BESHALACH

In the Torah portion Beshalach we learn how G-d did not lead the Jewish people the shortest way to the land of Israel because G-d said, "Pen - lest the people will change their mind when they see war, and they will return to Egypt."  This does not seem to make any sense.  After all, if G-d is all-powerful then G-d can make sure that the Jewish people would win any battle that they would fight in just a few minutes, and they would never see the terrible conditions of war and would never change their mind.  What is more, at the end of this Torah portion we see that they had to fight anyway.  They had to fight Amaleh.  Why should it say here "Pen - lest?  What if they will see war and they will return to Egypt?"

Earlier in the Book of Shemos we learn how Pharaoh says, "Let is deal wisely with Israel lest they will increase and when war will happen they will be added also to our enemies and fight against us."  Pharaoh, of course, was wrong.  Pharaoh was, of course, using hypothetical situation in order to justify immoral acts.  G-d, of course, could have defeated the enemies of the Jewish people even if He took them the short way in such a way as not to endanger a slave people is confidence.  What He was afraid of here was that the people would say, "What if?  What if we have to fight the Philistines?  How can we beat them?"  G-d then took them a longer way so they would not even think about war, about the what ifs.  

In most of human history great tragedies have taken place because people have acted on situations which are not now real.  They assume all sorts of boogeymen and, based on these fears, they act in cruel and vicious ways.  That is exactly what the Germans did in the 20 is and 30 is.  We Jews were the source of all their trouble.  What if the Jews got greater power in Germany?  Then not only would Germany lose wars and have depressions and inflations, but the German people is very soul was in danger.  If the Jewish people were really a mortal danger to German, then, of course, everything Hitler did made sense.  If somebody or something is going to kill you or your family, then you have to defend yourself.  Hitler convinced the German people that the Jews were a terrible virus that was going to destroy them and in self-defense they had to take measures against these Jews.  

Rabbi Kahane is just the same type of demagogue.  He uses what ifs in order to provide a platform.  First of all, his facts are wrong.  The Arab population on the West Bank has not grown at all since 1967.  The young Arabs are moving to other Arab states and even to Houston.
But what if what he says comes about?  It still would not mean the end of a Jewish State because, after al I, in America we do not have one man one vote.  We have a Senate in which Alaska has as many Senators as Texas even though Texas is maybe 20 times bigger in population than Alaska.  Israel could adapt the system of Switzerland where every canton has the same number of representatives to the government no matter what its population.  There are many things that could happen between now and 2020.  We should not act upon fears but upon facts that are presently true.

I remember the time a person came to me and said, "I'm going to my doctor to get radiation treatments for cancer."  I was surprised and said, "But you don it have cancer."  He said, "I know, but I read that one out of three people who smoke will get it, and I want to get my radiation now so I will be prepared."  He, of course, was foolish.  No doctor would give him radiation for a disease he might get but did not have.  This is similar to the story they tell about a woman who refused to have a fourth child because she heard that every fourth child born was Chinese, and she did not want to raise a Chinese child.  Worrying about things that are only a possibility in the future and basing all our lives on it is foolish.  After all, we are al I going to die, so why should we do anything?  After al I, before the Arabs become a majority in Israel, if it ever happens, will all be dead.  It is very difficult to make predictions about the future.

I remember reading an article written in England about 1850 which claimed that London could grow no more because there was already so much horse manure in the streets it would be impossible to get around because all the horses would sink in their own manure.  The author was wrong because automobiles were invented.  You cannot extrapolate from the present into the future way down the road.  After all, when Ben Gurion went to Israel with the other pioneers the Arabs were an overwhelming majority in Israel.  If the present condition had continued the whole situation would have been ludicrous.

We believe in G-d.  G-d will help us somehow solve our problems.  It is also the meaning of the story of the Akedah.  Abraham thought he had to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  How could this square with his moral values?  In the end it did.  He was not commanded to sacrifice his son.  We Jews must never give up morality for what if goals.  That is the method of Hitler's and all other demagogues.  Let I shave a little faith.  Let's not do, like Pharaoh did, and say, "What if the people increase?  Therefore, let's make them slaves."  Kahane and his ilk are wrong.  

Democracy, too, is based upon this belief that there is a G-d in this world.  We only have to worry about immediate dangers.  We could not even have a free press.  What if people hearing bad news decided to band together and overthrows the government?  We do not say what if.  Only if they actively plan the overthrow of the government will we act against them.  Living by what ifs is the wrong way to live.  You live then only in fear.

I am reminded of the story they tell about a young man who got onto a bus and sat near a middle aged man.  The young man asked him, "Could you please tell me what time it is?" The middle aged man answered, "Go to the devil."  The young man asked, "Why did you say that?"  The middle aged man replied, "Well, I see that you are a nice looking young man.  When you gave your ticket to the driver I noticed that you are going to the same stop that I am.  Since you seem to be very pleasant, I would have invited you to my house.  There you would meet my daughter.  I am sure she would like you, and after a few weeks you would come to me and ask me for her hand.  I would have had to tell you, "Go to the devil" because I don't want a son-in-law who doesn't even have enough money to own a watch.  So you see, I'm just saving time."  That's the problem with all what ifs.  Deal only with immediate problems.  The future ahead is too murky.  Leave it to G-d.  We should never abandon morality just because of a what if.