Dear Friends,
I hope this note finds you managing these challenging times.
Our hearts remain firmly in the East with our brothers and sisters in our beloved land of Israel. We must daven intensely for their wellbeing, especially in light of the looming threat of additional attacks from Iran and its proxies.
Today’s email is longer than usual. Apologies!
Below please read an essay on “Governor Shapiro’s Victory”, intended for the broader public.
As that essay is more general, I am taking the liberty of also resending here a thought on the parsha that is painfully relevant.
We always read Parshat Devarim on the Shabbos preceding Tisha B’Av. This is obviously fitting as the Parsha begins by discussing the apparently imminent entry of the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael and how that was subsequently suspended by the sin of the spies, an event that occurred on Tisha B’Av and is the template for our exile and mourning. Yet significantly, these two sections are interrupted by a discussion of the empaneling of many tiers of courts and judges. That discussion begins with the keyword “Eicha”, a word firmly associated with our exile, and Moshe uses it to exclaim, “How can I alone bear your troubles, burdens, and quarrels?!”
Sforno (1:12) explains the order of the presentation, and his words are simple and poignant:
“Moshe recalled this here so that they would remember their sins. For despite Moshe having told them that they would take over the land of Canaan without even having to fight for it, something that would be vastly beneficial and dignifying far beyond anything their property or other matters could have afforded them in the desert, this did not stop them from engaging in quarrelsome behavior and undermining their inter-personal relationships in the process. Due to this interminable quarreling, Moshe even had to appoint a large number of judges over the individuals, requiring every 10 people to have at least one such judge. This could only have been due to a negative disposition.”
The Torah is presenting to us here the greatest obstacle in our path towards redemption. Just as our forefathers first entered the Galut as a result of the strife surrounding the sale of Yosef as a slave, and just as the Talmud explains our current exile by pointing to the strife and spite – the sinat chinam – that brought about the destruction of the Second Temple, these verses tell essentially the same story, explaining how our original march to redemption stopped in its tracks because of our chronic quarrels.
We need not say anything more. Our arguments bring on every kind of difficulty. Our friendship and peacefulness pave the path to Geulah. It is a clear choice and it is time we made it.
Governor Shapiro’s Victory
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro may have lost the veepstakes, but he scored a genuine and welcome achievement, gaining national respect as a man of integrity and principle. In the current moment for Jewish Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, that’s a big deal.
Did VP Harris consider the governor’s Jewishness too much of a political liability? Was her decision not to choose him as her running mate based on benign electoral calculations, a reaction to the antisemitic campaign against him, or a projection that a Jewish supporter of Israel would not likely be the one to bring her back the “uncommitted”? Despite our obsessive preoccupation with the politics of antisemitism, we will likely never know why Governor Shapiro did not get the nod, but we can be clear on why he got so close. The strength of his candidacy derived from the strength of his character.
Last month, I had the privilege to attend the national memorial service for the first Jewish candidate for Vice President, Senator Joe Lieberman. It was one of the most inspiring experiences I have had in months. Each of the diverse array of speakers highlighted three core themes: Joe Lieberman was a principled public servant, a warm and caring human being, and an engaged and proud Jew. The tributes perfectly reflected the Talmud’s portrayal of the Jew who is associated with learning and living Torah and its values, whose interactions with all people are characterized by integrity and pleasantness. When faith is reflected in exquisite character, teaches the Talmud (Yoma 86a), this generates love and admiration for God and Torah amongst others and leads God to take pride in that person, saying “you are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49:3).
At the first Harris-Walz rally, Josh Shapiro spoke of his pride in his Jewish faith to the roaring approval of an enthusiastic crowd, demonstrating how he has garnered widespread admiration for his faith. That is a triumph we must deeply appreciate, especially now.
October 7 and its aftermath have been excruciating for the Jewish people, bringing widespread death, captivity, injury, trauma, displacement, and fear in Israel, and unleashing a rising wave of antisemitism throughout the world. But in addition to the pain and the loneliness lurks a different sense of profound loss. Jews and Judaism have been vilified.
Our mission is to be a light unto the nations. Judaism is the original Abrahamic faith, bringing the Book of Books to the world, teaching faith and kindness, justice and values. For the United States, the Judeo-Christian ethic served as the basis of its morality; its bond with the state of Israel since its founding was based on shared values.
But October 7 set all that back. Since then, the narrative feeding the spike in antisemitism has turned the accusation of genocide against those defending themselves from it, the Jews. That is the tale told in the lecture halls of the Ivies, shared on the reels of TikTok, and screamed by the pro-Hamas protesters during their public celebrations of murderers and rapists. That is the alternative reality informing the United Nations and various international kangaroo courts and promoted by much of the mainstream media. We can blame those who demonize us and be infuriated by the glorifiers of whomever they choose to see as the “oppressed,” but we are still left saddened by our inability to effectively fulfill our core mission of modeling values for the world.
How do we fix it? How do we reclaim the narrative and demonstrate the justice and the exceptional humanity of the Jewish people? We do well to heed chazon Yeshayahu, the vision of Isaiah who guided our nation in crisis to focus on how each of us as individuals can uplift God in our everyday lives: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Correct what is cruel. Defend the orphan. Fight for the widow.”
Josh Shapiro may have lost the nomination because of the antisemitic fringe, but his proudly Jewish appearance on the national stage, like Joe Lieberman’s, won the day, reminding America’s mainstream that Judaism is a source of light and that it is a faith reflected in the integrity and caring of its dedicated adherents.
Have a wonderful Shabbos, and may we be blessed with besoros tovos.
Moshe Hauer