The Moaning is Unbearable

I can no longer bear to watch the news. MSNBC was once my morning companion and my evening lament, my spirit and my sorrow. But now, the constant moaning is unbearable. It is the moaning of those who love democracy and those who fear persecution. I hear the sighing of the kindhearted and the open-minded. Who can be deaf to the yearning of the immigrant’s child and the peacemaker? And I can’t help but wonder: what is God’s reaction to this moaning?

When Israel was in Egypt—enslaved and oppressed, barely able to voice their agony—God heard them.

וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃
“I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.”
—Exodus 6:5

Millenia later, I wonder if God hears the woeful cries, awaiting God’s mercy. Without divine intervention, the responsibility to repair the world is ours alone. We learned from the sages that the task of repairing the world is great and we cannot desist from the work. It is upon us.

During the Shoah, as the Nazis systematically annihilated Europe’s Jews, our people moaned, cried, begged, and prayed. They had no arsenals, no munitions, no means of defense. And still, God did not seem to remember the covenant.

In 2024, a barbaric assault by Hamas echoed those horrors of the Shoah. Within hours, the terrorists slaughtered hundreds of young people at a music festival and desecrated bodies. The hostages moan in captivity while their families plead for release. As Hamas held Israelis and Americans in Gaza, enslaved and oppressed, suffocating in dark tunnels, how could God just listen to their pleas?

The Israeli response to the attack was swift and devastating. This time, an emphatic and unyielding “Never Again,” overshadowed the imperative to repair the world. The slogan “Never again” transformed yearning for peace into a cry of war. With tanks, planes, and bombs at its disposal, the Israeli army acted in response to the moaning of its people. But where was God? Was God crouched in the tunnels with the hostages? Was God fighting among the soldiers?

On January 15, 2025, we learned of a deal for Hamas to release thirty three more hostages. Israel will release 1,830 Palestinians in exchange. The ordeal of these hostages in Gaza has spanned 470 days, leaving a nation traumatized.

That same day, reports emerged of thousands more Palestinians in Gaza dead than previously acknowledged. Whether the number is 40,000 or 70,000, too many died. Each was a descendant of Abraham’s son Ishmael and their humanity should not be lost in the calculus of war. The sons and daughters of Isaac and Jacob were attacked, and in return, unleashed their fury. And I wonder if God heard any other moans—those buried under rubble, those fleeing destruction, those clinging to life, wherever they may be . . . in Gaza, in Sudan, or in Ukraine.

In the aftermath of Hamas’ attack, Israel’s leaders found justification and an imperative for their actions. Perhaps the horrific Hamas attack helped rationalize a greater, more brutal response. Israel’s leaders ignored the wisdom and caution of Western leaders, instead declaring, “Enough!” Jews learn from Exodus 22:1, “If someone comes to kill you, hurry to kill them first”. Formed of that same moral urgency, Israel used cutting-edge technology and crude weaponry to set back Iran, decimate Hezbollah, and destabilize the Assad regime in Syria. These actions helped to prevent future attacks on Israel.

And yet, with the release of thirty three more Israelis, I still hear the moans of the remaining captives, the cries of the mourners, the wails of the injured all unleashed by Hamas, and extended by a desperate Israeli government.

I seek solace, but only accumulate unanswered questions. How could Israel endure such a ferocious attack on October 7? What nation could tolerate such barbarity? And how could Israel, in turn, unleash so much destruction, killing neighbors— descendants of Abraham, children of Ishmael?

Psalm 71 begins:
I seek refuge in You, O LORD;
may I never be disappointed.
As You are beneficent, save me and rescue me;
incline Your ear to me and deliver me.

God, are You listening?  I’m seeking refuge and remain disappointed. Humans are not nearly as beneficent as You. Did You did not deliver the Hebrews from their bondage, their misery? Whose moans do you hear? God, are You watching CNN—or even Fox News? Can you watch for me, because I can’t bear to listen anymore! I read in the Torah that You can hear and respond. Will You, now?

Rabbi Evan J. Krame