Thousands of literary quotations give pride of place to dictators, generals, military men and women, violent men and women who say that battles decide nations, or that wars forge the future of peoples, and so on. The violence of war makes heroes of a moment, overly celebrated by culture, even magnified by cinema. But otherwise, wars only bring destruction, hatred and suffering.
The Jews are proof of the heresy of these assertions, which give pride of place to warlords. The Roman emperor Hadrian was certain that he had destroyed the Hebrews and that they would never recover from their dispersion. Wrong: it was the Roman Empire that disappeared. And for Napoleon Bonaparte, the Jews didn’t carry much weight. But it was the Emperor who was exiled. The same goes for Hitler and his troops, with their destructive barbarity. In spite of their Machiavellian deeds, a pure and despicable horror unworthy of any being endowed with intelligence, the Third Reich and its appalling war machines are no more. While the people who suffered most from Nazi barbarism, the Jews emerging from the Shoah, after 1878 years of deportation, have risen to form a nation.
It’s legitimate to ask: why? There are two hypothetical answers.
The first is to believe that anything goes for the Jews, who are God’s people. They’ll do anything, and in any case the Lord will come to their rescue. Too easy, in fact, and many Jews would gladly say: come and take my place, I’ll give it to you!
The second requires a more global reflection, taking us back to the very beginning of creation. It is written that the earth was tohu-bohu (Hebrew for chaos). The Creator came to put it in order, to form the earth, to separate darkness from light, to set limits to the water and design the continents, which were covered with greenery, to set lights in the sky to preside over day and night, to create living fish in the waters, animals on the earth and finally man and woman. On the seventh day, satisfied and happy with his work, the Lord rests. This is the Sabbath.
What a disappointment for Him to see men fighting and killing each other. In their free choice, humans chose the worst. Disappointment for the Creator, who decides to start all over again.
After the universal flood, which only Noah and his family survived, a new world appears. Before violence dictates its law, God reveals himself to one man, Abraham, because of his faith. The Eternal communicated with the patriarchs and their descendants. God chooses a people and, through Moses, transmits laws, commandments and ordinances to them. Those who put them into practice live in peace and prosper.265 The Hebrews are the bearers of the divine laws. The secret of their lives lies in the Thora, the Holy Scriptures. By studying them in order to put them into practice, the Jews are pleasing to God, who blesses them.
The reason for the continuing success of the Jews, in the midst of so much hostility, can safely be associated with their dedication to the study of divine wisdom transmitted through the Sacred Writings. Their willingness to derive meaning to life, justice and fairness from an understanding of the texts of the Torah is a millennia-old heritage of inestimable social and spiritual value.
So the Jews are living proof that loving God, loving one’s neighbor, killing only in one’s own defense, not coveting but respecting one’s neighbor, are laws of life far stronger and more solid than any other worldly philosophy. The Decalogue contains and transmits a wisdom of life that King David describes best in Psalm 119: How shall the young man make his path pure? By guiding himself according to your word.266 Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path.267Yourprecepts are my heritage forever, for they bring joy to my heart.268 I love your commandments more than gold, much fine gold.269 The foundation of your word is truth, and all the laws of your justice are eternal.270 There is much peace for those who love your law.271
The thrice-holy God is an all-powerful Creator who loves order, goodness, justice, truth and peace. The laws handed down to the Hebrews are laws of life! Their purpose is to prevent his people from going astray and suffering misfortune. We would do well to draw inspiration from them! Nations have a great interest in basing their civil laws on the rights and commandments of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, or Torah for Jews). This would enable them to prosper in justice and righteousness. The key to success lies in ethical values and the blessing of the Almighty.
Success not for the enrichment of a few dictators, but for the good of all. Disappearance of poverty: the most disadvantaged are helped and integrated into the community. Success for a just and equitable society. Everyone is active in the right environment and works for the right price. Satisfaction and joy.
I’m firmly convinced that the political and social future deserves to be rethought. It will succeed if it rests on more solid foundations than those of modernity, imitation and capitalist consumerism. The experience of the Jewish people deserves to be not only addressed, but analyzed and studied scientifically. I see in it a real solution for a peaceful world.
Peace and truth require commitment. The commitment of men and women who refuse to despise their fellow man for any reason. Our duty is to love, to forgive and to love, without setting limits. In this way, we will be in tune with the message of the Messiah, of Christ, of the Scriptures.
Today, as always in history, Jews and nations are faced with a choice. They must decide which master to serve. For no one can serve two masters. To guide this choice, the history of Israel and its people is an indicator of quality, an ethical standard that should not leave anyone indifferent. Let’s love the Jews and our fellow human beings, let’s show solidarity, even if we sometimes lack elements of understanding. Let us love, for the Lord first loved us. Nations, rejoice with his people.272
Israel proof of a living God,
Israel witnesses to an acting God,
Israel proof of a God who remembers his covenant.
You will say on that day: I praise you, O Lord!
For you were angry with me, and your anger was appeased, and you comforted me.
Behold, God is my deliverance,
I’ll be full of confidence and fear nothing;
For the Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my praise;
He’s the one who saved me.
You will gladly draw water from the springs of salvation,
And you will say on that day: Praise the Lord, call upon his name,
Publish his works among the peoples,
Remember the greatness of his name!
Celebrate the Lord, for he has done magnificent things:
Let them be known throughout the world!
Shout for joy and gladness, inhabitant of Zion!
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst.273
For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob,
He will choose Israel again, and restore them to their land.
Foreigners will join them,
And they will unite with the house of Jacob.274
Behold, he who guards Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.275