On November 18, 2014 two terrorists entered a synagogue in Har Nof, Israel and killed four worshipers. The events surrounding this and similar terrorist attacks are nothing short of a major tragedy.
Google.com defines tragedy as “an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime or natural catastrophe.”
Just based on terrorist actions alone there is no shortage of tragedy befallen upon Israel since its creation. From 1949 to November 18, 2014 there have been at least 1,093 documented terrorist attacks directed against Israel broken down as follows:
1949 – 1967 = 46; 1968 – 1980 = 163; 1981 – 1992 = 131
1993 – 2000 = 165; 2001 – 2006 = 438 2007 – 2013 = 90
2014 – 2015 = 60
(Source: johnstonsarchive.net/terrorism.terrisrael.html).
And terrorists have imposed a wide variety of methods to carry out heinous crimes including, but not limited to, shootings, bombings, suicide bombings, stabings, landmine attacks, grenade attacks and rocket attacks.
As a result the citizens and residents in Israel have sustained unforeseen death and countless injuries. Many receive little worldwide media attention. However, on occasion an attack like the synagogue murders shocks even those who are desensitized by previous terrorist attacks such as rocket fire which have caused physical but no human damage.
At these times we question the reason such a tragedy occurs.
We receive all types of answers including tragedy is the will of G-d. Or a seemingly contrary opinion that since we have free will people are the cause of terrorist activity. Some contend that tragedy it is just a consequence of just being human or bad luck for those who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some believe that tragedy and the resulting suffering to those afflicted constitutes punishment for sin. While others counter that it atones for the sins of our generation. Still others believe that suffering in this world is a form of divine purification and leads to reward in the next world.
Maimonides adopted the view of Augustine that everything that G-d created is good while evil is merely the absence of good. He believes that even tragedy is good for the universe as a whole.
But no matter how many answers we are provided, the bottom line is that even the greatest human can not know the true reason we suffer or experience tragedy. Moses asked G-d to “Inform me of your ways” and G-d responded “no living creature can ever see [understand] Me.” (Exodus 33:13 and 33:20).
Therefore, the real question is not why we suffer or experience tragedy but how should we respond. We could complain, pout or otherwise take issue with the Almighty but even Job recognized that it is futile to contend with G-d. (Job Ch. 9).
Instead we Jews remember and commemorate tragedy. Tisha B’Av is an established day we commemorate the major misfortunes which befell the Jewish people including the decree we could not enter the [Promised] Land, the destruction of the first and second Temples, the capture of Bethar and the capture of Jerusalem. (See Mishnah Ta’anit 4:6).
Tragedy also provides us an opportunity to bestow compassion towards the suffering of others. We are admonished to share in the suffering of the community and not to enjoy ourselves while others are suffering. (Taanit 11a).
And it is a Jewish response to find meaning in tragedy. The Talmud teaches that
when a tragedy occurs, we should look within ourselves and take an accounting of our deeds. (Berachot 5a).
As a nation, tragedy is a reminder that we need to remain steadfast in confronting and eradicating the actions of people who seek to impose suffering upon us. Despite our differences we should unify and come together as brothers and sisters or children of Israel.
History has taught us to be realistic that everyday there are those who seek our destruction no matter where we live. At the same time we need to maintain faith that we will triumph over evil and there will come a time, as promised by the prophet Isaiah, when “G-d will erase tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8).
Meanwhile, on the Arab streets, after this and previous massacres some of the people we are expected to reach a lasting peace pass out sweets to their children and praise the martyrs who carried out this barbaric act. The Arab leaders who we are charged to make peace by the international community provide a hallow statement in English condemning the bloodshed while at the same time justifying these actions due to “Israeli provocation”. And many media outlets throughout the world cover the story as if there is a moral equivalence between those who committed the crime and the victims.
Until the general population, Arab leaders around the world and media realize that nothing justifies terror and there can be no moral equivalence to barbaric acts and stand up and shout “enough is enough” we can only expect that the cycle of terror will continue. There will be continued terrorist attacks, at the very least with statistics similar to those that we have seen since 1949.
And that is the real tragedy.