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Are You Troubled
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
September 30, 2024, Israel
I was speaking with a relative about the events of the past year, the attack of October 7, and the subsequent reactions. His question was, how could this happen? How could the amazing Israeli army get caught by surprise? Since then, and in particular these past few days, we have seen not only the incredible mind-blowing might of the Israeli armed forces but unprecedented precise technological attacks that seem to come out of a Science Fiction movie. So how did this army, government, intelligence system get caught off guard less than a year ago?
I answered him and told him that I covered this in quite a few blogs. It happened because the people of Israel, the inhabitants of the border area near Gaza, the government, the army, the intelligence, refused to see the problem, they refused to accept reality, they refused to see what was being presented in pure day light. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, Hamas published their manifesto, and yet...well, Nah, not really, they don't really mean it. A refusal to believe.
And the question remains, why don't people see what is plainly in front of them? What can't they see the writing on the wall, when in fact it is so clear?
The question is not only about October 7, 2023, but about all aspects of life including why so few people take up self defense, Krav Maga training.
Here is the answer.
We don't feel the pain. We don't see the pain. We don't want to see it.
Why?
If we see the pain, we need to do something about it, we need to take action, and the truth is people are lazy, they want to be comfortable, they don't want to take action.
Not wanting to take action leads directly to not feeling the urgency of the matter. In order to not see the urgency of the matter we must shut off our feelings, we must put on our blinders. Once we have our blinders on, we see no evil, we feel no evil, and we therefore do not need to be troubled, we don't need to do anything about it.
Imagine this, there is an on-going sewage problem, but...someone else will take care of it, it is not so bad. There is certainly no need for me to put my clothes back on at 9 pm and go fix something. But what if, what if we knew with 100% absolute certainly, that if we did not fix this problem before midnight, before the clock strikes 12, that all our water would turn to sewage, that tomorrow morning when you turned on the shower, sewage would pour onto your body. When you turned on the tap to get water for your morning coffee, urine came out instead. In such a case, what would you do?
You would take off your robe, put on your clothing, and every able-bodied man, woman and child would go out to fix this problem before the clock struck midnight.
But as long as the problem is not quite so 100% clear, we choose not to see it. We refuse to see the truth, the reality, because seeing the truth means we will have to act.
I think of four great men that I was privileged to meet; each had a profound impact on the Jewish world, on the world as a whole. They were Rabbi Noach Weinberg of Blessed Memory, Rabbi Meir Kahane of Blessed memory, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Blessed Memory, and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach of Blessed memory. (listed in no particular order).
What did these four men have in common? What lead to their greatness?
I believe what they had in common, besides being very learned and wise rabbis, is that they felt the pain of others very deeply. They were all Zen masters in the sense that they removed their blinders and were willing to see the truth, uncluttered by their previous knowledge. They were able to see the uncomfortable truth that others choose not to see, that others refuse to see. People are afraid to see the truth because the truth will obligate them to take action, and people prefer to stay in their comfort zone and not take action.
Comfort is the opposite of Pain. If we wish to remain pain free, comfortable, we choose to avoid seeing the dangers that lie ahead, for seeing and believing demands action.
Rabbi Weinberg prayed to God, Give me some of your pain God, let me feel it, because only if I feel it will I act.
Rabbi Kahane worked for the Jewish Press in Brooklyn and daily received reports of Jews being attacked in a changing neighborhood. He began by organizing a Neighborhood Watch to protect those Jews who could not afford to move out of the now dangerous neighborhoods. This eventually led to the formation of the Jewish Defense League, of which I was a member.
Rabbi Carlebach and Rabbi Schneerson felt the pain of young Jews who were alienated by modern society and reached out to them in innovative ways. They felt the pain of the young and disenfranchised. They devoted their lives to helping those in need, no matter how many hours it took.
If we want to act, if we want to make a difference, we must feel the pain of others as our own. Only then will we leave our comfort zone. Feel the pain, make a difference. Be part of the positive change in society. If we don't feel pain, we don't feel the urgency to act.
Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt hall of fame, USA and Europe.
Understand the Israeli Fighting Mentality - Israel a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz
What is the cultural background of Krav Maga? What makes it unique? What makes the Israeli military so effective? Why are Israeli security systems used all over the world?
What are the Biblical origins of Krav Maga and who was the first Krav Maga instructor?
What weapons and military strategies did our Biblical ancestors use?
How has Krav Maga developed in Israel and what are its goals?
All that and more in this unique book.
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