By Rabbi Mauricio Balter, Eshel Avraham Congregation, Beer-Sheva
How can I describe the indescribable?
It doesn’t often happen that I am at a loss for words but today I am.
How can I describe the pain we feel every time we hear of the death of one of our soldiers? I have no words! Each one was so young with their entire lives before them and they fell on the battlefield to protect us
How can I describe the anger we feel towards the terrorists who built tunnels to Israel for the express purpose of kidnapping Israeli soldiers or civilians to be used to negotiate for their release; or who dug tunnels with the aim of suddenly appearing in an Israeli community in order to kill people.
How can I describe the frustration we feel when we see our frightened children huddled in a shelter or a so-called safe room while sirens are wailing to alert us once again that a rocket has been fired at us? Did I say ‘sirens? We are talking about hundreds of sirens; their blood-curdling screams seem never-ending.
How I describe the pride I feel in being Israeli; the pride I feel when my nation stands together in solidarity, helping and supporting our soldiers, their families, our lone soldiers. It is extremely moving!
How can I describe the pain I feel when the children of our nursery schools come to Eshel Avraham and I see them grow up in times of war and fear.
How can I describe the distress and anger when we see Hamas using children and civilians as human shields; when we see Hamas terrorists conceal their weapons in hospitals and schools? How can we describe the indescribable?
How can I describe the anguish I feel when we see pictures of the destruction and devastation in Gaza? I cannot remain apathetic to the pain of the innocent people who have lost their homes and their loved ones.
How I can describe the pain when we hear of the lynch of a young Arab boy in Jerusalem merely because he was an Arab?
I am not naïve; I have experienced terrorist attacks both in Argentine and in Israel. War reveals the basic instincts of human nature, bringing out both the best and the worst.
There is a legend of a young man who arrived in a small village and greeted an old man sitting at the entrance. The young man asked him: ‘What are the people of this village like?’ The old man looked at him and answered with another question ‘What are the people like in the village you came from?’ The young man replied ‘the people of my village are aggressive, racist and violent.’ The old man answered ‘The people of my village are aggressive, racist and violent.’ The young man turned around and left.
A few days later another young man approached the old man and asked ‘What are the people of this village like?’ The old man looked at him and answered with his own question ‘What are the people like in the place from which you have come?’ The young man answered, ‘The people of my village are kind and caring.’ The old man answered, ‘The people of my town are kind and caring. ’
We have to consider the world of values from which we come, because that is the prism through which we view our world. No nation is perfect where everyone is clever, just as no people are all murderers. We need to learn to regard the other in a different, more constructive and positive way. We need to remember the Midrash which says that God created us with two eyes: one in order to perceive the good things in others while the second eye observes the things we need to change and improve within ourselves. Regrettably we do the opposite!
Finally I pray with the help of this poem by Leon Gieco:
I only request from God
That I not be indifferent to pain
That death will not find me
Empty and alone before I have accomplished enough
I only request from God
That I not be indifferent to injustice
Not to give me another blow
After its talons have ripped my destiny
I only request from God
That I not be indifferent to war
War is a huge monster
Which tramples on the wretched innocence of the people
I continue to pray for a time of peace!