As we contemplate our brave soldiers leaving the Gaza strip with all its misery and insanity all I can think about is what the next operation name might be. There is not one single substantial victory I can think of to compensate for the loss of those young soldiers, or the financial damages caused by this operation.
Was it all in vain?
This question will be haunting many of us, the residents from the South of Israel, those coping with the deep grief of loss, those wounded and those with rehabilitation treatment in front of them for years to come.
History
History is the most reliable tool we have to learn how to predict the future but, unfortunately, we the Jewish people have learned poorly from our rich heritage.
From King Saul, for example, who lost his Royalty because he listened to the people and spared Agag, Amalek’s king – one person only: “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle” (1 Samuel 15).
We have spared not one but all terrorist leaders for years and now, despite what the IDF claims we can do it, we have still not been able to eliminate them all.
Like in the book of Lamentations, we have left our population at the mercy of Hamas even after this operation: “He hath bent His bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow” (He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows – Lamentations 3).
We have not learned that the only way to make them stop is not through “far-reaching concessions”, but by bringing them to their knees: “Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them” (Lamentations 4).
Conclusion
I know it may sound cruel or extreme, but again, remember history and let’s learn from our Sages.
Sefer ha-Chinuch (the Book of Mitzvah Education) has said, we, the Jewish people are “Racmanim Bnei Rahmanim” (Merciful sons of merciful people) and indeed we are. But having pity on terrorists, allowing them to control the lives of millions of citizens and tourists in Israel and putting our soldiers’ lives in danger to avoid “civilian casualties” on the terrorist’s side, reminds me of Rabbi Yoshua Ben Levy (Yalkut Shimoni) who wrote: “Whoever has pity on the unmerciful and cruel, will end up being cruel and unmerciful toward the compassionate and merciful” (Kol Sheu Rahman Al Ahzarim Neassa Achzar Al Rahmanin).
