The Jewish people are a rare anomaly. The very fact that we exist cannot be a mere quirk in the history of nations. There must be something spiritual, indeed supernatural, about the Jewish people. Back in 1899, American essayist Mark Twain famously marveled at how much the Jew had achieved and how he had outlasted so many mightier armies and empires “with his hands tied behind him.” He concluded his essay, “Concerning the Jews,” with the words, “All things are mortal but the Jew … . What is the secret of his immortality?”
I’ve often wondered whether we Jews are proud of who we are and what we represent, or whether we suffer from an inferiority complex. Yes, of course, we have so much to be proud of, but it seems that we need regular reminders and doses of encouragement to keep us going. And if that praise comes from non-Jews, so much the better!
This week’s Torah portion, Balak, tells the dramatic tale of King Balak of Moab being petrified of the Israelites as they march on their way to the Promised Land. If they could defeat the mighty armies of King Sichon, leader of the Amorites, and King Og of Bashan, what chance did Moab have of standing up to Israel?
In an out-of-the-box idea, King Balak hires the heathen prophet Balaam to put a curse on the Jews. Balaam is acknowledged to be a master at that. His curses were devastatingly powerful. But, this time, whenever Balaam opens his mouth to curse the Jews, out come the most beautiful praises of Israel, some of which have even made it into our daily prayers.
The Talmud (Brachot 12b) states that our great sages considered adding these passages of the story of Balak and Balaam into the text of the Shema prayer. But in the end, they decided it was too long and would be a “burden on the congregation.”
What made the sages consider this idea in the first place? It has been suggested that the sages thought it might serve as an encouragement to the Jews. The recital of the Shema is our regular acceptance of the authority of Almighty God. Twice daily, we commit to His sovereignty and His service. Perhaps remembering how God protected us from those terribly potent curses of Balaam would serve as an inspirational motivation to dedicate ourselves to our Divine mission.
Upon further reflection, however, the sages decided against including this story in the Shema. Why? “Because it would be a burden on the congregation?” The simple explanation here is that it’s quite a long story and would take too much time to recite every day.
Really? If something is worthy of such exalted consideration as to become part of our nation’s most famous prayer, does another minute or two justify its omission?
May I suggest that when the sages spoke of a “burden on the congregation,” it wasn’t an issue of time. We recite the Amidah three times a day, and it’s much longer than the Shema. Clearly, time was not the problem. What was?
The fact that we need a non-Jew’s praise as encouragement to commit ourselves to God is burdensome, even painful. It hurts. Yes, it’s nice to hear such praise from others now and then. Admittedly, we do feel good when we hear it from a non-Jew. But do we need it every single day, morning and evening? Surely, that would be too much.
I think the sages were telling us something very pertinent for our times. Don’t rely on other people’s admiration or praise of Israel or the Jewish people. Yes, we do enjoy it and even get a kick out of it when it does happen, but don’t become reliant on it. What Israel has done for the world recently and in the last decades is awesome and momentous.
Has it always been recognized and appreciated? Definitely not. Sometimes, yes, and then only by some. Whether it was taking in and successfully absorbing persecuted Ethiopians, people from the former Soviet Union or Jews from Arab countries, hardly anyone gave us a pat on the back. And this is while all the many Arab nations steadfastly refuse to take in even a single Palestinian!
Did anyone congratulate Israel on providing innovative water solutions for the agricultural needs of so many African countries? Or incredible advancements in medicine and technology, which have improved the whole world? I must have missed the global applause. All we ever hear at the United Nations is condemnation after condemnation of Israel for having the chutzpah to defend itself!
Believe me, I deeply appreciate people like British journalist Douglas Murray, a non-Jew who has become one of the chief defenders of Israel in the world. God bless him! He now describes himself as an “Honorary Jew.” I happily concur and wish there were more like him.
That said, we Jews must not come to depend on his arguments in our defense. Even if no one at all came to help us, we should still be strong and proud of the justice of our cause; the morality of the Israel Defense Forces; and the honor, integrity and credibility of our political leadership. We should not require other people to defend, praise or compliment us. We should be strong and confident enough in our mission and purpose without needing anyone else to bolster our feelings of self-worth, pride and dignity.
Let’s not base our Judaism or our Jewish identity on the opinions of others. If we do, we may be bitterly disappointed. We do what we do, not for any awards or acclaim, but because it is the right thing to do. We will continue to do so. We are the people of God, the People of the Book, and the people whose calling and destiny is eternal.
And that, Mr. Twain, is the secret of our immortality.