Valdemar Malin | CURSES AND BLESSINGS OF THE PROMISED LAND

CURSES AND BLESSINGS OF THE PROMISED LAND

Disunity of Jews will leave Israel crippled

And lethal is the call for peace at any cost.

If you divide the land that God gave Jewish people,

Say Promised Land goodbye and wait for… Holocaust!

In math, a prime number is a number that can be divided only by number 1 or itself without a remainder. In other words, it is indivisible.

So is the Promised Land. It’s indivisible! Allegorically speaking it’s a prime land that can be divided into only one state for only one people—the Jewish people without any remainder!

Man is born free and strives to stay free, always. It’s human nature. But freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction (Ronald Reagan), while each generation tends to go its own way. It’s human nature too.

About 10 generations of ancient Jews suffered horrors of slavery in Egypt. Then Jews got a taste of independence and freedom when their dream came true—they have built their own kingdom on the Promised Land. But it didn’t last long—just about 5 generations, and Jews have lost their independence, then freedom and, finally, the Promised Land too.

This dream has flashed and gone like a bright spark in the dark of the millennia-long night of Jewish history. But it was etched into the collective memory of the Jewish people, forever! In fact, almost 100 generations of Jews dispersed all over the world have never lost their devotion to the Promised Land even two millennia after they were forced to abandon it.

It’s inexplicable! It transcends human nature and reality!

Why does the Promised Land attract Jews like a magnet? A magnet is selective. It doesn’t attract any material, but only chosen (ferromagnetic) ones, especially iron. And the closer the iron to the magnet, the stronger the force of attraction.

The Promised Land is a magnet, allegorically speaking. It’s selective also. It doesn’t attract and accept any people, but only the chosen one—the Jewish people. And there is no land in the world closer to а Jewish heart than this tiny, tormented scrap of desert drenched in the sweat and blood of their forefathers! Therefore, it attracts Jews so strongly.

At every Temple all over the world, Jews have been expressing their yearnings for the Promised Land by singing the hymn written during their Babylonian exile 2500 years ago (Psalm 137:5-6):

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

Мay my right hand whither,

May my tong cling to the roof of my mouth!

(That’s how ancient Jews described the symptoms of an unknown to them disease (a stroke) that paralyzes the right hand and impairs speech).

This essay is intended for everyone who cares about the fate of the Jewish people and Israel. For both believers and non-believers. For those who view the stories about the Ten Commandments or the Promised Land written in Torah or Bible as historical facts. And for those who consider them to be just entertaining myths.

It’s not about religion, and it’s not a lecture on Jewish history. It’s about inexplicable traits of Jewish collective character and behavior, which, amazingly, didn’t change one iota from the ancient time up to modernity. It’s about the Curse and the Blessing the Promised Land brought to the Jewish people, and about the role it has been playing in their destiny over millennia.

So, what is the Promised Land? A reminder. According to Torah, Bible and archeological findings, it is the land that, during the Exodus of Jews from Egypt, was known as Canaan. On Mount Sinai, God promised and gave it to Jews.

Beside modern Israel, this Promised Land included the modern Gaza strip, Jordan, the southern parts of Syria and Lebanon, as well as the West Bank of the Jordan River. (By the way, the West Bank was called Judea and Samaria by ancient Jews).

Two Commandments Vital for Survival of Jews

One of most striking puzzles of Jewish history has always been the mysterious ties between Jews and the Promised Land.

According to Torah and Bible (and believers), the Promised Land is a sacred land that God promised and gave to Avraham and his descendent, along with God’s Ten Commandments and blessing to favor and protect Jews. For nonbelievers, it is Homeland, the only refuge for every Jew.

In return, Jews has sworn to obey His Commandments. Therefore, Jews are rightfully regarded as a people of the Ten Commandments. They shared these moral and religious regulations with the entire humanity. But this article is not about the Commandments, it’s about how Jews obeyed them.

Even a superfluous glance at Jewish history shows that Jews have been disobeying these commandments repeatedly. And each time, they got in trouble later, but never repented. The most often, Jews violated two of them. I’ll call them the critical commandments because they are the most important for survival of the Jewish people.

The first critical commandment says: “You shall have no other God but me”. It is usually interpreted as the condemnation of idolatry. But if you dig a little deeper, there is, in my opinion, a hidden profound message—Jews, you’ve got one faith and one God now. So, keep always the unity of the Jewish people and never divide themselves!

The second critical commandment says: “You shall not covet”. It is widely interpreted as a moral condemnation of envy and those who desires what belongs to others (neighbor’s wife, house, servants, cattle, etc.). It seems simple and clear.

But look at the call “not to covet your neighbor’s house”. This is also a warning to those who wants it and intends to take it away. And again, there is another hidden and surprising message—Jews, protect your own home, the Promised Land, and do not give it away to anyone!

In other words, these two critical commandments contain indirect calls to keep unity of the Jewish people and the integrity of their only home—the Promised Land, the unity being a precondition for securing the Jewish homeland.

But, as evidenced by the events of Jewish history, Jews are known not for their unity, but rather for their bitter division into antagonistic groups. As for the Promised Land, Jews tend to divide it too.

In this respect, behavior of Jews is in a sharp contrast to that of the British:

The British prefer to divide (others) and rule (that is to keep the territories that don’t belong to them),

Jews prefer to divide (themselves) and yield (that is to give up the territories that belong to them).

Looking at the events of the ancient Jewish history, you can’t help making an intriguing and provoking observation. The attitude of Jews toward the unity and the Promised Land didn’t change at all for two millennia, Jews and the Promised Land having some interactive relationship.

The Promised Land is a Blessing for the Jewish people! It helps and saves Jews if they are united and courageously fight defending her from invaders.

But it’s a Curse too since it punishes Jews for dividing the Promised Land or sharing her with other peoples!

The Ancient Curse of the Promised Land

The events of the ancient Jewish history reveal an astonishing coincidence. When Jews divide themselves or divide the Promised Land, it leads to the most devastating tragedies for the Jewish people.

In general, division has always been deadly for Jews. In the living world, division is a symbol of origination and continuation of Life. Like the division of cells, for example. But in the Jewish world, division is associated with withering and death.

For example, during the Exodus of Jews from Egypt in 1440 before Common Era (BCE), at the foot of Mount Sinai Jews were promised that they would become one people on the land of their own. But Jews divided themselves into two groups—those who worshipped the Golden Calf and those who followed the Ten Commandments. Moreover, they longed for their slavish life in Egypt.

Here is hidden, in my opinion, a striking point that was overlooked so far. Even before they became a people, even when their survival was in jeopardy, Jews managed to break their unity and refused to go to the Promised Land! This behavior, which showed an utter disrespect for God and His both vital Commandments, didn’t go unpunished—Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years.

Does it look like the Curse of the Promised Land?

You may think that it’s too much to expect unity from a crowd of unruly slaves. After all, they were homeless and didn’t have a country of their own yet.

True. But later, Jews did become a people, even the Chosen one. And in 1047 BCE they did establish their first independent Jewish state on the Promised Land. It was the United Kingdom of Israel that reached the peak of its might and prosperity during the rule of Kings David and Solomon.

So what? The United Kingdom of Israel was united in name only due to constant infighting. It did not last long, just about 120 years until King Solomon died in 930 BCE.

And here, Jews have done something irreparable! They divided the Jewish state into 2 rival states—Israel in the North and Judea in the South. Unbelievable, Jews divided the Promised Land themselves and divided themselves into two rival peoples breaking their unity again!

Let’s take a pause at this point to make sense of what has happened.

The first time in Jewish history, the idea of 2 states for 2 people on the Promised Land was implemented in practice! Even though both peoples were Jewish, the inevitable punishment followed. Both Israel and Judea were withering and then seized to exist. Israel has fallen first under attacks of Assyria.

Here I want to emphasize another striking fact that has been overlooked so far also. The reckless behavior of Jews, which caused disunity of the Jewish people and division of the Promised Land, has led Israel to its demise and all Jews, both in Israel and Judea—to a horrific catastrophe.

It was the first Holocaust in Jewish history—the Assyrian Holocaust that broke out in 732 BCE. (See Valdemar Malin, Two Unknown Holocausts).

Assyrians killed 90% of Jewish population! Even the Nazis killed less (35%)! Jews were on the brink of extinction!

Does it look like the Curse of the Promised Land?

Almost 6 centuries have passed before another independent Jewish kingdom was established on the Promised Land (142 BCE)—the Hasmonean Kingdom. But it didn’t last long either, just about 80 years, because of absence of unity, again! Jews divided themselves into two antagonistic religious groups—Pharisees and Sadducees and started a civil war. Besides, the rulers were engaged in a constant power struggle over inheritance to the throne.

But the most destructive was that foreigners (the Roman Emperor Pompey) came to the Promised Land and intervened in the dispute! Incredible, but Jews invited Romans themselves!

The punishment was severe. The Hasmonean Kingdom was weakened and taken over by the Romans in 63 BCE.

But what an incredible coincidence! The reckless behavior of Jews, which caused disunity of the Jewish people and desecration of the Promised Land, has led the Hasmonean Kingdom to its demise also and Jews—to another catastrophe!

It was the second horrific Holocaust in Jewish history—the Roman Holocaust that broke out in 66 CE. (See the essay of Valdemar Malin Two Unknown Holocausts referenced above). Three quarters of Jewish population were killed, while the majority of those who survived were sent into exile (Galut in Hebrew) for two thousand years.

Does it look like the Curse of the Promised Land?

These historic examples show that the failure to observe the two critical commandments (to stay united and/or to keep the Promised Land undivided) were a distinctive and fateful feature of Jewish collective behavior in antiquity. It inflicted a great harm on Jewish people—they lost their independence twice and suffered two Holocausts! Jews were murdered on a mass scale, while the majority of the survivors, eventually, were dispersed all over the world in Galut.

Now, if anyone still doesn’t believe in the Curse of the Promised Land, may they throw a stone at me! …I mean intellectual one.

The Modern Curse of the Promised Land

Although for modern Jews in Galut the unity was vital for survival, and there was nothing to divide, Jews managed to divide themselves, anyway, and they found something to divide too.

At the end of 19th century, Jews embraced the ideology of collectivism (Marxism, communism). It was based on the principle—to take away and divide. And again, Jews divided themselves into those who worshipped this ideology and those who followed the Ten Commandments. In the USSR, Jews-communists were destroying Jewish culture, religion and prosperous Jews (bourgeois, capitalists).

Moreover, they showed extreme hostility toward the idea of Zionism (return of Jews to the Promised Land). Zionists were shot or sent to GULAG. The rest of Jews were not allowed to immigrate to Israel. Such behavior didn’t go unpunished.

And another incredible coincidence! The reckless behavior of Jews, which caused disunity of the Jewish people and disrespect to the Promised Land, has led all Jews to another horrific catastrophe—the third Holocaust in Jewish history.

It was the Nazi Holocaust that broke out in 1939 CE. By irony of the Jewish fate, it was caused by a competing brand of collectivism—national-socialism in Germany. The Nazis were killing their rivals—Jews communists, but the entire Jewish people suffered as a result.

The Jewish people lost 6 миллион (35% of its population) and suffered unthinkable atrocities.

Another coincidence. The third time in Jewish history Jews broke the critical commandmentsб and it resulted in a Holocaust again! It’s not a coincidence, it’s the Curse of the Promised Land!

Not always, Jews divide the Promised Land themselves. In November 1947, not Jews, but the United Nation (UN) decided to divide the Promised Land. The decision was based on a noble idea to divide the Great Britain’s Palestine mandate into 2 states for 2 peoples—Jews and Palestinian Arabs, Jews receiving a smaller portion of the Promised Land.

For the first time in 2000 years, Jews were given an opportunity to live as one people in their own state. Therefore, Jews considered the UN decision a fair deal and were elated to live in peaceful coexistence with Arabs, their future neighbors.

But their Arab neighbors viewed this peace as a pause in the war against Jews, and they agreed to a peaceful coexistence only at one condition—the whole Palestine had to be free of Jews. Therefore, in May 1948, the next day after the UN declared independence of Israel, regular armies of five Arab countries invaded the Jewish state.

Thus, it doesn’t matter who divided the Promised Land, Jews or anyone else, it ends up as a punishment for the Jewish people, anyway.

But even after such bloody war, Jews couldn’t grasp why the noble idea of 2 states for 2 people hasn’t worked out. Therefore, in 1993, they revived the noble idea again confident that strength and generosity lead to peace even with bitter enemies. Jews gave the autonomy to Judea, Samaria and Gaza under the rule of their mortal enemy Yasser Arafat. But Arabs considered the autonomy as weakness, not generosity, and responded with intifada, suicide bombings and assassinations.

Again, Jews tried to divide the Promised Land, but were punished again.

It seemed that Jews had to understand who they were dealing with by now. But in 2005, they decided to give it another try hoping for different outcome. Jews decided to go all the way and left Gaza strip completely. They allowed the Gaza’s population to elect Hamas as their government. They provided free food, water, electricity and medical care. And they gave them jobs.

In fact, Jews created a separate Arab state by dividing the Promised Land once more to achieve peace.

What Jews really achieved, they found out on October 7, 2023. Instead of peace, they’ve got a massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel. Moreover, Jews all over the world were subjected to unprecedented harassment—from media slander to physical assaults. It reminds the events preceding the Holocaust in Nazi Germany in 1930s.

It seemed that, after the massacre by Hamas, Jews would bury the noble idea of 2 states for 2 peoples and will write on its grave – Never Again!

False hopes! Incredible, but the idea is alive! Jews are ready to divide the Promised Land, again! What is this, naivety, stupidity or recklessness?

Or death wish? This is about Jews who support HAMAS, their murderers; who march next to pro-Hamas protesters and know that their slogan “From the river to the sea” calls for destruction of Israel and all Jews, all together.

Jews! If you want to know the consequences of dividing Israel into 2 states for 2 peoples, the bloody events in Gaza should serve as a reminder about three Holocausts suffered in the past!

It’s Divide it and wait for another Holocaust—the Curse of the Promised Land!

The Blessing and the Call of the Promised Land

Here is another hidden and astonishing fact that reveals the mysterious ties between Jews and the Promised Land.

In May 1948, the formidable armies of five Arab countries invaded the newborn Israel that was just one day old. It was doomed.

But miraculously, against all odds, 600,000 of the unarmed, defenseless Jews, many of whom returned from the Nazi death camps, have won the war for independence against tens of millions of Arabs.

Who helped the weak, unarmed Jewish David to defeat the mighty, armed to the teeth Arabian Goliath? The Promised Land did!

After all, it’s well-known that a home field gives an undisputed advantage to the native team due to support of their fans. Moreover, it raises the spirit and morale of the players, and it boosts their stamina and inner strength. This helps them to win the game even against a stronger team.

We can say the same about the Promised Land too! Obviously, it gave Jews high spirit and morale, stamina and incredible inner strength also to win the war of independence.

The same miracle happened during other wars the mighty enemies waged against Jews, including the Six-Day War in 1967 and Yom Kippur War in 1973. Israel not only defeated the enemies, but even gained territories. Judea, Samaria and Gaza, the ancient Jewish lands, reunited with Israel.

So, what is the secret of Jewish victories? In reality, only spiritual support would not be enough to overcome such enormous superiority of the enemies. To win these war, Jews were given something else also. Something that transcends reality!

It was the Blessing that the Promised Land brought to the Jewish people! Jews fought these wars on the Promised Land!

Sometimes, I reflect on these dramatic events of Jewish history and can’t help coming to the conclusions that are both mind-boggling and inexplicable.

Since Jews were driven from their homeland, most of the Promised Land has turned into a desert. A thirsty dessert is longing for rain to return in order to make it blossom again.

So is the Promised Land. For two millennia, it was desperately longing for Jews to return to make it blossom again. And Jews have returned!

Then a miracle has happened! In a moment (75 years of the existence of Israel is a moment on a history time scale), this arid and barren desert turned into a blossoming garden. This tiny scrap of land devoid of mineral resources turned into one of the most developed and advanced country in the world occupied by one of the most educated and hardworking people.

It was another Blessing of the Promised Land!

Invaders were coming there and going. Other peoples were settling there and disappearing. After the vast majority of Jews had gone, the Promised Land remained mostly abandoned for two millennia—a remote province of different empires sparsely populated by surviving Jews and newcomers from different countries.

But no one has been drawn to this land so strongly; no one has been longing to settle or establish an independent state there, as the exiled Jews.

It’s the Promised Land is calling for her children!

Children of the Promised Land

After Hamas massacre, Jews split up into opposing groups again, this time, by their attitude to the idea of 2 states for 2 peoples.

The Jews-realists, who learned the lessons of Jewish history, came to a conclusion that this idea was a deadly trap for the Jewish people.

In contrast, the naïve Jews, who ignore these lessons, believe that the idea will work out next time and, therefore, are ready to divide the Promised Land again.

And there is a small group of Jews-zealots (especially outside of Israel), who supports Hamas and promotes the idea of 1 state (Palestine) for 1 people (Arabs).

In this respect, naive Jews delude themselves stating that the Hamas massacre is horrific, but…

Here “but” means their gilt—if Jews had separated themselves from Arabs and divided Israel into 2 states, then the massacre wouldn’t have happened!

A loss of collective memory! In the 1930s, German Jews deluded themselves also stating that Nazi persecution is horrific, but…

Here, “but” meant their gilt too, but exactly opposite in meaning—if Jews had united with Germans as one people in one state, making themselves indistinguishable from them, then the persecution wouldn’t have happened.

It is not delusion, it is mentality! All misfortunes of Jews started with this “but.” No matter what Jews have been doing—separate themselves from or unite with other peoples; no matter where they live—in their own or someone else’s home, Jews will always feel guilty and blame themselves for all the sufferings that hostile world inflicted on them.

Jews must live separately! In their own home! They must understand that they have no genuine friends or defenders; that only strength brings peace, while the promises of enemies bring only death.

But naïve Jews still believe that Israel is the state for all people, not only Jews and that all people think rationally! Even the cutthroats and cannibals of Hamas are human beings and can be reasoned with.

Naivety is a transparent cover of Stupidity, which, by the Albert Einstein’s definition, is to repeat the same over and over again and expect different results.

That’s what Jews have been repeating for millennia. For such stupidity, other peoples have paid the ultimate price—they have gone extinct. But Jews got away with it. Why?

The author in his book Law of Conservation of Jews (see here) makes an assumption. There is an unknown, incomprehensible law of nature that prevents the Jewish people from extinction. No, it doesn’t keep Jews from behaving stupidly or recklessly. The law interferes in the fate of Jews only when they take the road leading to an abyss. Such interference is very painful sometimes. But it stops Jews to let them come to their senses, and, thus, saving Jews from total destruction.

In recent years, the modern Jews are trying to implement the plan of 2 states for 2 peoples leading them to an abyss! The tragedy of October 7, 2023 is an early signal of a warning siren. It’s, probably, the first sign of the latest interference of the law of conservation of Jews. It may sound cruel and paradoxical, but this deadly event may save Jews from destruction. It may stop Jews to let them come to their senses and wake up from their dangerous naivety.

Today, the alarm sirens are howling deafening loud warning Jews about mortal danger. This is the Promised Land, strict but loving, is warning Jews:

Jews, you are all my children—the good, the bad and the ugly! Children of the Promised Land, stop! Don’t wait until a new Holocaust breaks out!