. While man seeks power to escape weakness in leisure, Judaism offers power to endure and prosper in weakness. Judaism teaches to take the difficult situations and turn them around for His glory. In Chassidic vernacular the phenomenon is called “Yirida L’Tzorech Aliya” – descent for the sake of ascent.

Is it not the trials and tribulations of our long and arduous exile that has produced the morally, intellectually and culturally advanced Jew of today? Is there any other way to explain how a sapling startup nation under constant duress can become a world leader in morality and technology?

Judaism understands G-d’s delight in using weak vessels to display His strength. We have seen this come about in times when Midian (strife and trouble) flexes its muscle. Trials are never nice when you are in them, otherwise they wouldn’t be called trials! It is daunting and scary when faced with overwhelming odds, but we can take heart that G-d has a purpose for them; in order to display His glory through us and thereby raise us up to the highest human level.

In fact, the Lubavitcher Rebbe describes how all three of the major themes of our Parsha portray the idea of transformation through descent. The first of the themes; the nullification of vows, represents this idea by virtue of the fact that the vow/restriction can be undone because it is no longer needed, i.e. the restricted matter no longer poses a threat for it has been transformed to holiness. The second of the themes; the war with Midian likewise represents a transformation from the lowly to the holy. This is portrayed in the Torah’s description of how to Kosherize, i.e. purify and elevate all the utensils that have been captured in the war.

The third theme; the request and granting of permission for some of the tribes to remain in trans-Jordan reflect the very idea, because they originally wanted to avoid the battle with the enemy both on the physical and spiritual level, but Moshe convinced them of the transformational quality of the battle and hence transformed and elevated their thought process.

This essential philosophy of Judaism ties in with the time of year in which we find ourselves; the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and Tishah B’Av, which are referred to as the Three Weeks of Retribution and Bein HaMetzorim – between the straits. These are names whose connotation is not openly positive for it is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile, they have historically been days of misfortune and calamity for the Jewish people.

A Jew should be in a constant process of ascent, always ascending higher in holiness, “proceeding from strength to strength.” If so, what is the reason for a descent? Generally, the concept is explained as follows: The awesome descent of the Three Weeks is intended to allow for an ascent; to proceed to a higher and more elevated rung that could not otherwise be reached.

When a person wants to reach a level which is much higher than his present rung, it is necessary for him to undergo a descent first. Similarly, for the Jews to reach the peaks of the Messianic redemption, a redemption which will not be followed by a descent, it is necessary that they first undergo the descent of exile. In this context, the Three Weeks are associated, not with exile, but rather with the Third Beis HaMikdash that will be built after this exile.

To give an example from everyday life, when faced with obstructions and difficulties, a person summons up inner strength that brings out greater achievements that would otherwise be impossible. Thus, the extended exile which is felt acutely in these Three Weeks should not bring a Jew to despair, but rather to an appreciation of the heights to which the exile will bring us. This realization should, in turn, bring about a strengthening of faith and an inner joy for the awesome opportunity.

While Israel has clearly risen to the occasion of elevating this battle into a sanctification of G-d’s glory, it must be careful not to fall into the trap of taking all the credit for itself, by attributing the open miracles to its own might and doing and denying the hand of G-d in it all. We must be leery of those who wish to attribute the miraculous protection of the Jewish nation to “Human” resources, i.e. the “Iron Dome,” etc. alone.

Secular wisdom says power requires self-sufficiency. Divine wisdom asserts that reliance on (not possession of) natural resources forfeits power. G-d’s wisdom says that power requires the realization and acknowledgment of our own weakness. The Jewish hall of fame is filled with people who through humility were made great. It is never “My strength and the might of my hand,” Deuteronomy, 8:17, that achieves anything. Rather, it is always the hand of G-d that “Gives us the power to produce greatness” – Deuteronomy, 8:18.

Is it not interesting that by (non) coincidence the name given to the now renowned missile protection system – Iron Dome – is called Kipat Barzel, the Iron Kipa. Kipa is what Jews wear on their heads to remind them of G-d’s ever-presence.

By keeping our perspective focused on the true source of all the great miracles, may we merit a speedy and complete victory, with the safety of every soldier and every citizen, with the coming of the righteous Moshiach BBA.