In this clash of civilizations, we need the Hebrew mindset to win

Someone gave me a book the other day called A Time to Advance by Chuck Pierce. As I thumbed through it, the author’s take on the three prominent mindsets involved in the Middle East crisis caught my eye. The three being: a Barbarian mindset, Greek mindset, and a Hebrew mindset.

Of the Barbarians Pierce says, “Its form of government is tyranny, which manifests as a ruthless dictatorship, whose success is measured by absolute control over people. Terrorism is birthed from such a mindset, because people who are filled with fear can be easily dominated.”

Of the Greek mindset Pierce says, “The Greeks invented a new form of government known as democracy. Our [U.S.] government believed that if we could get democracy into Gaza, the Middle East problem would be solved. When the Palestinians adopted democracy and then elected terrorists [Hamas], our leaders were shocked . . . The Greek mindset assumes the answer to everything is education and democracy. So we [the U.S.] send out educators to change the world.”  Think, “art therapy” at Gitmo.  Yes, it happened.

Of the Hebrew mindset Pierce points out that Jews have a different mindset because they base their values on the Torah. A Torah mindset thinks in the terms of moral values that clearly make a distinction between right and wrong and holy and unholy.

I want to add to Pierce’s opinion on the Hebrew mindset with quotes from another book, The Twelve Dimensions of Israel, authored by Nechama Sarah G. Nadborny as she specifically describes an important aspect of the Hebrew mindset, especially auspicious in the month of Av. Av is represented by the tribe of Shimon, who is famous or infamous, depending on how one looks at it, for defending the honor of his sister Dinah after she was raped and taken captive.

Describing the Hebrew mindset that Shimon represents, here are several quotes from Nadborny:

“The energy evinced by Shimon to destroy those who would destroy us is a necessary part of our existence. It also expresses a healthy reaction for the survival of every living being.”

“Noble aggression is for the purpose of an eternal preservation whose repercussions ultimately benefit all of humanity . . . and our struggle is to reconcile preserving all life, maintaining peace and harmony, while battling against innate forces within the human race that are counteracting this vision [of harmony]. “

“When Yehuda was commanded to go up and conquer the land, he took his brother Shimon with him. Thus we learn that Shimon is a necessary part of redemption. The sefirah of malchut (“sovereignty,” embodied in the land) is a facet of this dimension . . . Shimon’s fiery passion for justice is necessary for the final redemption, both personal and collective.”

“Just as a mother instinctively will summon up remarkable strength when anyone and anything wants to injure her child, so the Jewish people in their homeland must summon the courage to confront and challenge those individuals and groups whose ideologies attempt to destroy her and undermine her eternal expression and indisputable claim.”

Which leads me to a question. Where have all the Shimons gone? Through the hand of Hashem, Jews have returned to their land. But many of them still don’t really believe that the land belongs to them. As MK Moshe Feiglin said, “Over the past twenty years, the Oslo mentality has severely compromised the belief of the Israelis in the justice of their bond to the Land of Israel. The handshake of Israel’s leaders – from both Right and Left – with the chairman of the Organization for the Liberation of the Land of Israel from its Jews (Arafat) has turned Israelis into colonialists in Tel Aviv. It has fostered an apologetic mentality, a mentality in which Israelis are guests in their own land . . . the real problem is not with the enemy; it is with ourselves. Are we willing now – after all the blows that we have received – to negate the Oslo mentality and internalize that this is our Land?”

The barbaric enemies surrounding Israel have made it very clear what their intentions are. They want to kill all the Jews. And then move to their next goal – to kill or convert non-Muslims. They openly state this desire, or worse are carrying out their plans. Think Mosul.

In the meantime, the U.S. government has made it very clear what its intentions are. They want to push Israel into continued negotiations with terrorists who want to kill Jews. And as they do this, the U.S. is arming those same terrorists. The U.S. government loves the negotiating table, because dead-end negotiations lead to drawn-out wars. Can you say, “Ca-ching, ca-ching!”

So that brings us back to Israel, the nation that still has the DNA and potential of Shimon pulsating through it. How many more years and tragedies, G-d forbid, is it going to take for Israel to once and for all deal a death-blow to the barbaric terrorists bent on destroying Israel and everything else in their path? How many more years and tragedies, G-d forbid, is it going to take for Israel to ignore the advice of an inept U.S. government? May this be the defining moment in history when Israel stops relying on the advice of the nations and instead relies on the innate wisdom of their Hebrew mindset.

A Jewish friend once told me, “The most righteous people aren’t always the nicest people. Because doing the right thing, is not always the nicest thing.” How I wish Israel would remember this. In a world of touchy-feely do-gooders who base their actions on emotion rather than truth, justice, and righteousness, we desperately need the leadership of those with a Hebrew mindset.

Another Jewish friend told me, “The problem we have is not with Arabs. The problem is with ourselves. When we start acting like Jews, everything will change.”

Israel is still, relatively speaking, a baby nation. But Israel’s survival necessitates growing up, very quickly. Israel for it’s own sake needs that to happen. And the world needs that to happen. The world needs a grown-up Hebrew mindset. Isaiah said so. Remember his vision recorded in Isaiah 2? He saw a time when the whole world would come to Israel for advice and to have their disputes settled. And the result of the world looking for answers from those with a Hebrew mindset is something that almost seems to good to be true. The result is no more warfare.

Imagine that. No more warfare. It can and will become a reality, when the Jews starts thinking and acting like Jews. When they remember that they are chosen to be the servant of the G-d of the Universe.

And when Jews do remember who and what they are, they will only listen to words like the ones below, and never again to advice and accusations from nations who want to see their demise.

But you, O Israel, My servant, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham who loved Me – you whom I will grasp from the ends of the earth and summon from among all its noblemen, and to whom I will say, ‘You are my servant’ – I have chosen you and not rejected you. Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your G-d; I have strengthened you, even helped you, and even sustained you with My righteous hand. Behold, all who become angry with you will be shamed and humiliated; those who fight with you shall be like nothingness and shall perish. The men who struggle with you, you shall seek them but not find them; the men who fight you, they shall be like nothingness and naught.”