The State of Israel Feeds Those That Bite Us. What Would Chazal Say?

Quoting some of Chananya Weissman (here):

Yalkut Shimoni on Vayishlach, remez 140:

מָשָׁל לְבֶן מְלָכִים שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ דִּין עִם אֶחָד וְכָלוּ מְזוֹנוֹתָיו וּבָא אֶחָד וְהִסְפִּיק לוֹ מְזוֹנוֹת וְאָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין לִי עֵסֶק אֶלָּא עִם זֶה שֶׁהִסְפִּיק לוֹ מְזוֹנוֹת

It can be compared to a prince who had a quarrel with someone, and [his adversary] ran out of food, whereupon someone came and supplied him with food. The king said “My business is only with the one who supplied him with food.”

In other words, the patron of your enemy is your enemy.

If your adversary in a war is on the brink of defeat due to lack of food, weapons, and other critical supplies, and someone comes along and sends them aid, your first business should be with them.

This is not presented by Chazal as a novel teaching, but as common sense, a mashal intended to shed light on why Hashem will destroy Batzra (for propping up Edom). Anyone with an ounce of intelligence understands that one who feeds, supplies, and army your enemy is also your enemy — even if they have a “reason”.

Hypothetical question: If someone steadily props up your enemy, then orders you into death traps to wage a “war” against this enemy, who is the more sinister and dangerous enemy in the equation?

Are Jews Colonialists in Their Own Land? Absolutely Not, But We’re Willing to Compromise…

No, you cannot be a “colonialist” in your own ancestral home. But being subject to colonial administration can sometimes be better than nothing. We might even seek out this arrangement.

Gemara A.Z. 10a, end:

אמר ליה אנטונינוס לרבי בעינא דימלוך אסוירוס ברי תחותי ותתעביד טבריא קלניא ואי אימא להו חדא עבדי תרי לא עבדי אייתי גברא ארכביה אחבריה ויהב ליה יונה לעילאי [בידיה] ואמר ליה לתתאה אימר לעילא דלמפרח מן ידיה יונה אמר שמע מינה הכי קאמר לי את בעי מינייהו דאסוירוס ברי ימלוך תחותי ואימא ליה לאסוירוס דתעביד טבריא קלניא.

The Center for Online Judaic Studies’ translation:

“Antoninus once said to Rebbi: ‘It is my desire that my son Asverus should reign instead of me and that Tiberias should be declared a free Colony. Were I to ask one of these things it would [be granted], but were I to ask two, they would not [both] be granted.’ Rebbe brought a man, made him ride upon the shoulders of another, and placed a dove in the hands of the upper one, and said to the lower: ‘Tell the upper one to release the dove from his hand.’ Antoninus perceived this to mean that he was advised to ask [of the Senate] to appoint his son Asverus to reign in his stead, and to ask Asverus himself to make Tiberias a Colony.”

[Original post here.]