Unknown vandals desecrated the tomb of talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, shattering iron bars at the entrance to the structure and setting it alight.Located in the Israeli Arab village of Kafr Kana, just west of the Golani junction, the tomb is the final resting place of one of the most prominent rabbis of the talmudic era. It consists of a small stone building, which stands over an underground burial cave.
The entrance to the site and the sign hanging over it were partially blackened by smoke as a result of the fire that was set, and mounds of garbage were strewn nearby.
Damage was also inflicted to the interior, including to the stairwell leading down to the subterranean room where the sage's grave is located. Several of the stone steps were smashed, and an adjoining concrete wall was ripped apart.
Workers will be sent to the site on Sunday to repair the damage, the official told the Jerusalem Post, adding that the tomb has been the target of regular attacks by local Arabs, often as frequently as twice a month.
Question: What would have been the reaction of World Moslemhood had the grave of an Islamic scholar and religious leader been vandalized...by Jews...on a regular basis...and as frequently as twice a month?
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
I was about to ask that very question when I suddenly came upon it at the end of your post.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, what a reaction that would be! I think "screaming bloody murder" would be a start.
reaction...i don't firebomb an embassy or two, riot in Paris, burn down a fast food chain...you know, the usual...
ReplyDeletethat's why we are different from them. But I think that something has to be done, like arrest the people who are responsible for the act, or if we can't caught them, the town elders.
ReplyDeletei'm not advocating rioting or any of what the arabs pulled when they realized that there was a cartoon that existed that offended them, but i do wonder, if we all rioted because of this and went bananas from city to city all over the world, would the world ignore us the way they did the arabs? or would the world use it as an opportunity to come down on israel, and jews in general? i'll have to go with choice number two.
ReplyDeleteJameel,
ReplyDeleteAre you telling me that members of the religion of peace did this??
It must be another Zionist conspirecy, we all know that the religion of peace would never do anything to some other religions, important sites.
Shabbat Shalom,
Jameel, the first thing that came to mind when reading this was why story have a different twist about how the vandals were struck with vicious boils and paralysis when they attempted to damage the sage's grave. They were rendered thus until the village elders came beseeching to the rabbis begging them to revoke the curse which they did, causing a great kiddush Hashem. At least that's the story I always read groeing up and that's the version Artscroll will have for this event in 2025.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know there were Arab scholars ... but seriously, I guess what I'm trying to say is this, in the words of the great sage, "al sh'losha d'varim ha'olam kayam -- al ha'din, v'al ha'emes, v'al ha'shalom ..."
ReplyDeleteAnonymous or not, I have no doubt that one day those who violate that upon which the world endures will not be the last ones laughing.
And *that* is what I learned in Pirkei Avos last week.
I learned in pirkei avos that every dog has their day. But at the end of that day they are still a dog.
ReplyDelete