Amalek, Genocide & Antisemitism - Parshat Yitro - Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

[Music] at the end of the second world war a group of non-jewish British intellectuals decided to convert and become Jewish basically their rationale was if you're not part of the solution you'll become part of the problem they saw how Germany the most civilized country in Europe had descended into unparalleled barbarity in just a few short years and so they decided to become part of the Jewish Nation Rashi comments on the opening words of Pasad yitro and yro heard says Rashi what did he here that made him come the splitting of the Sea and the war of amalik why of all the great Miracles that the Jewish people experienced in Egypt should these two events have inspired yro to convert the nation of Amal has an implacable hatred of the Jews that is without reason it it instinctive and visceral anti-Semitism is as normal to Amal as breathing or eating but not everyone is a born anti-site the majority of people will always be in the middle neither Jew nor Jew hater waiting to be swayed one way or the other itro saw that if a person doesn't act on inspiration not only does that inspiration wne and fade but it rots and becomes its opposite revulsion he understood that if he did not act on the inspiration of seeing the unbelievable open Miracle of the splitting of the sea that he too would eventually become like amalik cold-hearted disbelieving an atheist a Jew [Music] hater anyone with an eye or an ear for current events will be struck by the Supreme irony of the accusation by South Africa that Israel is committing acts of genocide the concept of genocide was coined by a Jewish lawyer Rafael lkin to describe the Nazi atrocities alone among the 17 judges who deliberated on interim measures in the case concerning the application of the genocide convention in the Gaza Strip South Africa versus Israel of all of those Julia SE IND of Uganda voted against all proposed provisional measures in her lone dissenting view she argued the absence of a credible indication of genocidal intent by Israel genocide is the intention to obliterate a nation not the ghastly concent and casualties of an urban War where civilians are used as human Shields by cynical State terrorists the slogan from the river to the Sea is indeed a cry for genocide and what about the other 17 judges the Jewish people may not have many friends but it warms the heart when like hitro someone stands up and wants to be counted with us