Until this past Tuesday, Malchei Yisrael street in Geulah was the place I used to go to get the best Garinim (sunflower seeds) before shabbat. Malchei Yisrael street will never be the same. This past week, there were many stabbings, shootings and car rammings but one will stay in my mind forever. It happened on Tuesday morning on Malchei Yisrael street and it was caught on video so you can see it all online. A Bezek (Israeli phone company) car driven by an Arab sped into a bus stop right into a number of people waiting for the bus. At least 2 people literally went flying upon impact. I have never seen anything so horrific. The terrorist then got out of the car with a meat cleaver and started hacking away at his victims. Even after a security guard came and shot the terrorist in the leg, he got up two or three times with such rage just to continue killing. If they say that a picture is worth a thousand words then a video will be with me forever. I have read about terrorist attacks. I have even seen some pictures after the fact. But to see video footage of such evil, of such hatred, it really impacted me.
I want to share with you my emotional response to watching this video. First, I was angry. I was angry at the terrorist. How could he do this. This wasn’t even a disgruntled employee who was attacking his coworkers. He did not even know these people. They were just jews in Israel. it could have been me or you or any of our children who were visiting Israel waiting at that bus stop after buying some sunflower seeds. I was angry at his family. The name of this terrorist was Alaa Abu Jamal. He was the uncle of Uday and Muhammad Jamal, the terrorists who used knives, meat cleavers and guns to murder 4 jews in prayer and the Druze policeman who tried to save them last November in Har Nof. The uncle (or cousin according to some reports) was actually interviewed last November on Arabic Israeli TV. He was asked, Are you happy [with what they did]? He said, “Thank Allah. Someone who dies a martyr, that is a great thing.” How could one family create these three terrorists. What kinds of sermons did their Imam give? My first emotion was anger.
My second emotion was to be very worried. Worried about my two nephews who live in Jerusalem. Worried about my friends and Beth Sholom families who have made Aliyah. Worried about our children from Beth Sholom who are spending the year studying in Israel. Many of them are scared to even walk out of their dormitories. I am so worried about all of them and their safety in a city and country where there aren't even sirens warning you about a stabber.
Then the third emotion I had was the most disturbing. It was a deep sense of Ye’ush (giving up hope). it was the feeling of “will this ever end”? It seems like every other summer there is a war. Every few years another intifada. Will we ever be able to go to Israel to visit or study or make aliyah and not have to worry that there are people who want to kill you? And over the week a deep sense of despair, giving up and depression around this issue took hold of me.
This depression or despair was scary. Rav Nachman of Breslov, a man who was prone to depression, taught over and over again that despair is not just a bad emotion, it is dangerous. Despair leads to anger which leads to violence.
All you have to do is look around this country at the many young people who are in a sense of deep depression and despair. All too often, the depression turns into anger and violence either, G-d forbid at themselves, or sometimes it turns into mass shootings. Despair is in fact a very dangerous emotion.
So I turned to the parshah for some guidance and I was shocked to find the following description of G-d, right before he brought on the flood. It is actually in the second to last verse of Bereishit. The posuk says that G-d saw all of the evil, ויתעצב אל לבו - “He was sad / depressed in his heart.” How could G-d be depressed? This is obviously a metaphor to teach how we are supposed to act. The verse before says וינחם ד’ כי עשה האדם - “G-d regretted making Humans.” Remember in last week’s parshah, G-d tries an experiment called “Humanity.” He creates us with not only a יצר הטוב (inclination towards Good) but also with a יצר הרע (an inclination towards evil). Why? so we can have free will and choose to be Good. But how do we act. Adam and Eve sin. Cain kills Abel. The powerful abuse the weak. There is theft and robbery and a complete disregard for others. G-d gave us free will and we chose to be Evil. G-d sees this and gets “depressed.” He gives up on the world. And then we have the scariest verse in all of the Torah: ויאמר ד’ אמחה את האדם - “G-d says I will destroy Humanity.”
Depression leads to giving up which leads to Violence and Destruction.
But how can we overcome this? How can we view the video that I described, how can we be the victims of so much hatred, violence and terrorism and not despair? How can we remain strong and not have Ye’ush (loss of hope)?
I think the answer lies in a very powerful teaching of Rav Nachman of Breslov. It is called Azamra (Likutei Mohoran #282). Rav Nachman is answering our question. How do we not succumb to despair when everything seems so bad. He quotes a verse from Tehillim that says עוד מעט ואין רשע (“in just a bit there won’t be evil”). The simple explanation is that we shouldn't worry about Evil people because in just a bit of time, G-d will get rid of them. But Rav Nachman has a different interpretation. When you see someone who is so bad, ask yourself if there is a מעט (a little bit) of good. There has to be some good, focus on it and then you can elevate the entire person and there won’t be any evil left.
Rav Nachman then says that we have to apply this to ourselves. When we are feeling full of despair and worthless, and it feels like we get nothing right, at that moment, we have to find the עוד מעט (the little bit) of good and focus on it and we can lift ourselves up with it.
The same is true of society in general. When everything seems so bad and so evil and that there is no hope, we must focus on the עוד מעט (the little good) and lift our hopes through it.
I think this happens at the end of the flood story. G-d tells Noach to leave the ark. The first thing Noach does is bring a sacrifice. He transcends his selfish needs and engages in worship. The verse says that G-d smells the sacrifice and says, “I will no longer destroy the world.” G-d is saying that he will no longer focus on the overwhelming majority of people who are evil, but He will focus on the עוד מעט. He will focus on Noah and his family. He will focus on Avraham and Sarah. He will focus on the עוד מעט that is good and elevate the world through them instead of giving up and destroying. G-d is of course teaching us a lesson.
In that spirit, I would ask us to look back at the last two weeks, and focus on the עוד מעט (the little bit of good). I would point to at least 3 examples of עוד מעט (the little good).
First - Let us go back to the gruesome video I opened with. It was not all bad. You see after the terrorist attack but even before the terrorist was taken down, you would think that everyone would run away as fast as possible. But if you watch the video, you will see that people did not run away. They ran towards the victims. Some with guns but others just with their hands to try to protect and save the victims. And then on the video, you see Magen Dovid Edom and IDF rushing towards the scene to protect. And people are still running towards the victims. Organizations like Operation Embrace and so many others are running towards the hospitals. All of these people are עוד מעט. They are bringing a little light into such darkness. They are bringing a little comfort into so much pain and little love into so much hatred. Let us all dig a little deeper into our souls (and wallets) and support these efforts.
Second - This is a little political but it must be said. There have been lies coming out of the Palestinian Leadership about Israel executing 13 year old innocent boys. First, the boy was not innocent as he tried to kill another 13 year old Jewish boy. Second, he is alive and being treated and spoon fed by Israeli nurses. These lies have to be stopped, not only because they are false but because they make it harder for Israel’s security forces to protect lives. This is another עוד מעט. In a world full of lies and distortions, find your favorite organization or form of political action to help Israel’s security establishment do its job.
Now the final example of עוד מעט, a little light in so much darkness. Just an hour before shabbat, I read an article from the Times of Israel about a group of 300 Israeli Jews and Arabs who made a human chain across Highway 65 at the Megido Junction in the Galilee. They were saying No to violence. They were committing to coexistence and peaceful living together. They condemned all forms of violence and inciting of violence.
I was very touched by this. I know what the cynics are going to say. Who cares if 100 arabs stand hand in hand with Jews. What about the thousands who support violence. I would respond that those 100 Arabs are very important. They are the עוד מעט (the little good). We must focus on that. Please understand that this is not a political or military strategy that I am offering. This is a spiritual solution to make sure we do not give up hope.
I was also touched to hear that on Thursday, Rabbi David Lau (Chief Rabbi of Israel) had lunch in a New York Kosher restaurant with Imams. This is עוד מעט.
I have to say that there is an organization in town that tries to “twin” Rabbis and Imams. They have asked me to participate in the program and I have always pushed them off. But on erev shabbat after hearing about the Jews and Arabs in the Galilee, I emailed the organization and said, “I am ready.” If there is an Imam who wants to meet me for coffee, if there is an Imam who wants to extend his hand to mine, I am ready to take it. I am ready to bring an עוד מעט - a little light into this world of darkness. A little brotherhood, in a world where everyone seems to hate.
On this week of so much evil, let us try to find and bring a little light to the world. Let us help the victims and bring them some comfort. Let us fight falsehoods that are so dangerous to our Chayalim and security who are doing everything they can to protect Am Yisrael. And in a world where it seems there is much hatred in the name of Islam, let us find the Muslims or Imams who are ready to extend a hand in peace, and let us shake that hand.
May Hashem bring a refuah shlaima to the injured and bring nechama to the families of the victims and to all of Am Yisrael.
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