"In 2004, the same Sinwar was a prisoner at Israel’s Nafcha Prison, where he was, unknowingly, about to die. He had an undiagnosed brain tumor. An Israeli dentist named Yuval Bitton diagnosed Sinwar and arranged for emergency surgery for him, which saved his life.
"On October 7, 2023, Sinwar’s agents wounded Dr. Bitton’s nephew Tamir, the…
"In 2004, the same Sinwar was a prisoner at Israel’s Nafcha Prison, where he was, unknowingly, about to die. He had an undiagnosed brain tumor. An Israeli dentist named Yuval Bitton diagnosed Sinwar and arranged for emergency surgery for him, which saved his life.
"On October 7, 2023, Sinwar’s agents wounded Dr. Bitton’s nephew Tamir, then kidnapped him and dragged him to Gaza, where he died of his wounds."
This is devastating to read. Out of the worst of horror stories. "Repay kindness with kindness. Repay evil with justice." It sounds like Sinwar was receiving justice (as well as kindness) -- but when Justice was ended and he was let free, Evil of the worst sort was unleashed.
Your article is powerful I wonder why this has not been written about, spoken about, and repeated through all of the media during this time that Israel has been so criticized for its actions in Gaza. NOT that those actions are not horrific, acceptable, or defensible. But that situation of Sinwar being treated so humanely while in prison should be talked about.
Your article is outstanding, Dr. Hoffman. What are your thoughts about what has been, and is, happening in Gaza? (Big difference between people in the "helping" professions, v. people in the military!)* Are the Palestinians "evil"? Is the attack on Palestine "justice"?
One ancient person you didn't quote was Jesus, who famously said,: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone steals from you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well." That is "return evil with kindness." And the not-ancient Ghandi practiced ahimsa. Of course both were killed by those enemies. Mandela, on the other hand, who practiced ahimsa, thankfully survived. H.H. the Dalai Lama practices Ton Ling, an ancient Tibetan Buddhist practice, of exchange of self for other. As he expressed it, when asked about his feelings toward the Chinese, said, "When they send hate, I take it inside of me and make it into love, and then I send them love."
*I'm just comparing the actions of the dentist, and the surgeons and nurses who cared for Sinwar in jail versus the actions of the military. Completely different goals, of course. But it is interesting for me to contemplate.
I'm intrigued by the suggestion (or maybe this wasn't even your suggestion) that soldiers and doctors should be guided by different ethics.
More generally, I have lots of personal thoughts about Gaza, but I'm not sure this is the place for them. I try to limit my comments here to my expertise...
Not my suggestion! What I am referring to is a situation at one of the concentration camps during World War II. One of the most sadistic staff of this death camp was injured, and inmates BEGGED the doctor, who sympathized with the Jews, to kill this man. He couldn't do it. And what I'm saying is it is a CLASS ONE MORAL DILEMMA. Ones like it are on tests to see if someone is a psychopath or sociopath who sees a clear UTILITARIAN solution in simply killing him and people with fully developed frontal lobe capabilities that will see all people as human and deserving to have our aid. We give death row inmates medical care up to the very moment we kill them. And that's why, when I was asked what was right on this one, I just answered, "Hell if I know." But people deal with this in war all the time. Where are the lines drawn? And why?
It seems like the good doctor could have simply done nothing. Killing him, I couldn't have done (I am an MD). Letting nature take its course, I hope that I would have done. Morgaan, thank you for opening up a fascinating and extremely important topic.
You are obviously a wonderful teacher, making me THINK about what I wrote. Knowing only what was known back then -- I would have considered doing nothing, or "botching" the operation. However, I would also look around me at the concentration camp and know that if I didn't obey "the rules", I could end up in the camp (or worse) myself. Yes, retrospect is everything, unfortunately.
"Completely different goals, of course." I don't like the word "should", although it is appropriate in your sentence. Having said that, I don't like the word "ethics" used in the same sentence as "soldier". That's just me.
"More generally, I have lots of personal thoughts about Gaza, but I'm not sure this is the place for them. I try to limit my comments here to my expertise..." It sounds like Morgaan is saying that you may feel free to share your personal thoughts about Gaza (obviously only if you feel comfortable to do so). I am interested in them. Am I correct Morgaan? Also, what did you think about what I wrote about Jesus's teaching and H.H. the Dalai Lama's practice of Ton Ling?
As for the situation in Gaza more generally: It is undeniably a tragedy. I think one key to responding to it properly is to separate RESPONSIBILITY from INVOLVEMENT. In my experience, most people don't. And that's a problem.
I address the difference here:
"The Taxi Driver and the Policeman (and the Difference Between Responsibility and Involvement)"
There are essentially two sides to this: either kindness is always in order or it's not.
The New Testament isn't actually as clear as it might seem from some isolated quotes ("Love your neighbor..." "Turn the other cheek..." etc.). I wrote a book with a chapter on this.
I don't know enough about the Dalai Lama to say for sure, but it seems he's in the "always be kind" camp.
I am by nature drawn to the "always be kind" position, but (as always) I'm willing to be convinced that I'm wrong.
Not sure if this comment made it through with what I wrote below. My great-grandfather, RCH Lenski, was a Lutheran theologian. He translated every word in the New Testament from Greek to English to highlight subtle differences in meaning. Apparently his many volumes are still used by Lutheran ministers.
I went to your website when I became curious about who you are. Thanks for referring me there to read about your books. (I love languages, too. I studied French, Chinese and Russian in college. They were my "crip" courses. I planned to study Arabic after I graduated, but life got in the way. My husband is Tibetan, and I'm sorry to say that I barely scratched the surface. Life REALLY got in the way after we married!)
Ah, life has a way of doing that. Especially with kids. ... Meanwhile, you asked about whether Tibetans and Navajo are related. Yes. They both share Mongol roots but one group went into the Himalayas and the other across Berengia -- the Bering Straits ice bridge that was at one point 64 km wide!!! During the last ice age, a huge amount of the ocean's water was taken up in snows that fell over higher altitudes and in glaciers and ice shelves. So sea level was much lower, and Berengia, though iced over, was a huge exposed land mass. So over a period of several thousand years, Asians speaking an Athabaskan branch language milled over to Alaska and then began to spread out. The Mayans, Aztecs, Olmec built huge civilization but they were among the first to come across the bridge. Some of the last were the Inuit and the Eskimos, and just before them, the groups of people--including the Navajo--because hunter gatherers first in Canada and then started moving south. The Pueblo and Anasazi Indians arrived in the desert Southwest first, and the Pueblo created a semi-agrarian culture. The Navajo came later, between 1100 and 1500 CE. Unlike the Maya, who had a thriving, very advanced civilization before being assaulted by the Conquistadors, the Navajo, once settled, had very little time. They borrowed agricultural techniques and learned weaving from the Pueblo--and the two tribes became allies and co-defenders against the Apache, the Mexicans, and the Anglos. But they couldn't win. Within a few hundred years of arriving in Monument Valley, they had been decimated. One reason why is that there was no united tribal system--just a loose collection extended family groups. But around the time of the Civil War, when negotiations with the United States went on, they chose a man named Manuelito, who negotiated the best reservation agreement in history: a sprawling land -- 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Little water, which unfortunately the U.S. keeps taking from them, but rich in uranium, the mining of which killed many of the men in the generation that built Mr. Oppenheimer's little toys. When the Navajo talk about their own migrations and history they line startlingly close to the histories now told by DNA lineage trackers and archaeologists. They look like Mongols. They fight like Mongols! They dance like Mongols. And they believe they are Mongols. And although the Mongols didn't conquer Tibet until the Yuan Dynasty, they were already related when they did: A population genetic study based on classical enzyme markers has placed Mongolians in the Northeast Asian cluster, including Tibetan, Korean, Japanese, and Ainu populations. So the genetic tree relates the Tibetans the Navajo through the Mongol cluster. ... So, as far as I know right now, that's the answer to the question you've asked twice, only to be met with a stupid stare! I was only able to answer it after I read something cool this morning. Hope that helps.
P.S. You're right about life with kids! After we got together, we cared for my mother who was dying from lymphoma. The day she died (an entire mystical story in itself involving a Tulku's prophecy two weeks earlier), I got pregnant -- after 4 years of infertility. The pregnancy was difficult, and she and I both were very close to death. In that situation, if was Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche who saved our lives (another entire mystical story). Konchok was not fully out of physical danger until she was 11 years old, so that was an enormous stress, although I learned to celebrate every day, and live IN THE MOMENT! To my sorrow, I had to go back to work at 12 weeks, but thankfully downstairs in our house. I was in solo private practice in psychiatry so there was no one to cover for me + I supported our family entirely. Before long, I was back to my 60 hours/wk. (40 with patients, 20 with paperwork) + I chose to be on-call 24/7, which I honestly think was the reason that not one of my beloved patients committed suicide in the 30+ years that I practice. We also started a Tibetan Center here, and of 11 monks from Drepung Loseling in S. India, who traveled in 164 cities, and "just happened" to stop here (another mystical story! :-) ), a Tulku and a Geshe came back to live here! So life was FULL to the point of bursting! It's been a real trip!
"One reason why is that there was no united tribal system--just a loose collection extended family groups." That's an interesting observation. When my husband-to-be first came to Charleston, SC, I thought he would really enjoy seeing a completely different part of the United States, so we went to the Grand Canyon. We went through Navajo land, and my husband kept asking, "Do they have enough water to drink?" "Do they have schools?" And "These houses same as ours." When we stopped at a shop selling turquoise and silver jewelry, he said, "This just like our jewelry." And when we went on a hike with a Navajo guide, they spoke some of the same words! "Dawa" is sun in Navajo and means "moon" in Tibetan. I was astounded! (So much for a "very different" part of the country -- well, I should say world!) When we got back, we did some DNA testing and found that his DNA correlates strongly with both Navajo and Inuit blood. When we tested his mother's DNA, her DNA was spread all the way down to Tierra del Fuego!
AND for me!!! Before we went on that trip, he chanted for several hours these words: "We're all going to the copper-colored mountain". That was something that Tibetans routinely chanted. When we saw the area around the Grand Canyon, I said, "Oh my gosh! THESE are the copper-colored mountains! Right here!"
"In 2004, the same Sinwar was a prisoner at Israel’s Nafcha Prison, where he was, unknowingly, about to die. He had an undiagnosed brain tumor. An Israeli dentist named Yuval Bitton diagnosed Sinwar and arranged for emergency surgery for him, which saved his life.
"On October 7, 2023, Sinwar’s agents wounded Dr. Bitton’s nephew Tamir, then kidnapped him and dragged him to Gaza, where he died of his wounds."
This is devastating to read. Out of the worst of horror stories. "Repay kindness with kindness. Repay evil with justice." It sounds like Sinwar was receiving justice (as well as kindness) -- but when Justice was ended and he was let free, Evil of the worst sort was unleashed.
Your article is powerful I wonder why this has not been written about, spoken about, and repeated through all of the media during this time that Israel has been so criticized for its actions in Gaza. NOT that those actions are not horrific, acceptable, or defensible. But that situation of Sinwar being treated so humanely while in prison should be talked about.
Your article is outstanding, Dr. Hoffman. What are your thoughts about what has been, and is, happening in Gaza? (Big difference between people in the "helping" professions, v. people in the military!)* Are the Palestinians "evil"? Is the attack on Palestine "justice"?
One ancient person you didn't quote was Jesus, who famously said,: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone steals from you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well." That is "return evil with kindness." And the not-ancient Ghandi practiced ahimsa. Of course both were killed by those enemies. Mandela, on the other hand, who practiced ahimsa, thankfully survived. H.H. the Dalai Lama practices Ton Ling, an ancient Tibetan Buddhist practice, of exchange of self for other. As he expressed it, when asked about his feelings toward the Chinese, said, "When they send hate, I take it inside of me and make it into love, and then I send them love."
*I'm just comparing the actions of the dentist, and the surgeons and nurses who cared for Sinwar in jail versus the actions of the military. Completely different goals, of course. But it is interesting for me to contemplate.
Thank you for your kind words.
I'm intrigued by the suggestion (or maybe this wasn't even your suggestion) that soldiers and doctors should be guided by different ethics.
More generally, I have lots of personal thoughts about Gaza, but I'm not sure this is the place for them. I try to limit my comments here to my expertise...
Not my suggestion! What I am referring to is a situation at one of the concentration camps during World War II. One of the most sadistic staff of this death camp was injured, and inmates BEGGED the doctor, who sympathized with the Jews, to kill this man. He couldn't do it. And what I'm saying is it is a CLASS ONE MORAL DILEMMA. Ones like it are on tests to see if someone is a psychopath or sociopath who sees a clear UTILITARIAN solution in simply killing him and people with fully developed frontal lobe capabilities that will see all people as human and deserving to have our aid. We give death row inmates medical care up to the very moment we kill them. And that's why, when I was asked what was right on this one, I just answered, "Hell if I know." But people deal with this in war all the time. Where are the lines drawn? And why?
It seems like the good doctor could have simply done nothing. Killing him, I couldn't have done (I am an MD). Letting nature take its course, I hope that I would have done. Morgaan, thank you for opening up a fascinating and extremely important topic.
Knowing only what was known back then, would you have saved his life? What about knowing what you know now?
You are obviously a wonderful teacher, making me THINK about what I wrote. Knowing only what was known back then -- I would have considered doing nothing, or "botching" the operation. However, I would also look around me at the concentration camp and know that if I didn't obey "the rules", I could end up in the camp (or worse) myself. Yes, retrospect is everything, unfortunately.
Thank you for your kind words.
"Completely different goals, of course." I don't like the word "should", although it is appropriate in your sentence. Having said that, I don't like the word "ethics" used in the same sentence as "soldier". That's just me.
"More generally, I have lots of personal thoughts about Gaza, but I'm not sure this is the place for them. I try to limit my comments here to my expertise..." It sounds like Morgaan is saying that you may feel free to share your personal thoughts about Gaza (obviously only if you feel comfortable to do so). I am interested in them. Am I correct Morgaan? Also, what did you think about what I wrote about Jesus's teaching and H.H. the Dalai Lama's practice of Ton Ling?
As for the situation in Gaza more generally: It is undeniably a tragedy. I think one key to responding to it properly is to separate RESPONSIBILITY from INVOLVEMENT. In my experience, most people don't. And that's a problem.
I address the difference here:
"The Taxi Driver and the Policeman (and the Difference Between Responsibility and Involvement)"
https://joelmhoffman.com/Human-Stories/shorts/the-taxi-driver-and-the-policeman-and-the-difference-between-responsibility-and-involvement/
There are essentially two sides to this: either kindness is always in order or it's not.
The New Testament isn't actually as clear as it might seem from some isolated quotes ("Love your neighbor..." "Turn the other cheek..." etc.). I wrote a book with a chapter on this.
I don't know enough about the Dalai Lama to say for sure, but it seems he's in the "always be kind" camp.
I am by nature drawn to the "always be kind" position, but (as always) I'm willing to be convinced that I'm wrong.
"I wrote a book with a chapter on this." Will you please tell me the title of that book? Thanks.
Lots of info here -- https://joelmhoffman.com/Books/The-Bible-Doesnt-Say-That.html
Not sure if this comment made it through with what I wrote below. My great-grandfather, RCH Lenski, was a Lutheran theologian. He translated every word in the New Testament from Greek to English to highlight subtle differences in meaning. Apparently his many volumes are still used by Lutheran ministers.
P.S. I just ordered your book!
Thanks! Enjoy...
I went to your website when I became curious about who you are. Thanks for referring me there to read about your books. (I love languages, too. I studied French, Chinese and Russian in college. They were my "crip" courses. I planned to study Arabic after I graduated, but life got in the way. My husband is Tibetan, and I'm sorry to say that I barely scratched the surface. Life REALLY got in the way after we married!)
Ah, life has a way of doing that. Especially with kids. ... Meanwhile, you asked about whether Tibetans and Navajo are related. Yes. They both share Mongol roots but one group went into the Himalayas and the other across Berengia -- the Bering Straits ice bridge that was at one point 64 km wide!!! During the last ice age, a huge amount of the ocean's water was taken up in snows that fell over higher altitudes and in glaciers and ice shelves. So sea level was much lower, and Berengia, though iced over, was a huge exposed land mass. So over a period of several thousand years, Asians speaking an Athabaskan branch language milled over to Alaska and then began to spread out. The Mayans, Aztecs, Olmec built huge civilization but they were among the first to come across the bridge. Some of the last were the Inuit and the Eskimos, and just before them, the groups of people--including the Navajo--because hunter gatherers first in Canada and then started moving south. The Pueblo and Anasazi Indians arrived in the desert Southwest first, and the Pueblo created a semi-agrarian culture. The Navajo came later, between 1100 and 1500 CE. Unlike the Maya, who had a thriving, very advanced civilization before being assaulted by the Conquistadors, the Navajo, once settled, had very little time. They borrowed agricultural techniques and learned weaving from the Pueblo--and the two tribes became allies and co-defenders against the Apache, the Mexicans, and the Anglos. But they couldn't win. Within a few hundred years of arriving in Monument Valley, they had been decimated. One reason why is that there was no united tribal system--just a loose collection extended family groups. But around the time of the Civil War, when negotiations with the United States went on, they chose a man named Manuelito, who negotiated the best reservation agreement in history: a sprawling land -- 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Little water, which unfortunately the U.S. keeps taking from them, but rich in uranium, the mining of which killed many of the men in the generation that built Mr. Oppenheimer's little toys. When the Navajo talk about their own migrations and history they line startlingly close to the histories now told by DNA lineage trackers and archaeologists. They look like Mongols. They fight like Mongols! They dance like Mongols. And they believe they are Mongols. And although the Mongols didn't conquer Tibet until the Yuan Dynasty, they were already related when they did: A population genetic study based on classical enzyme markers has placed Mongolians in the Northeast Asian cluster, including Tibetan, Korean, Japanese, and Ainu populations. So the genetic tree relates the Tibetans the Navajo through the Mongol cluster. ... So, as far as I know right now, that's the answer to the question you've asked twice, only to be met with a stupid stare! I was only able to answer it after I read something cool this morning. Hope that helps.
P.S. You're right about life with kids! After we got together, we cared for my mother who was dying from lymphoma. The day she died (an entire mystical story in itself involving a Tulku's prophecy two weeks earlier), I got pregnant -- after 4 years of infertility. The pregnancy was difficult, and she and I both were very close to death. In that situation, if was Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche who saved our lives (another entire mystical story). Konchok was not fully out of physical danger until she was 11 years old, so that was an enormous stress, although I learned to celebrate every day, and live IN THE MOMENT! To my sorrow, I had to go back to work at 12 weeks, but thankfully downstairs in our house. I was in solo private practice in psychiatry so there was no one to cover for me + I supported our family entirely. Before long, I was back to my 60 hours/wk. (40 with patients, 20 with paperwork) + I chose to be on-call 24/7, which I honestly think was the reason that not one of my beloved patients committed suicide in the 30+ years that I practice. We also started a Tibetan Center here, and of 11 monks from Drepung Loseling in S. India, who traveled in 164 cities, and "just happened" to stop here (another mystical story! :-) ), a Tulku and a Geshe came back to live here! So life was FULL to the point of bursting! It's been a real trip!
"One reason why is that there was no united tribal system--just a loose collection extended family groups." That's an interesting observation. When my husband-to-be first came to Charleston, SC, I thought he would really enjoy seeing a completely different part of the United States, so we went to the Grand Canyon. We went through Navajo land, and my husband kept asking, "Do they have enough water to drink?" "Do they have schools?" And "These houses same as ours." When we stopped at a shop selling turquoise and silver jewelry, he said, "This just like our jewelry." And when we went on a hike with a Navajo guide, they spoke some of the same words! "Dawa" is sun in Navajo and means "moon" in Tibetan. I was astounded! (So much for a "very different" part of the country -- well, I should say world!) When we got back, we did some DNA testing and found that his DNA correlates strongly with both Navajo and Inuit blood. When we tested his mother's DNA, her DNA was spread all the way down to Tierra del Fuego!
Spectacular!!! What a revelation for him!!!
AND for me!!! Before we went on that trip, he chanted for several hours these words: "We're all going to the copper-colored mountain". That was something that Tibetans routinely chanted. When we saw the area around the Grand Canyon, I said, "Oh my gosh! THESE are the copper-colored mountains! Right here!"