Not Genocide (Devarim 8/2/25)

Not Genocide

There have been numerous commonalities between the Parsha of the week and the calendar or current events lately.

A week ago, in Parshat Maasei, we learned that Aharon HaCohein died on Rosh Chodesh Av. The day itself happened to be Rosh Chodesh Av.

Today, Moses begins his farewell address to the Bnei Yisrael by recounting the Sin of the Spies, the Meraglim. Tonight, Tisha B’av, marks that day, 3336 years ago, when the Spies returned from their tour of the land and delivered their detestable report, causing their generation to die in the desert.

Furthermore, today, the word “Eichah” appears in in the Torah for the very first time: אֵיכָ֥ה אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טָרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַֽשַּֽׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם (Moses complains “How can I bear your hardships and quarrels?”) And tonight, we will read the book of Eichah, א  יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֙תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס׃ (“How could the the great metropolis become desolate?”)

But the most bitter and upsetting of the commonalities between the Parsha and our times is the word: genocide.

One can hardly read any newspaper or watch a clip on the news that does not refer to the situation in Gaza as genocide. Whether we accept it as such or not, for some reason, genocide also occurs in today’s Torah reading. Moreover, it seems to be divinely sanctioned (Deuteronomy 2:31-36):

Continuing the review of the last forty years, Moses details the conquest of the lands east of the Jordan River.

“And God said to me: See, I am placing Sichon and his land at your disposal. Begin the occupation; take possession of his land.

Sichon, with all his troops, took the field against us at Jahaz.

וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֛הוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּ֥ךְ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖ו וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּֽוֹ׃

And our God delivered him to us, and we struck him and his sons and all his troops.

וַנִּלְכֹּ֤ד אֶת־כׇּל־עָרָיו֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַֽנַּחֲרֵם֙ אֶת־כׇּל־עִ֣יר מְתִ֔ם וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּ֑ף לֹ֥א הִשְׁאַ֖רְנוּ שָׂרִֽיד׃

At that time, we captured all his towns, and we destroyed every city— its men, women, and children —leaving no survivor. We retained as booty only the cattle and the spoil of the cities that we captured. From Aroer on the edge of the Arnon valley, including the town in the valley itself, to Gilead, not a city was too mighty for us; our God delivered everything to us.”

Historically, it’s questionable if this event ever took place. But as progressive Jews, we would take this story in its societal context: the ancient world was a very violent place. Warfare and cruelty were the norm.

When a Canaanite Prince abducted Dinah, Jacob’s sons slaughtered every man from that town.

King Saul once asked a Jewish community to help him battle a nearby enemy. When they refused, he promised to beat them with thorn branches upon his return.

Even wedding blessings hint at the violent nature of the world. When Laban blesses Rebecca’s marriage, he says to her, “May you be numerous as the stars and may your descendents inherit the gates of their enemies.”

The level of aggression in ancient times was so great that Moses recalls the total annihilation of a city and its inhabitants as if he were bragging.

But we, who have been the victims of genocide, know better. We would read this text not as an instruction, but as a place from which we need to develop and improve.

I fully support Israel’s right to uproot Hamas. I believe that if we don’t remove them from power, we’ll see another attack like the one on October 7th in just a few more years. On the other hand, we need to ensure that we don’t come across as those implementing genocide; that we are not replicating what’s written in the Torah.

I believe Israel is making every effort to provide humanitarian aid. And I also think that this humanitarian crisis and social media disaster is another part of Hamas’ plan to portray Israel as evil. But you and I know that our brothers and sisters in Israel are not evil. They are cut from the same thread as we are, and they are trying to make the best of a horrible situation. (See the Wall Street Journal article: Gaza Starvation Photos Tell a Thousand Lies. Hamas propaganda exploits seriously ill children, and Western media go along. By Eitan Fischberger July 30, 2025)^[1].

The Torah has been full of synchronistic messages lately. I understand the concurrence of the situation in Gaza and the Torah reading, as a warning to us. We need to defend our people, but we must also ensure that we protect the vulnerable and the poor. If we can’t be social media influencers to change the way Israel is perceived, then we at least need to be defenders of Israel among our friends, neighbors, and local politicians.

Shabbat Shalom

^[1] https://www.wsj.com/opinion/gaza-starvation-photos-tell-a-thousand-lies-palestine-israel-aid-1d689cc8?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1