In 1974, Rabbi Asher Wade, a
US Army chaplain, befriended a Jewish American officer named Stuart. Stuart did
not strike him as being a religious man and so Rabbi Wade was surprised one day
to see Stuart wearing a yarmulke (skullcap). Upon questioning Stuart's reasons
for donning this unconventional attire, Stuart told Rabbi Wade the fascinating
story behind it.
As part of their first year studies, cadets
were enrolled in a course called "History of Military Tactics & Field
Strategies," taught be a Three Star Lieutenant General with a Ph.D. in military
strategy. The course surveyed the major battles in history, including those of
the Ptolemies, the Romans, the Middle Ages, and down to the latest battles of
our modern era.
During the final two weeks of the course,
which were devoted to reviewing the material, Cadet Stuart raised his hand with
a question, "Why did we not survey any of the battles fought by the Jews, either
of ancient times (i.e. Roman-Jewish wars) or of modern times (i.e. Arab-Israeli
wars)?"
"The normally friendly general snapped back
with an order for me to see him in his office after class," remembered Stuart.
Upon entering the general's office, Stuart was ordered to close and lock the
door. "The general then told me that he would only answer my question in the
privacy of his office," said Stuart.
"Do not think that the staff here at West
Point has left the Jewish wars unnoticed," began the general, "We have examined
and analyzed them and we do not teach them at West Point. According to military
strategy and textbook tactics, the Jews should have lost them. You should have
been swept into the dustbin of history long ago. But you were not. You won those
wars against all odds and against all military strategies and
logic."
"This past year, we hired a new junior
instructor. During a private staff meeting and discussion, the Arab-Israeli wars
came under discussion. We puzzled at how you won those wars. Suddenly, this
junior instructor chirped up and jokingly said, 'honorable gentlemen. It seems
to be quite obvious how they are winning their wars: G-d is winning their wars!'
Nobody laughed. The reason is, soldier, that it seems to be an unwritten rule
around here at West Point that G-d is winning your wars, but G-d does not fit
into military textbooks! You are dismissed," concluded the general.
"I left the general's office," continued
Stuart, "I had never been so humiliated in my life. I felt about two inches
tall." "Wouldn't you know it," I said to myself, "that I would have to come to
West Point and find our how great my G-d is from a non practicing presbyterian
three star general."
I went back to my dorm room," continued
Stuart, and dug down in my sock drawer to find that 'flap of cloth' that I threw
on my head once a year. I said to myself: This thing is going on my head,
because I found, in essence, who I was and where I came from."
Story submitted by Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier of
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5760
Two thousand years ago, the Chinese invented gunpowder. In the 1800s,
Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. In the mid-twentieth century, the US
government developed the Atom bomb. But there is a force far more
powerful than all of the above - the power of a woman. The influence that
a wife has on her husband is supreme. In one of the most infamous
episodes of the Torah, Korach challenged the authority of Moshe as the
leader of the Jewish people. He recruited an avid following, including a
man named On-Ben-Peles, saying that Moshe was idealogically wrong by
taking too much power and authority - that Moshe was making himself a
demigod - this was tantamount to idolatry. When On-Ben-Peles came home
and informed his wife of the big showdown set for the next day, she saw
through the argument and realized that it came from ego rather than
idealism. She said, "Why are you doing this? Even if Korach wins, you
will still not get the glory; while, if Moshe wins, you certainly will be
in trouble." Her words penetrated On-Ben-Peles who at once hatched a plan
to remove himself from the fight. The next day, when the rebels would
come by to pick him up to go to the fight, his wife would sit at the door
of their tent with her hair uncovered so that the men would not come
near. Just in case they did come in, On-Ben-Peles would be drunk, sound
asleep in his bed. Why did they have to go to such lengths to bow out?
Why couldn't they just say no? The reason is because machlokes (strife)
is like a powerful magnet that sucks people in. All of Korach's followers
were killed that day, so On-Ben-Peles' life was saved by the good advice
of his wife. We also know sadly that it was Chava (Eve) who influenced
her husband to eat the forbidden fruit. The Talmud tells a story of a
righteous man and a righteous woman who decided to marry wicked spouses
so that they could be a good influence on them. The righteous woman made
the wicked husband righteous; while, the righteous man was turned wicked
by his wicked wife. In both cases, the woman had the more powerful
influence.