Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Most people are familiar with the biblical story of David and Goliath, which occurred during the reign of King Saul.

The ancient Philistines, who did endless battle with the Israelites in a futile attempt to conquer the land of Israel and to bring the Jews to their knees in servitude, had gathered a massive army on a mountainside near a place called Socoh.

The Israelites were camped and arrayed for battle on an opposite mountainside overlooking the valley of Elah, in what was then Judah. Apparently, they were locked into a battle in which neither side could prevail.

To break the stalemate, the Philistines, according to the biblical account, offered to decide the fate of the two armies by reducing the battle to a fight between a giant named Goliath and a soldier from King Saul’s battalions. They taunted the Israelites to goad them into what clearly would be an unfair fight between this Philistine giant and a much smaller Jewish adversary.

Although three of David’s older brothers were among the Jewish fighters no one came forward to accept the challenge. David, who at the time was a teenage shepherd at home tending to his father’s flock, would from time to time be sent to the battlefield by his father to bring provisions to his brothers serving in King Saul’s army.

It just so happened that David was on one of his visits to his brothers at the time this event was unfolding on the battlefield. Now young David, although not a soldier, had some experience with physical battle since it is reported in the biblical story that he had saved a lamb that was in the clutches of a lion and had killed the lion with his bare hands.

Since no one would come forward to confront Goliath, David volunteered to meet the giant in hand-to-hand combat. Rejecting the armor and sword of a warrior, David chose to confront Goliath with nothing more than his sling shot, a few shiny stones, his cunning and his faith in the G-d of Israel.

As David approached the heavily armored giant who was menacingly waving his great sword and shouting taunts to the diminutive shepherd, David methodically placed the stone into the sling shot, took aim, and launched the stone toward Goliath’s forehead killing him instantly.

Once again a young David, the State of Israel, a peaceful nation who would prefer to continue shepherding its flock and making fantastic scientific and technical progress, has stepped forward to slay a modern-day Goliath in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran. This Islamic government, which holds the great Persian people in religious dictatorship, threatens not only Israel but all the nations in the region. This Goliath, like the biblical one, is strong on threatening rhetoric, displays its armor and aggressive muscles in the form of ballistic missiles, arming terrorist groups, and conducting proxy wars; and who, like the Philistines of old, seeks the destruction of the Jewish state.

While both Davids put their faith in the G-d of Israel, and their cunning, the modern David has the benefit of modern weapons and the support of a great friend and ally in the United States, who has finally served notice on the world that neither they nor Israel will be diplomatically or militarily bullied or intimidated; and that the two objectives of this modern-day Goliath to destroy Israel and obtain nuclear weapons will never be achieved.

If you wish to comment or respond to any of the contents herein you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner. If you wish to respond by ranting and raving, please go into your bathroom, lock the door and shout your brains out.

Mel Pearlman has been practicing law in Central Florida for the past 45 years. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; on the District VII Mental Health Board, as Special Prosecutor for the City of Winter Park, Florida; and on the Board of Directors of the Central Florida Research and Development Authority. He was a charter member of the Board of Directors and served as the first Vice President of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as its first pro-bono legal counsel.