As a result of Adam and Eve eating fruit from the tree of knowledge, the Torah tells us that “the eyes of both of them were opened….” They were stripped of their blissful naïveté, aware of their nakedness and vulnerability.
On October 7th, 2023, as Hamas initiated an unprovoked assault of terror on the Israeli people, innocent mothers, fathers, children, elderly and others, we thought the world’s eyes were finally opened. How can anyone deny this evil? Through social media, we witness first hand what many who lived through the Second World War did not. So many statements in the 1930s and 40s claim not knowing what was happening in the gas chambers thousands of miles away. Not one person in 2023 can claim the same. We bear witness to this week. We bear witness to human beings unable and unwilling to see the face of God in the person standing before them. And we will remember who chooses to speak out and who chooses to close their eyes.
The silence is palpable. And the silence is dangerous. Perhaps even worse than the rhetoric spewed by those trying to justify the actions of Hamas. The justifications are disturbing and yet, they quickly reveal where there is opportunity for discussion and with whom discussion will forever be off the table.
No, the true fear lies in those that continue to close their eyes, buried heads in the sand. Those that say, “I’m not taking sides.” Those that think this atrocity doesn’t impact them. Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened. It was a punishment to be able to discern the difference between good and evil. And yet, the discernment is what allows human beings to be God’s beacons of peace.
The future will retell the actions of this moment. And may future generations say of each of us, “Their eyes were open. They spoke up. And thank God they did.”
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
