 |
|
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
The Absurd Power of Truth
By Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf
An 11th Century scholar has a message for Netanyahu. He'd do well to listen. A must-read/forward for those who take their Bible seriously
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
In his Cairo speech, President Obama grounded himself in the Koran's teaching to
"Be conscious of G-d and speak always the truth," and committed himself to
personally "speak the truth as best I can." Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his response
to the president at Bar Ilan, took up the baton of truth when he said, "Even as we look
toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth." Both men
sought to root their understanding of the Jewish people's relationship to Israel in the
power of truth. They weren't the first to do so.
Rabbi Shlomo ben-Yitzchaki, the 11th century scholar known as Rashi, authored the
most authoritative Torah (Bible) commentary in all of Jewish history. Rashi's
comments about truth and the Jewish relationship to the land of Israel are astonishing,
absurd and insightful. For the Jewish people today, I suspect they are also deeply
instructive. Let's take a look:
The book of Genesis begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth, and
Rashi is immediately puzzled. If the Torah is first and foremost a book of laws and
practices proscribed by G-d for the Jewish nation, shouldn't G-d have skipped the
whole creation thing and gotten right to the point, namely, the commandments given
to the Jews?
Rashi's answer is astounding. He says that the Torah begins with the
account of creation in order to preempt a canard that will one day be leveled against
the Jewish people. In his words, "The nations of the world will accuse the Jewish
people of stealing the land of Israel." Therefore, to cut such a perfidious accusation off
at the knees, the Torah begins with Creation so that the Jewish people will be able to
respond, "G-d created the world, the entire earth is His and He chose to give the Land
of Israel to the Jewish people."
Rashi's words are astonishing, absurd, and profoundly insightful. Here's what I
make of them.
1) Astonishing. Rashi wrote at a time when Israel had been under Muslim rule for
four hundred years, Christian Crusaders were marauding their way across Europe to
wrest the Holy Land from the grasp of Islam, and only a tiny Jewish community
remained in Jerusalem. It's simply astonishing that he could not only see a day when
there would be a Jewish State in Israel, but that he could imagine a world that included
a mechanism for nations from around the globe to accuse the Jews of "stealing" the
land from it's rightful inhabitants.
2) Absurd. The Jewish response that Rashi proposes to the accusation of "stealing"
the land is that the same G-d who created the world, also gave the land of Israel to the
Jews. Tell me, would such an answer ever fly with the likes of Khaled Meshal of
Hamas, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khameni or Hassan Nasrallah? I can just see it
now: Bibi makes a call to Meshal, tells him that G-d gave Israel to the Jews, Meshal
apologizes profusely for having ever questioned the Jewish right to Israel, the lion lays
down with the lamb and we all live happily ever after. It's absurd! What in the world
was Rashi thinking?
3) Insightful. Rashi was no fool, and I believe that what he was trying to tell us was
this: When truth is presented with conviction, nothing can stand in its way. And, when
all is said and done, the only weapon the Jewish people may ultimately have at their
disposal is the power of truth.
The Arab-Israeli conflict has always been about one fundamental issue—the right
of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. The truth is, the United States stole endless
tracks of land from the Indians and Europeans colonized Australia all but dooming an
ancient civilization to extinction. Yet, only when it comes to the land of Israel and the
Jews is the core legitimacy of our relationship an issue.
I suspect that what Rashi wanted all Jews to know, including the Israeli Prime
Minister, is that while troops, planes and helicopters are vital, the truth is also a
weapon—perhaps the most powerful weapon of all. How it works I don't exactly
know—perhaps there is a metaphysical force at work here—but some how, some way,
when the entire Jewish people can speak with one clear voice and say from the depths
of our collective soul that the land of Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people
because G-d gave it to us—that will make all the difference in the world.
JewishWorldReview.com regularly publishes uplifting articles. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.JWR contributor Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf is the award-winning author of eleven books, including the Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit and Judaism In A Nutshell: ISRAEL.
© 2009, Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf
|
