Veterans' Day, Shabbat Thoughts-Parshat Lech Lecha ,5777

  

What a shock! I see the reports of protests against Donald Trump.  With great fear I see fires being set and even one report of an effigy’s being burned. True enough; many millions are very angry and hurt, afraid of an unknowable future. But we, the Americans who vote and who live in our own neighborhoods also loudly decried the hostility and acrimony breathed into our shared air by candidates Clinton and Trump for the past year. Loudly, we all proclaimed that both candidates were setting poor examples for our schoolchildren and the rest of our nation. And now we contribute to bedlam in our streets?

     We live in a democracy. Our foundation stone is the Constitution which assures all of us the rights of free speech, public assembly and redress of grievances. These are the principles that differentiate us from the rest of the world. These are the values which define us as a nation. Do we not chastise other nations and other peoples throughout the world when we see violent outbursts?

     Now we see fires erupting from mobs in our own land. To see fires being set and an effigy’s being burned on November 9 and 10th shakes me to my core. Have we already forgotten what happened on November 9, 1938? The nickname given to that night was Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass), when first responders stood by, allowing mobs to run berserk across the land. Thankfully, our first responders are still in force. Blessed be God who guided our Founding Fathers to construct a republic with respect for the rights of both individuals and institutions.

     If we Americans do not conduct our national affairs legally then we are susceptible to the same chaos which swept Germany when it was paralyzed by a great fragmentation of the electorate and gridlock within the Parliament. Each of us must become an ambassador of the sacred and essential act of voting and remind everyone to make his or her voice known. Whether the result be that Donald Trump is President-elect, or in an alternative reality, Hillary Clinton, we must not allow deep frustration or anguished disappointment to kindle fires in our streets.

     This week’s Parshah is Lech Lecha and introduces us to Abram as an immigrant arriving in Canaan. We Americans are vastly divided over issues relating to immigration. It has been of primary concern during this campaign cyle. Imagine our world without Abram and Sarai, whose names become Abraham and Sarah near the end of this parshah.  Try to picture a world absent of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Torah. We have a great heritage to share and to uphold; the heritage of Torah and the heritage of American liberty. May we,on this upcoming Shabbat and beyond, proudly share with our neighbors the essential truths of both of these beloved heritages. We must never remain silent! But as God brought order out of chaos only with words so must we bring order out of chaos only with words.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Shabbat Thoughts - Brag about it

  

Wo-ho! The Chicago Cubs won the World Series! The curse has been lifted. Thousands of fans and millions of well-wishers can brag. True enough, the Cleveland Indians are deserving of a victory as well, having not won since 1948, but I always root for the underdog and a gap of 108 years without a trophy is greater than 68 years.

     Many toasts will be made and accolades will be given. For the next year(s) Cubs’ fans will brag about 2016. Some fans will enjoy the bragging rights pleasantly and others will be obnoxious. It prompts me to wonder if Judaism allows us to brag.

     By way of addressing this question, let’s examine Noah immediately after the flood. Everyone has disembarked from the ark and Noach has planted a vineyard. Reaping the grapes, he ferments them, enjoys too much wine, gets drunk, and disrobes. His youngest son sees him and tells his older two brothers. The two oldest sons walk backwards and drop a cloak upon their father so that they not see his nakedness. Upon awakening, Noach realizes that something has occurred. The text before us is void of details and we are left to guess why Noach blesses the two oldest sons and curses the youngest.

     In modern parlance we might say Noach brags about the oldest sons and their respect for him. While the youngest son potentially ridiculed a father, the two more mature sons recognized that a parent made a mistake and did their best to respect their elder. We can emulate the behavior of the elder brothers and live a life of acceptance of our loved ones and their faults, supporting them when they err in a non-judgmental manner  or we can ridicule a loved one when he/she happens to take a misstep. How we live brings honor or dishonor upon ourselves, our loved ones and God. In answer to my question about the permissibility of bragging- I would say bragging is acceptable if the ‘bragged behavior’ itself is respectful and the act of bragging is not overdone. We all know when we cross the line.

 Shabbat  Shalom.