Grandma's army

This year Israel celebrated the 70th anniversary of its statehood. Many, and not only Jews, have described the incredible progress and development of Israel during that period as a miracle. Looking at it objectively, it is difficult to see it in any other way. When David Ben-Gurion spoke of Israel as being The Light of the Nations the poor and arid country was barely able to sustain itself, let alone give humanitarian aid to others. Israel started off in the most humble and adverse conditions. With the end of the British mandate and the  establishment of the Jewish State of Israel in 1948 ,  a “war of extinction” was undertaken by all of Israel’s Arab neighbors. Israel’s small population then of just over 800,000 people managed not only to defend itself, but also to even conquer territory beyond the truncated partition lines allocated to it by the United Nations at the time. In addition, this mostly desert state absorbed in its early years hundreds of tho...

In Judaism, human life reigns supreme, and saving lives takes precedence over all other contingencies. “Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a soul, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” [Jerusalem Talmud]. Giving to the poor, is a form of   a life-enhancing obligation in Judaism, a duty that cannot be rejected even by those who are themselves in need. Some sages have said that “ tzedakah ” is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined, and one of the three acts that gains us forgiveness from our sins. " Tzedakah " is the Hebrew word for the acts that we call "charity" in English: giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However, the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word "charity" suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the “haves” for the benefit of the “have nots...