Israel-Gaza War 5784: Ha’azinu – Vengeance or Justice?

This week’s Torah portion, Ha’azinu, records Moses’ final speech to the children of Israel. In it, he affirmed that G-d would wreak destruction on Israel’s enemies. “For I will raise my hand to heaven…sharpen the edge of my sword…I shall return vengeance upon my foes and repay my haters.” (Deuteronomy 32:40, 41) “Sing praises, o nations, for His people, for the blood of His servants He will avenged. (Deuteronomy 32:43)

Rabbi Dennis Prager in his The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy, thinks that vengeance has a bad rap, for it is associated in most people’s minds with overreaction to an offense. But the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines vengeance as “punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense.” Revenge, Rabbi Prager says, can be unjust if it is out of proportion to the original harm committed—but it can also be just. What the nations call Israel taking revenge on the Palestinians, Rabbi Prager and I would call a just response to the crimes of October 7th. A response that is not only not an overreaction, but, given the horrors perpetrated last Simchat Torah, not even equivalent. The IDF has not and will never rape, mutilate, or burn civilians alive. They will continue to target terrorists with great precision and warn civilians to get out of harm’s way.

But the world doesn’t see it that way. As Israel steps up its assaults on Hezbollah and the Houthis, the world has reacted with a mixture of anger and fear. Anger, that Israel dares—dares!—to defend itself against its would-be destroyers. Fear that the conflict will widen to affect them. Or, more accurately, fear that they, too, will be called upon to stand up against the religious fascism that Iran and its proxies aim to unleash against the West, not only Israel. No doubt their anger comes not only from antisemitism but from shame at their own cowardice.

And who can argue with their fear? The world saw on October 7th the savagery that Hamas perpetrated against innocents. They have heard radical Islamists say that they welcome death and intend to repeat October 7th again and again. Who would not fear a foe so brutal and implacable? Far better to retreat to the false reassurance that they can be appeased by throwing Israel to the wolves. As Iran now rains rockets down on Israel, fear will only grow greater.

The only remedy is faith that G-d is just and will ultimately defeat the enemies of the good. But Europe is no longer a place where many people believe in G-d. America still retains many believers, but their numbers, too, are shrinking among the young. Yet without faith in just G-d, how can we have hope for better days?

“The Rock! Perfect is His work, for all his paths are justice,” Moses proclaimed to the people. (Deuteronomy 32:4)

After October 7th, we must have faith not only in Israel’s superb and motivated soldiers, but in the Rock to avenge the blood of His servants who were murdered that day and since. May Israel’s defenders go from strength to strength and not only bring a just punishment to its foes, but deter them from any further aggression.

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we pray to see justice in victory and also in the release of all our captives. What sweetness that would bring to 5785.

On a personal note, I had hoped that I would not be able to complete a cycle of Torah readings when I started this blog right after October 7th. But here we are. Yet we still may see a miraculous redemption before Simchat Torah rolls around again. I hope and pray with all my heart that this is the case. That is my wish for the coming year.

Shana tovah u’metukah, may we merit—finally—a good and sweet year. Ketivah v’chatima tovah. May we, all of us, have a good inscription and sealing in the Book of Life.