In the aftermath of the disengagement trauma, young people throughout the Jewish world are asking pertinent, probing questions that trouble their souls and cloud their vision of the future. My kids, too, press me for answers and direction. As a concerned parent, I cannot ignore their heartfelt pleas of "What now?" and "How can we go on?" They must be addressed if we are to salvage their hope and optimism. And so, I am sharing my response to their four main issues:
How Do We Respect And Follow A Government That Has Hurt Us So Badly?
The Sharon government has caused enormous pain and suffering to Jews over the last several months, and brought our nation to an unprecedented divide. As disturbing as Ariel Sharon's policies have been, his arrogant attitude has been equally unnerving and obnoxious. In his obsession to implement his plan, he has ignored the will of his own party, his past military chief of staff and at least half the nation.
Yet, Sharon is neither a king nor a conqueror, though he may act like one. In time, he will have to face the people and bend to their will. While the risk of democracy is that it can bring to power all manner of men and mischief, the positive flip-side of the system is that eventually these characters can only maintain their position at the behest of the majority. Sharon's day of reckoning will come, and we will have the opportunity to replace him - if we can identify a better leader to take his place.
Should I Still Be Proud To Be A Zionist?
On the surface, many would argue that Zionism, particularly religious Zionism, has been dealt a death-blow by the disengagement. After all, what kind of Zionist movement turns land over to gleeful terrorists, and cruelly evicts the true pioneers of the country from their homes? Is this not the Zionist dream turned on its head?
But here again, we must be careful to differentiate the patient from the illness and the sin from the sinner. Supporters and detractors of the Gaza pullout will both argue that their position is what's best for Zionism and a healthy State of Israel. The only question is: Whose opinion will prevail in the long run?
We believe that capitulation will not lead to peace, and that Arab refusal to accept a Jewish state of any size - and not "the settlements" - is the essential impediment to a lasting solution. We believe that the Land of Israel is our promise from G-d, and that we have a Divine mandate to settle the Land and populate it with Jews from around the world. That is our belief and we must stay true to the course, despite any detours along the road.
History is a harsh mistress, and she will have the final say over the legacy of Gaza.
How Can I Serve In An Army That Evicted Jews From Their Homes?
Perhaps the most odious aspect of Sharon's initiative was to use the IDF to carry out his plan. The army is perhaps the last bastion of national unity, the "great equalizer", which has always been regarded with love and admiration by even the most cynical citizen, above suspicion and reproach. The greatest fear was that the "people's army" would turn into the "army against the people."
Thank Heavens, that did not happen. The army acted with amazing restraint, compassion and Jewish heart. In fact, the pictures on television most worth watching were those of the soldiers and settlers in each others' arms, crying and consoling one another as they headed for the buses. The admirable ethical heroism of the IDF should only encourage young people to serve, and should help to reverse a dangerous trend of this generation to "drop out" of military service.
Where Was God During The Disengagement?
This may be the toughest question of all. Kids ask: "I prayed, I marched, I fasted, I protested, I donated, I prayed some more. I did my part; why did God not do His? Why did He not cause a miracle to stop this retreat? How can I now go on believing?"
Like any tragedy, the events of Gaza challenge our faith and shake our belief in an all-caring, all-capable God of Truth and Justice. Our failure to understand God's response - or lack thereof - is a hard blow to absorb. But as hard a lesson as this is for the young - or old - spiritual maturity dictates that we accept that God does not respond on command to our whims or desires. He does not always do that which we think He ought to do. He has His own will and His own way, and it is precisely in these situations when we must activate our Trust component. Because trust is the foundation of every serious relationship, human or cosmic, and we need lots of it now.
What I believe we can assume is that God has duly witnessed every prayer, every tear, every cry, every act of kindness and commitment by our young people, and He will surely repay all these efforts in His own time and place.
Simon Wiesenthal once recounted that after the war, he was asked to make a minyan, but had refused. He had witnessed a "religious" man in the death camps who had smuggled in a siddur, and would "charge" fellow inmates a quarter of their meager rations to pray with it for 10 minutes. Wiesenthal was so sickened by this injustice that he could no longer pray.
But then, a young chaplain spoke to him and said, "Why should you focus on the man who rented the siddur at an exorbitant fee? Rather, focus on those pious Jews who were willing to give up their food in order to share a few minutes with God."
Wiesenthal agreed and joined the minyan.
As hard as it is, we, too, must try to focus on all the positive actions in our midst: the devotion of young people to a cause; the abounding love of Jews for their land; the willingness to sacrifice - and refrain from violence - which guides the settler movement. All this positive energy - plus a great deal of patience and faith - will yet see us through to a better day.
[This article originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post.]
How Do We Respect And Follow A Government That Has Hurt Us So Badly?
The Sharon government has caused enormous pain and suffering to Jews over the last several months, and brought our nation to an unprecedented divide. As disturbing as Ariel Sharon's policies have been, his arrogant attitude has been equally unnerving and obnoxious. In his obsession to implement his plan, he has ignored the will of his own party, his past military chief of staff and at least half the nation.
Yet, Sharon is neither a king nor a conqueror, though he may act like one. In time, he will have to face the people and bend to their will. While the risk of democracy is that it can bring to power all manner of men and mischief, the positive flip-side of the system is that eventually these characters can only maintain their position at the behest of the majority. Sharon's day of reckoning will come, and we will have the opportunity to replace him - if we can identify a better leader to take his place.
Should I Still Be Proud To Be A Zionist?
On the surface, many would argue that Zionism, particularly religious Zionism, has been dealt a death-blow by the disengagement. After all, what kind of Zionist movement turns land over to gleeful terrorists, and cruelly evicts the true pioneers of the country from their homes? Is this not the Zionist dream turned on its head?
But here again, we must be careful to differentiate the patient from the illness and the sin from the sinner. Supporters and detractors of the Gaza pullout will both argue that their position is what's best for Zionism and a healthy State of Israel. The only question is: Whose opinion will prevail in the long run?
We believe that capitulation will not lead to peace, and that Arab refusal to accept a Jewish state of any size - and not "the settlements" - is the essential impediment to a lasting solution. We believe that the Land of Israel is our promise from G-d, and that we have a Divine mandate to settle the Land and populate it with Jews from around the world. That is our belief and we must stay true to the course, despite any detours along the road.
History is a harsh mistress, and she will have the final say over the legacy of Gaza.
How Can I Serve In An Army That Evicted Jews From Their Homes?
Perhaps the most odious aspect of Sharon's initiative was to use the IDF to carry out his plan. The army is perhaps the last bastion of national unity, the "great equalizer", which has always been regarded with love and admiration by even the most cynical citizen, above suspicion and reproach. The greatest fear was that the "people's army" would turn into the "army against the people."
Thank Heavens, that did not happen. The army acted with amazing restraint, compassion and Jewish heart. In fact, the pictures on television most worth watching were those of the soldiers and settlers in each others' arms, crying and consoling one another as they headed for the buses. The admirable ethical heroism of the IDF should only encourage young people to serve, and should help to reverse a dangerous trend of this generation to "drop out" of military service.
Where Was God During The Disengagement?
This may be the toughest question of all. Kids ask: "I prayed, I marched, I fasted, I protested, I donated, I prayed some more. I did my part; why did God not do His? Why did He not cause a miracle to stop this retreat? How can I now go on believing?"
Like any tragedy, the events of Gaza challenge our faith and shake our belief in an all-caring, all-capable God of Truth and Justice. Our failure to understand God's response - or lack thereof - is a hard blow to absorb. But as hard a lesson as this is for the young - or old - spiritual maturity dictates that we accept that God does not respond on command to our whims or desires. He does not always do that which we think He ought to do. He has His own will and His own way, and it is precisely in these situations when we must activate our Trust component. Because trust is the foundation of every serious relationship, human or cosmic, and we need lots of it now.
What I believe we can assume is that God has duly witnessed every prayer, every tear, every cry, every act of kindness and commitment by our young people, and He will surely repay all these efforts in His own time and place.
Simon Wiesenthal once recounted that after the war, he was asked to make a minyan, but had refused. He had witnessed a "religious" man in the death camps who had smuggled in a siddur, and would "charge" fellow inmates a quarter of their meager rations to pray with it for 10 minutes. Wiesenthal was so sickened by this injustice that he could no longer pray.
But then, a young chaplain spoke to him and said, "Why should you focus on the man who rented the siddur at an exorbitant fee? Rather, focus on those pious Jews who were willing to give up their food in order to share a few minutes with God."
Wiesenthal agreed and joined the minyan.
As hard as it is, we, too, must try to focus on all the positive actions in our midst: the devotion of young people to a cause; the abounding love of Jews for their land; the willingness to sacrifice - and refrain from violence - which guides the settler movement. All this positive energy - plus a great deal of patience and faith - will yet see us through to a better day.
[This article originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post.]