Szíria és Yom Kippur

Syria & Yom Kippur

Now is the time to take responsibility, no matter how difficult it may be.

by Rabbi Shraga Simmons

Those who voice objection to the strike insist that the United States “should not be the world’s policeman.”

Many Americans would prefer that the United Nations step in. But that body has been rendered impotent by a bloc of Arab, Muslim and dictatorial Third World forces who give automatic license to autocrats.

NATO, the European Union, British Parliament, and the Arab League have proven equally feckless.

It seems the entire world is running away from responsibility.

In such situations, Jewish wisdom states a clear imperative:

“In a place where no one is taking responsibility, strive to take responsibility” (Mishnah – Avos 2:6).

When the world is descending into chaos, we do not have the option of standing idly by. We have to be the adult in the room who stands up and says that evil behavior will not be tolerated.

As the president himself stated:

„Make no mistake – this has implications beyond chemical warfare. If we won’t enforce accountability in the face of this heinous act, what does it say about our resolve to stand up to others who flout fundamental international rules?”

This is much deeper than just the Middle East. This is a defining moment for America to reaffirm itself as a civilizing force in the world.

Jonah’s Flight

It is no coincidence that (due to a Congressional recess for the High Holidays) this 10-day debate falls out precisely during the Ten Days of Teshuva – the days of clarifying our priorities and committing ourselves to taking responsibility.

At the afternoon service of Yom Kippur we read the biblical Book of Jonah – the classic tale of flight from responsibility.

God sends Jonah to confront a moral evil in the city of Nineveh. Yet Jonah finds it uncomfortable to deal with, so he flees in the opposite direction via boat, and ends up in the belly of a huge fish.

This was God’s way of getting Jonah to introspect, to realize his mistake of focusing on the uncomfortable aspect of the mission. Jonah scrutinized all the consequences, and concluded that no matter how difficult it may be, taking action was the only way to achieve the maximum good. He realized that at the end of the end, you can never run away from doing the right thing.

Eventually, by agreeing to take responsibility, Jonah was able to save the population of an entire large city (Jonah 3:10)