Zealotry

No Gravatar

Those of you who know me will recognize that this is pretty normal for me to discuss.  For those of you who only know me from reading my blog, this will seem way out of the ordinary.  And, it is- but events demand folks take action, consider their (and other’s) actions, and try to stop this craziness.  And, I’m breaking into my queue to publish this NOW.

About a month ago, three teenaged kids were kidnapped, as they hitchhiked home from studying the programs developed by one of the most talented and gifted teachers around, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.  I, unfortunately, had no doubt they were killed almost immediately.  Which they were.  It was an act of terror, an act of zealotry by some Hamas ideologues.

Which to a group of right wing Jewish thugs, meant they could be justified to kidnap a Palestinian child- and burn him alive.  LIke the acts of one group could ever justify this sort of act. These six thugs need to be dealt with- and dealt with quickly.   In spite of what most non-Jews think, the Tora does not say that we take the eye out of one because s/he took the eye of another- but that financial compensation for the loss of the eye would be due.

This sort of zealotry is a never-ending spiral.  It can only be stopped with education.  Not necessarily in schools, but from parents to children and from peer to peer.

Last week, the Tora reading involved a man named Pinchas who impaled two sinners who were fornicating.  The Supreme Being seemingly rewards Pinchas for this act of zealotry.  Until you read it carefully.

 הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת-בְּרִיתִי, שָׁלוֹם

Hashem promises Pinchas a covenant of peace.  Not exactly the sort of action that PInchas afforded the two sinners- impaling them was clearly not an act of peace.

Which brings up the issue of Eliyahu (Elija) the prophet, who lived about 350 years later.  Some would say he inherited the spirit of Pinchas. You see, Eliyahu went and slaughtered 400 priests of the idol Baal, an abomination unto the Supreme  Being.  Which sort of ticked off (now there’s an understatement) the King, Achav (Ahab)- causing Eliyahu to go and hide in a cave.

Where the Supreme  Being taught Eliyahu a lesson.  He brought forth a great wind, one that destroys mountains and rocks- but Hashem was not bound up or even part of that force. Which event was followed by an earthquake- it  also had no deity present. Followed immediately by a fire- one that also lacked any qualities of the Supreme Being.   But, then, a still small voice, a ‘kol dmama daka’, that was where Hashem was found.

 קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה

The lesson is clear.  It’s not a whirlwind that we need to solve this world’s problems.  Nor, earthquakes or fire.  No, it’s the sounding of that still, small voice, the one we must be quiet and attentive to discern our instructions.

Let’s make sure we don’t fall prey to the call of the zealots, the call of the terrorists- but follow that still, small voice, and earn our blessing of peace.  Because society has greatly progressed- just as Eliyahu learned, demonstrating that society had evolved from the time of Moshe (Moses) [where Pinchas took his action].

Now, some 3000 years later, we should be at a much higher plane.  It’s time to act accordingly.

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter
Share

2 thoughts on “Zealotry”

  1. HEAR! HEAR! I can’t believe how much humans can hate each other and the atrocious things that we are capable of. And to claim that it’s in the name of god?

Comments are closed.