The headline is shocking: “Neo-Nazis in Israel!” Eight immigrants from the former Soviet Union, none of whom is halachically Jewish, have been arrested in Petah Tikva for spreading Nazi propaganda and are suspected of vicious attacks on haredim and gays. Trade Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) offered this pearl of wisdom: “These people aren't fit to be called humans.” The problem is that Yishai got it precisely wrong: only humans could do this.
According to tradition, Rosh Hashana actually marks the sixth day of creation, the birth of man. Today, the 27th of Elul, would therefore be the third day, which has its own claim to fame: the first rebellion against God. Rashi (Gen. 1:11) quotes Bereishit Rabba (5:11) that the ground was commanded, on day three, to produce trees which were wholly edible, not only in their fruit, but it refused; consequently, when Adam and Chava (Eve) were punished, the ground was cursed as well.
Presumably, the Midrash is not trying to tell us that the earth can't be trusted: it's teaching us a lesson about human nature, the effect that Adam has on the ground (adama) from which and for which he was created—three days before he opens his eyes! We humans are contrary; having free will means that we have the capacity to choose to disobey God for arbitrary reasons. Animals are logical; they pursue pleasure and avoid pain. They can be trained; humans cannot. You never know what a man will do; you can never underestimate the power of resentment. A human being might choose to recognize his true friends and foes, or he might trust a serpent's word over the Creator's. These neo-Nazis epitomize the latter. They should love Jews and the Jewish state; their tangential genealogical connection is what brought them from a cold, bitter, authoritarian society to a warm, open and free land. But they resent us. The more we give them, the more they hate us. Some talking heads may attribute this to the difficulties of absorption, but this simply shifts the blame to the victims. Most people will appreciate the good that they receive, but there is always that lurking, churlish feeling: we don't like being vulnerable.
For the past two years, we've wondered why our disengagement from Gaza has brought us nothing but vicious attacks. Maybe we haven't done enough, we muse; maybe we have to rebuild their airport, give them more arms, release more prisoners, throw open the border crossings. Then we do that, but Islamic Jihad, supported by Hamas, fires more Kassams at our schoolchildren, and we say: Those bastards, they aren't human.
Yes, they are. Only humans could do this; only Adam could resent Paradise; only men could take their newfound freedom and turn it into a weapon.
Such people deserve no pity; we can only confront them, and put our faith in those who embrace humanity's potential for greatness, not its propensity for pettiness.
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