Shabbat Eykev Do as you would be done by
The weekly reading of Eykev follows the pattern of the previous three weeks.
Moses continues his review of the history of the previous 40 years. Retelling certain events such as smashing the Tablets of Stone and making a second set. And repeating the theme of the importance of our following our Divinely inspired way of life and not allowing ourselves either to be distracted by other cultures or indeed by the internal rivalry of our own people.
“And now Israel, what does your God want of you? Only to revere the Lord your God, to walk in the ways that he commanded you to serve him with all your heart and all your soul” (Chapter 10 verse 12). Which repeats some of the theme of the first chapter of Shema we looked at last week.
This week, we will read the second chapter of the Shema in which it says, “ If you really listen to the commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve with all your heart and all your soul, then I will give the rains at the right time, the first rain and the latter rain and you will gather your corn and your wine and your oil and there will be grass in the fields for your animals to eat and be satisfied” (Chapter 11 verse 13).
This raises one of the controversial issues of the Torah, and indeed all religions: Reward and Punishment. It implies that, in physical terms, the rains come and go based on how we behave. And that God’s relationship to us is dependent on our relationship to God. Yet, if we are rational and look at history, we can see that it doesn’t always appear to be the case. The whole issue of why good people suffer and bad people seem to thrive has always presented a major theological challenge to every religion.
One way of dealing with this challenge is to say this is not about each one of us individually and what we go through in life where inevitably there are consequences and issues of health, wealth and loss. But it’s about the nation and whether the nation survives or not. There is no guarantee that there won’t be warfare. After all, the invasion of Canaan was warfare. But then, we have been and are engaged in an existential struggle for survival. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. But even in this existential struggle for survival, we are still bound by the laws of the Torah. And the Torah is pretty clear that even then, there must be laws that we will see laid down over the coming chapters. And this has been playing out in the world’s press at this moment.
I have always tried to balance different moral positions both as a Jew and as a citizen of the world. I’ve accepted the principle of “doing as you would be done by” and always making sure that whatever you do is ethical and can be justified by halacha. One of the biggest problems we have had morally, both in the Torah and to this very day, is the question of zealotry. When can you break laws? And indeed, there is much debate and confusion over retaliation and conflicting religious positions, absolute and moderate.
With all the pain and suffering that Israel has gone through this past year, we have prided ourselves on the fact that our war record is far superior to any other example of a country facing an existential threat and invasion. If there are non-combatant casualties or human shields, these are the painful and reluctant result of the way our enemies have fought us. I’ve always been against extremism no matter where it comes from, and much as I admire the commitment of many of those who are unfairly lumped together within this general term of abuse “settler” (because a very small section of them have been acting against Jewish Law), I’ve always believed we must act justly.
Once upon a time, Israel was united in rejecting the extremism of Kahanaism. In recent years, it has made a frightening comeback as attacks on civilians have increased by Arab nationalists. So, it was with great relief this week that the Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu came out forcefully condemning the attitude of those outwardly religious young men who rampage through Arab villages killing people who as far as they know were not necessarily their enemies. Even if the assumption was, or the record showed that attacks and murders of individuals have come from those areas.
Even so, it’s a matter of shame to me that people calling themselves religious Jews act in a way that I cannot morally accept. Thank God they are a minority. Of course, the world press wants to make them out to be the majority, but that’s the politically correct distortion of most of the world press. And they won’t publish Netanyahu’s condemnation.
But I don’t want to be associated with people who act outside of the law. The issue of how prisoners are treated is not for mob justice or mob violence but for the law. As the Torah and the Talmud tell us, God cares about all God’s creatures. We are all descending from one source and rely on laws for our own protection. If we ignore Torah, we suffer the consequences.
Jews have been lynched by mob justice. And so, I repeat, do as you would be done by.
Deuteronomy Chapter 7;12-11;25
Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.2
