Paths of Peace

by Rabbi Yisrael Kaniel, associate director of B'Ahavat Yisrael

In mid-1929, after Jews in Eretz Yisrael were subjected to a rash of Arab rioting, destruction and killings and it became apparent that the British condoned the Arabs' lawlessness, the then Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Avraham Y. Kook called the representative of the British mandate Charles Loch demanding that the British deal sternly with the rioters. Upon being questioned what he expected to be done, Rav Kook exclaimed, "Shoot the murderers", to which the British representative replied, "I have not received an order to that effect". In response, Rav Kook thundered, "I order you! I demand it in the name of human conscience!".

Later at an official reception that the British government arranged for the leaders of the Jewish community, Mr. Loch extended his hand to shake that of Rav Kook. However, in light of their earlier strained conversation, Rav Kook refused, stating emphatically that he would not shake a hand dripping in Jewish blood. Further on in that meeting Loch warned Rav Kook, "You Jews protect yourself, but don't attack others", to which Rav Kook responded, "You who transgress 'Do not kill' should not preach to us!".

Jews began to heatedly quarrel over Rav Kook's bold stance towards the British diplomat. While many lauded the proud and courageous stance of Rav Kook, others feared the repercussions that may arise from the British ruler. Wherever Rav Kook would arrive, heated debates would break out as to the correctness of Rav Kook's stance.

One day not too long after Rav Kook's exchange with Mr. Loch, at a brit milah to which Rav Kook was invited, as had become customary, a heated debate again broke out concerning the exchange. Seeing the quarreling, Rav Kook motioned to his trusted, scholarly and clever assistant Meir Shutland to calm the tensions.

Shutland hopped to his feet and asked the unruly crowd in a powerful voice: "Soon a newborn will be ushered in to fulfill his entering the covenant of our forefather Abraham and we will all greet him with our rising and calling out 'Blessed be the one who enters'. This matter puzzles me twofold. First, why do we not greet in the same way a bar-mitzvah boy or a groom at his wedding?..Second, why do we not part from the newborn after his circumcision with 'Blessed be the one who leaves'?"

As a hush purveyed among the crowd, Shutland continued: "Now I will answer the two questions I raised. To our chagrin and embarrassment, Jews are impressed by every uncircumcised individual and gentile and attempt to honor him at every opportunity - if necessary or not. Consequently, we rise in honor of the newborn who is yet uncircumcised and we warmly greet him. But after the newborn is circumcised and has entered the camp of Israel, he warrants no more greeting." The crowd understood the message.

While Jews should not be needlessly inconsiderate of their gentile neighbors (assuming they have not expressed sworn hatred towards us), and, in fact the Rabbis of the Talmud (Gittin 61a) enjoin us to perform certain acts - called by the Rabbis "paths of peace" - in consideration of gentile sensitivities for the sake of keeping the peace with our gentile neighbors (assuming they are basically on good terms with us), we often forget our Jewish neighbors and their sensitivities, despite the rabbis' also enjoining us to perform various acts - "paths of peace" - in special consideration of the sensitivities and needs of our own brethren for the sake of keeping the peace among our own people.

Jewish society today, especially in Israel, has become a patchwork of backgrounds, countries of origin, affiliations, shades of color and levels of religiosity. So many different types of Jews can be found: Non-religious, modern religious, hareidi, of Ashkenazi origin, of Sephardi origin, Yemenite and Polish, American and Iraqi, Indian and Argentinian, devotees of one rabbi or rebbi or another, fair-skinned and dark, shop-keepers and physicians, plumbers and lawyers, gardeners and accountants. We the Jewish people have it all, except for one very important thing - peace and unity among ourselves. We are so quick to ignore and/or belittle individuals or entire groups of Jews who do not think as we do. Certainly, we have our differences - in thought and behavior - and we cannot all be right. But there is a world of difference between disagreeing with a fellow Jew and not caring for him. There is a major difference between disagreeing honestly and intellectually with our fellow Jew and calling him derogatory names. There is a monumental difference between disapproving of a fellow Jew's behavior and letting his family and children starve. Yet we too often overlook this. Instead of appreciating and respecting the finer characteristics in our fellow Jews, we are quick to denigrate and belittle the poorer characteristics that we find and those that are outside our clique or do not behave or look just the way we do are brushed aside or treated with disparagement. We forget that when G-d addressed the Jewish people, He commanded us to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18).

At B'Ahavat Yisrael, we have taken it upon ourselves to do whatever we can to stem this tide of division in Jewish society. Whether by bringing together Sephardi and Ashkenazi, secular, religious and hareidi to visit wounded Jewish soldiers or terror victims of all backgrounds in hospitals throughout the country or by having Jews of all persuasions participate in providing sandwiches and drinks to Jewish soldiers - religious or secular, Yemenite, American or Russian - who are stationed at checkpoints throughout Israel, we attempt to chip away at the schisms in Jewish and Israeli society bit by bit.

Sure, this is a massive undertaking. It is not easy. And we may not succeed in fully restoring Jewish unity. But that does not absolve us from trying. As the rabbis of the Talmud say, "You are not required to complete the task, yet you are not free to withdraw from it" (Avot 2:21). If we have even one or two hours per month that we can devote to visiting or helping a fellow Jew but we refrain, we are withdrawing. If we have money to spare, whether it be a thousand dollars or five dollars, that we can donate each month towards a gift to put a smile on the face of an injured Jewish soldier or towards a deli sandwich for a hardworking Jewish soldiers guarding a dangerous checkpoint or towards legal fees for a Jewish woman harassed by her ex-husband but we refrain, we are withdrawing. Withdrawing, we must not. We dare not. We dare not sit back with a fatalistic gesture claiming that the task is impossible. This is the attitude of a coward or a sloth. This is not the attitude that allowed such Jewish luminaries as King David, King Hezekiah, King Joshia, Ezra and Nehemiah, Judah Maccabee and others to bring about an upheaval among the Jewish people. These luminaries also could have sat back and tended to their own business claiming that correcting the problems of the day was an impossible task. They did not sit back. They undertook to do the impossible because it was necessary and important. If they had not, then we as a Jewish people would not exist today. It is up to us to ensure that the Jewish people exist tomorrow. Are we going to make the attempt and participate in improving our society or are we going to just sit back and bemoan the inadequacies of our society but do nothing? We must try to do whatever we can to bring more and more unity, more and more peace to our Jewish people.

And if anyone questions our intentions, let him or her visit us. Let them meet our modern-religious Executive Director, formerly a successful caterer and portfolio manager, whose eyes and face betray the many sleepless hours of the night that he spends thinking of how to better fulfill the organization's goals. Let them meet the organization's hareidi Associate Director, who left a 14-year career in hi-tech to work three times as hard. Let them visit a non-religious young man who circulates in stores and businesses throughout the Central region of Israel to raise funds for the organization. Or let them visit a couple of very bright and idealistic young men who are helping us in the North. Or a wonderful Yemenite mother of four who volunteers of her time to help solve the problems of many a Jew who approaches us with one problem or another. Or a fine lawyer who gives of his time to help the organization help our fellow Jews. Let them visit some of the various volunteers from various walks of life who donate of their time to help the organization achieve its goals.

If anyone questions our efforts, let him or her come along with us for a hospital visit and speak to the soldiers and terror victims whose spirits we lift. Or let them join us in handing out sandwiches and drinks to soldiers at checkpoints throughout Israel.

Let us make the effort to instill "paths of peace" among ourselves, the Jewish people, and play a role in fulfilling the blessing of the kohanim: "May G-d bless you and guard you. May G-d illuminate His countenance toward you and endow you with grace. May G-d lift his countenance to you and establish for you peace."