Killdeer : The Daring Truth

This is a Killdeer. It looks like he’s striking a primping pose, showing off for the photographer, but there’s actually more depth to this display. Killdeer build their nests on the ground. So their next generation - and every potential generation which can follow - is perilously vulnerable to predators. The parents stay close to the nest, and in the presence of danger, they pretend to have a broken wing or other injury. They call loudly and draw attention to themselves as a more attractive target, leading the predator away from their children. It’s quite a fascinating demonstration of deception and strategy. Why they don’t simply nest in trees remains unresolved….

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai could very well be considered the critical nexus who saved the Jewish people. When the Romans were about to destroy Jerusalem, he had himself smuggled in a coffin out of the city, past the Zealots prohibiting exit, so that he could have an audience with the Roman general. Ben Zakkai predicted that General Vespasian would soon become Emperor Vespasian. This enticing forecast earned ben Zakkai a number of privileges, not least of which was a guarantee of safety for the town of Yavne and the Sages who lived there. This line of scholars preserved Jewish study, and arguably Jewish history, such that we are here today. Think for a moment on the inestimable value of what descends from ben Zakkai’s brilliant ruse.

We are of course taught to tell the truth. And we should. But we’re also taught that the preservation of life trumps nearly all other considerations. Deception, trickery, strategic misdirection all have their place. It is a challenging balance to find between developing a well earned reputation for honesty and integrity and knowing when it is not only appropriate, but required, to deploy speech or action that throws off one’s enemies. The preservation of life, both today and in future, can be that yardstick for us - whether we are students of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai or even the Killdeer.