Many of you saw the movie, Noah, which came out last
year. It was generally
well-received. How could it be
otherwise? Russel Crowe as Noah, Jennifer
Connelly as his wife Na’amah, and Emma Watson as Ila his daughter-in-law! It was well-received, although it did
engender some controversy. The latter
largely based on the degree, to which the film departed from the Biblical
narrative. That didn’t bother me. I understand the concept of artistic licence. The rectangular-shaped ark didn’t do much for
me, though. It didn’t look…well, ark-y.
Despite the liberties
taken by the production team with the details of the story, I liked the movie
because it captured the dark, sinister feel of a world that descended into
anarchy. That’s the essence of the word hamas,
as in ki-temaleh ha-aretz hamas – the entire world is full of
lawlessness, a statement about the world’s condition when Noah received his
calling. (Genesis 6:13) It’s
tempting to associate the Hebrew word hamas, with the terror organisation
by that name in Gaza. Actually, the word
hamas in Arabic, means ‘enthusiasm.’
Interesting. Lawlessness in
Hebrew, Enthusiasm in Arabic. But I
digress…
When I saw Noah last
year, I could certainly relate to the earth before the flood. In reality, it is not too different than the
world we are experiencing today. We try
to kid ourselves. To turn our backs to
what is happening in the world and even in our own country. To live as if everything was just
peachy. But it isn’t. There is extant in our world today, a
lawlessness, an anarchy. And a
denial that it’s there. We don’t have
the confidence that comes from living in a world that is guided by predictable,
familiar, and supportable values. We
therefore find the foundations of our sense of security crumbling just a little
more every day.
If so for us, how
much more so for our cousins in Israel today!
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock recently, you’re surely aware
that there is a wave of violence engulfing Israel. Some say that it represents a Third
Intifada. Khaled Elgindy, a former
advisor to the Palestinian Authority and a fellow at the Brookings Institution,
quoted by Theresa Welsh in US New and World Report on Tuesday, says no. But when Elgindy, who is definitely in a
position to say so, tells us why he believes it isn’t, his statement is
very telling. He says that this doesn’t
represent a Third Intifada, because unlike the previous iterations there is no “political leadership organizing and
driving the insurrection.” Read
that again. Remember how, at the time,
we were told that the violence was a spontaneous uprising on the street? Thanks, Mr. Elgindy, for finally telling the
truth. But the truth about the current
situation being the start of Intifada III is…well, probably.
It’s
not just the violence, although that in and of itself would be bad enough. Israelis are used to living under siege. That doesn’t make it right. But that does give them more toughness
than the rest of us, when things go south.
What
really stings are the condemnations of Israeli measures to keep their citizens
safe. And responding the only valid way
when violent attackers are apprehended.
It took my breath away – although I guess it shouldn’t have – when
President Abbas of the PA, screamed on Wednesday that Israeli police had killed
two Palestinian teenagers “in cold blood.”
The teenagers in question, bloody knives in their hands, were running
away after having attacked random Israeli victims in front of the Jerusalem central
bus station. Had they been
killed, it would certainly not have been “in cold blood.” But guess what? They were in fact not killed! News video from later that day showed them in
hospital in Israel, smiling and recovering.
It
should also not have taken our breath away when, two years ago, US Secretary of
State Kerry, in effect, threatened Israel with a “Third Intifada.” Now I’m not saying that Kerry ordered it
launched two weeks ago. But he certainly
gave the Palestinians permission. With
that statement. Not to mention, by
rewarding Iran whilst her leader is shouting “Death to Israel” and bankrolling
Hamas and Hezbollah, with a nuclear deal that in effect gives them billions of
assets now frozen in US banks. The fact
that the Third Intifada – or whatever it is – was begun almost immediately
after the US Senate failed to thwart President Obama’s gift to Iran, is
telling.
So,
yeah. It is easy to have the sense that
any remnant of order and logic are crumbling before our very eyes. If I didn’t see that rainbow in the sky now and
then, I would be continually wondering when the next flood will come. Some days, I feel like Russel Crowe, fighting off
the gang of Tubal-Cain as the rain begins to fall and he tries to storm the
ark.
That
said, we should see current events, or any events, as being there to
test us. When adversity strikes and
threatens the order that we depend upon, we aught to redouble our efforts to
live according to Torah. In every way
possible. In the midst of chaos, we
should work twice as hard to live an ethical life. To maintain, and increase, our
integrity. It is precisely when
things are difficult, that we need to ask ourselves if we are thinking,
speaking, and acting in a constructive way.
When we do so, it not only helps us fight despair. It also brings meaning to adversity. Shabbat shalom. And I really do mean it!
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