A Very Narrow Bridge
Originally published on Gimme Some Torah by Rabbi Eli Garfinkel on October 20, 2026.
A very narrow bridge—Photo by Leonard von Bibra on Unsplash
Bereshit/Genesis 12:3
וַאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
I will bless those who bless you And curse the one who curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”
God says to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you.” Ḥizkuni’s (bio) comment is absolute gold for today’s challenging times:
“I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU.” You must never think that there are no people on earth who are emotionally close to you and are potential saviors of you, for I love those who love you and I hate the people who hate you.
There is no question that we are living through a storm of anti-Jewish hatred. Anybody who thinks otherwise is either ignorant or has simply not been paying attention. Some argue that we even have to think twice before identifying ourselves as Jews in a hospital. Many Jews have decided that now is the time to arm themselves, and I can’t say that they’re wrong.
Is it 1933 all over again? Is it finally time to make Aliyah? A lot of people whom I deeply respect say that the answer to both questions is an emphatic yes.
They may be right. For now, however, I think we should remember Ḥizkuni’s teaching on the parashah. Even during these dark times, there are millions and millions of non-Jews who not only support us but love us. We have to remember that.
One who hates Jews on account of ethnicity or religion is an antisemite. One who hates Jews because we dare to establish sovereignty in our homeland is an antizionist. Both are practicing different flavors of Jew-hatred. And that’s why we also must remember the end of Ḥizkuni’s teaching: “I (God) love those who love you and I hate those who hate you.”
We have nothing to fear, as Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov said: “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, but the main thing is not to be afraid at all.”
כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאֹד וְהָעִקָּר לֹא לְפַחֵד כְּלָל
Kol ha’olam kulo gesher tzar me’od v’ha-ikkar lo l’faḥed klal.
•••
Gimme Some Torah is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Kosher Duck Revolution is an initiative of AIC. Join AIC. Membership starts at $9 a month.