Holy Books and Girls
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

September 4, 2026, California, USA

Sitting in the synagogue early this morning and thinking about some recent events in the Krav Maga world, I felt a certain frustration. People tend to judge, to pass judgment without knowing the full story, in fact it is very rare to know the full story, that is why trials take so long. It takes a while to get to the truth, to the bottom of things, to the true intentions. Things are rarely as they first appear. 

What troubles me is when one student, or instructor, forms an opinion of another, passes judgement, but I know the fuller story, and I know that a misjudgment has taken place. My attempts to "explain the situation" are often seen as being "defensive" or "taking sides". These are difficult situations and it is rare that one can come out looking good, or objective. 

An old Jewish story came to mind. A man wished that he could read minds, so that he can judge people correctly. His wish was granted and now he could look at a person and see his thoughts. He looked at one man and saw many holy books, books sitting in the synagogue, Bibles, prayer books, the books of Psalms and Proverbs. He concluded this must be a very holy man as all his thoughts revolved around holy books and books of wisdom. This is a man who seeks wisdom, knowledge and spirituality. 

The Mind Reader than looked at another man and his thoughts were filled with young women. These were all local girls, single young women, there was the rabbi's daughter, and the butcher's daughter Sarah, and Rebekah Cohen. Surely this man was a bit of a pervert, fantasizing about all these young women. 

The man had reached his conclusions and judged each man accordingly. But he was wrong, totally wrong.

The first man was a notorious gambler and drinker; he constantly needed more money to fuel his addictions. He had one skill; he was a master bookbinder. As such he was always thinking of books that he could repair in exchange for a nice fee, which he would use for alcohol and gambling. He never actually studied those books, and he did not bother with prayer, but the income from fixing these books was what he was after. 

The other man was in fact a matchmaker, it was his task, on a voluntary basis to help young people find their spouses, their beshert, their chosen one, to build a happy life with. He was constantly thinking of the single eligible women in his community and trying to find them husbands. Who might be suitable for Sarah, who might be suitable for Rebekah?

The moral of the story is that even if one could read the minds of others, literally see their thoughts, one would still not be able to know the full story. 

Joe did not show up to class, surely, he does not respect the training, but perhaps his car broke down, perhaps he got lost, perhaps....

Steve did not pay his membership dues, perhaps he was hacked again. 

So what can we do? We can hold off judgement, give the person the benefit of the doubt based on their previous behavior, and seek communication. We can work it out.

Moshe2021

Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt hall of fame, USA and Europe.

Understand the Israeli Fighting Mentality - Israel a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz

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What is the cultural background of Krav Maga?  What makes it unique? What makes the Israeli military so effective? Why are Israeli security systems used all over the world?

What are the Biblical origins of Krav Maga and who was the first Krav Maga instructor?

What weapons and military strategies did our Biblical ancestors use?

How has Krav Maga developed in Israel and what are its goals?

All that and more in this unique book.

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