The Slaughter in Pittsburgh

Commentary ^ | 27 Oct 218 | John Podhoretz

[Rummyfan]

The synagogue in Pittsburgh is called the Tree of Life. The name is a translation into English of the Hebrew phrase etz chaim. We sing those words as the Torah is put away on every Shabbat. They are words from the Book of Proverbs: “She is a tree of life for those that cling to her and all who do are happy.” The “she” in that sentence is “wisdom,” and the verse that precedes it is especially poignant in light of what has happened: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Today the paths of peace were befouled by a monstrous anti-Semite who stormed the Tree of Life shouting something about Jews needing to die as he murdered and injured and then shot at some cops for good measure.

In every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. In a classic act of anti-Semitic violence, which is what this is, Jews hear the echoes of every violent anti-Semitic act that has preceded it in history. And we hear those echoes because they are there. That which motivates Jew-hatred today is what has motivated it from time immemorial—the poisonously attractive idea that Jews need to be extirpated because our existence is an offense or a threat to an existing larger order. The blessing of Jewish life in America is that this notion has largely been consigned to the dregs from which today’s human malignancy rose. Despite the fact that most hate crimes in America are aimed at Jews, the actual number is vanishingly small—especially compared to France, from which Jews are now fleeing, and England, whose Labour Party is in the hands of an actual Jew-hater.

[Jim W N]

Presumptively Islamic Jihadism. The stupid leftist media will never admit such.

But the Right should. Unexplainable mayhem, especially against Jews are an Islamic terrorist pattern for decades, and we need to call a spade a spade.

Presumptively Islamic Jihadism.

[Rummyfan]

There are remembrance stones (steles, monoliths) marking the location and memorializing the murdered.

[DarthVader]

Podhoretz is an ass!

[Rummyfan]

May the Almighty bind up their souls in the bond of eternal life, and may the Author of Peace send peace to all who mourn.

Amen.

[Rummyfan]

I have spent most of my life trying to understand why. Where did this come from? Why does it lurk in the hearts of people? It makes no sense.

As old as humankind. As simple as envy. See Cain and Abel.

[faithhopecharity]

A fine essay until he tossed in that one libelous line about ( with zero backing, evidence, or even explanation) that PDJT is somehow a “bad person.” WTH is that in there for? Certainly a brilliant man like the author knows he’s violated a Jewish teaching against falsely or unnecessarily disparaging another person. This “sin” is considered one of the very worst violations of Jewish religious law, too. Indeed, it’s even been taught that it is in a way worse then murder. Because, it leaves its victim to suffer sometimes terrible social ostracization and pain for the rest of his life. Of all people on earth, the Jews have, collectively, suffered just this kind of hate at least as much or more so than probably any other peoples. So, there’s absolutely no excuse for a Jewish writer to smear PDJT in print - without cause. “You shall not go around as a gossipmonger”

—Leviticus

“Evil gossip kills three: the one who says it, the one who listens, and the subject of the gossip”

—Talmud

[thoughtomator]

Podhoretz is full of it. This is not at all a classic act of anti-Semitic violence, but a political act in response to multiculturalism. The guy explictly points to exactly what his problem is - Soros-run resettlement programs.

[FreeReign]

Where I won’t let Trump off the hook here is the way in which he does nothing to try to calm the political atmosphere and rather seeks to secure an advantage from the way it roils. He should be better than this, because everyone should, and he’s not, and that’s both sad and bad. He’s just not a good person, and there are times, times like these, when the country would benefit from having a better person as president.

Podhertz says that we need to "calm the political atmosphere" but in his next sentence he personally attacks Trump and calls him a bad person.

Podhertz comments are ironic and they're not politically calming.

[faithhopecharity]

It is otherwise a very good essay , just excuse that superfluous line

[FreeReign]

Yes, yes! Nothing short of worship will be tolerated!

I've criticized Trump.

I too find this article trash.

[dynoman]

Everyone here should watch the first 15 minutes of Trump with the FFA. He had both a rabbi and pastor pray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-mIimIdNjY

[Bonemaker]

Is that a “gun free” synagogue?

[stormhill]

I am not a Jew but truly sympathize with your people's plight. Question me and you'll find me more knowledgeable about the Holocaust than you are. You have no reason to believe me when I tell you that I genuinely care for Jews and their concerns.

That said, it's impossible to escape political issues or the political implications of atrocities committed in our countries. If you want to completely avoid politics, may I suggest a vacation in Neverland?

Getting to the point, the monster who committed this atrocity was a Trump hater. This should come as a shock to absolutely nobody, yet this is a pesky little fact that won't survive to make it out of your average MSM newsroom.

[Ancesthntr]

“Certainly a brilliant man like the author knows he’s violated a Jewish teaching against falsely or unnecessarily disparaging another person.”

---

I’m thinking that he doesn’t really care...after all, he wrote and posted this on the Sabbath, which is forbidden to any truly observant Jew.

[Ancesthntr]

“As a Jew (and a long-time Freeper), who is grieving today for my people, I would respectfully ask any of you who have political thoughts about this terrible crime to post them on another thread (there are many). Eleven Jews, who came to pray this morning to embrace the Torah, the “tree of life” (etz chayim), instead in a bitter irony met their untimely deaths. May the Almighty bind up their souls in the bond of eternal life, and may the Author of Peace send peace to all who mourn.”

---

Aw Mein. Give the dead and their families at least the decency of a single day (and I believe this about any massacre, of any people). There’s plenty of time later to argue and point fingers.

[Beatthedrum]

The dem posing as a Trump supporter sends fake bombs, that are incapable of detonating and no-one is killed.

This POS who hates Trump slaughters 11 innocent people and the MSM is still trying to blame Trump

[Destroyer Sailor]

Eleven human beings who were Jewish were killed by an evil sick animal. Our society has lost its morality. We have also turned our collective back on God. This is what happens. I pray for the families of the victims.

[faithhopecharity]

The essay author should know that most people are neither good nor bad, they choose each day, minute by minute, whether to behave morally or not. It’s calmed free will and it’s a core Jewish religious principle. So, it can sometimes be appropriate to call out a bad , immoral decision or deed. It is normally not appropriate - not accurate - to call the actor a “bad person.” ( there are some people who behave so consistently in immoral bad ways that yes they may be just termed evil 😈 people. Hitler, moslem terrorists, Abbas, Stalin , pol pat— but most people who do something wrong might possibly repent of it and act righteously the next day. Calling PDJT a “bad man” is violative of Jewish religious law. And especially as the essay author failed to cite any evil deeds to even begin to justify such a defamatory broadside. ( other then that one superfluous line, his essay is pretty good).

[McGavin999]

I guess it’s like asking Why does evil exist?

[faithhopecharity]

Oy!