Martin Frack
There is actually very little difference in the objectives listed in the Hamas Charter, to Hashem’s directives to the Jews in Exodus and Numbers.
Hashem declares: “I have come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and broad land… (Ex 3: 7-8)
What follows is a detailed description of the events during the Jewish invasion of Canaan, the destruction of the cities of the tribes residing therein and the slaughter, ethnic cleansing and genocide visited on the unfortunate inhabitants, to say nothing of the theft of their properties. Particularly gruesome of the war against the Midianites, includes Moses’ order to his commanders to kill all the male children and all the married women, but to keep for themselves all the virgin girls – an invitation to indulge in debauchery, no less.
There is very little difference in a diary of an SS officer during the German invasion of Russia and the relevant parts of the Torah narrative describing the Midianite massacre, which ranks as the bloodiest of Moses’ legacy. Moses blames the Temple prostitutes for having sex with his men, which adversely affects their morality. Instead of punishing the healthy Jewish boys for understandably availing themselves of the plentiful opportunities for sex with willing young girls, he reacts by not remonstrating with his troop; instead he orders the slaughter of the entire Midianite nation, men women and children.
The Torah does not disclose the moral basis for Hashem’s directive to Moses to “drive out all the land’s inhabitants before you… Clear out the land and live in it, since it is to you I am giving the land to occupy…”
The Torah does not disclose Hashem’s moral and legal right to donate the Land to the Jewish people. I have yet to receive a meaningful rational answer to my question on the matter from a rabbi.
The result is that for thousands of years now Jews, Christians and Muslims have been fighting and killing each other to prove whose side G-d is on. Davidowitz’s letter reminds me that there is actually little difference in the mindset of some Jews who urge us to follow the precepts described in Exodus and Numbers to “eliminate” those standing in our way and Hamas’ infamous Charter warning of the coming obliteration of Israel and the genocide of the Jews. In fact, the Charter makes Hitler’s Mein Kampf read like some liberal treatise.
Whether we like it or not, our Torah started it all. Perhaps we should pray to Hashem that it is high time He considers issuing a second edition of our wonderful Torah in which these unfortunate provisions are edited out with retrospective effect, thereby saving countless lives.
Until then, of course we Jews will simply have to continue to fight our enemies to the death. Here I agree with Davidowitz, except I don’t look to religious faith as he does for the answer to our problems.
According to anthropological scientists the brains of our specie, Homo Sapiens, developed to the stage about 100 000 years ago when they began to look for supernatural reasons such as religion, for the answer to the meaning of life and our fear of death.
If the second edition (of the Torah) referred to is not forthcoming, we will probably have to wait another 100 000 years for our brains to evolve further until the need for religions which have bedevilled our species for so long, becomes a thing of the past.
Martin Frack
Rouxville, Johannesburg
The letter has been substantially shortened. – Editor
