Usually, children call their mom to tell them they got a good grade on the test, or that something similarly joyous or important happened. In a recording published last night by the State of Israel, a Palestinian terrorist called his parents in Gaza excited and celebrating that he killed Jews. “Your son is a hero!” he yelled to his mom, saying again and again that he sent them photos on WhatsApp from the scene of slaughter at Kibbutz Miflasim.
I have no intention of getting into the description of the horrors, or the murderous and satanic conduct of our enemies this recording reveals. I would like only to address the deep truth this terrorist reminded us of: “I killed ten Jews,” he told his family, over and over. Not rightwingers or leftwingers or Ashkenazim or Sefardim. He didn’t check to see how they voted. He didn’t care if they were a secularist from Kibbutz Beeri, a bearded Chardal Jew from Kerem Shalom, or an elderly Charedi from Ofakim. “I killed ten Jews.”
In this week’s parshah of Lech Lechah, Avraham Avinu appears for the first time on the stage of history. The first Jew, and also the first to come to the Land of Israel, receiving a Divine promise that his sons will become a nation with a great mission in this world.
His journey is our shared journey, which continues to this day. Sometimes it is our enemies who remind us that we’ve lost our way and that we must relearn the simple truth of who we are and what this story is all about.
