בא
Before the plague of the locust Pharaoh summons Moshe and says: “Go, worship the LORD your God! Who are the ones to go?” Moses replied, “We will all go, young and old: we will go with our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds; for we must observe the LORD’s festival.” But he said to them, “The LORD be with you the same as I mean to let your children go with you! Clearly, you are bent on mischief. No! You men folk go and worship the LORD, since that is what you want.” And they were expelled from Pharaoh’s presence. Ex 10:8-11
After Moshe sends away the locust at Pharaoh’s urging, Pharaoh once again changes his mind “But the LORD stiffened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”
Then comes the plague of darkness. “Pharaoh then summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD! Only your flocks and your herds shall be left behind; even your children may go with you.”” Ex 10:24
Time after time Moshe confronts Pharaoh. Time after time Pharaoh plays with him. He says he will let them go, and then he changes his mind. He says that only the men can go but when Moshe says no, everyone must go – forget it! Finally, before the last plague he relents with the children but leave your possessions, your cattle behind. No says Moshe we will need them for the sacrifice. Pharaoh kicks them out for the last time and threatens Moshe with death if he sees him again!
The story of the struggle between G‑d and Pharaoh is one in which the forces of nature are brought to bear upon Pharaoh to get him to let the people of Israel go. Many of the plagues are just natural phenomena. But these events are a result of the behaviour of Pharaoh. Had he obeyed the command “Let My people go” then there would not have been any plagues.
There are modern plagues in the world that are called acts of G‑d. The horrible events in Haiti are not the result of a refusal of a Pharaoh, nor are they the punishment for a pact with the devil ala Rev. Pat Robertson. No they are part of the natural phenomena of the world in which we live. We as human beings must react to help those who are suffering and we can be proud of the efforts of our government and of the Israeli. We can help end the suffering, but no one brought it on and no one could have prevented it.
Then there is the plague of war and murder, rape and pillage that is the reality of Darfur. This is not the result of an act of G‑d! This is not part of the natural phenomena of the world in which we live. No it is the result of human actions. We may not have started the suffering, but we are not free from bearing a measure of responsibility for that suffering! Maimonides, the Rambam wrote:
Whenever a person can save another person’s life but fails to do so, he transgresses a negative commandment, as [Lev.19:16] states: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour.” Similarly, [this commandment applies] when a person sees another drowning at sea or being attacked by robbers or a wild animal, and he can save him himself or can hire others to save him. Similarly, [it applies] when he hears [others] conspiring to harm another or planning a trap for him, and he does not inform him and notify him [of the danger]. Rambam, Laws of the Murderer and Protecting Life, 1:14
There is abundant evidence – testimonies collected from witnesses, survivors and refugees by aid agencies, human rights organizations, and journalists. This evidence details sightings of government aircraft bombing villages, describes armed men on horseback or camelback burning down entire villages, and indicates that murder, rape, abduction, looting and destroying food stocks are being used as weapons to instil fear and displace the civilian population.
Rape and sexual violence continue to be used as a weapon of war against women and girls. Attacks on aid workers continue to rise and the dangerous security situation prevents humanitarian organizations from reaching many in need לֹא תַֽעֲמֹד עַל־דַּם רֵעֶךָ Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour.
Is this not the very situation that the Rambam is referring too? If we do nothing, then we are guilty of violating this most important mitzvah.
In the midrash our Rabbis taught that if you are aware of testimony that will save someone you may not be silent. We are witnesses not in court of law but in the court of life. We may not remain silent.
This is far away, this concerns people who aren’t Jews, we do not have an obligation since they are not our neighbours!
ְגֵר לֹֽא־תוֹנֶה וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt Ex. 22:20.
In his commentary the 19th Century German rabbi Samson R. Hirsch wrote that this tells us: “[the] oft repeated in the Torah, basic law is laid down, that it is not race, not descent, not birth or country or property, altogether nothing external or due to chance, but simply and purely the inner spiritual and moral worth of a human being, which gives him all the rights of a man…”
לֹא תַֽעֲמֹד עַל־דַּם רֵעֶךָ Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour. Jew or gentile, black or white in our world of rapid communication and the ability to travel great distances in a short time makes everyone my neighbour!
There is much that we can do. We can join the Canadian Jewish Congress’s Darfur Action Committee or other organizations seeking to end the genocide in Darfur. We can write letters to our MPs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, even the Prime Minister. We can join rallies and demonstrations.
We can involve ourselves on many levels as pointed out in the CJC’s pamphlet “Darfur a Jewish Response” that you can download from their website. What we cannot do is: תַֽעֲמֹד עַל־דַּם רֵעֶךָ idly by the blood of our neighbor.
Let me conclude with the following prayer composed by U.K. Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks
O God of Peace,
Who commands us to seek peace,
Send peace to the people of Darfur.
O God of compassion,
Who hears the cry of the afflicted,
Hear the cry of the victims,
The bereaved, the injured,
And all those who live their days in fear.
Rouse the hearts of the leaders of the world
To put an end to the bloodshed, the violence,
The rape, the starvation, and the terror,
That has ravaged and endangered an entire population.
Be with those who are working for peace,
Or tending the sick,
Or bringing food to the hungry,
Or shelter to the homeless,
O God of justice and love,
Let us not be indifferent
To the cry of the persecuted
And the tears of those who have seen
Their homes, their families and their communities destroyed.
And may their plea and their plight
Reach the ears and hearts of those who have it in their power
To bring peace to a troubled region
And aid to a devastated people.
Oseh shalom bimromav:
May You who makes peace in Your high places
Help us make peace down here on earth.
Amen.
