Parshat Matot-Masei: When Will Israel Find Peace?
With all the tension surrounding Israel this week and the concern that the situation will escalate, we can never lose hope that Israel will one day be at peace with its neighbours. There is a famous line by Golda Meir prophesying that “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
While this is very true it’s only the beginning. The solution to this and many other conflicts comes down to a simple notion that is mentioned probably more than any other in Judaism: Blessings.
Everybody likes a blessing. To have someone wish us health, success, prosperity and good things in life is wonderful. What’s not to like? To receive such a wish from someone who seems to have a close connection with God is even better. Hence many seek the Blessings of great rabbis, or others whom Jewish tradition views as having a special role because of their time and place. Two examples being the Sandak (the person holding the baby during a circumcision) or a new convert who is regarded as sin-free when he or she emerges from the mikvah. But any blessing will do and the Talmud says that one should never treat the blessing of anyone, no matter who they are, lightly.
The Hebrew word for blessing, ברוך Baruch probably appears in the Siddur more than any other word. We say a bunch of blessings when we arise in the morning as well as in the essential prayer, the Shemoneh Esrei, the silent meditation that is literally called, “Eighteen” after the number of blessing included in it. The Talmud says one should strive to utter 100 blessings a day.
The very first time that God speaks with the very first Jew, Avraham, Blessings play an integral role.
And the Lord said to Avram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and [you shall] be a Blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you.”
Five times the word “Blessing” is used. Not only as a verb, as when God blessed Avraham, but as a noun as well – Avraham is a Blessing. And not only that, but all of Mankind is to be blessed through Avraham. He and his descendants, the Jewish nation, will be a conduit for Blessing.
The Jewish notion of Blessing is the opposite of a common, present-day viewpoint that life is a “Zero-Sum Game”. In case you are not familiar with this term, if you Google it you will get this AI definition: A zero-sum game is a situation where one party’s gain is another party’s loss, resulting in a redistribution of a fixed amount and a net change in wealth of zero. Zero-sum games can occur in many areas, including game theory, economics, and finance.
In other words, if someone is getting ahead, it is at the expense of someone else. Things always have to add up to zero, so my loss is your gain and vice versa. People who subscribe to this theory believe that the rich, or anyone who achieves success, only attain it at the expense of others. Sadly many go through life with this negative and pessimistic outlook.
There is nothing more diametrically opposed to a Jewish world-view than Zero-Sum Game. Blessing is the very opposite of Zero Sum Game. Blessing is about win-win realities versus win-lose theories. My good can lead to your good and will not cost me a nickel. In fact the opposite – if I gain, you and others can gain as well and no party will lose.
If a person is creative, successful and thereby becomes wealthy as a result, he can employ many others so they can have the means to make an honest, decent and healthy life for themselves. Not only that, but the successful person can contribute to charity to improve his or her community and society at large. Blessing is something that emanates outward in a ripple effect, benefiting others broad and wide.
This is what Blessing is all about and what the Jewish people try to offer the world. It is the truest expression of an Infinite God who can give without limit and still suffer no loss. It’s what God built into the fabric of creation for those wise enough to take advantage of it.
Sadly, it’s a concept that most of the Arab/Persian world refuses to acknowledge in their blind hatred that prevents them from partnering with the Jewish nation and enjoying so many benefits and blessings – economically and otherwise – that would result. If the Palestinians would have understood this then they could have been part of “the Singapore of the Middle East” as many had hoped for.
They may be biological descendants of Ibrahim, but they have failed to learn the most important lesson of their forefather: The never-ending giving power of Blessing. Thankfully some are beginning to emerge from this darkness and nations such as Bahrain and the UAE (and maybe Saudi Arabia in the near future) are recognizing blessings and good fortune that are forthcoming by partnering with Israel.
God is Infinite and He has an infinite and endless amount of Blessings to distribute. If you wish to go through life with petty competitions, jealousies and resentful anger at the good of another, then it is hard for God and others to share His and their blessings with you. Subscribe to Zero-Sum Game and you end up a Zero. But if you become a disciple of Avraham and realize that God’s blessing have no limit, then you will be amazed at how much good and blessings will magically fill your life.
When our Muslim brothers and sisters realize the true nature of Blessing that God offered Avraham and the world, we may then witness the Utopian ideal that we pray and yearn for when we speak about the arrival of the Mashiach and Peace for Israel and all of Mankind.
May it happen quickly and speedily in our days. Amen.
Sailin’ away on the crest of a wave
It’s like magic
Oh, rollin’ and ridin’ and slippin’ and slidin’
It’s magic…
It’s a livin’ thing
It’s a terrible thing to lose
It’s a giving thing
What a terrible thing to lose
-Electric Light Orchestra
