Torah
April 25, 2008
Blinding Hate
Rabbi Yitzchak Jaffe
Special to the Jewish Times
There’s a concept that the Torah has not a single extra phrase, not even a single superfluous word. This idea is of fundamental importance in appreciating the depth of Judaism, for if it’s true, the seemingly insignificant can teach us some of the most profound life lessons.
In Exodus 14:6 we are told in regard to Pharaoh: “And he made ready his chariots, and took his people with him.” If what I said earlier were not true, we would read this sentence, consider it trivial, and move on with our lives. But since we believe there is nothing extra, a sentence that seems pointless might just mean we need additional scrutiny to perceive its inner depth.
Stare at this phrase long enough and you’re bound to ask yourself: “Hold the phone! Pharaoh is the undisputed leader of the most powerful and important country in the entire world. What is he doing getting the chariots ready!? Does he not have scores of servants? Is this not mildly belittling his exalted role? Does George Bush vacuum out Air Force One before takeoff?”
The Midrash teaches us an incredible lesson from this simple phrase: Hate disrupts protocol. This occurs shortly after Pharaoh finally allows the Jews to leave Egypt. Pharaoh’s rage and his undying abhorrence of the Jewish people blinded his ability to think rationally. There was not a moment to think, “I must call upon Jeeves to come get the chariots ready, for I am the king. And, of course, it’s good to be the king.” No! His hatred interfered with his normal daily functioning, and before he knew it he was getting his hands dirty and getting the chariots ready all by himself.
The concept simplified: Extreme emotion distorts routine and normal critical thinking skills.
I think this is a good opportunity to remember an incident that took place during Passover just six years ago. A Hamas suicide bomber walked into the dining room of the Park Hotel in the coastal city of Netanya. He blew himself up in the center of the hotel’s Passover Seder, murdering thirty and injuring another 140. Their memories should be for an eternal blessing.
I would like to think there does not exist in this world a person who wakes up each and every morning seriously contemplating murdering someone. It’s hard for me to imagine a person who would think it appropriate to disrupt someone’s religious rituals, let alone blow oneself up in the middle of one. Yet we see the power of hatred. We see extreme emotion causing people to do the unthinkable as if it were just another Tuesday. And we are forced to cringe at the thought that none of us are free of hatred, free of the ability to do the unthinkable during moments of anger.
We as human beings are fortunate this psychological reality has a flip side. Imagine you saw a woman frantically run out into the street, without even looking to see if cars are coming. What would you think? What a nut job! Is she not concerned about her safety and wellbeing?
What do you think when you look again and see she was running into the street to grab her 3-year-old child about to be hit by a car?
A whole different world, huh? We see that just as hate disrupts protocol, love also disrupts protocol. Her love for her child at that moment was the only thing that mattered. Her normal routine of cautiously and carefully crossing the street was momentarily tossed out the window.
We as Jews have a daunting but extremely necessary task in front of us. Each of us has a personal obligation to attempt to eradicate the hatred in our hearts. May we all be blessed to base our every decision on our critical reasoning skills, and our undying love for the people in our lives. Happy Passover!