GOOD MORNING! This week marks 180 days – six months – since the horrors and atrocities of October 7th. The unspeakable acts of cruelty and wanton evil that were committed on October 7th should forevermore remain etched in the minds and seared into the souls of peace-loving people everywhere.

Yet, here we are with the memory of that day quickly fading. When the State of Israel declared war on the animals of Hamas who committed those crimes against the very essence of humanity, there was a general world-wide consensus that obliterating Hamas and eradicating them at their very roots was the right thing to do. Nobody thought it would be quick or easy, and it has proven to be even more complicated than anticipated.

In the last six months the leaders of Hamas have turned their cruelty on their own people – hoping to obfuscate what is really taking place in Gaza. From stealing foreign aid to diverting critical life support systems of fuel, water, and electricity to support their “war” on the State of Israel, they have managed to portray Israel as the aggressor in this situation. They have literally created a famine and an ongoing humanitarian crisis among their own people to further their lies through media manipulation.

Unfortunately, they are finding success. Fissures have begun to form in the support of even the staunchest of Israel's allies. Just last week the US, after vetoing three prior UN resolutions demanding a ceasefire, abstained from the latest resolution and – shock of all shocks – it passed. Also last week, a State Department official made a VERY public display of her resignation to protest US support of Israel.

This situation is intolerable. We mustn’t let the world forget that Israel is the victim here and that their only goal in this war is to get back the hostages and eliminate an enemy foresworn to destroy of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. We must do whatever we can to remind the world of the realities of the situation and that they should not be conned by the antisemitic media or those on the far left who would happily welcome the destruction of the State of Israel. What can you do?

The Orthodox Union (aka the “OU”), the largest organization of Orthodox Jewish congregations in the world, has become a very powerful advocacy group on behalf of the entirety of the Jewish people. The OU has come up with an innovative way of marking the 180 days since the atrocities of October 7th – they intend to hand deliver 180,000 signed letters supporting the war in Gaza to President Biden and to a White House that seems to be in turmoil. Yes, this initiative is called 180 for 180.

The vast majority of readers of this column are either non-Orthodox Jews or non-Jews (I am actually quite proud of the diversity of our readership: the fact that so many disparate people come together each week to study a bit of the Almighty’s wisdom and His message of morality for the world is a powerful statement of hope for the future of humanity). I encourage EVERYONE who reads this column to participate in this worthy endeavor. You can join this initiative at https://go.talmudicu.edu/e/983191/180/jv18n/719595700/h/ttb8te2UH_yGgl22M1aS5BHtNJLu9RHMHRSZa92NFVU or join the Shabbat Shalom Fax of Life Team at tinyurl.com/180-for-180. In addition, please share with friends, on social media, and through other organizations – church, synagogue, work – you can make a difference!

Of course, there is also a powerful message related to the horrors of October 7th in the always relevant Torah portion. Toward the end of this week’s Torah reading, we find the laws of kosher. In the discussion of the laws, the Torah tells us that a kosher animal must chew its cud and have split hooves, and that fish must have fins and scales. But the Torah doesn’t give any signs for what constitutes kosher fowl. Instead, the Torah takes the extraordinary step of providing a long list of birds that the Jewish people are prohibited from eating. In fact, the Torah lists twenty-four classes of non-kosher birds.

Why does the Torah prohibit eating certain birds? The great medieval Spanish scholar known as Nachmanides (in his comments on Leviticus 11:13) explains that these fowl are birds of prey, and he suggests that if one eats predatory birds, one will become predisposed towards cruelty. Nachmanides observes that the act of consuming them could lead to an integration of some of their characteristic cruelty – sort of a medieval version of “you are what you eat.”

One of these birds is called “racham.” The Talmud (Chullin 63b) explains why it was given that name: “Once the racham descends it brings compassion (‘rachamim’) to the world.” However, this would seem like a positive attribute. How does this conform to Nachmanides’ assertion that these birds exhibit cruelty and that is the reason their consumption is prohibited?

We find in the midrash (Koheles Rabbah 7:16) a fascinating aphorism: R’ Simon ben Lakish says, “One who becomes merciful instead of cruel will ultimately become cruel instead of merciful, as it is written, ‘And Nob, the city of priests, he smote with the edge of a sword’” (I Samuel 22:19).

As with much of rabbinic literature, a concept that would ordinarily require three or four sentences to convey, the sages saw fit to shorten to one or two sentences. The axiom of life that Rabbi Simon ben Lakish is teaching is that if one acts with compassion towards a cruel person, then he will ultimately become cruel himself in a situation that requires a compassionate and merciful approach. This life-truth is borne out by the verse he quotes but, like much of rabbinic literature, a complete understanding of the backstory is necessary to fully comprehend what our sages are trying to impart to us. This teaching is referring to two particular stories in the life of the first king of the Jewish people – King Saul.

In the first, the prophet Samuel conveyed to Saul that God had decided that the time had come to eliminate the archenemy of the Jewish people – the nation of Amalek (see I Samuel Chapter 15). He was commanded to utterly obliterate them, including all men, women, and children – even their cattle and all their belongings. Saul and his army went to war with the Amalekites and decimated them and almost completely obliterated them. Out of compassion, Saul spared the animals and the Amalekite king – Agag..

The Almighty was very displeased with Saul’s failure to follow His command, and informed Samuel that for this reason Saul (and his sons) would eventually lose the right to reign. The next day, the prophet Samuel informed the king of God’s displeasure, and he himself slayed the Amalekite king saying; “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.”

The second story that the midrash refers to is the time that King Saul shamefully and mercilessly wiped out the Jewish inhabitants of the city of Nob. This city was located near Jerusalem in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin and many of the cohanim (those of the priestly caste who ministered in the Temple) lived there. Nob was home to so many cohanim that it became known as “The City of Cohanim” (I Samuel 22:19).

At one point, King Saul decided that David (who eventually succeeded him as king) deserved to die. David fled to the city of Nob – but didn’t tell them that he was on the run, rather, he told them that he was on a secret mission for the king. The priest Achimelech provided him with food, supplies, and some weapons.

But David was spotted by Doeg the Edomite who promptly informed King Saul. King Saul summoned all the priests of Nob and accused them of conspiring against the throne. Achimelech, who had acted innocently in providing David with supplies, knew nothing of the king’s displeasure and proclaimed the truth: “Your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair!”

However, King Saul would not listen to reason, and he ordered all the priests of Nob to be killed: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me” (I Samuel 22:17). Fearing God more than the king, none of Saul’s guards would raise their swords against their fellow Jews, so Doeg the Edomite massacred all the priests. However, he didn’t stop there; included in the massacre were all the priests’ families and all the people in the city of Nob, including men, women, children, and livestock.

On this, the midrash proclaims that King Saul, who was compassionate on Agag, the cruel king of Amalek, and spared his life, became cruel by blithely ordering the massacre of all the cohanim of Nob – the compassionate and peace-loving priestly caste of the Jewish people. What is the meaning of this midrash? Why does being compassionate to a cruel person lead one to being cruel to someone who deserves compassion?

The answer lies in understanding the negative trait of the bird known as racham. In Aramaic the word racham means to love. Love is a recognition of a commonality, and this creates a desire to be connected to the object of our love. The racham descends into the world with blanket compassion, bestowing compassion even on an object that is not deserving of compassion. The racham is therefore compassionate even on cruel beings, even though it recognizes the cruelty.

In other words, it has no innate aversion to cruelty because it has itself a characteristic of cruelty and that is why it is forbidden to eat. This is what the midrash is referring to; King Saul also contained an element of cruelty within him. That is why he was able to be compassionate to the cruel king of Amalek. This innate cruelty was later revealed in his terrible actions towards the cohanim of Nob and illustrated why Saul was undeserving of the kingship.

We must never forget the abject cruelty of Hamas. But we must also remember the absolute callousness of the Palestinians people – who can possibly forget the images of the joy and celebration among the Palestinian populace on October 7th? Or their disgusting public derision of the hostages who were beaten, tortured, and slaughtered? The locals laughed and spat on the innocent and horribly violated women and on the bodies of the dead that were hauled back as trophies. The animals of Hamas brazenly live-streamed their atrocities and called their relatives while committing the acts, knowing how proud they would be! But the “civilians” have been more than complicit; holding hostages in their own homes, staving and otherwise mistreating them.

It is a sick culture of innate cruelty – it is no wonder that what goes around comes around. Now they too are suffering at the hands of Hamas. We must never let the world forget the atrocities of October 7th! Go to tinyurl.com/180-for-180 to join the Shabbat Shalom Fax of Life Team and show your support for good and justice by participating in this important endeavor.

Shemini, Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47

Concluding the seven days of inauguration for the Mishkan (Portable Sanctuary), Aaron, the High Priest, brings sacrifices for himself and the entire nation. Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aaron, bring an incense offering of their own initiative, and are consumed by a heavenly fire (perhaps the only time when someone did something wrong and was immediately struck by “lightning”).