Who Didn’t Want Us Dead?

The following is the “Editor’s View”, By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz. It appears in this weeks Yated Ne’eman.

I look at the picture of his face,

And see his smile.

I hear his children saying Kaddish.

And his father.

Overwhelmed with grief,

Wife, 8 children,

Awash in tears.

Communities around the world

Mourn.

A young life cut down,

Giving, loving,

Holy soul,

Snuffed out.

I look at the front page of the paper

I see mean,

Vicious,

Hatred,

Screaming loudly to the city and world.

I think back to

Lavan.

Eisov.

Nevuchadnetzar.

Trotsky, Lenin & Stalin.

All the way back in time.

Until this very day.

Who hasn’t wanted to see us dead and buried?

Jewish blood has always been cheap,

Nobody cared when they came after us.

We’ve been burnt at the marketplace.

Stomped.

Gassed.

Shot.

Given up for dead.

Yet here we are,

Persevering,

Succeeding,

Growing.

They can’t stand it.

They can’t stand us.

We are alive.

Where are they?

Titus.

Ferdinand, Isabella.

Mussolini.

Hitler.

Why, they ask, are the Jews titans of industry and commerce?

Real estate, stocks and bonds?

Why do they have influence?

Why aren’t they dead?

They are all cheaters.

They are all liars.

Underworld cut-throats.

They poisoned the wells,

They killed our babies,

For matzos.

They froze us in the winter,

Boiled us in the summer.

The Jews.

It’s all their fault.

The rotten,

Smelly,

Jews.

Till today they wonder

How to get rid of us.

They cover their hate with smiles,

Feigned ignorance,

And legal shenanigans.

“We love the Jews,” they say.

Sure, just as Paroh did.

All types of charges,

Allegations,

Fraud.

The Jews, they say, don’t care about laws,

Violations,

Fidelity,

Children,

Abuse victims.

They kill their baby boys,

To satisfy an ancient rite.

They rob, cheat and steal.

They can’t be trusted,

Disloyal citizens.

They control the banks,

The press,

But not the Post.

We thought it was different here.

America is not Russia,

Or Germany,

France or Rome.

It’s not,

But the hatred is here as well.

The quiet murmurs,

Suspicions,

And tricks.

We need reminders,

From time to time.

Don’t get complacent.

Don’t get too comfortable.

Remember we’re not home,

We’re far away,

Homeless,

On a comfortable bench,

In a nice park.

We pine for geulah,

Moshiach,

Redemption,

Salvation.

Uva leTzion goel.