My little, and of course very precious, grandson Yehuda has a very special first-grade rebbi in Baltimore. He has been a rebbi for at least 50 years, likely more. In fact, he was the rebbi of one of my Baltimore mechutanim. His greatness is that he loves all his little talmidim and is as enthusiastic as his first-year teaching.
A week or so ago, Yehuda came home with a plain, large-size metal bolt, which he received from the rebbi. He was so proud of it. The next week, he came home with a curve-shaped little piece of rusted metal – again from his rebbi, and with equal pride. We figured this little piece to be a balancing clip placed on the side of a tire to keep the wheels balanced.
See, the rebbi told them, that these little pieces are from a friend who is a tow truck mechanic, who sometimes gives him pieces of a tow truck. Every boy who does well in class will be rewarded with a piece of that tow truck every time he participates well in class. It could be a good question, a good answer, an explanation, an idea, or good behavior.
I realized the intrinsic value of these trinkets is worthless. But the smile and pride it brings to these boys is priceless. The rebbi gave me something! How loving and ingenious is this rebbi.
The Gemara (Chulin 91a) tells us that tzadikim (righteous ones) love little trinkets more than themselves, as seen by Yaakov Avinu who crossed over the Yabok river just to retrieve some forgotten small jugs. The baalei musar (teachers of ethics) explain that the tzadikim understand that all that we have on earth is a precious gift from G-d, irrespective of its market value. To the average person, a little iron bolt is relatively worthless, but when received from your rebbi, it’s a treasure.
Israel is a tiny sliver of a land with little natural resources. Imagine a Martian suddenly landing on earth and inquiring about what’s happening on this planet. He would ask to see this country called Israel that seems to be the center of most of the world’s attention. Where is this country that is accused of genocide and apartheid, that is almost universally condemned? He would likely imagine it to be the size of the United States, Russia, and China combined. What a shock of disbelief he will have when he is shown that it is the size of New Jersey.
Israel is a tiny country with no oil and little water. Yet it is always begrudged or beloved throughout the globe. We Jews will always love it and its people. G-d gave us this land. It was His trinket to us.
That is why it is extra painful to see some of our Jewish brethren side with Israel’s enemies, believing they are on an ethical high ground. Reform and Left-winged Judaism have long been critics of Israeli policies. In the political arena, Bernie Sanders distinguishes himself as an Israel-hater. So does Holocaust survivor George Soros. How many misled Jewish kids have joined in the protests against Israel!
But last week, these people hit a new low. Someone in YIKGH shared with me a full-page ad in The New York Times (yes, the paper that basically ignored the Holocaust), signed by the “Voice For Peace Rabbinical Council” accusing President Biden of choosing death over life as he continues the support the “genocide” committed by Israel. The ad was unsigned, and no contact information was supplied.
The Talmud (Gittin 45a) teaches us, “The thief is not the mouse; its hiding hole is the thief” – the idea being that if not for a place for the mouse to store his stolen food, he would not be able to steal. The hole enables the mouse.
The New York Times is always finding new ways to be critical of Jews and Israel. Now they have enabled the useful idiots to do their dirty work. There is no way The Times would accept an ad from any source if it were anti-Palestinian, especially if it accused them of terrorism. But The Times has no problem taking a shadowy ad accusing Israel of genocide.
Jewish Voice For Peace is bad enough, if indeed it is a real organization. But the bigger blame goes to the paper that claims to publish “all the news that’s fit to print.” They enable this unbridled anti-Semitic hatred to flourish. They provide the hole for the thieving mice.
Israel is a little trinket. Sometimes it’s even a bit rusty. But it is our gift from Hashem, and we love it! If you don’t, go find another giver. Drop the “Jewish,” please.
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, former President of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, and the Rabbinic Consultant for the Queens Jewish Link.
