Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
When we say "battlefield" we think about the front lines in the north or in the south, but the battlefield is sometimes in the home, in the living room. The murder of Diana Raz by her husband shocked many and reminded me of two keen expressions of our Talmudic sages:
"A culture of contention within the home is worse than the war between Gog and Magog." This statement of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai reminds us that society rests on the foundation of relationships between family members at home. The war of Gog and Magog sounds like a deadly threat, but according to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the culture within our home -- the relationship between husband and wife, the connection between the children, the respect, the words that are spoken, the atmosphere -- can be even worse. The war against violence within the family home must be conducted at least as seriously as the war against an external enemy.
"The beams of a person's home will testify against him." Ultimately, neither Facebook posts nor our public image testify to who we are; the beams of our home testify to who we are. There at home we are most authentic. There, unfortunately, when others aren't looking, tragedies can happen.
All of us are kind of losing it these days, all of us are on edge. We need to open our eyes and be alert and sensitive, and also know how to ask for help and provide it before it's too late.
In the memory of Diana Raz, z"l.
