The war in the Middle East Your ear is like a womb. It conceives the things you listen to and will give birth to them in due time. Choose carefully what you listen to.
In my estimation, even amidst the COVID era, it seems that every layperson has assumed the mantle of an authority, particularly if they happen to be of Israeli origin. They don the mantle of global expertise. Just as COVID was, in my view, an exercise in sheer absurdity, perhaps even a calculated ruse, so too is the situation at hand.
Much like the COVID period, there was a discernible inclination among individuals, organizations, and nations to resort to intimidation as it invariably wields influence, irrespective of the veracity of the facts. This tendency persists here. Figures and facts are manipulated to instill fear.
Suddenly, we find ourselves thrust into the realm of counter-terrorism, violence, and geopolitical analyses, with even the most inexperienced assuming the roles of historians, astute orientalists, and possessors of insights into political-military resolutions. Analogously, during COVID, every ignoramus became a self-proclaimed “doctor.”
What is the crux of the matter here? It amounts to naught but a territorial dispute, bereft of any additional profundity. No mourning, no dual peoples, no discernible enmity — simply a skirmish between shepherds and farmers, akin to the age-old saga of Cain and Abel. This is the quintessence of all conflicts, wherein, once upon a time, when the entire world was populated by only two individuals, one turned on his own flesh and blood.
The Torah, it seems, eludes the comprehension of the majority. It is touted as a religious tome, and in our naiveté, we accept it as such. However, herein lies the deception, for it is not, in actuality, a religious text. The account of Abel and Cain illustrates this well: Abel, a shepherd, and Cain, a tiller of the soil. The Jews are the shepherds, the Ishmaelites, the tillers of the soil.
So how did Cain take Abel’s life? “…the sound of your brother’s blood, crying out to me…” as elucidated by Rashi, implies a multitude of wounds. In my view, it was nothing short of a butchery.
In this ancient text, nestled within its fourth chapter, following grand narratives of creation, paradise, and the original transgression, we are presented with a tale of ghastly fratricide. We witness the grim spectacle of a brother snuffing out his kin, devoid of any semblance of remorse (for my brother, he is my keeper), and yet, the question of “Why?” remains unaddressed.
If one is ensnared in the belief that this constitutes the essence of Torah, they are but echoing the suggestions that have been planted in their minds. Yet, should one fathom that this narrative and the book at large bestow upon us the foundational truths of our world, they will discern it as a dispute over property. One, the shepherd, esteems the land but lightly, while the other, bound to it, cannot bear to be without it — even to the point of taking a life to lay claim to it.
Thus, devoid of erudite commentary, a mere layperson who peruses ancient texts and references can glean that from the inception of Eden, we were forewarned: brother shall slay brother for the sake of the earth.
Much like COVID, which perennially lurked under various aliases, such as the flu, claiming lives both past and future, so too shall this conflict persist. Analogous to the COVID era, where the numbers surged due to their ceaseless projection before our eyes, so it is here. This dispute spans centuries and shall persist till the cessation of time. There is nothing novel in this.
Adorning the Hamas flag, above the swords, lies a depiction of the Land of Israel, sans the Golan Heights and Sinai. It stands before us — a testament to their Cain-like fixation on land. The Jews, on the other hand, are preoccupied with a myriad of concerns, yet not the land, even if it be deemed sacred.
The path to victory? It lies, quite simply, in the pages of the Torah. What did the Divine do? He sent him to Eretz Nod! What must you do? Occupy Gaza and send them into wanderlust. There is no absolute need for bloodshed.
Indeed, it is as straightforward as that.
