Martin H. van den Bergh

This week we are on our way to Eilat with a group we belong to escape the very cold weather we have been experiencing. This unusually cold bout has added to our concerns for our hostages who are holed up in unimaginable conditions in Gaza, and making the need to make every effort to get them freed even more urgent. Also, the continuing demonstrations in London and elsewhere which call for the destruction of Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, is also very worrying. I find it particularly troubling that some groups and individuals who identify themselves as Jews joining these demonstrations.

They forget that on October 7th the terrorists in the main murdered and kidnapped Jews from their homes and left terrible destruction in their wake. They also forget that we Jews have a religious duty to care for one another. This includes not causing physical or verbal assault and especially not shaming a fellow person, and especially not shaming a fellow Jew.

We can learn this the Mishna (Bava Kama, Chapter 8, Mishna 1) that if we injure somebody else we are liable to pay compensation to the injured party for the injuries that were suffered; for the pain that was endured; for the medical bills; for loss of work; and for the shame which the injured party suffered.  This teaches us the importance of preserving everyone’s dignity. As our Rabbis say: He who shames his friend in public, has no place in the world to come, for it is as if you are killing him.

Thus, we must continue to do everything to alleviate the pain suffered by our hostages and their families and bring them home to Israel.