Sure enough, it did not take long until the phone started ringing: 
"Rabbi, we really ought to make some heavy statements about this guy and expose him to the world for what he really is!"

Surprisingly, I found myself reacting with silence. I just do not agree with exacting vengeance. Vengeance hinders all of mankind from pursuing an approach that can actually make our world a better, kinder place.

I believe we should start with empathy - empathy not toward a single human being who makes hurtful statements, but toward the underlying circumstances that foment bigotry.

Gibson's statements cause profound sadness because even though we live in an age in which information and truth are readily available, mankind can still get lost in the primitive noise of the olden days.

In the olden days, the only news that was shared was the news the people in control wanted to share. In the olden days, if you were brought up in a home that hated African-Americans, you would most likely grow up being a racist.

As a member of the Jewish community, you have my forgiveness... However, with your God-given gift, you can do so much more than apologize.

I can therefore sadly accept mass hatred in countries that are still living in the olden days, like the autocratic regimes in the Middle East.

But what is profoundly sad is that such hatred can exist today in our free and modern world.

In a free society, everyone has not only the right but also the duty to seek out the truth.

This is the deep sadness I felt when I heard Gibson's statements. My concern is not with an individual making hateful statements about Jews - our people have survived more than 2,000 years of hatred and, sadly, it comes to us as no surprise. What saddens me is how slowly our modern society is moving out of the olden days into the era of freedom and knowledge.

Mr. Gibson, God has given you an incredible gift: You are able to communicate ideas in a way that can penetrate deep into the heart of a human being.

You have successfully demonstrated that when you have an idea you want to share with the world, you can make it happen.

If only you could marry your gift with the gift of our age, where the truth about any way of life can be found at the tip of your fingers.

On my favorite Web site, www.askmoses.com, for example, truth-seeking sheiks from the Middle East log on anonymously to see what Judaism really believes about specific issues. I can tell from their shock that what they discover is so enlightening to them because of the picture that has been ingrained in their minds since childhood.

Mr. Gibson, as a member of the Jewish community, you have my forgiveness.

However, with your God-given gift, you can do so much more than apologize.

Your journey can become a lighthouse to our youth, especially those who are raised with myths they used to tell in the olden days.

I pray that in your pursuit of truth, you embrace the goodness and kindness that follows all of God's children, and that this dark moment of your life becomes a catalyst to illuminate the path for all his children, wherever and whoever they may be.

Originally appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News.