The problem of many, a fools’ solace

צרת רבים, נחמת טיפשים

The idea that one should take comfort if many share the same misfortune does not cut much weight in Jewish wisdom. If most of your class failed the exam, should you take comfort in the fact, that you have failed as well? Does it change the fact that you need to take the exam again? If the teacher was not good enough, what have you done about it?

If a country is failing, should you take comfort by the fact that you are going down together with everyone else?

On a recent trip ‘to the end of the world on the left‘ (read my book and you will understand), I met young Israelis who asked me how it is to live in London.

My reply was more complicated than they expected, and only after a few questions they begun to understand what is happening in the UK these days.

I started by saying that London had, for many years, been a city where one could readily........

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