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.
Rabbi Lee Diamond
This was originally written during the 2nd intifada and is still relevant today.
Two Words of Warning before Every Battle
We must teach our soldiers to remember two sources when they go out to fight our enemies:
1. When Jacob heard that Esau was coming, it says: “And Jacob was greatly frightened and distressed” (Genesis 32:8) and the midrash explains: “frightened – lest he be killed; and distressed – lest he kill” (Genesis Rabbah 76:2; cf. Ginzey Schechter, vol. 1, p. 60 and Rashi on the verse).
2. When Israel left Egypt “the angels wanted to sing. Said God: “My handiwork [=the Egyptians] are drowning in the sea — and you are singing?!”(Megillah 10b).
A Jew Must Share in the Distress of the Community
We have learned in Ta’anit fol. 11a:
Rabbi Lee Diamond
Our Rabbis have taught: When Israel is in trouble and one of them separates himself from them, then the two ministering angels who accompany every man come and place their hands upon his head and say, ‘So-and-so who separated himself from the community shall not behold the consolation of the community’. Another Baraita [Tannaitic source from ca. 200 c.e.] taught: When the community is in trouble let not a man say ‘I will go to my house and I will eat and drink and all will be well with me.’ For of him who does so Scripture says, “And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine – Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die (Isaiah 22:13).”…But rather a man should share in the distress of the community, for so we find that Moses, our teacher, shared in the distress of the community, as it is said, “But Moses’ hands were heavy, and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon (Exodus 17:12).” Did not then Moses have a bolster or a cushion to sit on? This is then what Moses meant to convey, “As the Israelites are in distress, I too will share with them. He who shares in the distress of the community will merit to behold its consolation”. Perhaps a man will say, “who is there to testify against me? The very stones of his house and its beams testify against him…In the school of R. Sheila it was taught: The two ministering angels who accompany every man testify against him…R. Hidka says: A man’s own soul testifies against him… And some say: A man’s own limbs testify against him…
The message of this passage is clear: when Jews or the State of Israel are in trouble, other Jews must share in their distress by taking part in solidarity missions and demonstrations and by donating tzedakah in order to help those in distress. Some cynics say that missions and demonstrations are a waste of time; they are not. They give encouragement to the Jews of Israel who are constantly criticized by the United Nations and many countries and they strengthen the Jewish identity of the participants. During the past few weeks, Schechter students and staff have donated food and toys to communities near Gaza and hosted families and children who sought respite from the rocket attacks. This is at it should be. Jews must share in the distress of the community.
Rabbi Lee Diamond
