The silent majority and the muted opinion

Parshah and its implementation - Parshat Miketz - and the war of the 'Iron Swords' 5784

Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald

Dedicated to the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to my son's speedy recovery - Mordechai Abraham ben Malka (may he live long), to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.

This year, the Chanukah holiday passed us by with our hearts hurting for our soldiers in the Gaza Strip and other areas. The photos and videos of IDF soldiers and commanders lighting candles throughout the Gaza Strip touched us all deeply. IDF soldiers continuing the Hasmonean heroic traditions. In some of the videos there was also kind of a closing historical circle. A picture of a commander standing where Netzarim used to be before the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, holding the Netzarim Synagogue roof menorah, taken by the residents who were expelled from their homes. Or a video where the unit commander lights the first candle at the entrance to Gush Katif, the same place from which he was expelled with his family eighteen and a half years ago.

The tragedy that befell unto us on Shabbat Simchat Torah 5784, shattered several conceptions of decades past, which brought about fateful political moves, on the tactical and strategic level. Those that emerged from the conception that the reason for the conflict between Israel and our enemies is fundamentally territorial, that they are fighting us because of the 'occupation' of parts of Israel since the Six Day War. Therefore, they believe territorial concessions will solve the conflict, whether they are made in agreement or whether they are made by unilateral withdrawal. They believe that mutual trust and sustainable peaceful relations can be built, because our enemies, like all human beings, want peace, quiet, economic prosperity, and a good future for their children. And the fact that not everyone supports the terrorism perpetrated against us, therefore they will face it and fight it: "No B'Tselem, no Supreme Court and no mothers against silence." And more.

Nevertheless, for the sake of historical truth, it should be mentioned that not everyone shared these opinions. Regarding some, there was a majority objection. The opponents embarked on a public struggle to try to prevent the political decisions. They clearly saw the potential dangers and called not to entrust (abandon) our security in the hands of our enemies. They are pretending to be peace seekers, as part of the stage's theory, for our destruction.

However, at the time, their opinion was treated with disdain, they tried to silence them so that their voice would not be heard properly, so an in-depth and responsible public discourse would not take place. Now, when almost everything they warned about happened, in a few hours, and in a cruel and diabolical way, many changed their minds.

In a democracy, every point of view has the right to be expressed, and differences of opinion are to be determined by the majority. However, in our era, when the public debate takes place in the media, in TV studios, and on social networks the positions usually heard are the extremes and the shouters. These claim that they represent the majority's opinion. Although the majority is silent, it has a standpoint, and it deserves to be considered when an important and fateful issue is at stake. However, in the existing format of the discourse, this opinion is often not heard. Those who are influential and have a say on the media try to silence those who they disagree with and warn of the dangers involved. They seek to take over the public discourse and prevent a responsible dialogue according to the importance of the issues at hand. They are surprised when the warning comes true, at a very heavy price.

In our Parasha, the Sages discuss a similar issue. The way things are presented in the Torah, reflects the silencing of the opinion and the warning in real time, and its heavy price when it materialized. After Yosef makes the demand from his brothers to bring Binyamin to him, which seems impossible to Ya'acov, and takes Shimon as a hostage, soul-searching arises among the brothers. This seems to be a punishment from heaven for selling Yosef and denying brotherhood:

וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל אָחִ֗יו אֲבָל֮ אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים אֲנַ֘חְנוּ֮ עַל אָחִ֒ינוּ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָאִ֜ינוּ צָרַ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ בְּהִתְחַֽנְנ֥וֹ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א שָׁמָ֑עְנוּ עַל כֵּן֙ בָּ֣אָה אֵלֵ֔ינוּ הַצָּרָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

"They said to one another, “Alas, we are being punished on account of our brother, because we looked on at his anguish, yet paid no heed as he pleaded with us. That is why this distress has come upon us." (Bereshit 42:21)

Reuben accuses his brothers for not listening to him when he warned them before the sale:

וַיַּ֩עַן֩ רְאוּבֵ֨ן אֹתָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר הֲלוֹא֩ אָמַ֨רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֧ם לֵאמֹ֛ר אַל תֶּחֶטְא֥וּ בַיֶּ֖לֶד וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם וְגַם דָּמ֖וֹ הִנֵּ֥ה נִדְרָֽשׁ׃

"Then Reuben spoke up and said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do no wrong to the boy’? But you paid no heed. Now comes the reckoning for his blood." (ibid 22)

The Commentators pointed out that at the time of the sale, the Torah does not mention Reuben's statement. The Ramban and others point to an interpretive principle, that the Torah shortens the story at the time of the occurrence and mentions the matter post factum. However, it is still not clear why did the Torah not mention Reuben's words at the time of occurrence and 'shorten the story' here?

Lest the Torah wanted to emphasize that at the time of the incident and the dispute between the brothers, Reuben warned of what might happen if they hurt Yosef. But the brothers silenced his voice and did not want to hear his viewpoint. His opinion is heard and mentioned only when his warning came true, at a heavy price.  But then it was already too late.