Realistic Solutions for the Palestinian-Israeli Conflicts

I would be very interested in hearing some realistic solutions to the problems in Israel and in the Middle East in general. I haven't heard any good ones yet.

Can't we all just get along? Umm, no. Israel is completely surrounded by governments (and peoples) who have sworn to kill them all--men, women, and children. They can't simply forgive and forget. They can't turn their backs or relax even for a moment. And the Palestinians, whoever they were, whatever their origins, have been hopelessly ghettoized for so long that large segments of their population are no longer capable of living productively with others.

Israel should give the Palestinians their own country. The Palestinians are led by thugs who themselves are pawns for the neighboring Arab states that want nothing more than to kill all Jews. Every attempt at giving the Palestinians more autonomy has been doomed by political maneuvering and insane (literally!) violence against Israel. Even if Hamas and company could all be buried in a deep, mass grave, the Palestinians don't have a great pool of leaders waiting to take over.

The Jews should give up and go home. And where would that be if not the home of their ancestors? It would make as much sense to suggest that any Cherokee who have found their way to Georgia be sent back home to Oklahoma. Even if we ignored the continuous presence of Jews and other Israelites in the Land for more than three thousand years, at the very least, they have the same right of conquest as every other people. The Coosa were driven out by the Cherokee who were driven out by the English who might soon be driven out by someone else. It's the way the world has always worked.

The Palestinians should all move to friendlier Arab countries to be with their own kind. Again, what countries would that be? Nobody wants them. Jordan, Egypt, and Syria don't want them. In fact, they would much rather the Palestinians stay in Israel as a destabilizing force. They are pawns without a single real friend in the world, some willingly but most probably ignorantly. They have nowhere else to go. Maybe those non-Israelis who want the Palestinians to leave Israel could volunteer their suburban homes to house a family or two or three?

There are no clear good guys in that mess, and there are far too many bad guys. The only clear thing in my mind is that the land of Israel, especially that land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, is a special place to God. He entrusted it to Israel once, and although he removed them from it for a time, he promised to give it back to them. The ultimate title to the land has already been established. It is not on the negotiating table.

Where's Our Rocket Packs?

I thought it might be fun to see how far we've come since Daniel Amos sang this song in the early 80s. I was wrong. This was a depressing exercise.  We have lots of gadgets, but Taylor was right that "some things never change".

"(It's the Eighties, So Where's Our) Rocket Packs"
from the album Vox Humana
Words and Music by Terry Taylor
©1984 Twitchen Vibes Music (ASCAP)

It's the eighties
It's the eighties so where's our rocket packs?
It's the eighties so where's our rocket packs?
Go anywhere, we strap them on our backs
1. (It's the eighties so where's our rocket packs?)
I thought by now I'd walk the moon
And ride a car without no tires
And have a robot run the vacuum
And date a girl made out of wires
No thing's don't change that much, do they?
We are still out of touch, by now we should discover
Just how to love each other, like Klattus' robot man
Your looks have killed again

2. (It's the eighties so where's our rocket packs?)
I thought by now we'd live in space
And eat a pill instead of dinner
And wear a gas mask on our face
A President of female gender
Though progress marches on, (new day)
Our troubles will grow strong
And my expectancies, become my fantasies
You turn my blood to sand, the earth stands still again

My hopes are running low
things moving much too slow
No space men up above
And we're still so very far from love

3. (It's the eighties so where's our rocket packs?)
I thought by now we'd build a dome
Around the world, control the weather
In every house, a picture phone; communicate a little better
But some things never change (replay!)
You are still acting strange
No way that I can see, this way we will be free
La la la la la la,la la la la la 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Lift off!

(It's the eighties so where's our rocket packs?)
Repeat 1, 2, 3
(It's the eighties)

Judge Ministries by Their Fruit, Not Their Eccentricities

Numbers 11:25-29  And YHWH came down in a cloud and spoke to him, and took of the spirit on him and gave it to the seventy elders. And it happened when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they never did so again.  (26)  But two of the men stayed in the camp; the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other was Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. And they were of those who were written, but did not go out to the tabernacle. And they prophesied in the camp.  (27)  And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.  (28)  And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, make them cease.  (29)  And Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? Would God that all YHWH's people were prophets, that YHWH would put His Spirit upon them!

Numbers 12:1-9  And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken. For he had taken a Cushite woman.  (2)  And they said, Has YHWH indeed spoken only by Moses? Has He not also spoken by us? And YHWH heard.  (3)  (Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all the men on the face of the earth.)  (4)  And YHWH spoke suddenly to Moses and to Aaron and to Miriam, You three come out to the tabernacle of the congregation. And the three came out.  (5)  And YHWH came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both came forth.  (6)  And He said, Hear now My words. If there is a prophet among you, I YHWH will make Myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream.  (7)  Not so, My servant Moses. He is faithful in all My house.  (8)  I will speak with him mouth to mouth, even clearly, and not in dark speeches. And he shall behold the likeness of YHWH. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?  (9)  And the anger of YHWH was kindled against them, and He moved.

Many of God's chosen ministers work long thankless hours or they work in unusual manners or circumstances. We are often tempted to take the former for granted and to shun the latter. This week's assignment: Single out someone who receives little acknowledgment for their service and give them encouragement or some other kind of support. And when you are tempted to dismiss someone or their ministry because of their unorthodox methods or presentation, look instead at their fruit. Ask yourself if they are truly doing something wrong or if you are just offended by inconsequentials. If God is on their side, who are we to take issue with that?

A Personal Sense of Well-Being

I've noticed that my sense of self-worth and happiness seem to depend on three broad factors, which can also be thought of as spheres of life.

Vocation, the Outer Sphere - This includes ministry and work. If my life's mission in the greater world is going well, and if I'm doing well in my business or career, then this sphere is in good shape.

Relationships, the Middle Sphere - This includes family, neighbors, friends, and romantic interests. If my family is doing well, I'm spending good quality time with my friends, and I have healthy relationships with good quality women, then all is well in the Middle Sphere.

Self, the Inner Sphere - This includes me. If who I am and what I am doing is in close alignment with who I am supposed to be, then I am at peace with myself and doing well.

None of these spheres can be healthy without God's guidance. Only he knows for certain who I am supposed to be, what relationships I need to help me grow, and what mission I am to accomplish in life. If I have heard his call then I am able to position myself in the center and coordinate change where I can, trusting God to effect change where I cannot.

Biblical Leprosy & the Evil Tongue

God knows all about disease. He knows what causes it, what prevents it, and what heals it. Therefore, if his instructions regarding a disease make no scientific sense to you or me, then our understanding is deficient, not his. We misunderstand his instructions or the disease.

This week's double Torah portion, Tazria-Metsora (Leviticus 12-15), spends a lot of ink on something called tsaraat. Although that word has been historically translated as "leprosy," Tazria and Metsora do not appear to be addressing the disease we know as Leprosy (aka Hansen's Disease) today.

Characteristics of Hansen's Disease

• Not highly contagious.
• Does not heal spontaneously.
• Causes numbness.
• Can cause the loss of fingers, toes, and sight.
• Infects only people and armadillos.
• Skin lesions and hair loss.
• Fever

Characteristics of Tsaraat

• Contagious enough to warrant solitary quarantine (no leper colonies allowed!)
• Can heal spontaneously.
• Infects people, cloth, leather, and stone.
• Skin lesions and hair loss.
• Fever

There is a superficial similarity to the symptoms, but it is apparent that tsaraat does not equal Hansen's Disease. More likely, Hansen's is a subset of a larger category of conditions comprehended in biblical leprosy, which must include a variety of bacterial and fungal infections.

The rabbinic understanding is that tsaraat is caused by lashon hara or an evil tongue. In other words, gossiping, back-biting, libel, slander, and "sharing" can all be manifested in a physical condition. In such a case, it is not so much the physical condition that requires solitary confinement, but that of the heart, "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Compare two other biblical passages that involve symptoms of tzaraat:

Numbers 12:1,10  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman....And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Isaiah 3:16-17,24  Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:  (17)  Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts....And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

I am not completely convinced that lashon hara specifically causes tzaraat, but it certainly seems that some spiritual condition can trigger it, perhaps lashon hara or pride. In either case, the cure is humble obedience to God's commands.

Update April 17, 2010: Tony Robinson says that tzaraat is caused by disrespecting the authority of God's prophets and priests. I think he is on the right track, but I will go further and say that, based on Isaiah 3, it might be disrespect toward all divinely appointed authority.

On Which Thought Counts

Rabbi Stephen Baars, commenting on this week’s Torah portion, says something very similar to what I said last week:

Buying your wife a $1,000 pearl necklace may be a great sacrifice on your part. But it is not going to do the trick if she doesn’t like pearls. Nobody wants your sacrifices!

…The only thing we can possibly give another is a piece of ourselves by becoming closer to them. Anything else they can get on their own. They really don’t need you to buy the flowers or the wrench set. Similarly, God can sacrifice His own animals. The only thing no one can have, unless I give it, is me. That’s all I have to give.

I think this is an important clarification on what I said before. Neither the thought nor the deed count if they aren’t part of the same whole. God doesn’t want our sacrifices or tithes or even our obedience if it’s forced and resentful. He wants all of those things, but with a willing heart. More than anything else, he wants our love. If he has that, the rest will follow.

Approaching God's Presence

Exodus 35:5-7  (5) Take from among you an offering to yhwh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of YHWH: gold, and silver, and bronze,  (6)  and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and bleached linen, and goats' hair,  (7)  and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins...

You'll forgive me, I hope, if I engage in a bit more speculative theology. I'd like to focus on the three coverings of the Tabernacle. They were each made of a different material: goats hair, red rams skin, and some other skin of uncertain translation. Examining the uses of these materials throughout scripture yields an interesting, albeit tenuous, pattern.

Goats hair
Goats are used for sin and burnt offerings. Jacob and Rebecca used a goat to deceive Isaac into giving Esau's blessing to Jacob. When David's life was threatened by Saul, his wife (and Saul's daughter) Michal made a mock-up of his body, with a goat-hair pillow as his head, to deceive Saul's assassins. Alexander the Great was portrayed in Daniel's prophecy as a goat. Finally, goats were cooked as gifts for angels and for King Saul.

Red rams skins
The word for "red" in red ram skins is the same word as Adam. It is used to describe the first man, mankind as a whole, and a common man as opposed to a man of the aristocracy. It is the color of earthiness and mortality. The word for ram is elsewhere used for posts, the upright branches of a tree, the lintel of a doorway, a mighty man, and a great oak. The juxtaposition of one word that can refer to a "commoner" and another word that can refer to a "mighty man" is curious.

Badger skin?
Badger is an uncertain translation at best. It could be the skin of manatees or of some other animal. Some commentators believe it refers to a blue ram skin, as opposed to the red ram skin in the previous layer of the tabernacle covering. Whatever this material is, it was also used to make shoes, as the first covering on the Ark and the second covering on the Table, the incense altar, the various articles for the tabernacle, and the altar for burnt offerings. It's association with the feet implies something mean and humble, and it was probably the most weatherproof of the three layers.

The tenuous pattern that I see here is a dual progression of common to uncommon. From one perspective, looking from the outside in, you will pass through the meanest element, the badger skin. Although it was probably not from a badger, other guesses are usually also unclean animals such as the manatee. This material was used to make footwear, but not much else. The next layer is ram skin dyed red. Not shani (scarlet or crimson) used elsewhere in the Tabernacle, but adam, the same word used in Isaiah 31:8 and Psalm 49:2 to describe a commoner. Shani is paired, however, with ayil (ram), which more literally refers to strength. The ram skin almost seems like a compromise between peasant and ruler, a middle class so to speak. The third layer is woven goats hair, furthest removed of the three materials from its natural state. It is associated with misdirection, sin offerings (another form of misdirection in that they cover over a sinful state), and with gifts given to those of the highest rank. It was probably decorated in some way. As the three coverings move closer to God's presence in the Holy of Holies, they each seem to represent a higher rank or authority.

Considered from the opposite perspective, however, one sees not a descending order of glory or power, but yet another progression from common to rare. Goats hair, for example, was readily obtainable. One need not kill the animal to get its wool, but only to shave it. Next is the ram skin. Although the ram must be killed to obtain its skin, it was a fairly common animal. Easy to find, but not so easy to use. The third level, however, was difficult to gather in sufficient quantities to make such a large covering. Whatever its source, it was so uncommon that the word itself is now of uncertain meaning. Even so, this does not indicate a gain in glory as one moves further from God's presence. To the contrary, God did not so much dwell in the Tabernacle as use it as a focus. It allowed him to dwell among his people, but it seems absurd to believe that God could be so small as to confine his person to a tent. The Ark of the Covenant is a symbol of his throne and not the thing itself. God's actual throne, if it can be defined as an actual object, is in heaven and not on earth at all, so that the progression from goats skin to badger skin moves from common to rare materials as it approaches God's actual throne.

The progression inward toward the Holy of Holies might correlate with authority and position, while the progression outward toward God's true abode in heaven might correlate with more inherent qualities of character.

Please note that I am not prophesying. I am speculating. It is an interesting exercise, but whether there are deeper truths to be gained from it is only another speculation. Feel free to do with this what you will.