Israel and Hamas just concluded a three-hour cease fire designed to allow food, fuel and medical supplies into Gaza, and wounded Gazans out for medical treatment in Egypt and Israel. The Israelis have pledged to reenact this mini cease fire every day as long as no rockets or shells are launched into Israel during that period of time.
Perhaps three hours a day will turn into four and then four into six. Eventually it could be 24 hours of peace for one day a week. This in turn would become two days a week, etc. Perhaps that is how peace will be made in this war.
Perhaps both sides will stop worrying, for a few hours a day at first, about the “big issues” and the over-arching ideologies and theologies which animate them. Perhaps instead, for those hours, they will worry about only two “little” issues: the immediate safety and the health urgent health needs of their citizens. Of course, those are the big things. And were they reliably addressed, this war would end. In fact, had they been addressed reliably earlier, it would have never started.
Interestingly, this kind of step-by-step peace-making has its roots in the Jewish notion of an expanding Sabbath; know in Hebrew as Tosefet Shabbat. Biblically, Sabbath was one day (leave aside for now the Friday, Saturday, Sunday thing for now), and no more. The ancient rabbis dreamt of a world which would eventually experience the peace and perfection of Shabbat seven days a week. But how they imagined getting there is what’s truly interesting.
The rabbis began by expanding the Sabbath a bit at both ends – 18 minutes at the front end and 42 minutes at the back. They approached the attainment of their 24/7 goal one hour at a time! Sound familiar?

I am certain that some people will challenge the wisdom of having any cease fire at all. And I hope you will share your rationale for taking that position because even though I know people take it, it truly mystifies me how they can. And I am equally certain that others will say “3 hours? That’s nothing. We demand a full cease fire!”
Ironically both miss the same point, albeit from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Each places their maximalist ideologies above the real needs of actual people. Each has a dream that will not admit any reality. Each wants their version of a 24/7 Sabbath, or no Sabbath at all. The rabbis knew that was no way to achieve ones dreams. And apparently the Israelis and Hamas know that too, at least for now.
Of course, tomorrow is another day, but let’s hope one day at a time. Pretty soon that could turn into a 24/7 peace. And that is what everybody wants, right?