Sh'mot 5755
Jean-Paul Sartre, the French Philosopher, makes the following statement: "If a man attributes all or part of his misfortunes and those of his country to the presence of Jewish elements in the community, if he proposes to remedy this state of affairs by depriving the Jews of certain of their rights, by keeping them out of certain economic and social activities, by expelling them from the country, by exterminating them, we say that he has anti-Semitic opinion. This word opinion makes us stop and think. It is the word a hostess uses to bring to an end a discussion that threatens to become acrimonious. It suggests that all points of view are equal; it reassures us for it gives an inoffensive appearance to ideas by reducing them to the level of tastes. All tastes are neutral; all opinions are permitted. Taste, colors and opinions are not open to discussion. In the name of democratic institutions, in the name of freedom of opinion, the anti-Semite asserts the right to preach the anti-Jewish crusade everywhere.
"I would admit, if necessary, that one may have an opinion on the governments policy on the wine industry... but I refuse to characterize as opinion a doctrine that is aimed directly at particular persons and that seeks to suppress their rights or to exterminate them. The Jew whom the anti-Semite wishes to lay hands upon is not a schematic being defined solely by his function as under administrative law; or by his status or his acts, as under the Code. He is a Jew, the son of Jews, recognizable by his physique, the color of his hair, by his clothing, and so they say, by his character. Anti-Semitism does not fall within the category of ideas protected by the right of free opinion.
"People speak to us also of "Social Facts," but if we look at this more closely, we shall find the same vicious circle. There are too many Jewish lawyers, someone says. But is there any complaint that there are too many Norman lawyers? Even if all the Bretons were doctors, would we say anything more than, "Brittany produces doctors for the whole of France?" Oh, someone will answer, "It is not the same thing." No doubt, but that is precisely because we consider Normans as Normans and Jews as Jews. Thus wherever we turn it is the idea of the Jew which seems to be the essential thing.
"I noted earlier that anti-Semitism is a passion. Everybody understands that emotions of hate or anger are involved. But ordinary hate and anger have a provocation: I hate someone who has made me suffer, someone who contemns or insults me. We have just seen that anti-Semitic passion could not have such character... since the anti-Semite has chosen hate we are forced to conclude that it is the state of passion that he loves.... The anti-Semite has chosen hate because hate is a faith; at the outset he has chosen to devaluate words and reasons. How entirely at ease he feels as a result. How futile and frivolous discussions about the rights of the Jew appear to him."
This week we read in the Torah the first portion in the second book. Beginning with the 8th verse we read the first account of the behavior described above by Jean Paul Sartre. The children of Israel had come to Egypt to work with the man who saved the country from the worst drought in its history. They became civil servants, and successfully integrated into the economy and social structure of the country. They became an essential part of that society and that economy. We understand this fact from Pharaoh’s very words: "Come let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that when there befalls us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us and get them up out of the land." Listen to the words of Pharaoh. What is it that he is trying to prevent? The establishment of a 5th column in his country? Are the Israelites an untrustworthy group? No, indeed. What Pharaoh tries to prevent is "and get them up out of the land." He tells his advisors that the Israelites are too important to the economy of the land to allow them to depart. Now reason would suggest that if you do not wish to have people leave, you would treat them extra well. This is why we must conclude that Pharaoh is not dealing by reason, but by passion. That is the mark of the Anti-Semite.
What does this have to do with the price of tomatoes... or in other words, how does it relate to our life in 1994, on the eve of 1995 and the last few years of the 20th Century? I think the answer is obvious. The folly of mankind has not abated from the days of Pharaoh to the days of Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, Mr. Yeltsen of Russia and the other assorted little Pharaohs that act by passion and not by reason. A war has been raging in the former Yugoslavia for more than three years, devastating the land, uprooting and contaminating the population through rape and murder and "special population cleansing" -- and the umpteenth proposed cease fire is delayed at the last minute for some technical reason.... Cro-magnon men sitting in caves would have licked their wounds and stopped fighting long before. Or take that flower of Islamic leadership, Sadam Hussain, who has devastated his nation and his neighbors in senseless slaughter feasts in his passionate war first against the Kurds in his own land, then against the Shi’ites in Iran, next against his fellow Arabs in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and today again against Shi’ites in his own southern districts. Does all this relate to Anti-Semitism? Yes and no and yes again. It would seem to me that the world that should have been advancing civilization and refining the concepts of brotherhood, human rights and civility has been marching backwards into the morass of dog-eat-dog. Anti-Semitism was the testing ground. The world got used to lawlessness by allowing anti-Semites to run their passion unhindered. When the law broke down, through the expulsion of Jews, it made killing Jews more palatable. When the world allowed the killing of Jews, it made all life cheap and available for the taking. As the world has sown, so does it reap. I don’t stand here gloating, nor do I stand here as one of the ancient Hebrew prophets, I am merely an observer, and Sartre is not even a Jew. But his reasoning is correct, and my observation is impassioned and objective. It is not that the writing is on the wall -- it is that the facts speak for themselves. Mankind must redeem itself from the passion of hatred that is strong like a necklace of pearls through the annuals of history. Thirty-five hundred years ago a man named Moses came out of the desert and said to Pharaoh, "Let my people go, that they may serve Me." The message was for all mankind; the message was and continues to be that mankind is God’s creation; that He is the father and we are His children. The ramification of the lesson is that we are all brothers and we will either learn to live as brothers or continue to kill and be killed. Peace on earth, good will towards men -- not a new concept, but surely one whose time has come. Let us hope that the message will at last be heard.
Sh’mot 5756
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of blessed memory spoke of sanctity as existing in space and in time, together or separately. Thus 'ohel mo'ed' -- the "Tent of Meeting" or the Tabernacle, which the Israelites built in the desert, was created for the children of Israel to have a holy place, a sanctuary. The Shabbat, the day of rest at the end of the six days of creation, was created by God, "sof ma'ase bmakhshava tkhila" at the end of creation, but first in His planning, as a sanctuary in time. No matter where we Jews were, no matter how hard the times -- when Shabbat came we escaped into its sacredness, and we remained within its sanctuary until "havdalah" the service of separating Shabbat from the rest of the week.
There were also conditions when and where sanctity came into existence in both time and space. One example of such sanctity we read about in last week’s Torah portion -- in the third chapter of Exodus: Moses was grazing his father-in-law’s sheep in the desert, where he had grazed them many times before. However, this time he came upon a special sight: a bush aflame with fire without being consumed. He drew closer to this vision to investigate, and he heard God’s call: "shal na'alekha me'al raglekha ki hamakom asher ata omed alav kodesh hu – put off your shoes from your feet, for the ground upon which you stand is holy." Where or what was the spot upon which Moses stood? We do not know and it is not important, for he -- and most probably others as well -- have stood upon it before and it had no special significance. It was only when the bush was burning that it assumed its special quality, and that happened at a given time, when God wished to communicate with Moses and charge him with leading Israel out of bondage.
Similarly, in our own period of history, sanctity, which is to say a special significance that transcends the importance of a place or the uniqueness of a time, can and does shine forth once in a while, as it did for me, and for many around our country and around the world, this past Wednesday at high noon, as we saw the reigns of government transfer into the hands of a young and energetic man of the people, a man not born to privilege but one who emerged from anonymity to leadership because of a God given talent wedded to a willingness to labor long and hard to achieve a measure of excellence. William Jefferson Clinton was not elected by a majority of all eligible American voters, and many pundits proclaimed that he was not the best possible candidate for the job. However, in our form of democracy, and given voters apathy that kept so many away from the polls, he was the winner of the elections, and he is the president of all the people of the United States. On Wednesday, January 20, at 12:00 noon, an aura of special divine sanctity descended upon him and upon the proceedings of his inauguration as he echoed, in a short address he fashioned himself, the words of many other great leaders, political and spiritual. He spoke of being at the heights of the mountain and the needs to labor in the valley, he alluded to the drumbeat that must be heard and marched to, as he pledged to hear the voice of the people and do their bidding in the corridors of power.
Just as Moses had to leave Horeb, the holy place, and mingle with slaves and wicked rulers, performing miracles and raining plagues, so, also, our new president has a long and arduous path before him. The warmth of the capitol steps will soon fade into memory, and the last cords of his mellow saxophone will be lost in the din of saber rattling in the halls of congress. That is the nature of the beast called politics. For the sake of our own immortal spirit, however, let us pause for a moment, while the image of the pageantry still dances in our mind’s eyes and the echo of the fanfare is still in our ears, and wish him Godspeed. Let us pray for him, too, and for our country and for our world -- for surely the words of our great poet, Longfellow, apply to this time and place: "Humanity, with all its fears, with all its hopes for future years, hangs breathless by your fate!" Amen
Sh'mot 5758
This week we read in the Torah the first portion in the second book, the book of Sh’mot The Hebrew name is simplicity itself -- 'Sh’mot' which means names. A book of names, we would imagine, like the telephone book... Not very important. Yet, after reading the names of the people who came to Egypt with Jacob, our third patriarch, to arrive at the main body of the story of Israel in Egypt. Beginning with the 8th verse we read the first account of the behavior of a people in a manner that is totally illogical and non-rational. The children of Israel had come to Egypt to work for and with the man who saved the country from the worst drought in its history. They became civil servants, and successfully integrated into the economy and social structure of the land. They became an essential part of that society and that economy. We understand this fact from Pharaoh’s very words: "Come let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that when there befalls us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us and get them up out of the land." Listen to the words of Pharaoh. What is it that he is trying to prevent? The establishment of a 5th column in his country? Are the Israelites an untrustworthy element in society? No, indeed. What Pharaoh tries to prevent is "and get them up out of the land" -- that they will leave the Egyptians and depart somewhere else. He tells his advisors that the Israelites are too important to the economy of the land to allow them to depart. Now, reason would dictate that if you do not wish to have people leave, you would treat them extra well -- you give them every conceivable reason to stay. This is why we must conclude that Pharaoh is not dealing by reason, but by passion. That is the mark of the Anti-Semite.
What does this have to do with the price of tomatoes... or in other words, how does it relate to our life in 1997, on the eve of the millennium? I think the answer is obvious. The folly of mankind has not abated from the days of Pharaoh to the days of Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, Mr. Yeltsen of Russia and the other assorted little Pharaohs that act by passion and not by reason. A war has been raging in the former Yugoslavia for more than three years, devastating the land, uprooting and contaminating the population through rape and murder and "special population cleansing" -- and the umpteenth proposed cease fire is delayed at the last minute for some technical reason.... Cro-magnon men sitting in caves would have licked their wounds and stopped fighting long before. Or take that flower of Islamic leadership, Sadam Hussain, who has devastated his nation and his neighbors in senseless slaughter feasts in his passionate war first against the Kurds in his own land, then against the Shi’ites in Iran, next against his fellow Arabs in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and today again against Shi’ites in his own southern districts. Does all this relate to Anti-Semitism? Yes and no and yes again. It would seem to me that the world that should have been advancing civilization and refining the concepts of brotherhood, human rights and civility has been marching backwards into the morass of dog-eat-dog. Anti-Semitism was the testing ground. The world got used to lawlessness by allowing anti-Semites to run their passion unhindered. When the law broke down, through the expulsion of Jews, it made killing Jews more palatable. When the world allowed the killing of Jews, it made all life cheap and available for the taking. As the world has sown, so does it reap. I don’t stand here gloating, nor do I stand here as one of the ancient Hebrew prophets, I am merely an observer, and Sartre is not even a Jew. But his reasoning is correct, and my observation is impassioned and objective. It is not that the writing is on the wall -- it is that the facts speak for themselves. Mankind must redeem itself from the passion of hatred that is strong like a necklace of pearls through the annuals of history. Thirty-five hundred years ago a man named Moses came out of the desert and said to Pharaoh, "Let my people go, that they may serve Me." The message was for all mankind; the message was and continues to be that mankind is God’s creation; that He is the father and we are His children. The ramification of the lesson is that we are all brothers and we will either learn to live as brothers or continue to kill and be killed. Peace on earth, good will towards men -- not a new concept, but surely one whose time has come. Let us hope that the message will at last be heard.
Sh'mot 5759
This week we read the first portion in the second book of the Torah, the book of Sh’mot. The reading begins with the names of the people who came to Egypt with Jacob, our third patriarch, which is an introduction to the main body of the story of this book, which is the tale of Israel in Egypt, the exodus and the events of the desert experience. Since we read each portion over a three year period, and we are now in the middle portion of the tri-annual reading, we begin this week's reading with chapter 3: "And Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock far away into the desert, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;" [Ex. 3:1,2] This is a significant passage in our Scriptures, for it is the beginning of God's intervention into Jewish history and the formalization of our "Abrahamic tradition" into a religion, with laws, teachings, ceremonies and officiants, priests and Levites. It all begins with Moses' "call."
"And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; ...And therefore, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me; and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." [Ex. 3:6,7 & 9,10] I am sure you recall the story: Moses is not really very keen on becoming the messenger of God, but eventually becomes convinced and succumbs to God's demand. While he is arguing against going to Egypt we read a passage that has become pivotal in Jewish faith in our understanding of the nature of God:
"And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the people of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is his name, what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and he said, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations." [Ex. 3:13-15] Now, the actual text, in the Hebrew reads, "And God said to Moses, Ehyeh asher ehyeh; and he said, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel, Ehyeh has sent me to you." The Hebrew word 'ehyeh' is not a word with more than one meaning. The word 'ehyeh' appears in the Jewish Scriptures 43 times -- and every time it is translated "I shall be." Here are some examples: "And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage; for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land which I swore to them; and I shall be Ehyeh with you." [Deu. 31:23] "And the Lord said to Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be Ehyeh with you." [Joshua 3:7] "And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord delivers them before me, shall I be Ehyeh your chief?" [Judges 11:9] "Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so shall you be my people, and I will be Ehyeh your God;" [Jeremiah 11:4] "And I, the Lord, will be Ehyeh their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken it." [Ezekiel 34:24] With all these examples, I hope you ask yourself, why does our verse, in today's portion, read "I am" for Ehyeh instead of 'I shall be?' Indeed, some modern translations of our text translate "Ehyeh asher Ehyeh" as "I will be what O will be," or "I will be the fact of Being." This translation may be better, but it, too, misses the point! In fact, I would like to suggest to you that you need to know Hebrew to understand completely and correctly God's answer to Moses -- especially when He goes on to say, "say to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you." How do we read this? Maybe, "say to the people of Israel, Ehyeh, all of your future, all the coming generations, all that is yet to be has sent me to you."
I firmly believe that the reason is human shortcoming, nothing less! God is infinite, all powerful and all knowing. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for us to truly comprehend such a God. In our attempt to 'cut God down to size' so that we can understand and relate to Him, we have changed the future for the present. 'I am' is what we know, what we are familiar with. 'I will be' is forever a mystery. 'I am' can be denied, neglected, ignored and insulted. 'I will be' demands recognition, planning, study and above all attention and even apprehension. Better to have a bird in hand than two in the sky, the saying goes -- and this is a materialistic attitude. Speak to a bird lover -- and he will prefer the birds in the sky! Similarly, speak to a believing man, and you will hear of a faith in what is yet to come rather than an examination of what was and what is current and available here and now.
So, right from the start we see that the text misses the boat, in translation, of what God says to Moshe. Now, the Kaballah, the book of Jewish mysticism, goes to gymatriah, Jewish numerology, to teach us a most interesting lesson about this 'Ehyeh asher Ehyeh' and another related basic Jewish concept. In Hebrew every letter has a numerical value: 'Aleph' is one, 'bet' is two, 'gimel' is three etc. To get the 'numerical value' of a word you combine the value of its letters. Ehyeh has a numerical value of 21. We believe God to be a master of all that is real and true. The Hebrew for 'real' and 'true' is 'emet.' The numerical value of 'emet' is 441. Now, 'Ehyeh asher Ehyeh' is seen as a mathematical formula, where "that" is "multiplied by." If we take the value of Ehyeh which is 21 and multiply it by itself -- we get -- 'emet,' that is 441! Thus the Kaballists, the teachers of Jewish mysticism, say that God is the root of truth, since the root of 441 is 21! In terms of theology, and in the context of our reading this week, what the verse tells us is that God is the creator, the future of all that is yet to happen. You are all familiar with the saying, "today is the first day of the rest of your life." Well, God is there to drive the engine that takes you to all of your tomorrows. Let us learn to properly relate to God, so that all our tomorrows will be blessed with happiness and with peace.
Amen
Sh'mot 5760
Shabbat shalom to all of you. This Shabbat we read in the Torah the first portion in the second book, the book of Shemot The Hebrew name is simplicity itself -- "shemot," which means "names." A book called names, we would imagine, must be something like the telephone book - but, of course that is not so! The first of the Five Books of Moses is nothing more than a preface to this book, which contains the history of the beginning of our national existence. Indeed, the great sages of our people have asked why our Holy Scriptures did not begin in the thirteenth chapter of Shemot, "And Moses said to the people, Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; there shall no leavened bread be eaten." [Ex. 13:3]
You are sitting, listening to me - and you must be thinking, "How can he speak of theories of Torah composition this evening. I mean, THIS EVENING!!! This is New Year's Eve of the year 2,000. Y2K, in person, right here and now!" Well, I know, I am well aware! However, this IS a synagogue, and we are celebrating our own special event, a sanctuary in time that is special and unique - in spite of the fact that it comes every seven days! This is Shabbat, the day that God hallowed! This weekly repeating event is so much more than all the millenniums put together. Consider, first, the question of this "earth-shaking" millennium. Where does it come from? "Ano domini" is the Latin which is abbreviated as "A.D." - and it means "the year of our lord." Of course, the lord in question is the god-figure of Christianity, which we do not believe in. Further, the "counting" is quite arbitrary, since even that God figure was not born in the year zero. In fact, there is no "year zero!" We always begin counting with "one."
Beyond the issue of the "ownership of the calendar" that is marking this special occasion, the question of celebrating a time-marker of "special proportions," comes up again to raise the issue of what exactly are we celebrating? Where have we arrived on the path of life that we need to leave a marker on our way? Is this the great time of peace and understanding? I don't think so! There are more people in strife this evening, more people hurting from recent hurts, travesties and injuries than ever before. There is more insecurity, more threat of destruction and annihilation, worse sickness and diseases, more despair, darkness and devastation. Yet, maybe there is another side to thise "coin of the realm." Conceivably, there is also hope for a better future. The world is shrinking, with the advent of modern technology and communications. Our world is becoming the Global Village, and its inhabitants are forced to consider and rethink their view-point and their perspective. It is no longer possible to commit a crime and escape to another place to enjoy its fruit. The blood of a victim from one side of the world shouts for redress and retribution throughout our planet. A tree uprooted in South America melts the ice-cap in the north pole region, and the desperate cry of a hungry child in Peru or Pretoria pierces the night in Ponte Vedra, Florida as it does in Paris, France. We cannot sleep easily, and we dare not disregard the plea for help.
Time is not an element of nature. There is a physical world that exists as a matter of fact. If we fling ourselves at it, it makes contact -- we collide with it and feel its intrusion upon us. More than that, we are a part of it! We are physical beings. We know our parents and our children because we have come in contact with them. We may even recall our grandparents and great grandparents, and may encounter grandchildren and great grandchildren. Very few of us leave the confines of three generations either behind us or ahead of us. As we become older, time seems to pass by us so much more quickly. Where has last July gone, we ask... Yet, ask a teen ager -- and you'll hear that time crawls, slower than molasses in January in snow country! Why is that? Precisely because time is a human invention -- a measuring of our existence, the sum total of our experience. When we have lived half a century, each day is about a two hundredth of one percent of our experience! No wonder time flies! For a child of four, a year is a quarter of a life-time! The proportion is quite huge, and quite different!
Why do we even take note of two thousand years, inherent in the Y2K celebration? The keeping of records of events that have taken place in the past becomes a preoccupation for us as we come to realize that learning about the past makes it possible for us to get a good idea of what the future will hold. We learn history to predict the future. George Santana, the American philosopher and educator, has said, "the people who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it." So, in an age of growing responsibility for members of our society -- a world society that is coming ever so much closer together, we have no choice but to learn from our history. Hence the emphasis on the date, on all dates. Each day matters, every day counts. There is no "time off," no easing of the pressure of wasted minutes. "Carpe Diem" -- grab the day, lest it escape you to return to haunt you when you realize that you missed it, with all the chances it had for you -- chances which will never return!
Two years ago I said, noting the passage of time, "The folly of mankind has not abated from the days of Pharaoh to the days of Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, Mr. Yeltzin of Russia and the other assorted little Pharaohs that act by passion and not by reason." Today, Newt Gingrich is nothing but a footnote of American politics, Clinton is in the last year of his presidency, and we shall somehow overcome this year to inaugurate another president and enter another age, and Yeltzin just announced his retirement. Each age and its Pharaohs, each age and its dospots and banalities. What remains constant is out Torah and our history. We are the Children of Israel, descendents of the men who came down to Egypt with Jacob. We have remained steadfast and true to the teachings of the God who, in this week's portion, made Himself known to Moshe in the bush that burned and was not consumed. He revealed to Moshe His truth, and by this truth he redeemed the Israelites from the burden of slavery -- the bondage of physical labor that is not blessed with a spiritual uplifting such that work becomes meaningful and palatable.
It seems to me that the world got used to lawlessness by allowing anti-Semites to run their passion unhindered. When God's law of Tzedek and khessed, poorly translated as justice and lovingkindness, broke down, through the persecution exclusion and expulsion of Jews, it made killing Jews more palatable. When the world allowed the killing of Jews, it made all life cheap and available for the taking. As the world has sown, so does it reap. I don’t stand here gloating, my observation is impassioned and objective. It is not that the writing is on the wall -- it is that the facts speak for themselves. Mankind must redeem itself from the passion of hatred that is strong as the addiction to smoking and using drugs. Thirty-five hundred years ago a man named Moses came out of the desert and said to Pharaoh, "Let my people go, that they may serve Me." The message was for all mankind; the message was and continues to be that mankind is God’s creation; that He is the father and we are His children. The ramification of the mesage is that we are all brothers and we will either learn to live as brothers or continue to kill and be killed as the beasts of the field. Y2K, 5760, any record of our past experience is merely an accounting of our strife and struggle to survive in a war-torn world. So, two thousand years ago a Jew from Nazareth introduced to the world at large a new concept: Peace on earth, good will towards men. It was not really a new concept, for even in his days his fellow Jews had been pursuing it for two thousand years. "Shalom," they said to one another, "peace be with you." Surely, he reasoned, after two thousand years, a concept whose time had come! Well, two thousand years later, at the end of yet another two millennia, let us hope -- please God, let it be true -- that the message will at last be heard, that the dream, the ideal will become reality, that peace shall fill our lives, and history will be not a continuing account of conflict and corruption but a mere list of names -- fathers who begat children who grew up to love God and serve Him as they rejoiced in the company of brothers -- hine ma tov uma na'im shevet akhim gam yakhad!
Amen
Shmot 5761
This week we read in the Torah the first portion in the second book. Beginning with the 8 th verse of the first chapter we read what must be the first account of the behavior known as anti-Semitism. The children of Israel had come to Egypt at the time of the “seven years of famine,” to work with and for Joseph, the genius who foresaw the event and by preparing in time of prosperity saved the country from the worst drought in its history. The Israelites became civil servants, and successfully integrated into the economy and social structure of the country. They became an essential part of that society and that economy. At the same time, they remained different and distinct, a recognizable minority within the Egyptian world. We understand this fact from the text, “And the people of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.” [Ex. 1:7] You would think that the people and rulers of Egypt would be grateful for the Israelite contribution to their well being - but that is not so. Listen to Pharaoh’s very words: “And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it may come to pass, that, when there would be any war, they should join our enemies, and fight against us; and so get them out of the land.” [Ex. 1:9,10] Listen to the words of Pharaoh. What is it that he is trying to prevent? The establishment of a 5th column in his country? Are the Israelites an untrustworthy group? No, indeed. What Pharaoh tries to prevent is “and get them up out of the land.” He tells his advisors that the Israelites are too important to the economy of the land to allow them to depart. Now reason would suggest that if you do not wish to have people leave, you would treat them extra well. But, instead, Pharaoh enslaves the Israelites and we read, “ Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.” [Ex. 1:11] This leads us to conclude that Pharaoh is not acting by reason, but by passion. That is the mark of the Anti-Semite.
An Anti-Semite is a person who forms an opinion based on his physique, the color of his hair and eyes, the shape of his nose, by his clothing, by his manner of speaking and maybe his accent, and, so they say, by his character. Thus, members of the national Republican Party, when preparing the party slate, considered the need to appeal to Jewish opinions in formulating their policy. It is reputed that someone made the remark, “Jews don’t vote Republican, so ---- them!” That statement, I believe, puts the Republicans who said it in the same category with Pharaoh.
This a time of transition, in the reading of the text in the Torah, and in the life of our nation. This very Shabbat we are inaugurating a new president. I still remember the last inauguration, when I said, “...this past Wednesday at high noon, we saw the reigns of government transfer into the hands of a young and energetic man of the people, a man not born to privilege but one who emerged from anonymity to leadership because of a God given talent wedded to a willingness to labor long and hard to achieve a measure of excellence. William Jefferson Clinton was not elected by a majority of all eligible American voters, and many pundits proclaimed that he was not the best possible candidate for the job. However, in our form of democracy, and given voters apathy that kept so many away from the polls, he was the winner of the elections, and he is the president of all the people of the United States. On Wednesday, January 20, at 12:00 noon, an aura of special divine sanctity descended upon him and upon the proceedings of his inauguration as he echoed, in a short address he fashioned himself, the words of many other great leaders, political and spiritual. He spoke of being at the heights of the mountain and the needs to labor in the valley, he alluded to the drumbeat that must be heard and marched to, as he pledged to hear the voice of the people and do their bidding in the corridors of power.”
This very day another young man puts his hand on the Bible and swears to uphold and protect the constitution of the United States. Mr. George W. Bush’s election is even more controversial and equivocal than that of the man he replaces. As Americans we hope and pray that he will rise to the occasion and the task, and that he will become the head of state of all Americans, regardless of their color, creed or national origin. As Jews, we hope that he will recognize the great contribution of America’s Jewish citizens to its great success and prosperity, and that he will work diligently to ensure continued Jewish participation in the social and economic life of our great nation. We applaud his commitment to his faith, and we hope that he will not forget that this nation was established as a haven to all belief, in its diversity, to manifest itself without fear of prejudice or persecution.
Towards the end of our portion, Moshe met God at Sinai, Moses is not really very keen on becoming the messenger of God, but eventually becomes convinced and succumbs to God's demand. While arguing against going to Egypt we read this passage: “ And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the people of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is his name, what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and he said, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations." [Ex. 3:13-15] This name and memorial is a very simple concept. I am that I am means “by my actions shall you know who it is.” This concept is equally as valid for humans as it is for God Almighty. So at this moment of renewal and dedication we pray for the President of the United States and for the Republic which he leads. May you be a worthy successor to those who came before you, may you lead this nation with wisdom and patience, and may you be known by your deeds to be a man of the people and a man of God, a true servant of the Almighty, and a man of blessing given as well as received.
Amen
5762
This week we begin
reading the book of Shmot, Exodus. The Hebrew title has nothing to do with the
content of the book. It is merely the first significant word in the text. "Ële
SHMOT b'nai Yisrael - These are the NAMES of the children of Israel..."
However, I think that names are very important and meaningful for us to know
and remember. Ya'akov and Yehuda, Yoseph and Binyamin - these are names, with
a capital "En!"
Well, in our own history, as Jews in the U.S., in also have a bookful of names.
I wanted to remoind us all of a few. Here's a bird's eye view of our own book
of names, well abbreviated:
Ha'yim Solomon, (1740–1785), was an early American merchant and Revolutionary
War patriot. Salomon, who was born in Lissa, Poland, arrived in New York about
1775 after wandering in Europe and became one of the most prominent 18th-century
American Jews. During the Revolutionary War he was a distiller and sutler to
the American army, and was captured as a spy by the British. His life was spared
and he served as an interpreter in their commissary department. Continuing to
give information to the Americans, he assisted their prisoners to escape British
captivity while operating a profitable victualing business in New York City
under British occupation. Married to Rachel Franks in 1777, he had to flee a
year later to Philadelphia, where he began a brokerage and commission business.
In 1781 he became an assistant to Robert Morris, superintendent of the Office
of Finance, after serving in a similar capacity as broker and treasurer for
the huge expenses of the French army stationed in America. Morris characterized
him as "useful to the public interest." Salomon also lent money without
charge to impecunious members of the Continental Congress, among them James
Madison, who recommended him as "our little friend in Front Street."
In 1784 Salomon expanded his business activities to New York, opening a brokerage
and auctioneering house there with Jacob Mordecai. A mason, Salomon was a major
contributor in 1782 to the Congregation Mikveh Israel building, Philadelphia.
He argued against a New Testament oath taken by officeholders in Pennsylvania
and worked for political rights of Jews. Though a successful merchant, Salomon
invested most of his money in Continental stocks and bonds, and his accounts
showed a deficit at the time of his death. The newspaper obituary referred to
him as "an eminent broker of this city... remarkable for his skill and
integrity in his profession, and for his generous and human deportment."
MORDECAI MANUEL NOAH(1785–1851), was probably the most influential Jew
in the United States in the early 19th century. He was born in Philadelphia
and was an editor, politician, and playwright. After apprenticeship as a gilder
and carver, Noah became a clerk in the U.S. Treasury through the assistance
of Robert Morris (1734–1806), the financier and senator.
Noah began his political career in Philadelphia in 1808 when he, along with
other "Democratic Young Men," supported the Republican candidate,
James Madison, for president. A year later Noah went to Charleston, where he
edited the City Gazette. A war "hawk," he strongly supported the War
of 1812. In 1813 he was appointed consul at Tunis, but was recalled two years
later after he was accused of misappropriation of funds, though the charges
were never proved. On his return to the United States, Noah established himself
permanently in New York with the help of his uncle Naphtali Phillips, publisher
of the National Advocate, which ardently supported the Democratic Party of New
York County. Noah became the editor of the newspaper in 1817, giving him access
to the Tammany Society. He was appointed high sheriff in 1822 and two years
later was elected grand sachem of Tammany.
When Phillips sold the National Advocate in 1824, Noah became the publisher
of the New York National Advocate. He broke with Tammany over its opposition
to De Witt Clinton, then commissioner of canals, and in 1825 supported Clinton
for governor. Noah continued to oppose Tammany in the paper he established,
the New York Enquirer, published 1826–29. Critical of Andrew Jackson, particularly
of his attack on the U.S. Bank, he associated himself with the newly created
Whig Party in 1834, and as publisher and editor of the Evening Star, a Whig
paper, demonstrated anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic bias. When the Native American
Party of 1835–36, the forerunner of the Know-Nothing Party, was created,
he was one of its chief supporters. He also supported the Texas revolt of 1836
against Mexico and angrily attacked the abolitionist cause. In 1841, he became
a judge of the Court of Sessions.
Noah was a prolific playwright; many of his plays reflected his patriotic fervor.
His first play, Fortress of Sorrento (written 1808), was followed by, among
others, She Would Be a Soldier (1819); Siege of Tripoli (1820), also produced
as Yuseff Caramalli; and Marion, or the Hero of St. George (1822).
Noah's interest in Jewish affairs drew him into activities on behalf of the
congregations of Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia and Shearith Israel in New York.
Long taken by the idea of a Jewish territorial restoration, Noah, in 1825, helped
purchase a tract of land on Grand Island in the Niagara River near Buffalo,
which he named Ararat and envisioned as a Jewish colony. Though the proposal
elicited much discussion, the attempt was not a success and Noah's pretensions
as ruler were ridiculed. After the failure of the Ararat experience, Noah turned
more strongly to the idea of Eretz Yisrael as a national home for Jews. As the
best-known American Jew of his time, Noah in 1840 delivered the principal address
at a meeting at B'nai Jeshurun in New York protesting the Damascus Affair.
The Story of the Four Chaplains
Brotherhood has nothing to do with the similarities between men. Even among
twins, no two brothers are exactly alike. These differences can create challenges
to family harmony, incite jealousy, and lead to sibling rivalries. At the same
time, it is these differences that make a family stronger, better rounded, and
best equipped to face the challenges of life. In time of crisis, when a family
pulls together, these differences make it possible to approach a problem from
different perspectives and find solutions for the common good. There is strength
in diversity, and perhaps a family should rejoice more in the differences between
brothers and sisters than in the things they share in common.
In November, 1942 four young men "found each other" while attending
Chaplain's School at Harvard University. They had enough in common to bond them
together. At age 42, George Fox was the "older brother". The youngest
was 30-year old Clark Poling, and less than three years separated him from the
other two, Alexander Goode and John Washington. A common cause brought them
together, the desire to render service to their Nation during the critical years
of World War II.
Between the early days of May to late July, the four had entered military service
from different areas of the country. Reverend Fox enlisted in the Army from
Vermont the same day his 18-year old son Wyatt enlisted in the Marine Corps.
During World War I, though only 17 years old, Fox had convinced the Army he
was actually 18 and enlisted as a medical corps assistant. His courage on the
battlefield earned him the Silver Star, the Croix de Guerre, and the Purple
Heart. When World War II broke out he said, "I've got to go. I know from
experience what our boys are about to face. They need me." This time, however,
he didn't enlist to heal the wounds of the body. As a minister he was joining
the Chaplains Corps to heal the wounds of the soul.
Reverend Clark V. Poling was from Ohio and pastoring in New York when World
War II threatened world freedom. He determined to enter the Army, but not as
a Chaplain. "I'm not going to hide behind the church in some safe office
out of the firing line," he told his father when he informed him of his
plans to serve his country. His father, Reverend Daniel Poling knew something
of war, having served as a Chaplain himself during World War I. He told his
son, "Don't you know that chaplains have the highest mortality rate of
all? As a chaplain you'll have the best chance in the world to be killed. You
just can't carry a gun to kill anyone yourself." With new appreciation
for the role of the Chaplains Corps, Clark Poling accepted a commission and
followed in his father's footsteps.
Like Clark Poling, Alexander Goode had followed the steps of his own father
in ministry. His first years of service were in Marion, Indiana; then he moved
on to York, Pennsylvania. While studying and preparing to minister to the needs
of others, "Alex" had joined the National Guard. Ten months before
Pearl Harbor he sought an assignment in the Navy's Chaplains Corps, but wasn't
initially accepted. When war was declared, he wanted more than ever to serve
the needs of those who went in harm's way to defend freedom and human dignity.
He chose to do so as a U.S. Army Chaplain.
One look at the be-speckled, mild mannered John P. Washington, would have left
one with the impression that he was not the sort of man to go to war and become
a hero. His love of music and beautiful voice belied the toughness inside. One
of nine children in an Irish immigrant family living in the toughest part of
Newark, New Jersey, he had learned through sheer determination to hold his own
in any fight. By the time he was a teenager he was the leader of the South Twelfth
Street Gang. Then God called him to ministry, returning him to the streets of
New Jersey to organize sports teams, play ball with young boys who needed a
strong friend to look up to, and inspire others with his beautiful hymns of
praise and thanksgiving.
Upon meeting at the Chaplains' school, the four men quickly became friends.
One of Clark Poling's cousins later said, "They were all very sociable
guys, who seemed to have initiated interfaith activities even before the war.
They hit it off well at chaplains' school. Sharing their faith was not just
a first-time deal for them. They were really very close. They had prayed together
a number of times before that final crisis." (Reverend David Poling) The
observation pointed out by Clark's cousin is of note, for the men of whom he
spoke were unique. Their close bond might easily have marked them as "The
Four Chaplains" long before a fateful night three months after they first
met, when their actions would forever make the title synonymous with the names
of George L. Fox, Alexander D. Goode, Clark V. Poling, and John P. Washington.
The differences in their backgrounds and personalities could have been easily
outweighed by their common calling to ministry, had it not been for one major
difference:
Reverend Fox was a Methodist Minister
Reverend Poling was a Dutch Reformed Minister
Father Washington was a Catholic Priest
Rabbi Goode was Jewish
In a world where differences have all too often created conflict and separated
brothers, the Four Chaplains found a special kind of unity, and in that unity
they found strength. Despite the differences, they became "brothers"
for they had one unseen characteristic in common that overshadowed everything
else. They were brothers because: They All Four Shared the same Father!
In the nearly four years from December 7, 1941 to September 2, 1945 more than
16 million American men and women were called upon to defend human dignity and
freedom on two fronts, in Europe and the Pacific. Moving so large a force to
the battlefields was a monumental effort, and every available ship was being
pressed into service. Some of these were converted into vessels of war, others
to carrying critical supplies to the men and women in the field. The U.S.A.T.
Dorchester was an aging, luxury coastal liner that was no longer luxurious.
The Dorchester was designated to be a transport ship. All non-critical amenities
were removed and cots were crammed into every available space. The intent was
to get as many young fighting men as possible on each voyage. When the soldiers
boarded in New York on January 23, 1943 the Dorchester certainly was filled
to capacity. In addition to the Merchant Marine crew and a few civilians, young
soldiers filled every available space. There were 902 lives about to be cast
to the mercy of the frigid North Atlantic.
Quiet moments passed as silent death reached out for the men of the Dorchester,
then the early morning was shattered by the flash of a blinding explosion and
the roar of massive destruction. The "hit" had been dead on, tossing
men from their cots with the force of its explosion. A second torpedo followed
the first, instantly killing 100 men in the hull of the ship. Power was knocked
out by the explosion in the engine room, and darkness engulfed the frightened
men below deck as water rushed through gaping wounds in the Dorchester's hull.
The ship tilted at an unnatural angle as it began to sink rapidly, and piles
of clothing and life jackets were tossed about in the darkness where no one
would ever find them. Wounded men cried out in pain, frightened survivors screamed
in terror, and all groped frantically in the darkness for exits they couldn't
find. Somewhere in that living hell, four voices of calm began to speak words
of comfort, seeking to bring order to panic and bedlam. Slowly soldiers began
to find their way to the deck of the ship, many still in their underwear, where
they were confronted by the cold winds blowing down from the arctic. Petty Officer
John J. Mahoney, reeling from the cold, headed back towards his cabin.
"Where are you going?" a voice of calm in the sea of distressed asked?
"To get my gloves," Mahoney replied.
"Here, take these," said Rabbi Goode as he handed a pair of gloves
to the young officer who would never have survived the trip to his cabin and
then back to safety.
"I can't take those gloves," Mahoney replied.
"Never mind," the Rabbi responded. "I have two pairs." Mahoney
slipped the gloves over his hands and returned to the frigid deck, never stopping
to ponder until later when he had reached safety, that there was no way Rabbi
Goode would have been carrying a spare set of gloves. As that thought finally
dawned on him he came to a new understanding of what was transpiring in the
mind of the fearless Chaplain. Somehow, Rabbi Goode suspected that he would
himself, never leave the Dorchester alive.
HENRY MORGENTHAU JR. (1891–1967) was an agricultural expert and cabinet
member. Henry Morgenthau Jr., who was born in New York City, studied agriculture
at Cornell University. He purchased a large farm in Dutchess County, New York,
modernized it, and operated it successfully. During World War I he worked to
increase food production and also served as an officer in the navy. In 1922
Morgenthau purchased the American Agriculturist and used this journal to propagate
his views on the state of American agriculture. Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt,
a friend and Dutchess County neighbor, in 1928 appointed Morgenthau chairman
of the Agricultural Advisory Commission and in 1930 appointed him state conservation
commissioner. In response to the Depression, Morgenthau developed state work
projects which were later used as models for national programs during Roosevelt's
presidency.
Joining Roosevelt in Washington, Morgenthau served as head of the Federal Farm
Board and the Farm Credit Administration, and in early 1934 was named secretary
of the treasury. A skillful and dynamic administrator, he thoroughly reorganized
the Treasury Department. U.S. national and international monetary policies instituted
in the 1930s for the stabilization of the economy owed much to his initiative.
In addition, he supported tax reforms emphasizing greater obligations of the
wealthy. His humanitarian interests were consistently evident in his concern
for relief activities. Morgenthau was one of the early champions of preparation
for U.S. involvement in World War II and of support for the Allied nations early
in the war; he promoted foreign purchases, industrial mobilization, and the
huge wartime bond drives. In 1943 Morgenthau successfully intervened with Secretary
of State Cordell Hull to obtain State Department approval of a plan of the World
Jewish Congress to transfer private U.S. funds to Europe to rescue French and
Rumanian Jews. It was at Morgenthau's suggestion that Roosevelt established
the War Refugee Board as a presidential executive agency in January 1944.
As the end of the war approached, Morgenthau proposed a peace plan involving
the partition of Germany and its conversion into an essentially agrarian area.
The Morgenthau Plan, presented in his Germany Is Our Problem (1945), stirred
much debate and Morgenthau resigned after Roosevelt's death.
While still at the Treasury, Morgenthau worked with such Jewish organizations
as Mt. Sinai Hospital, B'nai B'rith, and the Jewish Welfare Board. In 1947–50
he served as general chairman and in 1950–53 as honorary chairman of the
United Jewish Appeal; the unprecedented sums raised by the appeal during these
crucial years significantly aided the new State of Israel. Morgenthau also served
as chairman of the board of governors of the Hebrew University (1950– 51)
and of the American Financial and Development Corporation for Israel, and the
Israel Bond drive (1951–54).
RICKOVER, HYMAN GEORGE (1900–1986), U.S. naval officer; "father"
of the atomic-powered submarine. Rickover, born in Russian Poland, was taken
by his family to Chicago in 1906, where his father became a tailor. He graduated
from the United States Naval Academy in 1922 and was commissioned an ensign
in the U.S. Navy.
After sea duty, Rickover studied electrical engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy
at Annapolis and Columbia University. He served aboard submarines for three
years and then held increasingly important staff and command positions. During
World War II Rickover headed the Electrical Section, Bureau of Ships in the
Navy Department, and was decorated for his effectiveness in obtaining men and
materials to produce electric power and equipment necessary for naval shipbuilding
and maintenance. Serving at Oak Ridge in 1946, site of the development of the
atomic bomb, and visiting other nuclear research installations, Rickover became
convinced of the feasibility of constructing nuclear-powered submarines. Almost
alone against considerable opposition, he persuaded the navy to undertake the
effort in late 1947. Rickover was soon placed in charge of the project, working
with the Atomic Energy Commission which designed and built the reactors. The
"Nautilus," first atomic-powered submarine in the world, was launched
in January 1954. Despite his success, Rickover would have been forced to retire
in 1953 if Congressional intervention had not kept him on duty and ensured his
subsequent promotions to rear admiral and vice admiral. He made other contributions
to nuclear-power developments, was active in the field of education, and received
many decorations. In 1973 Rickover was promoted full admiral. In 1979 he was
awarded the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award and in the following year the
Medal of Freedom by President Carter.
So these are some of the names, and these are some of the people who made this
great republic what it is, and it made us an integral part of that republic.
One nation, under God, with different people who in their unique differences
make this a great and united nation. Truly God's promise to Abraham has been
fulfilled, and in his seed this nation has been blessed.
Amen
5763
This Shabbat – the last before the new civil year begins – we read
the first portion in the second book of the Torah, the book of Shemot. The portion
begins with a list of the names of the people who came to Egypt with Jacob,
our third patriarch, which is an introduction to the main body of the story
of this book – which is the tale of Israel in Egypt, the exodus, and the
events of the desert experience. Since we, at our synagogue, read one third
of the portion each year so that we complete the portion over a three year period,
and we are now in the middle portion of the tri-annual reading, we begin this
week's reading with chapter 3: "And Moshe kept the flock of Jethro his
father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock far away into the
desert, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;" [Ex. 3:1,2]
This is a significant passage in our Scriptures, for it is the beginning of
God's direct intervention in Jewish history and the formalization of our "Abrahamic
tradition" into a religion, with laws, teachings, ceremonies and officiants,
priests and Levites. It all begins with Moses' "call."
"And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." [ibid. 3:6] God introduces Himself to
the man who grew up in Pharaoh's palace as a historical "relative"
of his ancestors. We call this relationship "the God of History."
Yet, when Moshe asks "when I come to the people of Israel, and shall say
to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me,
What is his name, what shall I say to them?" [ibid 3:13] God replies with
"Eheye asher eheye – I shall be that I shall be; and he said, Thus
shall you say to the people of Israel, Eheye – I shall be has sent me to
you." [ibid 3:14] This, obviously, is NOT history – God presents (or
maybe represents) Himself as a projection into the future.
We Jews live with one foot firmly rooted in the past - while the other is groping
for a place to plant the other foot in the future. We remember the past and
plan for the future.
Which brings me to this week – the "eve of the new year."
It is "traditional" to make resolutions at this time of year. Well,
here are mine: I have resolved that in the new year 2003 I shall act as a traditional
Jew, remembering the past and planning for a long and productive future. I will
be totally honest with myself and with the world around me. I will call things
exactly what they are – not what they should be defined as by the new,
"politically correct" system of looking at things and events.
I resolve to remember and never to forget the U.S. ambassador and other victims
killed by P.L.O. terrorists in the Sudan, the bombing of PanAm Flight 103, the
World Trade Center in 1993, the kidnaping and killing of the C.I.A. chief and
other Americans in Beirut, Lebanon, the Marine Barracks in Lebanon, the military
Barracks in Saudi Arabia, the American Embassies in Africa, the bombing of the
USS COLE, the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on 9/11 – all
victims of vicious militant Islamist attacks. I shall also never forget the
carnival atmosphere, the dancing and celebrating in the streets of Arab towns
at the news of 9/11 and the victims' fate!
I further resolve to remember and not forget the "Jewish aspect" of
the Islamist menace – a war of extinction proclaimed time and again by
imams in their mosques and despots in their palaces. I shall remember the Mufti
of Jerusalem's collaboration with Hitler and his armies during the years of
the holocaust, and the fact that this international war criminal was shielded
from Nuremberg justice in Arab lands. I shall recall the heroes of our people
killed in the war of independence of 1948-49, the Sinai campaign of 1956, the
six days' war of 1967, the Suez grinding conflict of 1970-72, the Yom Kippur
war of 1973, the Lebanon war on 1982. Nor will I ever forget the thousands of
victims slain by infiltrators and terrorists in Israel throughout the years
of Israel's existence – the children at the school at Ma'alot, in a kibbutz
nursery in Galilee, in a village near Jerusalem; the innocent men, women and
children riding busses in every town in Israel that were killed and maimed by
vicious brain-washed Islamist men and women bent on doing evil to Jews; the
athletes that came to compete in peace at the Olympic and ended up as dead martyrs
in Munich, birthplace of Naziism, and the victims of air piracy, killed in the
sky and on the ground.
I resolve NOT to call Jews "settlers"– but rather natives returning
home from a forced exile that lasted two thousand years.
I resolve NOT to call Arabs who lived in "southern Syria" under Turkish
rule and "Palestine - Eretz Yisrael" under British rule "the
indigenous inhabitants of the land" – when I know full well that they
are intruders, despoilers of the land who only came there as nomads grazing
the land with their goats until it turned into desolation, or, much later, because
there was an opportunity when the Jews started to come back, a probability that
they would advance themselves, an chance to share the prosperity brought about
by industrious Jews reclaiming and reviving a land long forgotten, an opening
for greedy bandits to rob and steal, to hold for ransom, to maim and kill folks
that did not have a habit of self-defense.
I resolve to seek peace, friendship and cooperation – but not at any price.
I will not pay for peace with land nor with the lives of innocents. I will not
be friends with those who profess to plan for my destruction as a religious
doctrine, and I will not cooperate with those whose platform does not include
my existence in the land of my forefathers for as long as God is willing to
grant us.
I believe in Shalom - peace. I yearn for it as a thirsty man yearns for water,
as a blind man yearns
for a ray of light. I will join the chorus and proclaim: "Let there be
peace on earth." Amen, amen. I shall be a partner to that peace. But yet,
pay heed to my warning and beware, – let all who wish me ill be warned
that I shall not go peacefully into the night! I shall fight with every means
at my disposal, and I shall invent means that are as yet unknown, unthought
of, maybe even unthinkable. I shall resist, I shall defend, I shall attack and
I shall, by the will of God, persevere!
Happy New Year! Amen.
5765
This Shabbat could be called a Shabbat of beginning: It is, obviously, the first
day of the first month of the new civil year. It is also the Shabbat when we
read the first portion in the second book of the Torah – and the name
of our portion and of the book is “Sh’mot,” which means ‘names.’
The text of the week begins with the names of the people who came to Egypt with
Jacob, our third patriarch – a repetition of the names we read just a
couple of weeks ago, when Ya’akov and his family join Yosef in ‘the
land of refuge’ that God had prepared for them through dreams and their
interpretation. This list of names is an introduction to the main theme of this
book, which is the tale of Israel in Egypt, the exodus and the events of the
desert experience.
None the less, this portion is called names, and there are important and unforfeitable
names, as well as many lesser names that come and go, and we oftentimes do not
recall them. They are important, though, for they belong to the silent heroes
who by their very being bring about the birth and life of those whose names
emblazon the pages of history. Of example, think of Yokheved and Amram –
they are the little remembered names of the parents whose child had to be put
in the waters of the Nile river, to be succored by the nameless “Pharaoh’s
daughter,” who gave him the name “Moshe.” Or think of this
man, Moshe – and of his wife and two sons. Per chance, you may recall
his wife’s name, Tziporah – but can you name his two sons?
Moshe escapes Egypt, and becomes shepherd for his father in law’s flocks.
The text continues, "...And he led the flock far away into the desert,
and came to the mountain of God, to Horev. And the angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;" [Ex. 3:1,2] This
is a most significant point in all our Scriptures – the first revelation
Moshe experiences, the first step of God's intervention into Jewish history
– which led to the appointment the Israelites would keep with their God
at Sinai, and the formalization of our "Abrahamic tradition" into
a religion, with laws, teachings, ceremonies and officiants, priests and Levites.
It all begins with Moshe’s "call."
Our great teacher, Moshe was less than thrilled. He tried every which way to
avoid the awesome destiny God has for him. Moshe is not really very keen on
becoming the messenger of God, but eventually becomes convinced that God will
not relent, and so he succumbs to God's demand. While he is arguing against
going to Egypt we read a pivotal passage that carries a principal message concerning
the Jewish faith and our understanding of the nature of God: "And Moses
said to God, Behold, when I come to the people of Israel, and shall say to them,
The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is
his name, what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and
he said, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.
And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the people of Israel,
The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is my name forever, and this is my memorial
to all generations." [Ex. 3:13-15]
Of course, most people who learn this passage as it appears here, in English,
miss the point – because in Hebrew the text actually reads, "And
God said to Moses, Ehyeh asher ehyeh; and he said, Thus shall you say to the
people of Israel, Ehyeh has sent me to you." The Hebrew word 'ehyeh' is
not a word with more than one meaning. The word 'ehyeh' appears in the Hebrew
Scriptures 43 times -- and every time (other than in the above) it is translated
"I shall be." Let me give you some examples: "And he gave Joshua
the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage; for you
shall bring the people of Israel into the land which I swore to them; and I
shall be Ehyeh with you." [Deu. 31:23] Here is another one: "And the
Lord said to Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of all
Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be Ehyeh with
you." [Joshua 3:7] Here is a third: "And Yiphtakh said to the elders
of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the
Lord delivers them before me, shall I be Ehyeh your chief?" [Judges 11:9]
The prophets also used this word: "Which I commanded your fathers in the
day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying,
Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so shall you
be my people, and I will be Ehyeh your God;" [Jeremiah 11:4] And another
prophet said, "And I, the Lord, will be Ehyeh their God, and my servant
David will be a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken it." [Ezekiel
34:24]
Why, then, does our verse, in today's portion, read "I am" for Ehyeh
instead of 'I shall be?' Actually, some modern translations of our text translate
"Ehyeh asher Ehyeh" as "I will be what I will be," or "I
will be the fact of Being." This translation may be better, but it, too,
does not make enough of what the text is trying to convey, of the point! This
text is a perfect example of need to know and understand Hebrew thoroughly to
grasp and comprehend completely and correctly God's answer to Moses -- especially
when He goes on to say, "say to the people of Israel, Ehyeh has sent me
to you." How do we read this? Maybe, "say to the people of Israel,
Ehyeh, all of your future, all the coming generations, all that is yet to be
has sent me to you."
The point of this lesson is not trivial – it is a basic difference in
world outlook. 'I am' is what we know, what we are familiar with. 'I am' is
Ba’al, the idol of Babylon; 'I am' is Ashtera (Astarte), Goddess of Canaan;
'I am' is a statue made of wood, or stone, or clay. 'I will be' is something
completely different – it is just beyond our field of vision, just beyond
our ability to grasp, or see – or manipulate. It is real and sure, just
as we are sure that the sun will shine again tomorrow – even in the darkness
of night, even in a tempest that hides the light of day. 'I will be' is forever
a mystery. 'I am' can be denied, neglected, ignored and insulted. 'I will be'
demands recognition, planning, study and above all attention and even apprehension.
There is a saying that it is better to have a bird in hand than two in the sky
– this is a truism in the world of matter. Speak to a bird lover, though,
and you will get an argument – he will prefer the birds in the sky! Similarly,
speak to a believing man, and you will hear of a faith in what is yet to come
rather than an examination of what was and what is current and available here
and now.
To be sure, 'I will be' cannot exist without the present as well as the past.
In this world that we inhabit, unlike the endless and eternal realm of God,
things exist from a beginning, a point of departure to their inevitable termination,
to an ‘end.’ That is the grandeur of our God. He, the One without
beginning and without end, created for us this three dimensional world, a world
that exists in space - and in time. However, this world is in a constant state
of change. Look at the events, so tragic, of the tsunami that devastated such
a vast area this past week, and took the lives of more than two hundred thousand
human beings. Here is an example, in fast motion, of what happens all the time.
Each day thousands upon thousands are dying - some of natural causes, many others
in strife and conflict. Every day the tide sweeps the shore and reclaims some
of the shore line. Neighborhoods succumb to redevelopment schemes, sometimes
to become busy towns and other times to be neglected and eventually torn down.
Weather changes turn lush jungles to desert; earthquakes grind mountains into
plains and valleys; glaciers travel across the land, creating moraines that
stretch for miles upon miles. The only ‘constant’ that we can be
sure of is that there will be change!
Our God, though, is constant! He is the only thing that does not change –
because He is Ehyeh – which means that by Him change occurs. By His word
the sun rises and sets, the winter follows the summer, rains give way to morning
dew, and new life springs from existing life. In our ancient text, and in our
most profound, twenty-first century up-to-date knowledge and understanding,
He is Ehyeh asher ehyeh – the Creator from of old, and the One who makes
possible all the inventions of so many a tomorrow yet to come.
Amen