The Outstanding Officer's Paradox

Ittai, 26, called the advice and guidance department and said: "I've been growing spiritually over the past few months, and in a recent conversation I had with my younger brother—who was awarded as an outstanding officer in an elite army unit—we discussed the increasing rate of intermarriage both in Israel and globally. When I shared my opinion and opposition, my brother accused me of being a racist and angrily asked, 'What, aren't non-Jews human beings too?'. How should I respond to him?".

You know, Ittai, your brother simply did not think about what he said. Let me explain. He enlisted in the military, to an elite unit, driven by the ideal of serving the country and protecting its residents. Your brother participated in dangerous operations and likely faced life-threatening situations multiple times. According to you, he was even awarded a medal for his dedication as an outstanding officer.

We, Ittai, are not a militant nation, nor are we conquerors. We are not a people seeking treasures or oil from neighboring countries, and we certainly do not seek to harm anyone in the world. In reality, from our perspective, we do not need an army. We established an army solely because there are those who wish to kill us, and we want to live.

What has preserved the Jewish people as a unique entity throughout the years is only the Torah of Israel and the halacha, the same Torah that warned against intermarriage and assimilation, because otherwise, God forbid, "Israel would become as any other nation."

Your brother essentially dedicated his body and soul to protect the Jewish people in Israel, yet at the same time, without realizing it, he supports a course that leads to their abolition and destruction. According to the Torah, intermarriage between a Jew and a non-Jew severs the Jewish person from the tree of life, from their glorious heritage spanning thousands of years. The children of the assimilated cannot be counted among the Jewish people, thereby rendering a devastating verdict on his descendants and future generations—essentially a betrayal of his ancestors, who gave their lives for their Judaism, doing everything to preserve what your younger brother is willing to lose instantly.

Do you understand the paradox, Ittai? Someone who dedicated his body and soul to the survival of the Jewish people—supports an action leading to its destruction, God forbid.

Regarding the accusation of racism he hurled at you, this is far from us. We Jews are not against non-Jews; we do not hate non-Jews. We are certainly not commanded to harm non-Jews, much less their bodies or souls. "Beloved is man, for he was created in the Divine image." However, we have a specific role in the world, and by virtue of our role as children of the Creator of the Universe, "You are children to Hashem, your God," we are required to maintain holiness and purity. Therefore, there are explicit commandments in the Torah of Israel designed to protect and uphold any breach that might damage our status as children of kings.

I recall a recent disturbing conversation I had with an assimilated Jew in Germany, who has several sons, some of whom are teenagers (non-Jewish, according to the Torah). In one of his disputes with his wife, she called him the well-known derogatory term "dirty Jew." Immediately after, his sons ensured he left the house and did not allow him to return all night. They left him outside while they sat to eat and drink with their mother, joking at his expense. The entire night he sat and cried on the sidewalk, and the next day he called the Hidabroot offices, heartbroken, sharing the humiliation inflicted by his children, and expressing his desire to leave everything and return to Judaism. We spoke in conciliation, reassurance, and enlightenment on how to return to Israel and live the remainder of his life as a true Jew.

Ittai, approach your brother and explain to him that one does not always have to learn the hard way, and it is wise to heed and observe the laws of the Torah.

The writer is the Director of the Counseling and Guidance Department at Hidabroot.

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