Original Torah: Ancient Words in a Modern Light

There were bullies in the neighborhood of Rabbi Meir that were troubling him greatly. Rabbi Meir asked [of God] mercy on them that they die. His wife Beruriah said to him: What is your opinion: [Should the psalm be] as it is written “Sins will be ended” (Ps104:35) or is it written “Sinners”?* It’s written “Sins”! And more, go down to the end of the verse “And evil ones will be no more”– when sins will be ended, will there be no more evil ones [to fulfill this part of the verse]? Rather, ask for mercy on them them they return in repentence “And evil ones will be no more”. He asked for mercy on them and they returned in repentence. (BT Berakhot 10a).

*The difference being one of vocalization, without any consonantal change.

Furthermore, it is written (Trying to understand something problematic a sage said):

The master said: ‘Righteous and good for him– a righteous son of a righteous [man]. Righteous and bad for him– a righteous son of an evil one.’ Is that really so? But it is written “Visiting the iniquities of the fathers on the sons” (Ex 34:7) and written “And sons shall not be put to death for the fathers” (Dt. 24:16). And he considers the statements together and resolves them: ‘It is not a difficulty [to resolve the verses]. Here [the former verse] when they hold to the deeds of their fathers [they are punished], and here [the latter verse] when they do not hold to the deeds of their fathers [they are rewarded]‘
….. (And sometimes one’s fortune doesn’t even seem reasonable).
(BT Berakhot 7a)

With that in mind, we have been touched by these evil ones. Our response is not to kill them, though that would certainly be emotionally pleasing, but to hope, pray, and act to educate the evil deeds out of them. (At the very least to isolate such organizations from the general populations as best possible, and to educate the children with tolerance so they do not stick to the deeds of their parents).

A friend of mine’s friend was one of those that was murdered in the senseless attack. Her memorial is on the HaaretzDaily website. http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=193259&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0

Marla Bennet, born in California, was studying Judaism in Israel and writing her final essay. Family members said that she was due to return home to San Diego on Friday.

Bennett, who was in the second year of a three-year master’s program in Judaic Studies at the Hebrew University, had been on campus to take a final exam in Hebrew language, her sole class of the semester.

Norman Greene, a relative, said, “Marla was incredibly bright, top of her class. She was extremely outgoing, bubbly young lady, very seriously involved in investigating her Judaism. She was interested in human beings, and finding a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

It could have been any of us.

My God, My God,
I pray that these things soon end.
The hate, and the fear
the rush of the bullets
the burst of explosives
the cries of Man

-Benjamin