Words that Insult, Humiliate, Agitate, or Inspire Togetherness

Introduction: Dear Friends,

I am thinking about the importance of words at this time.  A lot of angry words are being spoken, many motivated by altruistic, passionate concern for the innocent and outrage over the loss of life and the violence. Some have been simply abusive words by ignorant and even drunk individuals. A man screamed “Allah Akbar” at me in the middle of Bankstown.

I write these words with the threat of renewed hostilities in the air. There are very small things I can do to try to prevent the on-going killing in the Middle East. I am doing these quietly. As Joe Wakim of the Arab Council said about another bridge builder, this “role is to prevent this kind of stone throwing, not engage in it”. This is a small meditation regarding words and people of different backgrounds getting along in Australia.

All the very best,

Zalman

An example of the power of positive words.
The wonderful Paul Benett's book that I
launched. A real example of living
with light. http://thecrankyguru.net/

We saw a victory this week for collaborative efforts between communities. The Australian government accepted their joint calls against the humiliation of people on the basis of ethnicity or “race”.  

Yet a dark cloud hangs over community harmony in Australia. Yes, there is an elephant in the room that is a matter of life and death.  The burning question is how to stop the killing, violence and the suffering? This is a vital question that I care passionately about. Our tradition teaches that “to kill” is to diminish the “image” of the King, namely God, in whose image ALL humans are created (1). This question must be answered, in certain contexts, not by me in this public context. This is because I sincerely believe I might do more harm than good.  Every blame claim, justification, refutation and counter argument that  I can imagine, has already been shouted endlessly, motivated by a mix of anger, hatred, as well as sincere desires for justice and to protect the innocent.

Here is another question: What will be the impact of all this death and conflict here in Australia, where we Australians of Jewish, Arabic, Muslim, Sunni, Shia, Ukrainian and other backgrounds live?

An old Rabbi was attacked in Perth this week. School children were terrorized in Sydney. Shia Muslims have been copping it for many months, Muslims generally, for years. Less significantly, yesterday, I walked through a state school playground filled with Arabic teenagers. When they saw me, an identifiable Jew, they chanted at me: “Free, free, Palestine”.  A sheikh, who had been working with me and a group of students at the school, walked alongside me to support me as I walked quickly to my car. 

Students in Australia should be encouraged to care about the world they live in and engage with the pursuit of justice.  However, chanting at a Jewish man reflects a generalized hostility to the “Jewish people”, rather than advocacy for aggrieved Palestinians.  I don’t blame the kids. The distinction is not an easy one.  A Muslim who works with me, made the point that what I felt in that playground is very similar to how she feels when people shout out “terrorist” to her. “It has nothing to do with me,” she said.

Perhaps, of equal importance, was the raising of this very painful and difficult topic in our group that has been working together regularly from the beginning of this year. The question about the current situation was raised by a student in one word, “Palestine?” It was a useful conversation to have. At the same time it reflects a growing tendency to talk and think in slogans rather than fully developed ideas with any nuance. A lot of the “dialogue” about Gaza and Israel has been via Facebook and Twitter - images of dead children, other images with captions or slogans. 

I accept that, in some cases, one may insult, provoke, polarize, simplify and ridicule as part of agitating for change. The Biblical prophets resorted to exaggeration, simile and ridicule to argue for change. On the other hand, we need to get along in Australia. If we can’t do it here, where our lives are not under direct threat, how can the people who have lost relatives and their sense of security, not lose hope?! To some extent, hope has been another casualty of this terrible situation. It must be restored.

Words matter. According to the Jewish sages, humiliating another person to the point where the colour drains from his face is equivalent to spilling his blood. I think that is hyperbolic, but reflects the seriousness of the harm caused by denigrating speech, suggesting a psychological death. Perhaps, more to the point, if people with authority engage excessively in denigrating groups, younger people and less educated people will take that as a licence for violence and a signal that they have a right to be “bigots”.

I don’t have a formula for preventing murder, killing or war, but I know that listening from the heart, goodwill and nuanced conversation are part of the answer. Polarization is usually less helpful. We cannot banish darkness by beating it with sticks. We can only overcome it with light. I pray for the preservation of life, dignity, justice and peace. 

1      1) Mechilta 

Liberation – Dignity, Denigration, Compensation (Bo)

Does liberation and dignity for group A, depend on the denigration of group B? is that the right approach? What else restores dignity?

A scream borne of the frustration of the youth of Gaza with their life situation, Israel, Hamas, Fatah, and the world [1] has taken off on Face-Book this week. It went from 7000-12,000 likes in 3 days. They call for peaceful action, and cry out for a normal life, or dignity. It follows the “them = perpetrators, us = victims” line, and includes an accusatory cartoon portraying the US, as Uncle Sam enjoying himself in a pool of Gazan blood and Israel as ex-PM Olmert covered in blood walking out of the pool. As a Jew this FaceBook page raises some questions.

Justice, safety, peace, dignity and normal lives for all the people living in the holy land is vital. The following is not an attempt to comment on the core claims or counter claims of this important argument and reality. Instead, it addresses a secondary issue of fighting fair, how outraged should one feel when the other side does something we object to? The starting point is surely, the Talmudic “Lshitato”, judging details according to their own view of the context, is their behaviour reasonable? What are the ethics of liberation struggles generally?

Mockery & Satire

As part of liberating the Jews from Egypt, God tells “Moses to come to Pharaoh...so that I will put these of my signs within him “and in order that you tell into the ears of your son and your son's son how I made a mockery of the Egyptians, and [that you tell of] My signs that I placed in them, and you will know that I am the Lord”[2]. This translation is not the only one. Early translations found no humour in the plagues, instead it has it as “what I have wrought upon Egypt”[3].  Regardless, the idea of mockery of evil is justified, “He that sits in heaven laughs, the Lord has them in derision[4]”.

The most dramatic use of mockery is the prophet Elijah’s sarcastic jibes at the prophets of the Baal at the contest to see which “god” would create a fire to accept his offerings. “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said: 'Call in a loud voice; for he is a god; either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is in a journey, or he sleeps, and must be awaked”[5]. Satire is an acceptable method for fighting evil, the difficulty with cartoons and satire is that exaggeration and even demonization is common.

Demonization Exaggeration & Hyperbole

We know from bitter recent experience that demonization leads to violence, that words are not harmless.  In the story of Joseph, before they seek to kill him they call him “this dreamer[6]” and cannot even bring themselves to say his name.

The story of Joseph is an example of the powerful many demonizing the one powerless individual. When it comes to blasting the powerful, the prophets don’t seem to hold back. “Behold the princes of Israel, every man was in for his own power, for the sake of bloodshed...A man commits abominations against his neighbours wife, a man would defile his daughter in law with lewdness, a man would afflict (rape) his sister, the daughter of his father”[7].  “Listen to the word of God chiefs of Sodom, give ear to the Torah of God nation of Gomorrah...your hands are filled with blood, ...how has the faithful city filled with justice become a prostitute? A place of justice, but now murders... your princes are wayward, friends of thieves, all of them love bribes”[8].  

Outcomes & Ethics

One angle to consider is the end result. Jewish law forbids the ransom of captives in excess of the market value of the captives for the simple reason that by paying more, it will simply encourage more kidnapping.

On the one hand, demonization of the other can perpetuate conflict.  In the real world we live in, causes draw attention to themselves through, carnage, crass simplification or creativity. Afghanistan gets billions, while Sudan gets lip-service because murderers came from there. I think Palestinians have learned to play the world media game to pursue their objectives, going back to Munich. If young Gazan’s put their energy into words on Face-Book and calling for peaceful action, even using offensive and crass cartoons and harsh combattitive words, can this mean less violence toward Israelis, less reprisals and a slowing of the vicious cycle. Who knows?

Dignity & Compensation

Aside from the questions of denigration, is the question of the link between monetary compensation and the restoration of dignity. In the Exodus story, Jews are instructed to borrow (or request) silver and gold from their Egyptian neighbours[9]. The purpose of this is to compensate the slaves for years of unpaid labour[10]. Jews follow this instruction but with a slight variation, in addition to silver and gold they receive clothing[11]. Of the three items, the clothing was cherished to them than the gold and silver[12].  It was important to the “God of law and justice (mishpat), that the goods come from the Egyptians… to save their wages from their (the Egyptians) hands. … because this way, our father Abraham would have some comfort about the difficult work performed by his children”[13].     

Admission and Apology

The former PM of Australia apologised to Indigenous Australians but did not offer compensation. Still, this had a powerful healing effect on many Indigenous people. The Jews never get a sincere apology from Pharaoh, only pretence and back-pedalling; the mockery by God or our own storytelling will suffice.

In today’s conflict there is little hope of a mutual acknowledgment of the others narrative, which brings us back to the big question of who is right, that I have chosen not to deal with. Instead, I conclude with the smaller question of how to react to the output of the Gaza Youth. Facebook’s option of “Like”, does not leave much scope for nuance, or “wait and see”, our tradition does.

[1] http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gaza-Youth-Breaks-Out-GYBO/118914244840679?v=info

[2] Exodus 10:1&2, translation consistent with commentary by Rashi, Ramban and others http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/15561

[3] Translation of Oonkelus, Targum Yontan Ben Uziel,  http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0210.htm

[4] Psalms 2:4

[5] Kings I, 18:27

[6] Genesis, 37:19

[7] Ezekiel 22:6,10, &11

[8] Isaiah 1:10,15, 21,23.

[9] Exodus 11:2

[10] Talmud, Sanhedrin Perek Chelek

[11] Exodus 12:35

[12] Mechilta, with slight variation also in Rashi, on Exodus 12:35. (Rashi, changed from the Mechilta’s “Chaviva”- which means loved or cherished to “Chashuva”, more important. This in turn is interpreted by Maharshal, Sifsei Chachomim and Gur Aryeh, as the clothing being more significant for the Egyptians who expected the gold and silver to be returned as they are but expected the clothing to be modified to “Jewish style” dress, so found it hard to give away.

[13] Klei Yakar, on Exodus 11:2

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Goyim & Generalising – An old army medic’s rant, & perspectives on others and oppressors

Goyim & Generalising – An old army medic’s rant, & perspectives on others and oppressors

The word “goy” in Yiddish means, a non-Jewish person, in Hebrew it means nation. It has been used in some derogatory ways, which makes many Jews cringe. Here, I explore the right attitude for Jews to have about people who are not Jewish. I discuss controversial phrases in our tradition that have been taken out of context, both the harrowing experiences of the authors of these statements as well as the full text which give a better understanding of the real meaning then 3 words on their own. How to differentiate between individuals and nations that have oppressed us and those who have not, is also discussed.

I was raised hearing stories about “Goyim” perpetrating massacres, pogroms and forced conversions. I was also taught that the greatest example of honouring parents was the case of the non-Jewish Dama Ben Nesina[1]. How was I to navigate the various messages to ensure that I respected all people created in the image of God?

Tovshebgoyharogwhodahellwerethey?

I was confronted with this issue, as Jews have in medieval debates and on internet hate-sites, during the festival of Succot around 1987 in a senior’s home in upstate New York.

I approached an older man, with a Lulav and Etrog (Palm branch, other branches and a citron fruit) in my hand and asked him if he would like to say a blessing and shake these.

He looked at me, in my black hat and little fuzzy beard and exploded.

"Tov shebgoy harog! who the hell were they?!!!" which sounded to me like "Tovshebgoyharoigwhodahellwerethey!", I could not make out a word he was saying.

 I backed off, but he followed me around the place. Repeating, "I was a medic in Korea, we treated enemy soldiers just like our own! Tovshebgoyharogwhodahellwerethey!

It was only when I was back in the car driving back to Brooklyn that I figured out what he was saying. He was quoting or mis-quoting a phrase, “The best of the “goy”, you should kill!”

Actual phrase and context

Google this phrase and the haters will appear in a moment, but what is the real story? In the story of the Exodus from Egypt we have a phrase that shows there were different types of Egyptians. Even at the time when they were enslaving the Jews not all Egyptians were the same. Moses instructed the Egyptians to gather people and livestock from the field into their houses because those that remain outdoors will die in a plague of hail. “He who feared the word of God among the servants of Pharaoh, evacuated his servants and livestock into the houses[2]”.

This phrase is considered in the interpretation of a later part of the story, after the Jews have left Egypt and Pharaoh takes “600 chariots and rides” to pursue them.

“Where did he get the animals from that carried the chariots? It was from these (“good Egyptians”), who feared the word of God. So we learn that these people were a peril for the Jews. From here Rabbi Shimon learned the best of the nations (Goyim) kill! The best of the snakes crush its skull[3].

The version above is not necessarily accurate, nor the most common.  Other versions in many sources have it as “the good among the Egyptians[4]” or alternatively the “Kosher of the Egyptians[5]”. It is argued that the change from Egyptian to “goyim” may have arisen from manuscripts written in Arabic countries near Egypt that changed the word from Egyptian[6].  It is also useful to point out that traditional Jews do not believe that the Egyptians who enslaved us and the Egyptian people today are the same people.

More significantly, it is explained to be a comment relating to a time of war[7] and R. Kasher[8] argues that this statement is not a halachic ruling as we can see from the context.

“A man should not teach his children (to be a) donkey driver, sailor, potter, shepherd or shopkeeper because their profession is robbery. Rabbi Judah said in his name, donkey drivers are mostly wicked, sailors mostly pious. The best of the doctors to hell, the Kosher among butchers is a partner of Amalek, most bastards are shrewd, slaves pleasant (or arrogant). Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said, the good among idol worshippers, during war kill, the good among snakes crush it’s skull. The Kosher among women is a witch. Fortunate is the one who does the will of God[9].

Clearly, these sayings are mere hyperbolic statements addressing certain issues using especially sharp expressions[10], rather than halakhic rulings. We do not, and have never mistrusted all shopkeepers or assumed that all Jewish women are witches.

The historical context of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his political views must also be taken into account.  He was living under brutal Roman occupation. When he expressed the view that the bridges, roads and markets being built were not based on altruism, he became a hunted fugitive who hid for years in a cave[11].

The broader context of Torah teachings about Egyptians and generalising must also be taken into account. In relation to Egyptians we are commanded "You shall not abhor an Egyptian[12]. The festival of Passover is the only one of the major festivals on which we do not recite the complete Hallel prayer and about which it is not written that we are to rejoice[13].

More broadly, we are taught that one suspects the innocent is liable for corporal punishment. Abraham’s plea for the wicked city of Sodom is based on this principal. "That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee; shall not the judge of all the earth do justly?[14]'

This might not do much for the angry old Medic who was merciful to injured enemy combatants in Korea.  Perhaps it would be useful for him to consider the difference between the conditions of war in the 20^th century where barbaric as they were, some nations observed the Geneva conventions, with the reality of total war as understood in the time of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

A final reflection.

On a very warm and humid evening, I was a guest at Aboriginal party in Darwin.  There was a laughter, some of it at the expense of the white people of the missions where some had been forcibly been interred. There was a Indigenous language version of Waltzing Matilda, there were songs about the weevils in the porridge in the missions that must have been good because the priest has blessed them, followed by more laughter.   

A legacy of suffering oppression can lead to a generalised hatred toward the offending people. For the latest example, see http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gaza-Youth-Breaks-Out-GYBO/118914244840679.On the other hand, unwillingness to forgive even after substantial grievances is condemned by King David in the case of the Gibonites[15]. Our tradition provides ample sources that can be taken as guidance toward general respect for all people, with apparently contrary teachings contextualised, applied to narrow exceptions for self-defence, understood as preserving historical memory (and other purposes such as Amalek[16]). Effort is sometimes required to navigate the variety of sources to find this guidance. The broad messages of Judaism obligate us to do so.

Thanks are due to the Israel Kotschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash and Yeshivat Har Etzion[17]  that has been a source of some of the insights and sources in this post.  

[1] Talmud, Kiddushin 31a

[2] Exodus, 9:20

[3] Mechilta, compiled in the 3^rd century, Bshalach Masechta Vayehee, chap 1, quoted in Torah Shlaima.

[4] Tanchuma Beshalach 5, Version of Mechilta in Chumash with Malbim, (1973), Menorah publishers, Israel, also Baal Haturim on Exodus 9:19

[5] Rashi, on Exodus 14:7, Old Tanchuma Vaera 20, Lekach Tov Exodus 9:20

[6] Kasher, M (1992) Torah Shelema Shemot p134, Va'era, addenda, letter 19,

[7] Masechet Soferim (can be found in printed editions of the Talmud as an appendix to tractate Avoda Zarah, also in Tosaphot, on Talmud Avoda Zarah, 26b, based on the Jerusalem Talmud Kiddushin

[8] Kasher, ibid

[9] Masechet Sofrim, 25:10

[10] Kasher, ibid

[11] Talmud Shabbat 33b

[12] Deuteronomy 24:14

[13] Sources listed in Kasher, ibid

[14] Genesis 18:25

[15] Samuel 21:2

[16] A topic for another time, worthy of investigation but which is of narrow application

[17] http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/halak66/13halak.htm

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