Can’t We Practice What We Preach

One of the least appealing aspects of our people is our ability to camouflage rank hypocrisy as righteous indignation.

Case in point:  According to rabbinic tradition the second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed because of “Sinat Chinam” baseless hatred.   Unbridled emotions between factions literally tore the community apart.  This was especially true as described in the Talmud during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.  Jerusalem was encircled by the Romans and within the city the Zealots prevailed.  Anyone even suggesting giving in to Roman demands was put to death.

Yochanan ben Zakkai was a leader of the Jewish community and favored peace even under Roman domination.  He was smuggled into the Roman camp pretending to be dead.  Once there he negotiated with the Romans to set up a community at Yavneh where the surviving sages could gather to reconstitute the Jewish community.  It is from Yavneh that our version of Judaism was codified and disseminated.  Ben Zakkai is credited by many with saving Judaism.

The texts do not report how Ben Zakkai was perceived in the community.  Was he being practical in his belief that Judaism could only survive by collaborating with the enemy?  Or was that collaboration the act of a Quisling?  History has judged him the former and lionized his accomplishments.  But it is hard to imagine his accomplishment was accepted by the Jewish community.  Ben Zakkai went to Yavneh but the Zealots ended up at Masada.

Hence the rabbinic abhorrence with Sinat Chinam.  In the rabbinic mind such hatred is only merited when the perpetrator violates Torah prohibitions:  Political differences remain unmentioned.

My teacher David Hartman taught, “A value is only a value when it is tested.” Yes, Israel does face an existential threat from Iran.  Hamas or Hezbollah are implacable enemies who must be dealt with – but they do not rise to the level of existential.   And the dissenters in the American Jewish community certainly do not even approach Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran.  Yes, Israel does live under existential threat – but not from the American Jewish community.  So, by what standard of morality do we have permission to hate each other over our differences.?

Granted demonizing the “other” feels good, especially when  part of a herd mentality.  There is a certain feeling of power over righteous indignation – I would think it was similar to the zealots who stood against the evil Roman Empire.  

To be clear: I am not a supporter of JStreet, the Reconstructionist movement or any other organization that seeks to disenfranchise Israel’s right to act.  While I am not comfortable with this war – it is a horrible solution to what seems an eternal problem.  However, of all the solutions, it is perhaps  the “least worst”.

I may aggressively disagree with you – but I do not have the right to hate you.  If I believe that Sinat Chinam is wrong – I dare not practice it in any form.

And I am not so blind as to think that they may not be wrong; they just aren’t right.