The first book is titled 'In Defense of Faith' by David Brog, and the second is 'Exodus' by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
Brog is an attorney who works as the executive director of Christians United for Israel, and Sacks is the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. Brog is a relatively new author, and Sacks is a veteran writer. I heartily recommend the writings of both, because the insights they uncover from the history of mankind and the Bible are incredible.
Ironically, Brog and Sacks arrive at the same conclusion in their separate books without any apparent collaboration.
Both believe that any nation or people who do not view others as created in the 'image of G-d' and who do not 'love their neighbor' will eventually enslave or genocide the 'other.'
At the heart of the Judeo-Christian ethic, viewing others as created in the image of G-d and loving thy neighbor will cause us to act with compassion and concern for others.
Brog’s book, 'In Defense of Faith,' is a tour-de-force review of world history that demonstrates where the 'in group' views itself as superior to those in the 'out group.' Before too long, the 'in group' either enslaves or genocides the 'out group.'
People who become 'the others' are de-humanized and eventually equated with animals. Since a fly or bug can be squashed without any moral repercussions if the 'other' is nothing more than an animal, then they can be erased without consequence.
Today, our world has more slavery than at any other time in world history. For all of our technological advances, we have seen more genocide in the past 100 years than ever before.
Since Sacks’ book deals with the Torah book of Exodus, he ponders the role that slavery had in the national formation of Israel. Sacks points out that, on multiple occasions in the Torah, the people of Israel are warned to treat the most vulnerable of society with kindness and compassion, since they knew what it was like be the 'out group' in Egypt.
Within the Hebrew Scripture, there is a calendar given to the people of Israel to remind them of their need for G-d. The first festival is Passover, and the last festival is Sukkot (booths). Both remind Israel that, while they are no longer in Egypt, they must never forget what it was like to live under the oppressive regime of one who was willing to indiscriminately kill the Israelis and enslave them for 400 years in order to build his own empire.
Fast forward to 1938 and once again the Jewish population of Europe found themselves enslaved and murdered by a maniacal despot who believed his race was superior to everyone else.
Israel, through her history of being persecuted, has taught the world that the only way we will ever treat each other with dignity and compassion is if we view the other race or nation as equal to ourselves.
Built into the Torah matrix is a little-known command regarding the half-shekel tax (see Exodus 30). The half-shekel tax had a number of purposes, but one lesson it taught is that every man is a half-shekel.
The poor man is a half-shekel. The rich man is a half-shekel. The educated man is a half-shekel. The ignorant man is a half-shekel.
If everyone could see the other as a half-shekel — and themselves as a half-shekel — then arrogance and superiority would have no place to foster hatred of the 'other.'
Yes, the world needs the Jews, especially those like Brog and Sacks, to remind us that, if we do not have compassion for our fellow man, we will become those who enslave or genocide those who differ from us.
We all need the book the Jews preserved for us — the Bible — and especially the Hebrew Scripture, which reveals a nation that has survived the cruelest hatred the world has seen.
We need the Jews to remind us that every person is a half-shekel and that everyone is created in the image of G-d, and that we should love our neighbor.
Most importantly, we need the Jew (Yeshua) who came over 2,000 years to this world, lived a life of Torah obedience, and died, to redeem a world in need of salvation.
We need the Jews to remind us that we are never more like our G-d than when we care for the widow, orphan, foreigner and those who are oppressed by racism or nationalism.
When we fight for justice, feed the hungry, alleviate oppression and act with compassion and kindness to everyone, then we have lived out the two greatest commandments — loving G-d and loving our neighbor." (source)
