Life is so complicated and growing more complicated every day. Most everything we deal with from personal struggles to communal crisis, from environmental issues to economic challenges are so complex and nuanced that there are rarely absolute, black and white moments; most of life happens within shades of gray.
This isn’t to say that absolute, black and white moments don’t exist. Although rare, they most certainly do. The Boston Marathon Bombing was such a moment. There are no shades of gray in this atrocity. There is no complexity or nuance in trying to figure out what took place. Oh, I’m sure in the days ahead we’ll hear all kinds of speculation and reasons why it happened. However, no matter what the reason, no matter who the perpetrator, no matter what the explanation for the act might be – it won’t change the fact that this was evil. Evil, my friends, is black and white. Evil is real. Evil exists. Evil is black and white.
There can be no equivocating on this issue.
There can be no contextualizing it.
One man’s terrorist is NOT another man’s freedom fighter.
Moral relativism is a slap in the face to the victims, the history of victims of terror and to God.
As we read in the Torah: You shall remember what Amalek [the embodiment of evil then and now] did to you on the way….you shall wipe out the memory of Amalek/Evil from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!
We must remember that there is evil.
We must demand that this act be deemed evil, spoken about and dealt with in absolute, unequivocal terms as evil must always be.
We must not allow this evil be relativized, qualified or explained away.
We must commit to eradicating such evil.
We must never forget.
P.S. As a sad irony to this tragedy, it took place on Yom HaZikaron – Israel Memorial Day – the day of memory….
Rabbi B
Baruch HaLevi
www.RevolutionOfJewishSpirit.com
Revolution of Jewish Spirit
How to Revive Ruakh in Your Spiritual Life, Transform Your Synagogue & Inspire Your Jewish Community
Rabbi Baruch HaLevi and Ellen Frankel
Jewish Lights Publishing (September 30, 2012)
Order From:
– Amazon
This post has been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content are presented solely by the author, and JewishBoston assumes no responsibility for them. Want to add your voice to the conversation? Publish your own post here. MORE