Since I was a boy, I have been aware that Jews were different. I am not sure anyone ever explained to me exactly how or why they were different but the fact remains that I knew that they were. By the time I had reached my formative years, I had also become aware that because of this difference, Jews had been universally and continuously persecuted for millennia. I resolved to find out why this people had been so singled out.
The questions then boiled down to these: (1) if the Jew is different, what is it about him that makes him so and (2) if he is different, what is there about this difference that engenders so much hatred and violence in others?
I was deep into these questions without much resolution, when suddenly one evening, unheralded, a thought moved from the deep recesses of my subconscious to the forefront of my mind. It came in the form of a dream.
In that dream, I was on a street lined on both sides with neat dwellings, one adjacent to the other. I stopped in front of one, and then quite inexplicably, walked up to the door and knocked. A man answered. I could hear the sounds of children in the house behind him.
ACT I
Me: Good evening, sir.
He: Good evening. Can I help you?
Me: I am conducting a survey. May I ask you a few questions?
He: That would depend on the nature of the questions, I suppose, and the time required of me to answer them.
Me: It won't take very long.
He: Very well then, what would you like to ask me?
Me: Are you Jewish?
He: Yes, I am.
Me: Do you have children?
He: Yes, I have three children, two boys and a girl.
Me: You must love your children very much.
He: Yes, I do.
Me: Tell me, if one of your children were more gifted than the others, would you treat that child in a special manner?
He: I am not certain I understand the question.
Me: If one of your children had a gift that far exceeded the gifts of your other children - say one of them was a magnificently talented violinist - would you find yourself treating that child differently from the others?
He: Differently? No I would not. That would be most unfair.
Me: Why would it be unfair? After all, is not the child who is the most gifted also to be considered better than the others?
He: No, he is not. Your question has two parts one that is true and one that is not true. What is true is that one of the children may be more gifted than the others; what is not true is that this would make that child better than the others.
Me: His unique talent wouldn't make him better than the others in your eyes?
He: No it would not. He is to be complimented for his achievement, certainly. But he is to receive neither more nor less love and concern and attention than that which is given to all my children equally.
Me: And his special talent?
He: Is to be acclaimed and encouraged. That has nothing to do with the love and attention that I give to all my children. That is given unequivocally to each of my children in equal parts for I love them equally.
Me: And to do less would be injurious to their welfare?
He: Certainly. To place one above the other with respect to parental love and attention would be to invite dire consequences.
Me: Really, in what way would this invite dire consequences?
He: Why, in time the other two would turn on the favored one.
Me: Really? You really think so?
He: I know so. To single one out for special considerations would in time make the others both jealous and envious and would, if left uncorrected, eventually cause the two to turn against the one.
Me: My word! So you are saying to single out one member of the group for special praise -
He: could result in the others turning on him.
Me: Violently?
He: It could happen. It would depend on circumstances of course, how deeply the divide is allowed to grow, how often this treatment of the one would continue - all factors that would be at work. But I say the love of the parent is desired and required by each of the Father's children and to give it lavishly to one at the expense of the others is to invite very serious trouble.
Me: I find this to be both informative and instructive. Particularly where you say: "to give it lavishly to one at the expense of the others is to invite very serious trouble" You mean among the siblings?
He: Absolutely.
Me: I thank you, sir. You have been most helpful.
I turned from the door contemplating in great earnestness what had been told to me by this Jewish Father. To give preference to one child, he had said, over the others, would endanger not only the relationship of parent to children but also the relationship of child to child. He seemed most certain of that.
It was a lesson integral to the very foundation of family, to the bonding of parent and child and of child with child. It was the cornerstone of the family that all would share equally in the love and attention of the parents. There should be none that are greater and none that are lesser in the eyes of the parents who should love them all equally.
I pondered this gravely and in no way could I find a dispute with what had been told to me. Parental love and attention were the sun and the rain that caused the offspring to grow straight and true as all parents desire. Deprivations that are experienced equally by all the members of the family could be dealt with as long as the family faced them in unison. But let one receive more sun and more rain while another receives less, and that at the hands of a parent, and emotions could be unleashed that would threaten the vary fabric of the family.
At that moment, a thought occurred to me that caused me to turn back to the house in question. Once again I opened the gate and walked to the front door. Hesitantly, I knocked. The man opened the door and stared at me.
ACT II
He: Oh, it's you again. Did you forget something?
Me: No, to be honest I did not. But I did think of a question or two that I had failed to put to you. With your permission I will do so now.
He: Well, I don't know. We are getting the children ready for bed and -
Me: But I won't be long. And this is important.
He: Very well, but can you keep it brief?
Me: I will most assuredly do so.
He: Very well. < He closes the door and steps outside >
. You may proceed.
Me: Thank you. Are you a religious man?
He: Yes. My family and I attend synagogue regularly.
Me: Wonderful. And do you read the Hebrew Bible often?
He: Yes, very often. Why?
Me: Do you sometimes teach in Bible classes?
He: Yes I do, how did you know that?
Me: I didn't. I just surmised. Do you know many Bible stories?
He: Most of them, I guess, why do you ask? Is there one in particular that interests you?
Me: < musing > well, yes there is. If you know it, I would love to hear it from you who are a teacher of religion to children.
He: I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but what story is it?
Me: It is the story of Adam and Eve. Do you know that one?
He: Well, of course. Everyone knows that one. Adam and Eve were our first parents.
Me: I have heard that. And did they have children?
He: As a matter of fact, they had a number of children over the years -
Me: Were any more famous than the others?
He: Well, yes, I would say so.
Me: And who would that be?
He: Well, I supposed their first two sons would be the best known; Cain and Abel.
Me: Yes, those names are familiar to me. Didn't one of the two kill the other?
He: Yes that's true. It was very sad. Cain killed Abel in a jealous rage.
Me: My, my, that is dreadful, one brother killing the other. They must have had a terrible argument.
He: Well no, not really -.
Me: But then, what happened?
He: Well, according to the scripture, the two sons were about to offer gifts to God, the Father.
Me: Gifts, what kind of gifts? Where would they come from?
He: Well they really didn't have very much so Cain decided to pick various fruits and produce that he had raised in his gardens -
Me: What a wonderful idea!
He: Well, he thought so. Abel, on the other hand, worked with the animals, so he picked a very fine young animal and sacrificed it and brought it to the Lord.
Me: Well yes, I have heard that they liked that in those times.
He: You heard right. God loved the animal sacrifice -
Me: But what about Cain's gift of the fruit and produce that he grew himself? Was the Lord happy with Cain's gift?
He: < contemplative > Well - no, as it turned out he wasn't.
Me: Really? How could that be?
He: I have no idea. The Bible says that God loved the gift from Abel but didn't like Cain's gift at all.
Me: That's awful! Lucky Cain didn't hear that. He would have been crushed with disappointment at his failure to please the Lord God, his Father.
He: But that's the problem. Cain DID hear it. God let him see his disappointment in the fruits and produce. He made no attempt to hide it.
Me: < saddened > Oh my, that's not good. Cain must have been terribly hurt...
He: Yes he was, but more than that. He was also angry and jealous and envious - emotions that tore him apart. He couldn't let it go.
Me: Couldn't let it go? What do you mean by that?
He: Cain went out to the field and waited for his brother to come out.
Me: Oh dear!
He: Yes, and when Able came out, Cain, in a seething rage, killed him!
Me: He killed his own brother!
He: He killed his own brother. So great was his hurt and anger that it blinded him with fury and I am sure without knowing what he was doing, he killed his brother!
Me: That's horrible! To think that a brother would do that to his own blood sibling - it's unforgivable!
He: Well - I'm not sure I'd go that far.
Me: Not go that far? Why in the world not? The young man killed his only brother -
He: I know but I don't think he meant it.
Me: Not meant it? Than why did he do it? Was it an accident?
He: No, it wasn't an accident. He waited outside for his brother to come out and he killed him.
Me: Then how can you say you don't think he meant it?
He: I think he wasn't himself?
Me: In what way wasn't Cain himself?
He: He was stricken ill with hatred brought on by envy and disappointment and jealousy. I think it just build up until it poured out of him in this act of rage.
Me: Brought on by what?
He: Brought on by God's rejection of the gift he worked so hard to bring to Him.
Me: Are you saying that it was GOD who was to blame for Abel's murder?
He: < sobering reflection > Yes, yes I guess I am. It was God who was wrong. It was He who brought about this terrible tragedy. Even if he did like the animal sacrifice better, He should never have let Cain see that. He could have - no, He should have - treated Cain's gift with the same respect as he did Abel's. There was no reason to humiliate Cain. He made one of his children feel very special but at the expense of the other. His favoritism brought about this murder.
Me: You really think so?
He: I am certain of it. Had God treated both his children the same, this would never have happened. But when one child is elevated to a lofty position at the expense of the other, nothing but bad things can happen.
Me: You have been very enlightening. I will go and reflect on what you have taught me. If one is made to feel greater at the expense of another, the other may well rise up against him.
He: That is exactly right.
Me: Thank you for your time. It is greatly appreciated. Goodnight.
He: Goodnight. < He goes inside and closes the door >
In my dream, I walked into the night and wandered into a clearing. There, in the middle of the clearing, was a small schoolhouse. I walked to the door and knocked. A man answered. He had the appearance of a Jewish Rabbi.
ACT III
He: Good evening.
Me: Good evening. What is this place?
He: It is a schoolhouse.
Me: Here in the middle of a forest?
He: Yes, it is here where it has needs to be.
Me: Who is inside?
He: Rabbi's.
Me: What do they do here?
He: They are here to learn the answer to the most important question of their lives.
Me: What is that question?
He: Why have the Jews been persecuted around the world for three thousand years?
Me: But that is the question the answer to which I have been seeking.
He: And have you found it?
Me: Yes, I think I have.
He: Then that is why we are here in this clearing. We have been waiting for you.
Me: I have arrived.
He: Please, come in.
He stepped aside and I preceded him into the one-room schoolhouse. Inside, it was shadowy but I could make out the forms of six bearded men. The one who followed me spoke now to those who waited.
He: He for whom we have come, has arrived.
< They nodded and sat there, waiting >
He: You may begin when you are ready, Teacher. Why have we Jews been persecuted around the world, these three thousand years?
Me: Because you are hated by all.
He: But why are we hated? What have we done to those who hate us so?
Me: You have denigrated them.
He: How have we done that?
Me: Do you know the story of Cain and Abel?
He: Yes of course, Cain killed Abel in a jealous rage.
Me: Yes. And what was it that brought about that rage?
He: God preferred Abel's gift to Cain's.
Me: Yes. Killing Abel was Cain's outward manifestation of the anger and hate and envy and jealousy that he felt for his brother. Cain felt that God loved Abel more than he loved him. Being made to feel that he was lessor in God's eyes than his brother Abel, he turned on his brother in a rage and slew him. His was a crime of passion but not a crime with evil intent. It was a crime of passion born more of envy than of malice.
He: You are saying that it was because God made Cain feel unloved and unwanted that he turned on his brother and slew him?
Me: Yes that is what I am saying.
He: That Cain reached out and struck down the chosen one - the one who was at the center of his discontent - his brother, Abel?
Me: Exactly.
There was a deep silence in the room. For a long moment, no one spoke. Than one of the Rabbi's in the back, stood up. His voice was husky with passion and a newawareness.
He: Teacher, are you are saying to us here that the reason the Jews have been persecuted for three millennia is because God said they were His favorite children, His chosen ones, chosen above all others?
Me: Yes that is what I am saying. In the Hebrew Bible, there are many references to the fact that the Jews are God's favorites.
He: And so they are.
Me: There are stories such as Passover where it is said the God came down and took the lives of all the Egyptian first born, destroying these others of his children so his most favored children - the Jews - could leave Egypt.
He: God is our benefactor.
Me: He even gave his permission for 'His people' to assault the city of Jerusalem calling it their "promised land" notwithstanding the fact that people lived in that city and had lived in that city for thousands of years. It didn't matter to God. God gave this city to his favorite children, the Jews. But they first had to kill those who resided therein which Saul did with God's blessing. For God had given this city to his chosen people.
He: But He did! We know that he did!
Me: Did he? And if He did and there were none to see except the Jews, nothing would have come of it. But as luck would have it, the rest of the world found the Hebrew Bible and believing it to be the word of God took it as their own. When this happened, they too became God's children and that is how they desired to think of themselves.
He: But if they accepted his teaching they were indeed God's children!
Me: Were they? The Good Book doesn't say that. The Good Book says over and over that you - the Jews - are the "chosen ones" - that you are God's favorites - and that all God's other children are as nothing in the eyes of the Lord God Jehovah.
He: But they are still God's children!
Me: Not if you read the Hebrew Bible. If you read, you will see that the Jews are everything and the other of God's children amount to less than nothing.
There is a long pause then the bearded one speaks hesitantly.
He: Then you are saying that we - the Jewish people - are Abel?
Me: Yes, the Jewish people are Abel.
He: And the rest of the world - the Christians - they are Cain?
Me: Yes, the rest of the Christian world is Cain - envious and resentful, angry and hurt over being the lesser in their Father's eyes.
Me: As Cain struck Abel - so have the Christians struckthe Jews. Had Abel risen up and said to the Lord: "Look at the marvelous gifts brought to you by my brother Cain whom I love", nothing else would have been needed. But he did not. Instead he puffed up with vanity and went into the yard little expecting what he found there.
He: And we?
Me: In much the same way did the Jews puff up with arrogance and vanity that THEY were God's chosen ones, that He preferred them above all others including his other children, and in that vein did they walk into the world, little expecting what they found there. If God's children are to live in peace and harmony, there can be no favorites in His eyes. One cannot be greater nor one lesser. God must be the Father equally to all. The scripture must teach this.
He: Then you are saying Teacher that the Jews brought this reign of terror down upon themselves?
Me: Yes. By their Biblical arrogance, insisting that they are better than everyone else in God's eyes, did the Jews invite the wrath of God's other children upon their homes and families.
He: Teacher? Is there no rectification possible?
Me: The situation is untenable but not impossible.
He: What then must we do?
Me: If the children of God are to live in peace one with the other, the Jews must throw open their arms and welcome ALL of God's children into His house as equal with themselves in His eyes, there to dwell together in His blessed beneficence. There can be none that is greater and none that is lessor, for all must be children of God united in love with the Father and He with them. Only then will peace reign. It is up to the Jews.
He: Are you saying the Hebrew Bible must be re-interpreted in order that all of God's children be accepted as equal in His eyes?
Me: You have said it.
He: Let it be done.
Ended.
Joey
