Drash Friday night

Last night, we went to Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Reform synagogue in Nahariya, as we usually do. The drash seemed unusually good and relevant. Before I tell you about it, a little background: this last week, there was an exchange between Israel and Hizbollah, the terrorists in Lebanon who started the war with us 2 years ago. In this trade, Israel received the bodies of the 2 soldiers who were kidnapped in the incident that started the war (until the exchange actually occurred, we did not know for sure whether we would receive the two alive or dead). In exchange, Israel gave quite a large number of bodies of terrorists who had been killed in the fighting, and, most importantly, they released Samir Kuntar, who was convicted of killing a family, including small children, in cold blood. It's important to note that this killing had happened (many years ago) in Nahariya. So, the entire country has been in mourning for the 2 soldiers, and the mood has been quite somber. In contrast, Lebanon has been rejoicing as they received this vile man as an adored hero.

Now about the drash. The rabbi started by talking about culture. In this context, he noted the difference between Jewish culture and the culture of so many of our enemies. In Judaism, we are told to choose life, and the emphasis is always on that. Our men and women who defend us are precious, and the need for closure for their families is taken various seriously. Life MUST go on. In contrast, Kuntar was received with great joy, and he spoke completely unrepentently about the need to "free" "Palestine" (by which he means, of course, Israel) and to kill the enemy -- a culture of death, not of life. And THIS is what they were celebrating only a few short kilometers north of us. Rabbi noted that our emphasis on life can often result in pain, but it is nevertheless the right thing to do.