From Evil to Good

It is difficult to make sense of the recent terror attack at the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva in which a lone terrorist murdered eight young men — boys, really — as they sat and studied Torah.  How are we to understand such a tragedy.  Maybe someday someone will look back and find some solace in the fact that although the terrorist fired nearly 600 rounds of ammunition at the scores of unarmed students, ‘only’ eight were killed?  But certainly that is of little comfort today to the grief-stricken families of the victims; nor is it a silver lining of any great worth to their fellow students who hid helplessly as the murderer finished one clip of ammunition only to refill his weapon and seek new prey.

And, of course, what makes this tragedy even more difficult to comprehend is the fact that it took place on Rosh Chodesh Adar - the first of the month of Adar.  This is a time, according to Talmud, in which one’s life is to ‘increase in joy.’  Not only do we celebrate this new month with song and dance — as the boys in the Yeshiva had planned to do just a little while later that fateful night — but we actually are supposed to undertake tangible actions to express our faith in the extra joy contained within this month.  For example, according to the Talmud in Ta’anit, one should try to schedule his/her court dates during this month, for it is an auspicious time during which one will most likely be successful.  Also, if one is considering a new business venture, now is the time, our sages tell us, to take the chance.  One will be rewarded, for the month of Adar is time a great joy and good fortune for the Jewish people.

SO AGAIN, HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT TOOK PLACE THE OTHER NIGHT? 

On a theological level, I don’t think we can, as least not now.  When the Jews completed the mishkan (tabernacle) in the desert, God provided the with a cloud to help guide them as they moved from place to place.  The Netivot Shalom notes that the mishkan is symbolic of our individual lives as well, and the cloud is symbolic of uncertainty and doubt.  Why, then, did God choose a cloud as the means to help direct us?  Because, the Netivot Shalom suggests, even when we are moving in the right direction, even when we are doing the will of God, it is possible that we will be surrounded by a cloud of uncertainty and doubt.  

This inability to comprehend the events of the other night, however, is on a theological level.  On a practical level, we know exactly what we are to do.  It is the same thing that Jews have done throughout the millenia; it is the same thing that had enabled us to survive in every generation and overcome every obstacle.

We must turn the evil into good.

***

When the Talmud says “for one who enters the month of Adar, joy is increased,” what does it mean?  After all, a Jew has an obligation to be joyous all year long.  True  joy, after all, is not meant to be a product of a charmed life, one in which suffereing and pain never visits a person.  One is not meant to wait for the right circumstances to be happy.  Rather, true joy — or in Hebrew, simcha — should emanate from a conscious decision to be aware of God and the goodness God showers upon the world.  And that awareness must not be dependent on external factors; it is, after all, nothing less than faith in God.   

So if we are always to be joyous, if we are always to see God and God’s goodness, what does it mean to say that Adar brings an increase in joy?

One must remember that the month of Adar was not always a time a great celebration for Jews.  Indeed, it was the time during which Haman planned to murder our entire people.  It was, therefore, originally a period of great evil.  But as we all know, and as we will read about during Purim, this evil was transformed (nahaphoch hu) into goodness.

That is what the Talmud means by ‘increase in joy.’  Yes, we are always to be filled with joy, always able to appreciate the goodness around us.  However, we should also be aware that there is higher level of joy as well — and that’s when we cannot see the good around us because there is tremendous evil blocking it, but rather than giving up, we transform that evil into good.  The joy that emanates from that experience is an increase in the joy we normally feel.

The month of Adar, therefore, is not simply about being happy.  It is about taking the evil in the world and making something good out of it.

***

And that is what we must do with regards to the tragedy the other night.  And to be sure, the attack the other night was an unmitigated tragedy.  There is no sugar coating the absolute carnage that took place, nor ignoring the pain one ought to be feeling in its aftermath.  However, there is tragedy without meaning, and there is tragedy that can produce meaning.  As the survivors, it is our obligation to ensure that something good is produced as a result of this tragedy.

And we must do so for (at least) three reasons.

First, we must do so for the boys themselves.  They were so holy and pure; they prayed with great intention, learned Torah with great enthusiasm and were trying to become the best people they could become.  We extend their lives somewhat by adopting such goals as our own.

Already, I have seen, there are thousands of people dedicating themselves to learn more Torah in their merit.  Others are improving their prayer, while still others are focusing on increasing the amount of good deeds they do - again, all in the merit of the slain boys. 

All these actions do not eliminate the tragedy that took place; they do, however, pay homage to the victims by producing some good as a result of their sacrifice.

Second, it is important to add some ’good’ to our actions in order to improve our relationship with God. 

Take, for example, something that took place in my community this past Shabbat.  Prior to the attack, I had sent out an e-mail suggesting we pray with particular joy and celebration during the upcoming Shabbat services; after all, it was Rosh Chodesh Adar and we should go out of our way to make sure the prayers were particularly joyous.  After the attack - but before services - I wondered if it was still appropriate to sing joyously on Shabbat.  Perhaps it would be inappropriate, maybe even insulting to the families still raw with emotion over their losses.

Ultimately, though, I decided it was not only appropriate, but the most appropriate thing we could do.  During Shabbat, of course, one prays to God for a number of reasons.  On this Shabbat, in particular, we prayed that God would hear our (and all Am Yisrael’s) prayers, understand our pain and take heed of our suffering.  

How we prayed might have influenced the degree to which God chose to listen.  If we simply said the words, fulfilled our technical obligations and then moved on, I felt it might appear like like a man who gives a gift to his wife in honor of their anniversary by simply throwing the gift on the table and then running off to watch TV.  Certainly, if such a man wrapped the gift, wrote a loving note and spent some time before and after giving it, certainly he have demonstrated his seriousness about both the gift and - more importantly - the person in a much more powerful way.  So, too, with our prayers.  By singing them, rejoicing in them and even dancing as a result of them, we ‘wrapped’ them up beautifully for our God.

[This concept, by the way, has halachic support.  It is called Hidur Mitzvah, glorification of the mitzvah.  Based on the Torah verse "this is my God and I will glorify him," many commentators assume we have Torah obligation not only to fulfill mitzvoth but to also make them as beautiful as possible.  According to the Gemara in Bava Kamma, one should even be prepared to spend up to 1/3 more on the fulfillment of mitzvoth if doing so will make them more beautiful.  This is why we buy a nice kiddush cup, or candlesticks, or maybe even spend more on certain types of Kosher food.  Certainly if we can do these types of things, we should also be able to spend a little extra time in prayer, exert a little more enthusiasm in learning Torah and give tzedaka with a bigger smile and a more heartfelt desire to help the person as opposed to simply technically fulfilling the obligation but making no connection to the person in need.]

There is a third reason why we must add good to the bad — and that is to make a statement to our enemies.

No doubt, the terrorists picked their target carefully.  They knew that the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva was the heart of the religious zionist world.  And perhaps they thought they would be able to defeat this entire enterprise by striking at the heart; after all, when the heart dies, the rest of the body cannot survive for long.  So perhaps they envisioned a devastating blow to this Yeshiva might utterly destroy its spirit and prevent it from pumping the life blood of love of Torah, people and land to the rest of its arteries.

Yes, the terrorists thought they knew what they were doing … but they had no idea.  And primarily because they had no idea of the people they were attacking.  Did they really think they would destroy the spirit of the religious zionist community, not just at the Yeshiva but throughout Israel?  To the contrary, they have unleashed it!

I have no doubt that one (or more) of the twelves siblings of Yonaton Hirshfeld, may his memory be for a blessing, will be inspired to do something great in honor of their slain brother.  Maybe one will volunteer for an elite army unity, or become a great Torah scholar or build a new community (I am certain there will be at least eight new Jewish communities established over the next few years as a result of this tragedy). 

And do the terrorists really think Leah Moses, the mother of 16 year old Avraham David Moses, may his memory be for a blessing, will now give up and pack up shop.  This woman lost her first husband to a tragic traffic accident in America years ago; she then moved to Israel, remarried and built a family and contributed to the building of Efrat, a bustling and growing yishuv just south of Jerusalem.  If I were a terrorist, I would be frightened by what a woman of such strength might produce now.

And indeed, all of us have something within us that will come out as a result of this tragedy.  For that matter, I imagine positive reverberations from this event will be felt for generations.  Some will build new communities, others will write books and still others will engage in deeds of loving kindness … all in the merit of these young men and in direct opposition of the terrorists’ desire to destroy our spirit, our love of the land and our commitment to rebuilding our people. 

They have unleashed a monster of spiritual goodness.

***

Of course, none of this will happen immediately and none of it will happen without a tear falling from our eyes as we also remember the individuals whose physical presence is no longer.  But the evil of Purim so long ago also did not become subsumed by goodness overnight either.  It took a year for the decree of evil against the Jewish people to become the celebration of light and goodness that we commemorate today.  So yes, it will be a long process.  It starts today.