Gaza - Final Solution?

                                                                                                         B-H

Let me share a glimpse of my background. I was born and raised in a country with a unique history, a nation that endured the loss of its independence for an extended period, subjugated by various empires over time. This nation survived primarily through its literature and the preservation of its once-glorious past. Its people were seen as “messiah for nations”, revered by their most significant bards, almost like prophets to their fellow citizens.

These downtrodden masses faced numerous attempts to reclaim their independence, all of which were met with brutal persecution and oppression. Then, a miracle occurred—not so much as a supernatural event, but rather a fortunate alignment of historical circumstances and the lobbying efforts of advocates for this new country. Who can truly delineate where the natural ends and the supernatural begins?

Before this transformation, troops began to assemble, eventually evolving into a regular army. Armed conflicts ensued, but with support from Western governments, the country was established, and its administration took shape. A new era dawned for this once-oppressed nation, marking the beginning of its second republic.

While technically a democratic nation, there were always those "others" present. They had been there for a long time, yet their language and religion differed from ours. The nation sought unity, as its citizens were previously citizens of various countries. The presence of these "others" became a significant obstacle in this endeavor. Some advocated for their integration, while others favored separation. Ultimately, the latter prevailed, relegating the "others" to second-class citizens in the very land where they had lived for generations.

Externally, threats loomed. Neighboring countries were hostile, and from the outset, our nation had to engage in wars for its independence. We triumphed and expanded our territory, which brought more "others" into the fold, complicating the internal strife. However, the phenomenon of new nations gaining independence during that era was not entirely unique; it was, in fact, quite common. The prevalent situation during that period involved nations establishing strong military forces and shaping their identities around these armed services.

The soldier became the epitome of national pride, with elite army units representing the pinnacle of excellence. The might of the military was celebrated publicly, with media coverage highlighting the army's growth and patriotic literature gaining popularity. Military parades became a staple of public life, showcasing soldiers with their polished weapons and heavy military equipment, all for the masses to admire.

The public revered the military for its strength, discipline, and the synchronized movements of its marching troops. These soldiers were seen as heroes, capable of defending the homeland and vanquishing enemies. Military songs resonated with the troops, and their catchy melodies permeated the general populace, even reaching the "others," who adopted these tunes within their communities, as music knows no borders.

A spirit of love for the land flourished, fostering a willingness to sacrifice for the country, the state, and the soil—an ideal cultivated as the highest value of the nation. G-d Himself designated this land as a homeland. The military parade became a significant event in the life of cities and towns, serving as entertainment in an era when mass media was limited to print, with radio still out of reach for many. It was, aside from street performances and traveling theaters, perhaps the only visual entertainment available, especially in small towns.

The impact on the populace, particularly on boys of all ages, was profound. They aspired to emulate the admired soldiers they watched, while still often holding their fathers' hands. For those advocating for the integration of the "others" into society, enlisting their youth into the army was seen as a crucial step toward achieving that goal. Years of discipline and nationalistic indoctrination were believed to facilitate this integration.

Conversely, those opposed to integration viewed the existence of the "others" as a threat to national unity, seeking various obstacles to impede the process and advocating for the mass emigration of these "strangers." They considered themselves civilized and moral, insisting that any emigration be called voluntary.

Regardless, the frequent military parades served as preparatory tools for achieving national objectives. Janek (Yanek) and Franek stood on the sidewalk, watching the marching soldiers while holding their children. Nearby, Piotrek and Valenty observed from their porches, also with their families. The "others" were present too—Moishe with his sons and Yitzchok with his offspring—unaware that the parade impacted their children just as it did the children of their Polish neighbors.

If you haven't yet realized which country I refer to, it is Poland.

If it seems that another place resembles this narrative, if you got a filling that some other place looks like copy and paste…yeah, perhaps it was copied and pasted. Though I was born much later, I lived among people who shared stories of life in previous generations. I spoke with older Poles and interviewed many Polish Jews, capturing the reality I have described. You can conduct your own research to find not only written accounts but also pictorial evidence. The spirit of nationalism and militarism has dominated European philosophy for decades. Polish military parades were not the first to march through the streets of small towns.

When Zionist agitators arrived in cities and towns, they easily captured the attention and imagination of Jewish youth, presenting a new nationalist gospel. They promised not only land but also the opportunity to build it in a model familiar to the younger generation of Jews in Poland and other Central European nations—a nationalistic society centered around military strength, with the "others" merely existing to be treated similarly or worse than the Jewish population in Europe just before.

This ideology emerged among many others, where blood and soil were deemed superior to all else. At times, it appears that the Zionist state is a parody of other nationalistic countries in Central Europe. Their relentless pursuit of "Lebensraum" and "drang nach osten" reveals staggering similarities. It would be a parody if it were somehow diminished compared to its formidable predecessor, Nazi Germany, but at this moment, it stands on the same level or worse; it is merely European fascism that has outlasted any other fascist regime from its origin.

Yes, there are no gas chambers for the Palestinian people. Those who believe that Nazism began only after the Wannsee Conference know little about history and, quite frankly, lack compassion.

I am indifferent to what some readers of this essay may think or say about me.

Quite frankly – I don’t care.

Beezras Hashem, I have laid out my beliefs over the years on this blog and elsewhere. I have demonstrated my loyalty to Hashem, His Torah, and His people in a manner rare in this generation. Those who know me personally well understand this.

However, I cannot remain silent while my people spiral into madness. When my people lose their way, we all pay the price. Just read the Prophets; just read the Sages ZT’L. I cannot keep quiet now, as the original nationalistic secular ideology, by design, intertwines with messianic fervor, dulling the conscience shaped by thousands of years of moral and ethical study. Once again, in our history, we have lost our way by placing our hope in something other than HBH or, worse, using Him as a tool for a murderous ideology, reducing the Almighty G-d to a national trinket a getchke.

I joined the Children of Yisrael on the premise that, as Rav S.R. Hirsch states, it is the law that grants me citizenship, not citizenship that bestows rights. As a Jew, I possess the right to weep when I can no longer contain my voice and tears.

To those who cite Talmudic statements about the ger who aligns with enemies merely due to a sense of alliance, listen to me. Long before I formally converted to Judaism, I concluded that human life is of paramount value—more valuable than anything else in this earthly existence, more than prosperity, more than country and soil. Is this radical?

It was not to the Uvois (Avot) or to the holy men of our people. If you seek a deeper understanding of the value of human life according to the Torah, and if the commandment not to kill is insufficient, please refer to Rav Dessler's essay on the topic of suicide; it offers excellent explanations among others. Beezras Hashem, I will endeavor to revisit this topic in the future, exploring why life is superior to anything else.

I was relieved to escape the toxic mindset imposed on me since childhood. I was grateful to break free from the chains of patriotic thinking, where value lay in killing and sacrificing one's life and well-being for the idea of the country. If you believe that in Judaism, I am merely seeking validation for my preconceived notions, please consider this: around the same time in my life, I concluded that the fundamental powers of the human body, which can be exploited in any circumstance, should be confined to the family structure. Specifically, our sexual lives should occur solely between husband and wife. Yes, I later found this reflected in The Book and among those who live by it. But it was also preconceived. Why? It is part of my personal journey with Boire Oilom. Would anyone disregard that conviction simply because it developed long before I encountered the teachings of the Torah?

Despite the rampant antisemitism surrounding me, I was able to discern right from wrong. I sharpened my understanding of Tzedakah and Mishpat, largely on my own but with remarkable guidance from HBH. With that Divine guidance, I found people who valued life more than any other nation in the world. People who, as Rav Hirsch noted, had not shed human blood for nearly eighteen hundred years, often paying for this moral high ground with their own blood and that of their children. They resorted to self-defense only when necessary, refraining from waging war against any nation, as it is prohibited and a matter of the oath—a covenant with G-d imposed on the nation after the last revolt, as recorded in the Talmud.

With G-d’s guidance, I joined the people who gave the world the Law and conscience. Even though this Law calls for capital punishment, it has rarely been enacted for over two thousand years. The people of Yisrael, whose judges made every effort to preserve life, even when the criminal was undeniably guilty. Their ancient kings were judged not by the number of dead but by their fidelity to the Law. Even the one who inspired humanity with his timeless poetry was admonished by the prophet for shedding human blood—David HaMelech.

It took my entire youth to seek out and find the people of Tzedakah and Mishpat, and I solidified my convictions within the framework of Halacha. The circumstances were not favorable, but I joined the holy people of Yisrael and was embraced by them. All of them are my people—those in Mea Shearim or Monsey, and those in Givatayim or Varanasi. They are all my beloved brothers and sisters.

It tears my heart apart; I bleed and weep through sleepless nights, witnessing the state of my people today. It is not merely a matter of stealing from others in a frenzy of nationalism; it is not just the ongoing bloodshed and harm to the dignity and well-being of others to establish and maintain the state. It is also the dehumanization of the "others," akin to what Europeans inflicted upon Jews over millennia, culminating in the Holocaust. As the wise say, dehumanizing others dehumanizes us equally. Violence inevitably follows.

Now, we witness grotesque and unprecedented violence. If anyone wishes to understand why I use such language, I invite you to read my other essays. They will help clarify my sources—the spiritual ones.

For most of my life, I believed that religion elevates a person above spiritual indifference. I will not delve into the debate over the causes of past wars and bloodshed, as I am acutely aware of how emotional issues surrounding our beliefs can be manipulated by the rulers and politicians of this world. This is not the time for that.

I once believed that religion instills values otherwise absent from a person's conscience. Yes, I recognize that an agnostic can possess moral convictions that may place them in a better moral position than someone who identifies as religious. However, I grapple with this notion today. What if someone commits crimes out of love for the Supreme or superior values as they perceive them? The Torah is clear on this matter, but evidently not to all my coreligionists.

Should I tell them to abandon their religion if it instructs them to kill, steal, mistreat, create widows and orphans, treat humans as cattle or subjects, and support the atrocities we have endured throughout history? Should I urge them to renounce it and instead become nonbelievers if it saves a life? The prevalence of this crime and the associated falsehoods are apparent to everyone, including those we have hastily labeled as antisemites. Because, in addition to the natural, Divinely imprinted sense of justice, we have taught them "right and wrong" over millennia.

To those who approach me with the usual lines and talking points, please do not attempt to gaslight me with "self-defense," Amalek, and other nonsense. Anyone familiar with Zionist ideology from its inception knows that the conquest, control, and expulsion of the indigenous population from Palestine were integral to that ideology. A few exceptions existed where some Zionists proposed peaceful coexistence with the indigenous and neighboring peoples, like Martin Buber, but ultimately, even he—a prominent European philosopher—was marginalized and ostracized by the Zionist establishment.

There are sources to learn from—not from late apologists of that ideology but from its early writers and ideologists. Do not fear; their writings will not diminish you if you already support any actions of the Zionist state. If you believe that any of these actions, please your god, I think I can say this: leave him and first become human, as Rav Hirsch advises.

“Now, had Scripture not told us here that Avraham was ninety nine old when the covenant of Milah - which is the founding covenant of Judaism - was established with him, we would have thought that all of Avraham's virtues, of which we have learned until now, were the result of the covenant established with him in his youth, and that the whole flowering of this covenant consisted in these virtues. In fact, however, they all preceded the covenant of Milah. The full attainment of purely humane virtues preceded the mitzvah stated here: וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים . The covenant of Avraham is a higher perfection of the humane virtues. The inference is twofold: On the one hand, "Be a mensch, a decent human being, before you attempt to be a Jew." First acquire all the humane virtues; only then can you become a Jew. On the other hand, you are not yet a Jew if you have reached only the level attained by Avraham until this point. A person who is compassionate, forgiving, and benevolent qualities demonstrated by Avraham until this point is merely the embodiment of the ideal Noachide.”

To regain your status as a Jew, one must engage deeply with the teachings and commentaries of our tradition. Following this essay, I will present extensive quotations and analyses from Hirsch’s Chumash. While some may argue that Hirsch's opinions are merely his own and that there are numerous commentaries offering alternative perspectives, it is essential to recognize the principle of Ailu Ve Ailu. However, in my understanding, one Ailu can often be reconciled with another.

There are also opinions that, while recorded, were never accepted, and others that are outright heretical. Hirsch’s Hashkafa stands out for its clarity and its ability to align with all Divrey Chazal, to the best of my knowledge.

For the sake of argument, let us hypothetically consider that what he writes may be beyond the pale—ideas that cannot be taken seriously because they contradict other logical interpretations based on Scripture and Divrey Chazal. It is indeed true that this Holy Book has been misused by dictators and murderers throughout history to justify their heinous acts. Some liken it to a fiddle, which can be played to produce any melody one desires. It is a fact that pasukim can be manipulated, taken out of context, and distorted into a scriptural Frankenstein to support every conceivable sin.

Ultimately, how one utilizes the Torah reveals more about the individual than about the Torah itself. If anyone, regardless of their stature, presents a "logic" that contradicts the ideas expressed below, I would prefer to stand "wrong" with Hirsch rather than be "right" with the majority.

Genesis chapter 12

“Avraham appears merely as an individual who is told: "Go your own way, dare to be alone." In verse 2- וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל the nation already appears, but not yet in the context of interaction with other nations. Then, verse 3 – וַאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ shows Israel in its relationship with other nations: The blessing of Avraham is made dependent on others blessing him, and there are also those who dare to curse him.

Avraham's task was to isolate himself, to walk alone with God. The second stage was the creation of a nation out of this Avraham. It was destined to become apparent that the existence of this nation is a second act of creation by God in history, and toward this end it was necessary that Israel become a nation only by way of Golus (exile) and Geirus (homelessness), without a homeland. Had Israel, from the very beginning, dwelled in its own land, its creation would not have appeared as אֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹהִֽים or as  מעשה ה'

וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ "And I wish to make your name great." Scripture does not say: "I will make your name great." God can bless people and nations, but He can only wish that they will attain moral virtue and that their deeds will be exemplary, for that depends on their faithfulness to the Divine Law. Similarly, Scripture does not say והיית ברכה or ותהיה ברכה "And you will be a blessing" but, rather: " וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה "Become a blessing." These two Hebrew words capsulize the whole moral mission on whose accomplishment the fulfillment of God's own wish depends: "I wish to your name great; therefore, you, become a blessing! I wish to make of you a nation that will be a beacon to the nations, a nation to which the others need only look in order to become aware of their own tasks. And the task that is assigned to you as distinct from the aspirations of all other nations - is: to become a blessing!" Everyone aspires, not להיות ברכה but להיות ברוכים to be blessed. This is the aspiration of every person and especially of every nation. Honesty, humanity, and love are duties incumbent upon the individual, but are regarded as folly in relations between nations and are viewed as unimportant by statesmen and politicians. Individuals are imprisoned and hanged for the crimes of fraud and murder, but countries murder and defraud on a grand scale, and those who murder and defraud "in the interest of the state" are decorated and rewarded.

Not like these is the portion of Avraham. The nation of Avraham is to have no national politics and no national economics. The One Who guaranteed its national welfare does not need to allocate funds, form coalitions, or conclude treaties. At His command are rain and sunshine, strength and life, power and victory. אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ then all will go well. In the midst of a world where mankind's stated aim is וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם and its ambition is to increase its power and extend its domain no matter what the cost, the nation of Avraham is in private and public life to heed only one call: to be a Blessing. Its life is to be devoted to the Divine aims of bringing harmony to mankind and to the world and restoring man to his former glory.

Then God will grant this nation His blessing for a life of dynamic action. Its name will become prominent among the nations, so that they, too, should be educated to these same aspirations: וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ

This second stage of Jewish history, the creation of a nation out of Avraham, was to have become a reality in ארץ ישראל. There, Israel would live apart from the nations. Not only would Israel be blessed, but blessing would spring from Israel; Israel would become a source of blessing וַיִּשְׁכֹּן֩ יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל בֶּ֤טַח בָּדָד֙ עֵ֣ין יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב (Devarim 33:28). Had we been worthy, all the promises to us that are to be fulfilled at the end of the days, would have been fulfilled thousands of years ago, and the whole course of human history would have been radically different.

It appears, though, that this first promise to Avraham (vv. 1-3) alludes to a third stage. We have already noted that the form וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה is expressive of a wish; for the realization of the second stage does not depend on God alone. Verse 3 appears to allude to a third stage in which Avraham's people - its blessing or curse are dependent on man, a stage in which man has the power to bless them or to curse them. This is the stage of גלות which was decreed to befall this people if they would forget their mission and seek - like the other nations להיות ברוכים instead of להיות ברכה

In the stage of גלות the people of Israel are subject to the nations and dependent on them, for blessing or curse. Of this stage Avraham is told: וַאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ. That is to say, those who bless you and help you, who value your principles and submit to the service of your God I those will I bless. “

“Yet another truth was revealed here to Avraham. He came face to face with a reality that concerned his people in particular. In the land promised to him as the future homeland of his people, the first trial he faced was famine, and the second was war! The land does not, by its very nature, provide material prosperity and political independence. In both these respects, the land of Israel is the antithesis of Egypt. The land is dependent on heaven for its fertility, and its political position is one of dependence; it cannot offer resistance to a foreign invader. In and of itself, the land of Israel is prone to famine and political dependence. Since it is situated at the crossroads where Europe, Asia and Africa meet, all the major wars that have shaken the world have inflicted severe damage upon it.

But precisely for this reason it was chosen. Had Israel built a holy life on this land, no foe would have dared to approach its borders. Three times each year the borders of the land would have been left undefended and vulnerable, yet no one would have covetingly touched the land (see Shemos 34:24). All the countries of the world would have fought one another and passed near Israel's land, but no sword would have entered this most prosperous yet most defenseless of lands וְנָתַתִּ֤י שָׁלוֹם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י חַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְחֶ֖רֶב לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ (Vayikra 26:6). Then all the nations of the world would have seen with their own eyes: "God is there!" God is the stronghold of Zion; His deliverance stands in place of wall and bulwark אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ נוֹדַ֥ע לְמִשְׂגָּֽב׃ (Tehillim 48:4) יְשׁוּעָ֥ה יָשִׁ֖ית חוֹמ֥וֹת וָחֵֽל׃ (Yeshayahu 26:1). All the prophets' promises for the future would have been fulfilled thousands of years ago; Zion would have shone forth as a light unto the nations, and the peoples would have said: "Let us go with you, for we have seen that God is with you" (Zecharyah 8:23).”