YEHUDIT – A HEROINE’S MESSAGE

A message of Chanukah
By Carine

Nowadays, much is talked about how everyone should “understand” modern day’s assassins of good people, as if there were reasonable appeals for their wicked behavior.

The world has always tried to find a way to blame the victims of atrocities, while defending its murders. So, many people have blamed the very existence of Israel for terrorism per se that it’s beyond belief.

I remember that right after 9/11, I got a call from a “friend” that I used to give foreign language lessons to, and this person told me that the reason of the attack was America’s support for Israel. I was shocked to hear such untrue statement.

First of all terrorists have an agenda, they want to destroy everyone that doesn’t agree with their “religion”, point-of-view and hunger for evil and death. They pride themselves as “warriors” who aren’t in love of G-d’s ultimate gift which is LIFE.

These evil doers despise life and their deity is death itself, therefore they hate the idea of freedom for “infidels” in their distorted minds.

When, terrorism was only in Israeli territory, the whole world would give signals that it was Israel’s solely fault! Now, that it’s gone global, the “guilty minded liberal” mentality still seems to point fingers at the victims.

Meanwhile nothing is really done to prevent these horrific actions…After, few weeks of the Mumbai attack where Westerners, Israelis and Jewish people were terribly attacked, the government of Israel releases a “bunch” of perpetrators.

So, here comes a message of Chanukah that’s right on the corner – Yehudit the Jewish heroine, a feminine figure of the miraculous events that happened in Chanukah which illustrates that she was observant, pious, modest, yet charming and beautiful with a strong faith in the G-d of Israel.

This Jewish heroine teaches everyone that she didn’t only pray, but she embraced the mission of cutting off the enemy herself; first of all, she believed that if the Jewish people kept G-d’s commandments, they wouldn’t perish – nevertheless, she took upon herself a mission which in modern time would sound insane!

She prayed to G-d to protect, guide and deliver, thus, she went after Holofernes the Tyrant Syrian-Greek General – she went with a maid, and eventually after stuffing him with her delicious cheese and wine killed him with a sword by herself!

I’m not saying in anyway, that women or men should take “vengeance” matters on their own hands, but, into certain extent we must fight to cut off the evil that threaten us.

Governments shouldn’t be sleeping, thinking that the taking of one innocent life is fine, when it’s not; the blood of the innocent is crying out to G-d.

Women and men alike should take into consideration that we must trust in G-d, thus, put on armours of righteousness. Gentlemen should be working on being “good” and “loving” husbands to their wives and vise versa. Parents should be really compassionate with their children, and when these are wrong, shouldn’t be pat, but instructed with love, and daughters and sons should be compassionate towards their parents as well.

In resume, Yehudit the heroine’s story should resonate to Israel and the whole world; miracles do happen, but one has to do their part – we can’t close our eyes to the barbaric killings of innocent and say that it’s okay. No, it’s not okay, we must exclaim in words and in actions NOT to release the evil doers, but rather cut off the evil among us.