Tikkun Olam

I remember reading about the mosque that was vandalized in Judea (the so-called "West Bank"), and how a Jewish delegation including a chief rabbi came to the village where the mosque was, to deliver copies of the Kor'an in replacement of those destroyed and express outrage at at " this wretched act of burning a place holy to the Muslim people ." He was pelted with rocks as he left the village. I was filled with pride that an Israeli group came to show empathy and condemn the act, even though, IMHO they do not deserve it. The Jews have been persecuted on and off for thousands of years at the hands of almost every country they lived in while in the diaspora. We have experienced pogroms with hundreds of our people raped and murdered in Eastern Europe by peasants fired up by the Catholic Church (think Poland in the 19th century), our synagogues have been vandalized, firebombed and our holy books destroyed countless times, by everyone--Christians and Nazis and Mu...

I just read an article on Haaretz about the three militants murderers of Rabbi Meir Chai who were killed during their 'capture.' I am satisfied that the IDF did the right thing. And I am at pains here to explain why. The Haaretz report states that An evaluation of the testimonies of family members and the IDF officers suggests that this was not an operation to assassinate. However, the three, Adnan Subuh, Raad Sarkaji and Ghassan Abu Shreikh, were killed by the soldiers, even though two of them were not armed, and it does not even appear that they were trying to escape - a fact that the IDF does not dispute. Family members of the dead are alleging that the three were executed, and say that the Israeli claims that the three were involved in the killing of Rabbi Hai, 32 hours prior to the incident, are lies. The weapon that the security establishment in Israel says were used to kill ...

I've been devastated since reading about the murder of Rav Meir Chai, father of seven and a teacher of school children and kindergartners, who was gunned down while driving on Route 57 in the Shomron .* Rav Meir (a"h) was a humble, learned man, and was cherished by his students. That scum like his murderers should continue to exist at all is a travesty. Then I read on The Muqata that his orphan son Eliyahu delivered a moving hesped * for his slain father at his funeral, which hundreds attended. The son spoke about continuing the lessons of his father. He especially (can you imagine for yourself how difficult this was for him to do?) emphasized that his father was leaving- a message of faith, Jewish pride, religious observance, and “no revenge.” Did you get that? Well then, let me repeat it for you: " A Message of Faith, Jewish Pride, Religious Observance, and 'No Revenge.'" Now, I strongly believe that we have every right to take revenge on this brutal, b...