There is a notion in Jewish culture that, after the destruction of the Temple, prophecy was given to fools.
The origin of this saying is to be found in the tractate Bava Batra where Rabbi Yochanan says, “From the day the Temple was destroyed prophecy was taken from the prophets and given to children and fools”. The context is the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE, and I feel duty bound to give the original Talmudic version – in spite of having wonderful, bright grandchildren – as I am on my way to Tel Aviv at just before 8 in the morning and all around me men are Davening Shacharit with talitot and tefilin.
By the time you read this the results of the Israel elections will be known, and half of Israel will be in mourning and half of Israel will be overjoyed. This is a prophecy I am willing to make as I am totally convinced of it. I am living in an Israel more divided than ever. And this is the reality, in spite of the ‘Together we will Win’ and other slogans produced by our government and other influencers after October 7th.
We love exaggerating in Israel. Everything is an existential threat – well almost everything. From Maccabee Tel Aviv losing a basketball game to the Kinneret dealing with aggressive algae.
But the upcoming elections are an exception to this rule. It is a make-or-break election. Israel will be a place in which one half of the population will have lost their dreams – their big dreams – of what the Jewish State is to be.
The question on the table is ultimately not the issues with Iran or the Palestinians. The question on the table is whether we will be living in an open, liberal, democratic, inclusive society WHICH ALSO KNOWS HOW TO DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST EXTERNAL ENEMIES WHILE DEFENDING ITSELF AGAINST INDIVIDUALS IN THE SOCIETY WHO USE THE EXTERNAL THREATS AS A WEAPON AGAINST THE OPEN SOCIETY, or whether we will be living in a society which begins to LIMIT OUR FREEDOMS AND DEMAND THAT WE ARE ON MESSAGE AND, IF WE ARE NOT, WE ARE THEN DEFINED AS TRAITORS.
Am I exaggerating? I think not. I grew up in an on-message society in South Africa, and I recognise the language and the first steps taken by those who wish to limit freedoms.
An I not taking the external threats seriously? I am. Every Jewish political leader in Israel is aware of the threats and have the wherewithal to defend our country. The notion that only one leader can defend us is in itself a very dangerous one.
I hope and pray that my next article will be filled with joy – not with pain.
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