An Israeli saying has it that it is easier to be a critic
(mevaker) than to be an ally (chaver). Whether
or
not this is true in normal times, it is certainly true
today.
The situation is difficult and complex and anyone with a
little logic can explain why this or that action was no good.
Anyone who is in a position wherein he is expected to solve
our knotty problems, is attacked from all sides. Not only
that, but the critics can offer hypothetical solutions and
can claim that they would work if they were tried.
It is a perfect setting for any critic, and it does not
matter which side he starts from. The Right says that the
military action is too restrained. Terror would be completely
destroyed if only more force were applied. The Left says that
the military steps that are taken are exactly what brings
terror upon us as a reaction, and escalated attacks bring
escalated counterattacks. If the army launched an all-out
invasion and toppled the Palestinian Authority, the terror
would stop, say sage critics on the Right. The only way out
of the difficulties, say critics on the Left, is to begin
negotiations without preconditions. Some say confine Arafat
and others say let him go. Some say stick to destroying
military targets and others say the time has come to attack
infrastructure.
In short, it is a good time to be in the opposition or a
member of the working press. The situation is bad and it is
easy and popular to call for improvements. It is hard to
actually bring them about. Everything that has been tried has
not worked. Everything that has not yet been tried can be
argued will work. The result is a tremendous amount of
verbiage. People are eager to hear how to get out of this
terrible and difficult situation, and there are many who are
willing to slake this thirst with their own solutions. As
long as they are untried and sound good, they will find an
eager audience.
However we, who are believers the children of believers, must
not allow all this attractive speculation to distract us from
what we know is the right conclusion to draw from the
fearsome attacks of our cruel and heartless foe.
We must not see our situation as the result of blind social
and political forces but rather as a reflection and result of
spiritual forces and our ethical worth. We know that when
Hashem sends us tzoros He wants something from us: He
wants to bring us back to Him.
It is now the beginning of bein hazmanim, but in the
circumstances we must make it a time of chizuk and not
chas vesholom the opposite. Whatever we do in
preparation and fulfillment of the special mitzvos of this
season, we must do more intensely and more carefully. We must
not neglect our Torah, we must not neglect our
tefilloh
and we especially must not neglect our gemilas
chassodim.
Seeing that it is a good time for criticism, we can also
become critics. But we should focus on criticism of ourselves
with an aim to making us better people and increasing our
avodas Hashem.
We will have a yeshu'oh -- partial or complete -- when
we are worthy of it in the eyes of Heaven. May it be soon.
