The Hand That Gives
If you accept the Bedouin axiom, “The tree begins with a seed”, you have taken your first step to joining the human race; to accepting that pragmatism is the currency of facts. Admit to yourself that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and operate on that basis, or lie to yourself that you aspire to a higher ideal as you continue to operate in a dog-eat-dog fashion, with blinders on.
In both cases, you are squarely under God’s judgment. In the second example, with the added charge, “bearing false witness.”
Whether you console yourself with your fake ideals or justify your sins with the inevitability of pragmatism, the truth is, whatever men build, create or devise, no matter their intention, it ends in moral bankruptcy. System failure is coded in your DNA.
This is why, by design, the sacrifice of Isaac confounds and mocks human ethics and morality.
There is another Bedouin proverb, Habibi, that reflects the actual pragmatism of life, the fact of the anti-philosophical fate in which you are found:
“The hand that gives is upper one.”
The problem is not interpretation, absolutism, the constitution, authoritarianism, legality, or your ability to adapt to change. The problem is you. You are not and cannot be your own reference.
Learn another saying, Habibi, from the first Bedouin:
“God will provide for himself the lamb for the offering.” (Genesis 22:8)
People misunderstand the admonition of Luke. Yes, you are commanded to offer the other cheek, but it is not yours to give in the first place, and it given under the pressure of his upper hand, because, as he said, you are wicked.
It is he who found you in utter darkness. In his wrath he is testing you as one in time of battle. He is pressuring you. You are under his judgment, for the sake of his honor.
It is not your enemy who strikes you, then you could bear it. It is him.
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to strike” or “to beat.”
- “Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating (מכה, makkeh) a Hebrew, one of his brethren.” (Exodus 2:11)
- “He went out the next day and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, ‘Why are you striking (תכה, takkeh) your companion?’” (Exodus 2:13)
- “Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike (נכה, nakkeh) the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.’” (Exodus 7:17)
- “He who strikes (מכה, makkeh) his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” (Exodus 21:15)
In Arabic, the root نَكَى (nakā) shares a similar meaning related to causing harm, injury or damage. The noun نِكَايَة(nikāyah) refers to “the inflicting of injury.” ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he) is rare in the Qur’an but appears in contexts related to harm or inflicting damage, particularly in warfare.
- نَكِيل (nakīl) – punishment, severe retribution. It often refers to a severe or exemplary punishment meant to serve as a deterrent or warning.
- نَكِيلًا (nakīlan) – severe punishment or retribution, often used in Quranic or formal contexts to describe intense chastisement.
- “Indeed, with us [for them] are shackles and burning fire. And food that chokes and a painful punishment. On the day the earth and the mountains will convulse, and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down. Indeed, we have sent to you a messenger as a witness upon you just as we sent to Pharaoh a messenger. But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so we seized him with a ruinous punishment (nakīlan).” (Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:12-16)