Lee Diamond – Masada : Can these bones live?
Masada is considered one of our most significant national monuments.
As a teacher and guide with groups from Israel and abroad the greatest experience was to be present when IAF jets soared and ” winked” at us from overhead in their frequent flights through the Jordan Valley. What a feeling of power this provided us with!
Children celebrate their coming of age at a bar/bat mitzvah on Masada!
Young Israeli soldiers are often sworn in to the IDF here at this desert mountain.
School groups make pilgrimages to this historical shrine.
Sometimes couples will stand under a marriage “Chuppah” here.
The story of Masada is a national legend–a legend of bravery and ultimate commitment to the land of Israel and the Jewish people. It is a story of Jews who refused to compromise with Rome and who ultimately chose Kiddush HaShem (martyrdom) over all other options. They might have survived by surrender and captivity; they might have marched as captives under the Arch of Titus in chains in Rome; they could have fought till their death against the power of the Roman legions surrounding the desert Fortress-
But they chose a “glorious” death by their own hand rather than suffer defeat or slavery by the hand of Rome.
Is this the exemplary model for our future as Israeli Jews?
Is this the tale of bravery and an image of pride that we want to maintain as a thriving Israeli nation?
Do we truly wish to glorify martyrdom?
Is Kiddush HaShem a value to be cherished and taught to our sons and daughters?
Is standing firm and rejecting all compromise a Jewish value that we hold dearly?
There is a national adage which states: שנית מצדה לא תיפול
which means that “Masada will never fall again.” Clearly this statement is an antithesis or rejection of the legend of Masada. In its simplest form these words mean that Israel must never allow itself to reach a position of weakness in which we will have to face the few options available to us at Masada!
Or perhaps there is another lesson to be learned from this declaration.
The lesson of strength through compromise.
A lesson which lauds both physical strength and the need to survive creatively.
A lesson which embraces the concept of בקש שלום ורדפיהו — aggressively searching for and uncompromisingly reaching out for peace even when it appears most unreachable.
According to the story of Masada, the archeologists who unearthed the famous Geniza, attached to the synagogue, found a very worn fragment of parchment upon which were the handwritten letters of a scribe quoting from Ezekiel chapter 37:
A parchment that was so worn from constant use and reading:
The Valley of Dry Bones
Can these bones live? asks the prophet.
The answer to Ezekiel’s vision is a resounding YES!
And we came together bone to bone, sinew to sinew, flesh to flesh
And we became
An exceedingly great nation
AND WE LIVED
AND WE LIVE
Masada teaches us to cherish life.
Rabbi Lee Diamond, is based in Israel and began his unique rabbinate as an Israel Educator for the Diaspora. Rabbi Diamond has served as director of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and Associate Director of the Israel office of the UJR and NFTY Israel programs. He has dedicated his life to sharing the Israel he loves and creating an educational experiences for everyone visiting Israel. Rabbi Diamond’s philosophy: Israel is the stage on which I want to act out the drama of the Jewish people, its creative survival, and to affect people’s lives. When we see each other our discussion always seems to find its way to the ever changing political situation in Israel. In the end of course we come around to what is dear to the hearts of both of us: the importance of emphasizing Jewish values and ethics in our society.
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