Sirens of action or reaction? |
Sirens for action or reaction?
Sad as it may be, we seem to live in a country that thrives in discord, and no, I am not referring to war with our enemies, rather to the daily co-existence with our fellow citizens. As a nation, we tend to welcome friendly debate, encourage questioning and striking up conversation of conflicting views. Even in the times of the Torah and the Gemara , we see disagreement and difference of opinions. We note numerous times when the schools of Hillel and Shamai did not agree, we see Torah commentaries who clearly present opposing interpretations of the text. All this, done in the spirit of constructive criticism aiming for a positive outcome, that is, of course, until several decades ago.
Suddenly friendly debate and disagreement turned into negativity; people were growing further and further apart. Left vs right, religious vs. secular, pro-reform vs, anti-reform, proponents of drafting everyone vs anti army activists. The last goes on, you are all familiar with the protests and demonstrations on each side concerning everyday life here in Israel.
But there is one day, one mere 24 hours in a year, where all these differences temporarily melt away. One day where the atmosphere in the country becomes somber, solemn, and yes, unified. Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day we are all united. It is the time to remember our collective parents and grandparents who perished at the hands of the Nazis just for being Jews.
Last night restaurants were closed and the television stations (other than the news and history channels) stopped broadcasting. One almost had no choice but to stop and think about the significance of the day. Unfortunately, we have all grown accustomed to hearing sirens. Usually, these sirens are a call to action- go to a miklat, take cover, find protection, seek shelter. The siren we heard at 10 am this morning was meant to stir up not action but reaction- remember those who had no place to find shelter those who did not have the opportunity to find protection.