The Gift of Antisemitism
While attempting to park my minivan at the kosher store today, I was verbally attacked by two different women.
“Look where you’re going! Stop talking on your phone!” the driver of a glistening Tesla yelled at me. (I was not talking on my phone.)
“Be careful opening your door. I gave you plenty of space. All I can say is you had better not scratch my car,” the owner of a Mercedes warned.
As a careful driver, I was slightly shocked by this double-attack, which seemed highly unwarranted. I pulled out of the lot to take care of another errand before re-attempting to park in the busy lot.
Normally, I’d brush off the encounter and not think too much about it. I understand that cars are important to some people. And no one wants a dust-streaked minivan to come lumbering toward their spotless Tesla. No big deal. Move on.
But today, I paused.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen how antisemitism has reared its head again on the world stage. Though most of us didn’t witness the horrors of the last terrifying episode, antisemitism feels familiar to us. The biased news, the vicious and exaggerated accusations, the bizarre misconstruing of events — another blood libel. The senseless removals, arrests, jeering – another Inquisition. And though this episode has not, I fear, climaxed…we know what can very well come next.
Why does God do this? I ask myself. It is clear that this process – that has given supernatural power to so many lies – is divinely ordained, is meant to happen. But why??
Different reasons have floated through my mind. To turn us away from trusting in human power and toward trust in God. To give the righteous people of the world a chance to show their colors — to align with what is good or to oppose it. But nothing feels quite satisfactory.
But there is another benefit to antisemitism that has slowly surfaced for me. And it’s possible that this is the greatest benefit of all.
Because the rise in antisemitism has brought home for me just how…Jewish…every, single, Jewish person is. EVERY Jew is a valid target for the Israel-and-Jew-hating entities of the world – whether they be secular Israelis, cloistered Hassidim, IDF soldiers, or otherwise.
In the wake of this realization, I find myself looking at other Jews – Jews whom I might, before October 7th, have been inclined to judge…even if only a little bit…and thinking – these Jews are as Jewish as me. We are absolutely in one boat together — each limbs of one body, attached to one, animating soul. And I will not reject any of these Jews, however different or even, at times, offensive they might be.
And so, after brushing off the parking lot offense I experienced earlier today, I thought it was appropriate to take it one step further. To fully forgive these women, these fellow Jews who lashed out in a moment of frustration (as we all do sometimes). And to ask God to forgive them too – to not hold any of these petty mistakes against us.
I have seen many people decrying the state of upheaval in Israeli society today – urging their fellow Jews to set aside their differences rather than casting us into a state of disunity which can only fracture and harm us. And yet, our differences will always be with us. We will always argue. Our differences are our greatest strength as well as, perhaps, our greatest weakness.
Rather than begging other Jews to change, to stop criticizing one another, to stop fighting – an attempt that is sure to inflame our own sentiments against those Jews further – let us, this Tisha B’Av, accept other Jews as they are, forgive them for their offenses, and ask God to do the same.
