I once sat down for a meal with Jewish students from Sweden. They described to me the Swedish taboo culture, and explained to me in detail what can and cannot be said between friends. "So tell me," they were curious, "what is forbidden to talk about in Israel?"
I chuckled, of course. We talk about everything. "Are they talking about Rabin's assassination? And about the conflict with the Palestinians?" asked a knowledgeable student. They talk endlessly, I replied. "I know!" jumped an intelligent student. "There's no way you're talking about the Holocaust." Kidding. I wish that once in a while we would stop talking about the Holocaust a bit. Just, to freshen up. The guys were shocked that the word "Nazis" was not forbidden in Israel, and I explained to them that turbulent times are inherently prone to absurd historical comparisons – and that Israel goes from one turbulent period to another.
It is difficult to draw a relevant conclusion from history without falling into clichés or babble, and yet Jewish tradition does not make assumptions for us. The calendar, which reopened this week, is dotted with the obligation to remember and recall key events from the past. Happy events are celebrated with Kiddush and holidays, and sad events during fasting. Today's Gedaliah fast, the little, little-known fast, is one of them.
Gedaliah ben Ahikam was a Jewish commissioner appointed by the Babylonians over the miserable Jewish community that remained in the country after the destruction of the First Temple. Imagine the situation: after three years of siege and a horrific famine, the Babylonians burn down the Temple, kill and exile most of the people, and leave a tiny, battered group of Jews in Jerusalem. Their leader is a political appointee committed to Babylonian rule – something that one of them, Ishmael ben Netanya, does not like.
The murder, which took place on the sidelines of the events of destruction and exile, became one of the most dramatic events in the history of the Jewish people. The fact that the Sages designated the day of the murder as a day of fasting puts it on par with the day the siege of Jerusalem began, the day the war for the city began, and the day of the destruction of the Temple.
Our sages were remarkably realistic when it came to sovereign pretensions. They knew that Jewish leadership in the Land of Israel – any leadership – was never taken for granted. Jewish existence is fragile, and the existence of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel must be guarded. Yes, even when leadership is "on grounds," even if it is not ideal, even in times of disagreement. The state is more important than the leader.
Imagine the situation: after three years of siege and a horrific famine, the Babylonians burn down the Temple, kill and exile most of the people, and leave a tiny, battered group of Jews in Jerusalem. Their leader is a political appointee committed to Babylonian rule – something that does not please one, Ishmael ben Netanya
Some call Gedalya's murder "the first political murder." This is a strange mistake: Anyone who flips through the Bible sees that the reign of the Jewish people is full of historical murders. In fact, one of the reasons tradition cites the destruction of the First Temple is "bloodshed." The attempt to change the leadership at any cost may entail an even heavier price; Political instability and loss of moral red lines can lead to destruction. Gedalya's murder is just another in a long chain of political assassinations, but it was the last. After him - exile was a fait accompli.
It's hard to talk about history without falling into clichés, but nonetheless, it's probably the most relevant cliché today: governmental and social stability is an alternative to destruction, and a Jewish state is not something to be taken for granted.
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