CHOCHMAS NASHIM: ZOS CHANUKKAH: BASTARDIZATION OF COMMUNICATION
Suri Davis
I have written before of two concepts which resonate with me. One is Maimonides’ concept of what distinguishes man over other creations which is “adam midaber,” which literally means, man can speak. One might say that all animals speak, why is man’s speech different, and the quick answer is that it is rational and not merely reflexive of nature. Man can rationalize before he acts, man can refrain from acting out his impulses and control himself when his emotions tell him to do otherwise.
I have also written often about the coupling throughout the torah of the words lev chacham, a wise heart, after all, most believe that wisdom is in the mind, brain and not the heart which is more emotional and reflexive/impulsive, less well thought out.
In this week’s torah portion, Joseph is activated in the role of his life which actualizes his function as a Jew saving Israel. He is whisked from jail, cleaned up for the purpose of interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, which none of his ministers could do.
Pharaoh explains to Joseph that he is relying on him to interpret his dream, and Joseph responds, Genesis 41:16: “It is not by my own power; G-d will provide an answer for Pharaoh’s welfare.” Joseph acknowledges that his ability to interpret dreams is provided to him from G-d.
This week’s haftorah, discusses a legal matter presented to King Solomon, which is very famous is Jewish lore. Two women lived in a house together with no others. Woman 1 had a baby first, three days later, Woman 2 had a baby. Woman 1 rolled over on her child in bed and suffocated the baby and then, allegedly, switched her dead baby for Woman 2’s living baby and the two women bring the living baby to King Solomon to determine to whom it belongs. King Solomon declared that the baby should be split in two, so each woman could have a half, the real mother said it is best to give the baby to the other woman rather than cutting the baby, and in that way, King Solomon knew to whom the baby belonged, to the mother who wanted to ensure the baby lived.
What is the connection between the torah portion and the haftorah? G-d asked Solomon what he wished, and G-d would grant him the one wish. He answered that he wanted wisdom, or more specifically a discerning heart. G-d gave Joseph his ability to interpret dreams and Solomon’s ability to judge fairly among people. The discerning heart, mind, G-d given abilities.
Why is this concept so important to current events? Congress’ hearings on antisemitism on campus, wherein three heads of Ivy League Schools, Harvard, MIT and University of Pennsylvania, became so mired in their intellect that their arguments seemed to be based on the slippery slope, i.e., free speech uber alles, because if we limit any speech, we might accidentally limit free speech and that would spell the end of our democracy as we know it. This is a deep dive into the mind, with no concurrent heart to ground the intellect.
In Johnson v. Texas, a case regarding whether it was permissible to burn an American flag as a means of free speech, the Supreme Court answered affirmatively, EXCEPT where it was meant to incite, e.g., at a veterans gathering or police gathering. We know that one cannot scream FIRE! In a crowded movie theatre for the same reason.
I will explain context as it was meant to be used with regard to speech and arguments:
When a man is accused of shooting up a school, it is not the time to discuss how the kids didn’t play with the shooter during recess, as doing so appears to justify the acts of the shooter in shooting those who wouldn’t play with him during recess. There is no context in which it is okay for anyone to shoot another except for self-defense. Juxtaposing the two valid issues, seems to exonerate behavior which is inexcusable. In other words, there is a valid issue about kids excluding others in their play, and discuss how we integrate all children into play. But we don’t raise this issue at the time of a shooting in that it contextualizes the shooting as justified because there is also a valid issue with regard to children being excluded from play.
So, if someone has an issue with Israel’s alleged “apartheid,” we can discuss the issue, but at another time, so as not to deflect from the immediate pain on hand, and exacerbate that pain by contextualizing it with other issues as though those other issues justify the torture and death of 1,200 civilians.
Again, there are two issues, which might be valid, adding any other issue than Hamas terrorism currently is to intentionally deflect from the real issue at hand, terrorism/torture/hostage/death, and justifying the murder of civilians.
There is a time and place for everything as we learn in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and in Ethics of Our Fathers, don’t try to comfort someone when his dead is still before him, but certainly do not criticize, deflect or equate the loss with other political issues. There was no sympathy for Israel from the moment the horror went public on October 7th, just criticism.
It doesn’t end there for one of the most egregious misuses of a brain came from Professor Michael L. Gross of the University of Haifa, who wrote an opinion essay in the New York Times asserting his view that Israel had a responsibility to pay reparations to the Palestinians for hurting them while routing out Hamas. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/opinion/israel-gaza-war-compensation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.F00.mW1h.snvNN50j4QMo&smid=url-share
I emailed him at: mgross@poli.haifa.ac.il to let him know my thoughts:
“What did the United States owe Germany and Europe when it freed the world from Nazi Terror? One should ask what the Gazans owe Israel in gratitude for time, money and loss of life in ridding Gaza and the world from Hamas/Iran tyranny.
Additionally, Hamas was elected by the people who knew its ideology, and became complicit when munitions were placed in their hospitals and schools and barbaric school books.
Let their Muslim brothers who spent billions to support their terror, spend billions to support peace.”
Runaway academics who hope to cull favor with their students and seek star status in traditional media and the addictive social media seek the most radical opinions for cheap star status. What “Professor” Gross has done with his “wisdom” is reverse who is the victim and who was the aggressor, plays into world antisemitism, and culls favor with world who supports antisemitic ideas. It turns Israel into the aggressor rather than the victim. There was a ceasefire with Hamas on October 6th, it was Hamas who brutally ratcheted it.
Indeed, it is the Gazans and their elected officials, and the Arab world who fed Hamas billions of dollars to build 300 miles of terror tunnel, who owe Israel reparations for the decades of rockets spewed at civilians in the south, which destroyed and forced Israel to spend a great amount of their Gross Domestic Product on defense. IT IS NEVER OKAY TO TARGET CIVILIANS and Hamas has used its own as it targeted Israelis in the south.
Israel is the only nation in the history of warfare, who gives up the element of surprise to inform its enemy’s human shields to flee before striking. It is Hamas and its backers who should pay reparations to its own people and the innocents in Israel who have had to live with their reign of terror.
Where is Europe and its support of Israel? It has permitted so many base Arabs into its fold, it fears terror reprisals from within and election results as the Arabs gain a population foothold in their union. The United States was saved from this fate when then President Trump refused to permit “refugees” from Arab countries to pour in.
As to the innocence of Gazans, a poll was released this week by Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, or PSR. The survey was conducted from Nov. 22 to Dec. 2 among 1,231 people in the West Bank and Gaza and had an error margin of 4 percentage points. In Gaza, poll workers conducted 481 in-person interviews during a weeklong cease-fire that ended Dec. 1. Despite the devastation, 57% of respondents in Gaza and 82% in the West Bank believe Hamas was correct in launching the October attack, 44% in the West Bank said they supported Hamas, up from just 12% in September. In Gaza, the militants enjoyed 42% support, up slightly from 38% three months ago.
Let us remember that whenever terror has struck Israel, the civilians cheered. When Hamas paraded kidnapped civilians on October 7th, civilians rejoiced and spit and kicked and continued to hurt them as they passed. They are our enemy, they need to be routed out, totally and unapologetically.
We need to continue to call out antisemitism from all sources and continue to press our American government to support Israel’s continued efforts to eliminate the enemy. As we speak, Hamas continues to rain missiles on Israel, that capability has to be thwarted, or the war will have been lost by Israel.
We need less intellectual misuse of the academic podium for stardom and more chochmas lev, wisdom connected with the heart, G-d given and un-obfuscated by the tik and tok, like a bombshell.
Happy Zos Chanukkah, may the light of the eighth which is mimaal latevah/above nature, pure spirit, provide us with the light and wisdom to find the hostages and route out the enemy and bring the fully and speedy redemption in our time.
Shabbat shalom.
-Suri