This past Shabbos, the Torah reading ended with the “Parsha of Amalek” reminding us to “remember” the evil that is Amalek, and “not to forget” the evil that is Amalek. One is a positive commandment to recall, and the other is a call to never forget even when being passive. Amalek, after all, is the embodiment of evil. And evil has but one goal - to destroy that which is good in this world, to destroy the ideology (i.e. goodness and decency) that is stronger and more powerful than the cowardice of Amalek, who attacks from behind, who attacks the stragglers, the weak ones, and those who are unarmed and defenseless.
And here we are, a few days later, on the anniversary of one of the darkest days in the story of the United States of America, September 11, 2001, when close to 3,000 Americans died at the hands of evil monsters looking to destroy the way of life that represents liberty and many freedoms that are the envy of most of the world, finding ourselves shaking our heads in disbelief that evil has risen its head to take out a champion of those freedoms.
Those who were adults, and probably even teenagers, remember where they were and what they were doing when the news started getting around that one plane, then another, had hit the World Trade Center towers. And then more news about the Pentagon and a plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.
I recall watching the towers fall through a television I had managed to connect through the old-school antenna it had in the school I was working in at the time, and thinking that likely tens of thousands of people would be lost in the rubble. I didn't think about how those below the planes would have gotten out, or those on the other side of the buildings, who weren't trapped, even managed to get down from higher floors. There was some time between the impact and the collapse.
As memory serves, I cried alot that day, for the loss of all the innocents, for the children who lost parents, for loved ones who lost a spouse, a son or daughter, a sibling, an aunt or uncle, a nephew or niece, a cousin. And for the loss of a certain innocence. Feelings of despair, how could America be so horribly raped? Flight school in America? Using planes of innocent airlines filled with innocent people to kill innocent civilians going about their business in the City that Never Sleeps?
We can never forget that so many lost their lives for doing nothing more than going about their day, because there is evil in the world.
But then there was the other side (my perspective is mostly NY, because that is where I was at the time). The firefighters of NYFD and the police officers of NYPD who went INTO the buildings! Who climbed up the stairs! The citizens of NY who did everything they could for one another.
We found out later about the boats at the southern tip of Manhattan who evacuated half a million people from lower Manhattan in hours.
And of course, the resilience of the people of New York and the solidarity of the people of the United States in seeing an attack on NYC and the WTC as an attack on ALL OF AMERICA. Political divisiveness disappeared for a bit. And unity was even on display in Game 3 of the World Series of the Yankees v the Diamondbacks, when President Bush came out to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
Flags were everywhere, and the feeling that "we're going to get the people who did this, hold them accountable, or send them to their meeting with God Almighty" was everywhere. America had been attacked, and a sleeping giant had been awakened.
That feeling lasted for a while. Eventually the flags were put away. Things went back to politics as usual. And now, 24 years later, while many mourn on 9/11, for many it's just a day when "what happened? O yeah." And that is also a tragedy.
Now, as we remember, and try to NEVER FORGET, many Americans are mourning after the calculated, targeted, evil assassination of Charlie Kirk, a great American, who created and used his platform to spread ideas, challenge people to think, and to have difficult conversations with people who disagreed with him. Many of those he spoke with were respectful. Many were not. Many were intelligent. A fair number were not. Some people were convinced by his arguments. Some were not. Some departed "thinking about it." Others would come up to him, curse him out, call him things he wasn't, and then would run away from a civil conversation because, when you have nothing to say it's easier to throw a tantrum, be loud, and escape, than to face up to your inadequacies, insecurities, and ignorance.
And Charlie dealt with it with grace and with class.
Did he say things people didn't like? Of course he did. But that's what you do when you take public positions that challenge the media, and the political left, and those who don't share your values. He was courageous in that regard. By the way, having a different opinion or view doesn't make a person hateful. Hateful rhetoric towards individuals does - we've been seeing plenty of that from those who are (quite shamefully) celebrating his death. But Charlie's beef was with harmful ideologies specifically, hoping he could turn the minds of those who harbored ill towards their fellow man.
And while as an Evangelical Christian, he had a very soft spot for the Land of Israel and even the State of Israel, since October 7, 2023 he hasn't backed down from using his platform to declare with absolute certainty and clarity that "Israel is the good guy, and Hamas is the bad guy" over the events in and near Gaza since that horrible day.
He stood up to pro-terrorist (i.e. ignorant) college students and adults who have bought the Kool-Aid that Hamas have been victims of Israel since 1948 (even though Hamas was started in 1987), who claim Israel is an occupier and colonialist, even though they can't even find Israel on a map and don't know which river and which sea they're talking about. And somehow couldn't recognize a terrorist when they see one, as they equate the holy soldiers of the IDF defending the Jewish people with the "freedom fighters" who hide in hospitals and religious sites to "protect" themselves from the Israeli army which respects those spaces, even as they (the IDF) are obligated to protect their own citizenry.
He's taken down college students (in debate, I mean, never physically) who read passages from the Talmud (out of context), from cherry picked quotes they find on websites, which have no bearing whatsoever to how Jews act and live today, pointing out that they don't know what the Talmud is, how it was written, and how some conversations from 2,000 years ago may have been recorded. Mind you, Charlie was not an expert in the Talmud or in Judaism (which is fine, as he doesn't have to be), so he'd get a few things wrong on that front. But that's OK, because his heart knew that the Jewish people are not the enemy of the world. [Once a Jewish student told him he felt unsafe on campus, and Charlie advised him to go to the gym, put on 15 pounds of muscle to become the guy you don't mess with, and learn to defend himself if necessary. Because if he waits for the police, it will usually be too late. The student was grateful for the advice!]
He knew that the enemy of the world are the ideology that brought down the twin towers, and the radical and progressive left who have somehow ?!? teamed-up to destroy western society and western values. I write "?!?" because were those leftists to find themselves in the same space as the 9/11 ideology people - they wouldn't last very long. They'd find the only thing they have in common is hatred of Jews and Christians and a love of violence to reach their political aims.
I saw a video today of Charlie Kirk answering the question, why do you take these bold stands? And his answer was "I am called to do so by the Bible - Psalms 97. Those who love God must fight evil"
I thought, Psalm 97? We say that as part of our davening on Friday nights! It's in Kabbalas Shabbos! What is he talking about? אהבי ה' שנאו רע - Those who love God must hate evil.
I suppose we could debate what שנאו means - hate? Fight? Destroy? Not let the ideology get off the ground? Be careful lest it destroy you, whether physically or ideologically?
Here's a man who is taking the words of Tehillim as a directive in his life. We say this every week, and I never even thought of it that way. Shame on me. And I mean that sincerely.
Included among his many followers who are mourning his loss, who are praying for his wife and children, are many Jews who saw Charlie as a voice of strength, an ally in a world where there are so many loud bullies and loud voices who can't see the difference between good and evil.
For that alone, Charlie was of the Tzadikei Umos Ha'Olam - the righteous among the nations of the world. We have lost a powerful voice and a good friend.
Devarim 27:24, which we will read this Shabbos, says “Cursed be the one who strikes down a fellow stealthily.—And all the people shall say, Amen.”
AMEN
May his family find comfort, may his soul be at rest, and may he be given the greatest accolades according to what he deserved, in the Heavenly realm.
ps. I wasn't around in the '60s when JFK, RFK, and MLK were assassinated. I imagine many people felt then what so many people are feeling now. The difference is that social media has given everyone a voice and everyone a chance to share their grief and sorrow, and to make video posts that the world can immediately watch.
pps. Many of the tributes are absolutely beautiful. He clearly touched so many lives. Even many tributes from those who disagreed with him are respectful, because even people with different viewpoints understand the man did not deserve to die.
ppps. For those who are celebrating or saying which political figures they wish would also die or be killed... I have nothing nice to say. They are showing who they are. Reasonable people should have nothing to do with those who smile at the outcome of evil. They should be shunned in every arena in which civil and reasonable people can disagree and yet still recognize the humanity of one another.
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