Month: February 2024

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Sermons

To Build, and Not to Tear Down – Terumah 5784

I do not usually watch the Super Bowl, but I do enjoy checking out the ads after the fact. There were two ads this year which caught my eye. One, presented by a Christian organization, portrayed scenes of diverse people washing each other’s feet, a reference to an act of compassion performed by Jesus in the Christian scriptures. 

The other presented a former speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King talking about how all hatred thrives on silence, and connected that to the current rise in antisemitism. This ad, paid for by Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, ended with interchanging hashtags #StandUpToJewishHate and #StandUpToAllHate.

Some news outlets were quick to point out that there was online backlash against both. Critics of the Christian ad were bothered that the money came from Evangelical organizations which are anti-abortion. The anti-antisemitism ad was criticized by some Jewish commentators for being too vague, while antisemitic extremists were apparently thrilled because the ad also at one point displayed the hashtag #Hitlerwasright.

We have become so accustomed to criticism from all sides, no matter how marginal it may be, that we often lose sight of the value of our larger principles. We forget that it is always easier to tear down than to build up. 

Our good friend and neighbor, Rev. Canon Natalie Hall of the Church of the Redeemer, was disenchanted by some of her Christian colleagues’ criticism of the very Christian message of compassion. In responding to some of this criticism, she wrote, “Despite many theological and political errors Evangelicals often espouse, I can’t look at a good message with disdain because the messengers might contaminate me with their culture-war cooties. We’re not enemies. It’s calmer over here. Want to join me?”

There is an essential moment in Parashat Terumah, from which we read today, when God calls for materials with which to build the mishkan, the portable sanctuary that the Israelites are to use for worship (Shemot / Exodus 25:2):

מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃

You shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved.

Maybe we should read this not as “every individual whose heart moves her/him,” but rather as “all of us, whose hearts are moving us.” That is, all of the Israelites’ hearts will be moved to bring these gifts with which to build the mishkan. And that is exactly what happens. There’s actually so much stuff that Moshe has to ask them all to stop.

We all want to get behind those causes which our hearts are moving us to support. We all want to help out in ways that are constructive.

A question that we might ask, therefore, in our current moment, is, “We are seeing vast rifts in our society right now over complicated issues. How might we be able to speak to one another across political lines, so that we might build, and not tear down?”

I have been thinking quite a bit about this question, particularly since October 7th. And many of us have been engaged in various ways with events here on the ground in Pittsburgh that are related to what is going on in Israel.

For example, there are members of our congregation who regularly attend the vigils held every Sunday to remember the hostages held in Gaza and advocate for bringing them home, and of course we have a visual reminder here on our bimah.

A few weeks back we hosted the United in Compassion event, at which about 75 people of different faiths and backgrounds and political persuasions shared stories which helped elevate our sense of compassion for one another. This was intentionally NOT focused on Israel or politics, but for some participants, it was of course difficult not to think about the war as we were talking.

A different sort of event which I attended, however, was much more challenging, and much more difficult with respect to mustering compassion. It was a two-hour meeting of primarily clergy: three rabbis and four Christian ministers of different denominations, plus Laura Cherner of the Federation’s Jewish Communal Relations Council. This meeting was organized by Rabbi Ron Symons of the JCC, and the intent was to speak with each other about the situation in Israel and Gaza from our individual perspectives, and ideally to listen to one another and perhaps to find common ground. I agreed to participate, although I knew going in that the Christian participants were people with whom I would disagree vehemently.

And I am proud of myself for successfully listening and not letting my anger boil over as I heard them use the inaccurate and inflammatory language that so many pro-Palestinian activists hurl in public: apartheid, genocide, 75 years of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and so forth. My adrenaline pumped for the entire two hours as they urged an immediate ceasefire without regard to hostages or Hamas’ terrorist activities or the brutal sexual violence which they committed on as many as 1500 Israeli women. I clenched my teeth as they cited the Gazan children killed during this war, without acknowledging that about 40% of the widely quoted figure of Palestinian casualties are actually Hamas terrorists. I bristled at the notion, widely accepted in some quarters, that the Israeli treatment of Palestinians is just like the treatment of Black Americans at the hands of police.

And that was hard. To hear that sort of language coming from clergy, people who lead others in faith and compassion, was quite upsetting.

And then we agreed that we should meet again in a month, to keep talking.

And I have been asking myself, why? Why go back, and subject myself to two more hours of adrenaline and clenched teeth. I am not going to change the mind of anybody in that room. I am not going to impact American public opinion on this war, which is gradually shifting away from the Israeli point of view. I am not going to have any control over what is happening in Israel. I am not going to hasten Israeli elections to dump the current coalition for their tremendous failures in allowing all of this mess to happen in the first place. And I am certainly not going to be able to bring the relevant parties to the table to build a hopeful future for the region. 

So why go back? 

And you know the answer. In order to build, and not merely tear down, you have to be in conversation. You have to meet people face-to-face. You have to talk, even when it is painful and uncomfortable. Even when they are spouting misinformation. Even when their words might be effectively calling for the expulsion of your family from their home.

Merely criticizing and/or demonizing people on the other side will not accomplish anything. Rather, those of us whose hearts are so moved must bring gifts with which to build, and in particular, the gift of presence.

Educator and tour guide Avi Ben Hur spoke last week at the first of three lectures co-sponsored by Beth Shalom, on the current state of affairs in Israel. Among the things he said was that only 27% of Israelis still favor a two-state solution. (He did not mention, although I heard elsewhere, that 38% of Israelis want to re-occupy and re-settle Gaza, which is to me a detestable idea.) And likely even fewer Palestinians than Israelis are interested in a two-state solution.

Ben Hur painted a bleak portrait. How can you even talk about peace, about coexistence, about living side-by-side under our own vines and fig trees, when we are shooting at each other? One of the most well-known Israeli peace activists, Vivian Silver, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, her life’s work gone in a flash of gunpowder.

While I admire Rabbi Symons’ commitment to keeping us talking to each other, here in Pittsburgh, so far away, I am finding it hard to see anything hopeful.

Except right there in the Torah in Parashat Terumah, reminding us that those whose heart moves them can, in fact, make a difference. We may not be able to begin to build yet, but we can hope that some day, when all of our hearts are moved collectively, that time will come. And in the meantime, we have to keep showing up, and to keep talking.

As many of you know, my Lunch and Learn series this year has focused on playing Israeli pop songs from across the 20th century, as a lens through which to see the history of the State of Israel. One of the most influential pop performance groups of the ‘50s and ‘60s was an army band, one many at the time: Lehaqat haNaḥal, which drew musicians and performers from the Naḥal Brigade of the IDF. (Naḥal was conceived not only as an army unit but also a team to develop new agricultural settlements throughout Israel, playing an essential role in the building of the State. Some of the most well-known Israeli performers were alumni of Lehaqat haNaḥal, including Arik Einstein, Haim Topol, Yardena Arazi, and many, many others who have shaped Israeli pop culture.)

In 1963, Lehaqat haNaḥal sang a song of hope written by Naomi Shemer. That was a time when Israel’s very existence was tenuous, when there was a palpable fear that her enemies on all sides could crush the nascent state. And the song they sang was Maḥar (“Tomorrow”):

מחר אולי נפליגה בספינות
מחוף אילת עד חוף שנהב
ועל המשחתות הישנות
יטעינו תפוחי זהב

כל זה אינו משל ולא חלום
זה נכון כאור בצהריים
כל זה יבוא מחר אם לא היום
ואם לא מחר אז מחרתיים

מחר אולי בכל המשעולים
ארי בעדר צאן ינהג
מחר יכו באלף ענבלים
המון פעמונים של חג

…כל זה אינו משל ולא חלום

מחר יקומו אלף שיכונים
ושיר יעוף במרפסות
ושלל כלניות וצבעונים
יעלו מתוך ההריסות

…כל זה אינו משל ולא חלום

מחר כשהצבא יפשוט מדיו
ליבנו יעבור לדום
אחר כל איש יבנה בשתי ידיו
את מה שהוא חלם היום

…כל זה אינו משל ולא חלום

Tomorrow, perhaps we will sail in ships from the shores of Eilat to the Ivory Coast,
And the old destroyers will be loaded with oranges.

All of this is neither a parable nor a dream; it is as true as the light of the afternoon
All of this will come tomorrow if not today, and if not tomorrow, then the day after…

Tomorrow, when the army will take off its uniform, our hearts will turn to silence
Then each of us will build with our two hands that of which we dreamt today.

***
That dream of peace may seem as far away now as it was in 1963. But Israelis, and Jews all over the world, have never turned away from it. We have to maintain the generosity of spirit that has marked our willingness to contribute since Parashat Terumah. We must continue to bring those gifts, in particular the gift of presence, to keep talking, and seek not to tear down, but rather to build.

~

Rabbi Seth Adelson

(Originally delivered at Congregation Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh, PA, Shabbat morning, 2/17/2024.)

Categories
Sermons

Jewish Unity, Past and Present – Yitro 5784

The Jews are a notoriously fractious people, and the Torah makes clear that this was the case from our very inception. When did the Jews start complaining? Right after they escaped from Pharaoh’s army, having crossed the Sea of Reeds on dry land, no longer slaves but as free people, last week in Parashat Beshallaḥ. They are already grumbling about why they followed Moshe and Aharon out into the desert (Shemot / Exodus 16:3). 

וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מוּתֵ֤נוּ בְיַד־ה֙’ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר בְּאׇכְלֵ֥נוּ לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע כִּֽי־הוֹצֵאתֶ֤ם אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֛ית אֶת־כׇּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בָּרָעָֽב׃  

“If only we had died by the hand of God in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, when we ate our fill of bread! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole congregation to death.”

One might make the case that the only time that the Israelites, or the Jewish people, spoke in one voice is the moment that we read today in Parashat Yitro (Shemot 19:8): 

וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ כׇל־הָעָ֤ם יַחְדָּו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה’ נַעֲשֶׂ֑ה

All those assembled answered as one, saying, “All that God has spoken we will do!” 

The Israelites accept the Sinai covenant, even before they have heard the words of Aseret HaDibberot / the “Ten Commandments,” יַחְדָּו֙, as one, in one voice. That has never happened since. I have even made the argument in this space that our inclination to disagree with each other, particularly over the meaning of our ancient texts, is the reason that we are still here. The Romans did us a favor, nearly two millennia ago, by destroying the Beit haMiqdash / Temple in Jerusalem and forcing us to make our tradition portable and democratic, rather than centralized and hierarchical. Hence the disagreement.

Detail from the Arch of TItus, showing Romans carrying Temple implements from Jerusalem

A curious thing happened after October 7th: suddenly, it seemed that the whole Jewish world was united against Hamas. And how could we not be? The Jewish people were attacked, brutally; an area within Israel’s boundaries was occupied by terrorists. More Jewish people were killed that day than on any day since World War II. As horrific as the details and magnitude of what happened are, I fear we will not grasp the full scope of the horror for years.

For a moment or two, we spoke with one voice. The sovereign, democratic State of Israel must defend itself against terrorism. Full stop. The unity in Israel and with Diaspora Jews was unbelievable. When I was in Israel in November, the statement of this unity which I saw and heard everywhere – on billboards, as the lead-in to radio advertisements, projected onto the sides of buildings – was יחד ננצח. Together, we will win.

When Israel called up its reserve soldiers, 150% of those called showed up for duty – something which never happens. Israelis who were trekking through Thailand and Bolivia got on the first plane home. Jews all over the world, including some in Pittsburgh, rounded up needed supplies to send to Israel. Perhaps most remarkably, many Ḥaredim (I’ve heard as many as 4,000) signed up to serve in the IDF, something which they have historically not done in great numbers.

In January, I spent two days with HaZamir, the International Youth Teen Choir, in New Jersey. The HaZamir environment is one of the last places in the (non-Orthodox) Jewish world that is still unquestionably, proudly, unapologetically Zionist. And that is a particularly satisfying feeling for me, because it features Jewish teens singing Hebrew choral music, which I love.

But of course, four months into this war, we are now seeing cracks in the Jewish unity which followed October 7th. In Israel, frustration over the fact that there are still 100+ hostages is boiling over, and anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which seems to now be carrying over from the pro-democracy protests of last year, is palpable. 

We are still seeing plenty of anti-Israel activism around the world. South Africa’s charging Israel with genocide in the UN’s highest court is a prime example. And of course there are Jewish groups (Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow) who are calling for an unconditional ceasefire, something which merely hands Hamas both victory and opportunity to re-arm.

I think it is difficult to argue with the fact that Hamas has succeeded in its diabolical plot far beyond its own expectations. Not only did they excel at murder and hostage-taking, but also, knowing that Israel’s response would be devastating and deadly for the people of Gaza, in soon turning world public opinion, including that of some Jews, against Israel. 

Ḥevreh, it is absolutely abhorrent that somewhere around 26,000 Gazans have died in this war. And yes, that number is courtesy of Hamas, but there is no disputing that thousands of civilians have died in a war due to Hamas’ cynical use of their people as human shields. There is no question that we should be seeking a peaceful solution to find a way to preserve human life throughout the region. But in light of what happened at the International Court of Justice a week ago, we should remember a few important things:

  1. That figure of 26,000 includes about 10,000 Hamas fighters. I rarely see an American news outlet even mention that. Furthermore, Hamas likely overestimates the number of children who have been killed.
  2. Remember that Hamas is still firing rockets into Israel, and of course returning fire on advancing Israeli troops, and all of this fighting is taking place in one of the most densely-populated places in the world.
  3. The current tumult about UNRWA, the UN organization which provides humanitarian aid, running schools and hospitals in Gaza and elsewhere, is not surprising to anybody who has been paying attention. The fact that UNRWA employees are not only giving cover and aid to Hamas, and indeed even participated in the attack of October 7th, is deeply problematic.
  4. Netanyahu’s approval rating in Israel right now is somewhere around 26%. If elections were held tomorrow, Likud would lose dramatically. He and his far-right allies are now leaning into their base to try to drum up support for horrible ideas, like re-occupying Gaza, or worse. We should look past this inflammatory rhetoric to the day when he is no longer in power, and that day should be coming soon.

When Theodor Herzl wrote, in his 1902 book Altneuland (“Old-new land”), Im tirtzu, ein zo agadah (“If you will it, it is no dream”), he was, in fact, creating a new idea in Jewish life: that people did not have to wait for God to make the first move in establishing a home for the Jewish people. Decades before the rise of Nazism, Herzl knew that the safety and security of Jews in the Diaspora would wax and wane but never be completely stable, and that the only realistic solution for the Jewish future would be self-determination in the land from which we came.

Herzl could not have predicted the challenge of Hamas, although he was certainly aware that the Zionist idea would not be universally accepted, even by Jews, from the outset. 

However, I must say that even though I have thrown my lot with the Diaspora (at least for now), Herzl was right. America, as wonderful as it has been for the Jews, will never be entirely safe. We in Pittsburgh know this all too well. And all the more so many of the other places where Jews have lived. 

The Israeli singer Gali Atari made famous the song lyric, “Ein li eretz aḥeret.” I have no other land. And as much as we would like to think that we have succeeded here and elsewhere, I still believe in Herzl’s dream: “Lihyot am ḥofshi be-artzeinu.” To be a free people in our land.

And I must add that while I am a loyal American, grateful to this nation for the safe haven it offered my great-grandparents more than a century ago, I am feeling a lot less safe in this country than I used to. And there are plenty of Jews around the world who live in places that are far less safe and stable.

I do not imagine that we will see the unity of October 8th again any time soon. But I think it is essential for us to hold onto certain principles as we move forward:

The hostages must come home before there will be any ceasefire agreement.

Likewise, Hamas must surrender. The ongoing existence of this terror group is a demonstrable threat to the safety of Israeli citizens as well as Palestinians, and to some extent Jewish people the world over.

The people of Israel need our support. We may not achieve full and complete unity, but we must stand with the nearly 10 million people of that nation, Jews and non-Jews, in their quest to remain a safe, democratic haven in a decidedly non-democratic region.

This war is deeply painful for millions of people across the region, and that pain has, to some extent, impacted Jewish unity. The opening line of Beshallaḥ (Shemot/Exodus 13:17) last week actually spoke to the challenge of war. Instead of sending the Israelites out of Egypt the easy way,  to return to Israel on the seaside route, which would have taken just a few weeks, the Torah reports that God sent them the long way, the 40-years-in-the-desert route, because God was concerned that when they saw war (e.g. with the Amalekites, the Philistines, the Canaanites, etc.), they would have a change of heart and return back to Egypt.

In the context of war, it is easy to say, “Let’s go back to Egypt,” Although we all know that would be much, much worse. We should rather recommit to Israel, to commit to the longer, harder journey, if not to the unity we once had.

~

Rabbi Seth Adelson

(Originally delivered at Congregation Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh, PA, Shabbat morning, 2/3/2024.)