Question

Hi Michi,
In one of your previous letters you asked about my health—I didn’t answer, because according to the expectations the doctors planted in me, my physical fitness was supposed to be much better. But since nowadays my fitness is not my main concern; rather, it’s my desire to realize my ideas, both technological and social, I also have more time at my disposal—time that, were it not for my lesser fitness, I would be spending wandering more in nature. And just as sexual matters no longer take up my time today, so too the powerful need that was in me until just a few years ago to walk mountain trails has become a vague memory, and I make do with the blooming flowers in the kibbutz gardens.
[Well—I hope that this week I’ll manage to see the Gilboa iris near Malkishua.]
As for technology—thanks to the lack of funding, I kept thinking and thinking, and found a way to significantly reduce the cost of producing the prototype through 3D printing, which apparently may be possible to carry out for me at the technological educational center “Idan” in our valley, and there is some chance of backing from the education department.
Only one thing—it requires a great, great deal of patience. Apparently it wasn’t for nothing that the nations said: time is money!
From the heights of my age I’ve learned to find a new amusement: to recall Einstein’s immortal saying about the universe, human stupidity, and infinity, while observing people—some of them my friends, among them also very educated people.
By the word stupidity I also include conduct that is ethically wrong. For example: I wrote an article for “On the Left Side” titled “Is Islam Inherently Violent,” and I compared the violence of Islam to that of Judaism and Christianity. The editor, Naftali Raz, refused to print it because my remarks were, in his view, not well founded.
So I consulted by phone with Dr. [res.) Colonel] Eini Abadi, a well-known Middle East expert born in Syria. And he argued that Islam is indeed inherently violent. As proof he claimed that Jews say, “May God avenge his blood,” whereas Muslims are themselves obligated to kill in the name of God.
So I remembered the story about Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach, who executed 80 witches in one day. And I remembered the Sicarii, who murdered many Jews in the name of God, and even Jewish laws from a later period in which it was forbidden to help a gentile who had fallen into a pit. I ended by saying that admittedly, nowadays far more acts of violence are committed in the name of Islam—but how many Jews are there, and how many Muslims?
The editor, Naftali Raz, did indeed publish my article—but he got a bit carried away and wrote, “In percentage terms, Jews are more violent than Muslims”—a statement that provoked even decidedly left-wing commenters. But the editor went even further and compared Islamic violence to the Irgun, Lehi, and the hilltop youth.
I tried to refute his words, but to no avail… But I [am sure you do too!] know people who operate this way even on subjects unrelated to ideology.
Now I wanted to raise a completely different topic: the suffering and torment in our world greatly disturb my peace of mind, and as you know me, my approach to these questions is not from the philosophical angle, because I understand that these are natural phenomena in the course of the world. The question is on the practical level—how can this suffering be reduced?
And this morning it occurred to me that, to the best of my knowledge, there is no prohibition in the various religions against causing pain and suffering to another person. But then I remembered Hillel the Elder:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow!
Is it just by chance that it says your fellow and not another person?! So I decided I would look for information about this on Google, and then something strange happened:
I googled: religions + pain + suffering. And I got an answer only in English, even though I changed the wording of the question slightly!
Apparently this stems from the understanding of all religious leaders that without the threat of some kind of whip, it is impossible to maintain governing authority.
So what are we left with in our hope for a better world? Education for empathy? But perhaps there is no substitute for parental love in the early stage of life, so that the child will grow up to be a person attentive to others?
But perhaps, perhaps this is nothing but false hope. Did all the Nazi leaders suffer from a deprived childhood? Did the senior members of the first Soviet Politburo, most of whom were Jews, roll around among orphanages in infancy and grow up to be alienated people who execute whoever opposes them?!
Or perhaps all this suffering is natural, like earthquakes and the like, and therefore there is no consolation except in religion?!
I’ve chewed your ear off enough…
All the best