The ongoing conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis has spawned vast amounts of analysis, opinion and comment.
There are those deliberating the immediate situation, and how to remedy it. Then there are those who look at the broader picture and try to untangle the contorted past century of Jewish-Arab relationships. Both of these approaches deal with the situation as another conflict-of-interest war. The analysis starts with universal needs and desires and is limited to those issues.
Yet one does not feel that this is the whole story. The element of religion, the common Biblical reference points, the centuries of Jew-Moslem relationships all seem to point at another dimension of conflict -- that this is a more sweeping struggle than any one of the particular issues at hand.
When studying God's deeds, an over-confidence in one's hindsight is chutzpah.
It is foolhardy and presumptuous to make more sweeping statements about events that have not yet been concluded, are so broad in scope, and are so long in the making. When studying God's deeds, an over-confidence in one's hindsight is chutzpah. But we have an obligation to attempt and study the events in a Torah perspective, as the Torah itself bids us to do: "Remember the days of the world, and contemplate the years of every generation." (Deut. 32:7) We will therefore attempt to sketch out some of those broader Torah perspectives.
Before we begin, let us explain that the Torah perspective of Jewish history rests on two axioms:
- that it is a continuity of unfolding ideals, movements and protagonists, not a series of separate events related only by chance cause and effect;
- that the events come and go in response to Israel's merit and wrongdoing.
These two axioms are the elementary Biblical themes, that even a simple reading will confirm.
A CHILD CALLED LAUGHTER
Abraham was told that at the age of one hundred he would have a child. Sarah laughed ("laughed" is tzchok in Hebrew) in disbelief. God reprimanded her: "Why did Sarah laugh? Is there something God cannot do?"
When the child was born, he was named Isaac (in Hebrew Yitzchak, which is the same word as "laugh"); Sarah said: "For God has caused laughter to me."
It is strange that the same term for which Sarah was reprimanded would now become her son's name. The commentaries (starting with Onkelos) define the first tzchok as "making derision, to laugh at something," whereas the second tzchok is laughter of "merriment, happiness, joy." But the very fact that the same word serves two diverse meanings gives us pause. And being that this became Isaac's name, it means that the life of Isaac is somehow tied up in tzchok.
One more element to consider: Ishmael was Isaac's half-brother, sharing Abraham as a father but having a different mother, Hagar. The Torah tells us that Ishmael was a negative influence on Isaac. But the Torah uses a most unusual word for that negative influence of his -- metzachek! Metzachek means either "mocking of" or "causing Isaac to be lightheaded." Somehow, we get the feeling that this tzchok is the axis for the Isaac-Ishmael relationship; it is both the good of Isaac and the bad of Ishmael.
What is laughter -- that common human expression, that includes the happiest of moments and the cruelest satire?
What is this tzchok? What is laughter -- that common human expression, that includes the happiest of moments, the cruelest satire, and the light enjoyment of fun?
Laughter is a basic human expression, on par with crying and screaming. Crying is the reaction to sorrow and loss. A scream is the reaction to a threat. But laughter is a much more complex and deeper expression. It is the reaction of humans when the confines of reason have been broken.
Thus, a person is certain that in a given situation there is no hope left. His mind tells him that the case is lost, the patient will not live, the job is not his. And yet ... despite the dictates of reason ... he has triumphed! A great laughter fills him. The laughter of unexpected and unnatural gain against heavy odds.
A person makes fun of another person by showing how irrational and self-contradictory the other person's position is. This is satire, and it is the laughter of derision, the reaction to the stupidity and unreasonableness of the other's position.
Children playing in a vacation-like, carefree atmosphere are giggling and laughing. This gentle laughter seems to reflect their carefree existence -- no obligations, no assignments, no responsibilities.
Though Abraham and Sarah became stronger and stronger believers in God, they were still bound to have an underlying gut instinct that nature was a firm determinant, and that the laws of nature were reality in itself. When Abraham and Sarah -- two old wizened centenarians -- were told that they would have children, Sarah could not resist a giggle of disbelief. Her tzchok was a reaction to this irrationality.
God then told Abraham to "go out." The Midrash explains this to mean to "go out of your confines of the natural process." The shackles of nature are not absolute and God can lift man above them. Therefore, when Isaac was born, he was called Yitzchak for his existence was totally irrational -– the personification of impossibility come true. It was the laughter of happiness that was totally unexpected.
COUNTER-BALANCE OF EVIL
But for every good that rose up in history, there was a counterbalance of evil, and Isaac's counterbalance was Ishmael. He also had the power of tzchok, but in a sinister and destructive way. The Midrash says that the tzchok of Ishmael has implications of idolatry, bloodshed and sexual immorality. This means that whichever one of the sins that he used to try to entice Isaac, the means was similar: tzchok.
For instance: idolatry. A person can attack religion through reason and argument, or he can make jest of it, and mock it to oblivion. Bloodshed can be the product of an extreme hatred or fear, or it can come as a result of lightness of regard for the sanctity of human life. And sexual immorality is almost always the result of lightheadedness and frivolity.
It is written regarding the days of the Messiah: "Then will merriment fill our mouths." (Psalms 132).
We now have two tzchok's diametrically opposed in their direction. Isaac's tzchok is the laughter of one who realizes that the obstructions and tests of this world are but temporary and illusory, and knowing that God lifts us above them causes the tzchok of joy. As it is written regarding the days of the Messiah, "Then will merriment (tzchok) fill our mouths" (Psalms 132).
But Ishmael took this same character trait and used it negatively. By mocking the spiritual, using laughter to shrug off responsibility, and lightheadedness to ease the seriousness of life, he was destructive. He lived in the desert, a nomadic life, that is a life without a clear sense of boundaries and givens. There things are always shifting and there are no fixed givens.
The ultimate mockery was vis-a-vis Isaac. Later when Esau fought Jacob, he wanted to kill him and take away his inheritance, but Ishmael claimed that the inheritance was his to begin with, and therefore he had no need to take it away.
STOLEN HISTORY
The violence and bloodshed are terrible and tensions are high. But psychologically what irks us more than anything else is the Arab adoption of our history as theirs. The Temple Mount? It's an ancient mosque with no connection to Jewish history. Hebron? Abraham is their father and Ishmael his favorite son.
When truth is abandoned on this scale, no lie is shameful. A bomb exploded in Israel? That's just a contraption, meant to provoke.
The Germans wanted to destroy us, but they did not take our history away from us.
This is the tzchok at its worst. The Germans wanted to destroy us, but they did not take our history away from us. The Christians claimed that Israel lost its status as favorite, and the Holy City became Rome. But the Moslems claim that they are the inheritors of Abraham, that they are the "Jews." Jerusalem is the Holy City and it is theirs.
Imagine the following two scenes:
- The owner of the house hears a knock on the door. Armed robbers break in, steal everything, break everyone's bones and set the house on fire. It is a terrifying experience.
- The owner of the house arrives home and finds a robber there. The robber looks at him in mock surprise. "Who are you?" he asks. "The owner? You're crazy. This is my house, my wife, my kids. If you don't beat it, I will call the police."
Which of these two scenes is the more horrifying?
This is the horror of Ishmael's claim against Israel. The Arab world is not fighting us, they are simply assuming our identity!
I once sat next to an old Arab on a plane flight. He had long ago immigrated to the United States, and was telling me about Islam and the Arab culture. He was friendly, warm and emotional. Then he told me, "When the prophet saw your people, he exclaimed, 'Can these people be the Jews [of God]; we are the Jews!"
WHY US?
But why are we suffering from Ishmael now?
It used to be that we dealt seriously with our religion and our Torah obligations. We needed to prove the pros and cons of various Torah laws. Today we have simply learned to laugh off the various laws of the Torah. Very few are prepared to debate the veracity and validity of Torah; it is simply laughed off as irrelevant.
If we are cavalier in our attitude to God, then He will take us seriously either.
I was once sitting on a plane next to two non-religious Israelis. As usual, the topic returned to religion. One of them explained that he only believes in the Ten Commandments, because "who knows who wrote the rest." I started to explain the overlapping history of all the rabbinic works. He simply waved it off with his hand, saying: "Those rabbis will say anything." It was impossible to argue with him, because he deemed it not arguable, just muddled mythology.
The conversation meandered until it came to Zionism, where he became very excited. I then told him, "Well, how do we really know the land of Israel is ours?"
"What do you mean? The Bible is full with it, and our history is rife with it."
I replied, "Well, we don't even know who wrote the Bible, and the rabbis invented many things." I did this deadpan, and he flew into a rage, ready to choke me.
Couldn't this be one of God's messages to us? "If you will be cavalier in your attitude to Me, then no one will take you seriously either. If you deny the obvious, then the most outrageous lies will be foisted on you."
Maybe God is saying, "Take Me seriously, and you too will no longer be a joke!"
(19) David Chai, December 16, 2003 12:00 AM
Together , yes Robert ,but with in our Father's image .....
I agree ,we should maybe have a big laugh at life ,for the joy of being there to laugh ,we should laugh back at ismael ,we should bless the Eternal for his patience with us all ,then we should take us seriously in the time given to us to do so , wich is only known to our Father , not to us ,so why
wishing too much , it's up to us with our Father at our side in joy , now is in at our sides but awaiting that we leave the children steps behind us and start walking the men steps shown to us.
(18) Robert Charlton, August 28, 2002 12:00 AM
Humans all together
I felt that your efforts to show us all that we are all children of God and that Arabs and Jews as well as christians and buddhists etc are equally entitled to live in this world was heart rending and very timely.
(17) Anonymous, December 27, 2001 12:00 AM
Answers to current quandry found in spiritual insights
How brilliantly you have said it all.
Thank you.
Answers in search of questions, questions in search of answers - our
connection to truth means Torah knowledge and inherent respect for it.
'The Last Laugh' needs to be read by every Jew, at least once. Exact
answers to questions that are not being asked because the context for
them - our Torah - is treated contemptuously by too many of our fellow
Jews in Israel and elsewhere.
Many blessings for the rationality of your answers based on knowledge of
the instrument of our connection to HaShem, the eternal living Torah.
Why does not every Jew open eyes to see and ears to hear the message you
so wonderfully conveyed - entitlement, claiming our rightful ownership of
what belongs to our people?
Regarding the current middle east situation, I ask how such a thing as
negotiations to give Jewish land to those who have never deterred from
their goal of claiming who we are and what is ours as theirs is something
I don't understand+ACE- And calling it peacemaking? Israel is one people and
Israel one land. To whom do we owe giving a portion of who we are and
what is ours away?
The sacrifice of our children, the soldiers who so valiantly and
courageously with the help of G+AF8-d won our land through 4 wars, our one
Israel united, placed on a negotiation table?
Someone deigned this strategy as great -and further, says lets keep doing
it.
What a mess we are confronted with in Israel now, no laughing matter,
resulting from the failure of understanding our irrevocable ownership of
Israel, of truly accepting who we are and what is ours in Torah context,
in historic context. The Deed to both is our Torah.
The notion that taking care of ourselves is achievable by treating our
enemy to rooms in our house is very odd indeed. And there are some who
remain convinced that so doing is the right path.
The peculiar and misguided notion that providing Ishmael with weapons as
a means of creating peace can only come from certain dismissiveness of
what is addressed in your 'The Last Laugh: Thoughts'.
We are both physical and spiritual and both must be honored.
The desire to be 'like everybody else', be like 'everyone else wants us
to be' does not work very well for Israel, for Jews, certainly on a
spiritual level.
The answer of why not is found in the understanding of our holiday of
Chanukah.
Defining our selves by political beliefs in service of another's agenda
has only brought 'shudin' onto our nation Israel.
Reclaiming our spiritual heritage as conscious pursuit is the viable
means of reversing present conditions which afflect Israel. All that
transpires in reality begins with the spiritual. Ignore at your own
peril.
(16) Anonymous, November 2, 2001 12:00 AM
Are we no better?
This is my first time visiting this site and this is the second article I feel compelled to comment on. I should also state that I am not living in Israel but have spent time with my two brothers who are living there now. I'm embarrased at the level of logic that the Rabbi seems to be working on. Wasn't it at least in part an act of a coalition of gentile nations that helped establish the state of Israel? Weren't they convinced of the need for a jewish state based on non-religious historic motives? Why then the lampooning caricatures of non-practicing Jews who none-the-less support a Jewish homeland? We shouldn't expect the rest of the gentile world to accept our religious vision anymore than the Taliban's which is why we need to articulate Israel's needs in secular terms for the rest of the world and praise G-d for it at home. Otherwise we just end up looking like mad Arabs calling for Jihad.
(15) Geoff Arnold, July 31, 2001 12:00 AM
Very enlightening and informative.
To steal one's identity is only now beginning to be understood by the general populous of the world. I cannot begin to understand, experientially, what Israelis must be facing on a daily basis. My laughter is bitter because the world no longer sees the truth and is choosing to believe a lie because it fits their New World vision where the more powerful side in a conflict is automatically the agressor and the weaker party is the "victim", and therefore the side in need of support. Heaven forbid the veil should be removed from their eyes and they see the reality of the Moslem mandate to destroy all Jews around the world and wipe the memory of Israel from the history books. And they want use the UN to brand Zionism "racist"??!
(14) Anonymous, July 21, 2001 12:00 AM
I had the exact same experience!
I was once seated on a plane to Israel and found my self seated next to a very cultured and respected gentleman. He was irreligious, but was curious as to what my views are about the Israeli/Arab problem. It was obvious to him that I am religious and I assume he wanted to hear my opinions and views first hand-and not from the leftist newspaper's etc. He revealed to me his views on religion as well as the fact that his parents were irreligious Polish Immigrants who settled in Israel after WWII. I explained to him that the only validity to our claim of Israel is from the Torah and if he has chosen in life to disregard the laws of the Torah or the belief in it, what basis does he have to the fact that Israel is ours? I said one couldn’t pick and choose in religion. You cannot disbelieve G-d gave us the Shabbos to keep Holy and then say there is a G-d that told us Israel is our's and so that is our right to it. He was not ready to choke me or anything of the sort but he remained silent looking at me and I realized he had never been subjected to this aspect in all of his readings and political discussions. He told me that he lecture's in a very well know University in Tel Aviv and I have often wondered if he ever relayed to his student's "the other side of the debate". We do have to remember that the land of Israel was given to us as a gift WITH CONDITIONS!!!!The Giver of this gift has deemed it correct for the past 1700 years + to be exiled from the land until we correct our mistakes of the past and recognize His ruler ship. If that does not happen there is a final time that will come in which we will be redeemed because of G-d's promise to do so. This is what so many fail to see. It is not just Political moves or the might of armies that have to be taken into account. There is something much more intrinsically deep-and something much more out of our control then we like to think. The only control we have is to better our deeds and pray for help and try to appease our neighbor's in the Arab countries until the time of our redemption is at hand. If there is anyone who would doubt the truth of this matter-time itself will prove its veracity. We are not like the other Nation's, and neither has our history been like theirs. The sad thing is that in the past the nations knew that our defeats were in light of our transgressions and thus from the hand of G-d and the same to b e said for our victories. Now a days many of our own people fail to see this. They attribute defeat and victory to our might, political prowess, the modernity of our weapon's and our allies. How will this thinking ever correct our present state of Golus and how many time's in the past was it proven wrong?! What's the use of recording history if no one cares to look up the records and analyze the events? One thing is for sure all this "coffee table" politicizing and talking about how the media is biased (wow imagine anti-Semitism is still alive !) is a heck of allot easier then changing the way we live and believe and being the nation and the individuals we are meant to be!
(13) Anonymous, July 4, 2001 12:00 AM
G_D keeps his promises
I enjoyed your very enlightened article about the ogoing conflict between the descendents of Isaac and Ishmael. I agree that the events of our time are not chance occurances, they are the fulfilment of G_d's plan for Israel and the World.
I did want to disagree with one generalization that you made: "The Christians claimed that Israel lost its status as favorite, and the Holy City became Rome." This is a lie which is being taught in many churches, but not all.
Some watch in awe as G_d fulfils every promise that He made to Israel. The exciting part is that many of these promises are being fulfilled now since Israel has been reestablished as a nation in the promised land.
(12) shalom pollack, December 13, 2000 12:00 AM
very important observations
this article should be taught in all our schools. This cuts to the bone of the matter. In these days of politics hype and packaging, fundamental messages like these don't get much attention unfortunately. Are we destined to learn the hard way?
(11) Anonymous, December 13, 2000 12:00 AM
There is a most frightening corollary:
Deep and on target, this article leaves a shiver and a call to individual and national change. But there is a final corollary which strikes at the heart. The suffering of Jewish history is also stolen. In its ultimate, the desire to drive out and kill the Jew is transfered to the Jew - accused of seeking this for the Arab. And in this way, this very drive is elevated as "holy", a jihad of self-defense! This is Yishmael's mockery at its ultimate. And it is this deadly form of mockery that is Yishmael's taking the archer's bow against Yitzchak. Yishmael explains that it is but a playing with Yitzchak - not a violation of Oslo ...
(10) Anonymous, December 12, 2000 12:00 AM
Wow! I really enjoyed the article. It definitely added an important dimension to our situation that I had not noticed before. Thank you very much!
(9) Anonymous, December 12, 2000 12:00 AM
Jews, christians, Moslims all pray to the one and same G-d ....
Jews, Christians, Moslims all pray to the one and same G-d :the G-d of Abraham. What the world is phased with is the epitome of human madness because of the ignorance and intolerance of all religious leaders.
(8) , December 11, 2000 12:00 AM
There is more to everything, then just what are eyes see
I enjoyed this very much. It takes the physical reality of today, and tones it with spirituality in a way that what is going on is more meaninful and clear in my mind. Thank you.
(7) Sarah Alexis, December 11, 2000 12:00 AM
Excellent and enlightening!
What a thought-provoking and enlightening article this was. It gives one to think - what exactly is my attitude toward G-d and His laws? Am I a contributor to today's situation? And how can I remedy it?
(6) Clifford Morgan, December 11, 2000 12:00 AM
Interesting article, excellent ending!
You hit the nail on the head with your comments, "If you deny the obvious, then the most outrageous lies will be foisted on you."
(5) Nancy Fuller, December 11, 2000 12:00 AM
Final comment applies not only to Judaism
I am a Christian and I really enjoyed your article. Your final comment made me reflect on my own life. I believe you said it all. I feel God wants us all to take him seriously and sometimes when we talk about God but don't live Godly lives we become a joke to the message God is trying to send to all people. When we take God seriously, we live Godly lives and that spreads the message to other about God. Thank you for that message.
(4) George Mann, December 11, 2000 12:00 AM
rationality should never be abandoned
The false claims of the Arabs regarding our history and our connection to the land of Israel, are not accepted by knowledgeable and impartial individuals. There will always be ignorant persons, or persons blinded by various emotions who will accept big lies. Did Hitler not do the same kind of lying about us, and got the civilized population of Germany and other countries to accept or pretend to accept his big lie? But how did he end up? Those who live by big lies, will face the consequences sooner or later, so long as there are those of us who will fight for the truth.
(3) SR S, December 10, 2000 12:00 AM
The article was one of the best I've seen lately on this horrible situation we are faced with. I like the last line, that maybe if we take G-d seriously, He will take us seriously. It is very true. Very important
(2) Anonymous, December 10, 2000 12:00 AM
who is right?
This past year I have been examining my "religious" beliefs and again I have found an article on this site that has been helpful. "The Last Laugh" summarizes my internal argument...who is right? Who wrote the rest? (Who will become the president...?)Thanks again for yet another insight.
Stay tuned...
(1) Anonymous, December 10, 2000 12:00 AM
laughter needs laughter
I totally agree with Rabbi Loopiansky's conclusion as to what the Palastinians are doing. I also agree that some inner reflections for Jews is also necessary. What I don't agree with is that this is the FINAL action necessary. We need to find our righteousness in the Torah and then go out and fight the irrationality with even better irrationality. The irrationality from Above will direct us as to how to deal with the Arabs. But we must deal with them and not just sit in self blame. They have at the moment won a war of words- false words at that- but we see many countries (not just Muslim) believing them. This is currently where the real war should be fought but it is not being effectively fought by Jews. If we ultimately stay in self blame we will lose it all.