{"id":35875,"date":"2014-05-05T14:02:07","date_gmt":"2014-05-05T14:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=35875"},"modified":"2014-05-05T14:02:27","modified_gmt":"2014-05-05T14:02:27","slug":"words-matter-just-ask-donald-sterling-john-kerry-avigdor-kahalani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/israel\/words-matter-just-ask-donald-sterling-john-kerry-avigdor-kahalani\/","title":{"rendered":"Words Matter \u2013 Just Ask Donald Sterling, John Kerry & Avigdor Kahalani"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared on rabbisblog.brsonline.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"wordsMatter\"When I studied in Yeshiva University there was a young man named Yossi z\u201dl who suffered from a degenerative disease that left him in a wheelchair, immobile and unable to speak. All Yossi could do was move his finger and that is how he communicated. He had a board on his wheelchair with a chart of the alphabet on it. He would painstakingly move his finger to point to a letter, and then another letter until he spelled out a word and patiently continued until his words formed sentences.<\/p>\n

After getting married, Yocheved and I went to Israel for two years where I studied in YU\u2019s Gruss Kollel in Yerushalayim. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Yossi had made Aliyah with his family and was studying there as well. By this time, he was unable to control any muscle in his entire body other than moving his eyes. In order to communicate, instead of Yossi, you had to move your finger over the board and Yossi would look to the side to indicate which letter he wanted to use to form the word that would make the sentence that would communicate his thought. Yossi\u2019s Rebbeim in YU described him as having a brilliant mind. He had so much to offer the world, insight, wisdom, humor and yet we were so limited in our ability to gain from Yossi, simply because he lacked the ability to communicate with ease.<\/p>\n

Today, we have technology that would allow Yossi to share his thoughts with others. However, from my relationship with him I learned that without the gift of communication, verbal or otherwise, we are left paralyzed, with so much to share, but an extremely limited ability to influence or impact the world around us. Communication allows mankind to advance and grow, to create and destroy, to build and demolish. Words matter and can even have lethal consequences. Shlomo Ha\u2019Melech, the wisest of all men taught, \u201cMaves v\u2019chaim b\u2019yad lashon, death and life are in fact found in the power of speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

I am not telling you anything that we haven\u2019t all been taught since our earliest age. However, somehow despite our knowledge about the power and impact of words, we struggle to be discerning, careful and judicious in our employment of them. This week was a stark reminder of how the choice of words can have dramatic and lasting effects.<\/p>\n

Few of us knew the name Donald Sterling before this week, but now he is a household name. He has become the poster child of racism, the symbol of bigotry and image of discrimination. Sterling\u2019s attitude towards black people is actually nothing new. In 2009 he was sued by the coach of the Clippers, the NBA team he owns, for wrongful termination saying that the team\u2019s owner underpaid him and treated him \u201cas a token because of his race,\u201d though the suit was later dropped. In 2006 the Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing Sterling\u2019s rental company of refusing to lease Beverly Hills apartments to African-Americans. In 2003, the nonprofit Housing Rights Center and a group of tenants filed a lawsuit accusing Sterling of \u201cnumerous discriminatory statements and housing practices,\u201d<\/p>\n

Sterling\u2019s record towards African Americans didn\u2019t impede him from public recognition and awards. In January 2006, Sterling was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame during a gala dinner at the Milken Jewish Community Center in West Hills. Even more shockingly, he was slated to receive his second NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award at the group\u2019s 100th anniversary celebration next month.<\/p>\n

But today, Sterling is considered a villain, reviled and loathed by decent people everywhere. The NBA is fining him $2.5 million and is forcing him to sell his team. What did he do wrong? Was he caught practicing discrimination, bias or racism? No. Amazingly, it wasn\u2019t anything he did, it was entirely what he was caught saying. A tape emerged capturing a racist rant from Sterling. The consequences have been swift and drastic. Amazingly, those consequences were not imposed when he was accused of actually practicing racism, but they came with furor when he used his words and spoke in a vile, intolerable, reprehensible way. Words matter and the wrong choice of them can have grave consequences.<\/p>\n

A poor choice of words can be revealing or inflammatory and provocative in dangerous ways. Secretary of State, John Kerry\u2019s use of the word Apartheid in the context of Israel\u2019s future brought on a bipartisan firestorm of criticism this week. His defenders will point out that two former Israeli Prime Ministers have used that word in describing what may result in a failure to make peace. Kerry defended himself aggressively and vehemently citing his record as a Senator on Israel. Many, myself included, were unconvinced. His record on Israel was not under question; it was his choice of one particular word, a word that is viewed as dangerously inflammatory in any context and under any condition, but especially when used in connection to Israel.<\/p>\n

My point here is not to make the claim that it is absurd to suggest that Israel is an Apartheid state or heading towards being one, something relatively easy to do. I am simply pointing out a second incident from just this week where someone did not take an action or enact a policy, but was riddled in controversy simply because of the words they chose to use.<\/p>\n

Words matter. Words can be lethal, but they can also save lives and even save a country. This week I had the privilege of visiting Emek Ha\u2019Bacha, the Valley of Tears in the North of Israel, together with the incredible Hillel Day School 8th Grade mission to Israel. A little over 40 years ago, Israel was caught by surprise when they were attacked on Yom Kippur day. The IDF was unprepared and some suggest even arrogant after the miraculous sweeping victory in the Six Day War, just a few years earlier.<\/p>\n

On the fourth day of the war, Syria began a new attack from a valley in the Golan Heights. The Syrians had 1,500 tanks and the Israelis had 177. The Syrians had 460 artillery and cannons and the Israelis had 44. The Syrians had 36 anti aircraft missile batteries and the Israelis had none. In this particular battle, the Syrians had 500 tanks and the Israelis had 40. The Syrians charged forward seeking access to the plateau that would have allowed them to spread out their forces, take control of the Golan Heights and charge deep into Israel.<\/p>\n

At one point, 29-year-old Lt. Col. Avigdor Kahalan, who commanded the IDF\u2019s 77th Armored Battalion, told one of his tanks to take a certain position that would intimidate the Syrians. The driver radioed back that he had no ammunition. Kahalani\u2019s response was, \u201cbut they don\u2019t know that.\u201d He instructed the tank to take the position and move around raising dust in a way that would give the impression it was fierce and dangerous.<\/p>\n

The battle raged for days and the Syrians were advancing. Kahalani\u2019s men hadn\u2019t eaten or slept in days. They were physically exhausted and their spirits were broken. The Syrians made an aggressive push forward. There was one last opportunity to enter the valley and stem the Syrian advance before it was too late. Kahalani radioed the remaining tanks to join him in a rush towards the enemy, but the men were tired, they were scared and they had all but given up hope not only of protecting the Golan but of Israel\u2019s very future.<\/p>\n

Kahalani realized that he was going forward alone and he radioed his weary men the following words: \u201cJust look at the Syrians\u2019 courage as they come up to the positions facing us. I don\u2019t understand what\u2019s happening to us. After all, we are stronger than they. Now, start to move forward\u2026Move!\u201d The courageous men of his battalion described how those words, Kahalani\u2019s short but dramatic charge, literally transformed their spirit and gave them the strength, fearlessnes, and will to join him in his aggressive advance. The battled raged and ultimately Kahalani\u2019s battalion miraculously succeeding in achieving the Syrian retreat.<\/p>\n

Following the war, General Rafael Eitan said to the 77th Battalion: \u201cIf we had not stopped the Syrians on the Golan Heights, then the State of Israel would have been destroyed\u2026This division saved Israel from defeat, from catastrophe\u2026I want to stress and make it clear to you; you saved the people of Israel. First and foremost, you!\u201d<\/p>\n

We went from the movie that told the story and included the actual radio conversations to a lookout over the valley where the battle was fought. As we stood there, just a few days before Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha\u2019Atzmaut we were in awe of the courageous men and women who founded and defend our beloved and precious State of Israel. We were overwhelmed with gratitude to God for the blessing of returning to our homeland after all of these years.<\/p>\n

And we walked away realizing that words truly matter, and finding the right ones at the right moment can make the difference for an entire nation. Words matter, so let\u2019s remember to always choose ours carefully.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared on rabbisblog.brsonline.org. When I studied in Yeshiva University there was a young man named Yossi z\u201dl who suffered from a degenerative disease that left him in a wheelchair, immobile and unable to speak. All Yossi could do was move his finger and that is how he communicated. He had a board<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":733,"featured_media":35901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","category-israel"],"yoast_head":"\nWords Matter \u2013 Just Ask Donald Sterling, John Kerry & Avigdor Kahalani - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/israel\/words-matter-just-ask-donald-sterling-john-kerry-avigdor-kahalani\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Words Matter \u2013 Just Ask Donald Sterling, John Kerry & Avigdor Kahalani - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article originally appeared on rabbisblog.brsonline.org. 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