Emor: Revenge of the Rejected

The cause is never deeply understood.

In high school and college, I, along with thousands of other students, protested the war in Viet Nam.  Years later, Robert McNamara, a man that directed the intensification of that war and expanded the draft, admitted that the war was a tragic error. Now, when Americans vacation in Vietnam, and there is brisk trade between the US and its former mortal ( especially for them) enemy, it seems clear that the 1.3 million people who  died in that conflict, perished for reasons that did not matter.

But when I was protesting, I did not know that. I was told that this war was a stand against the evil of world communism.  If “we” lost that war, then all the domino states of Southeast Asia would fall under the shadow of the Bamboo and Iron curtains. This would lead to further expansion of communism and, eventually, threaten the United States, the beacon of freedom and liberty..

At the time, while I was protesting, I did not realize that I did not understand most of the words, but I did realize that my knowledge of the situation was superficial and inadequate. I did not have the information needed to decide on the validity of of the action. Perhaps protesting was wrong. Maybe the government authorities were right. I was confused. I protested despite my confusion.

The current wave of protests is also confusing. They are, in part, based upon the Vietnam protests. The only force that could defeat the US military was the US people. This is an attempt to mobilize the American people against support for Israel. It is, perhaps, a way to defeat the powerful Israeli army.

The American news outlets that I had previously trusted, report the war against Hamas as a series of atrocities. I see that war as a reaction to an atrocity.  It is a reaction to an antisemitic attack on civilians and soldiers with the goal of killing Jews and, eventually, eliminating Jews from the region. It was an act that anticipated a reaction; and when that reaction came, the ugliness  was propagandized. The informational war is a conflict between my  well founded opinion/prejudice that Jews are not sadistic murderers, bent on the suppression of Arabs; versus the images of dead and dying children in the arms of crying mothers. Where is the truth? Whose truth? I do not have the depth of understanding to make a rational judgement. I can only guess the historical outcome. This is a situation in which I must pick a side. I wish there were a better solution. I trust Israel more than the media.  I remember how the newspapers  covered the Nazis in the 1930’s ( they were very forgiving)

The parsha ,named “speak”, ends with the story of the blasphemer. His pronouncements are clearly problematic. He is attacking, poking holes,  וַ֠יִּקֹּ֠ב , in the law giving authority.  He is exercising his right of speech. He is describing the world from his perspective: as a cosmopolitan (he has an Egyptian father) or as an outsider ( he has an Egyptian father) . Moses and the people do not know how to handle the situation. Perhaps they are also confused. Perhaps they see some merit in the blasphemer’s statements. Probably they see the danger in this propaganda, in this edition of the “facts.”  The blasphemer is put in jail until a Divine decision can be accessed: He is to be taken out of the camp, those who heard him lay hands on him and he is stoned to death.

The beginning of the parsha discusses the disqualifications for Priestly service. The Temple service is the drama representing the interaction with Gd. It must be performed by people who do not question their relationship to Gd.  Confronting death is a natural source for such questioning. Dealing with a disability raises doubts about the nature of Gd’s love for humans.

Anger and disappointment foment revolution. The truth is never clear. It is more  a matter of faith than I am comfortable with.