Dear Friends,
I hope this note finds you well during these difficult times.
“Pray for the welfare of the Malchut (kingdom/government), for were it not for fear of it, people would swallow one another alive.” (Pirkei Avot 3:2).
This week’s news makes clear that it is time we doubled down on these prayers. School shootings hardly register anymore, both due to their frequency and because they are eclipsed by more dramatic acts of political violence. Despite the temptation to keep a scorecard of whether more of the carnage is stemming from the ideological right or left, neither side has a monopoly on violent protests and assassinations. America is at risk of destroying itself from within.
For both America and Klal Yisrael, the greatest risks to our future may indeed come from within, from infighting and mounting hatred. This is why when in setting out the rules and practices for the Jewish army’s encampments, the Torah (Devarim 23:10 – last week’s parsha) instructs “v’nishmarta mikol davar ra, protect yourself from anything bad.” Our sages (Sifrei) understood this as including a warning against dibbur ra, negative speech, and to quote Ramban, this warning was essential to their success “so that contentiousness does not increase within their ranks and damage them excessively, even beyond the harm inflicted upon them by their external enemies.”
What is the path forward that lifts us up and away from the wreckage of internal dissension and anarchy? According to Plan A, the solution should come from within, from a shared commitment to morality and justice, open debate, mutual responsibility, and peaceful coexistence. As we learn from our biblical history (Shmuel I Ch. 8), we should really be self-governed by a commitment to God’s laws and truths, led by the soft power of a prophet or mechokeik (teacher of law; see today’s daf yomi Horayot 11b) rather than by the hard power and law enforcement of the king (sheivet). The external fear of government’s rule of law that Pirkei Avot speaks of only becomes essential when our internal commitment to justice fails.
That message is reinforced by this week’s Torah reading, known as the tochacha, warning of the serious consequences of our failure to do the right thing. While we believe in G-d’s love and that He is far more inclined to reward than punish, middah tova merubah mi’midat puraniyot, this parsha focuses predominantly on the punitive. Ezra the Scribe prescribed reading this before Rosh Hashana, the day we declare G-d as our King, as even regarding Malchut Shamayim (the Divine Kingdom), we emphasize the fear of the King and His judgment. This too is Plan B, as when we initially stood at Sinai Moshe shared G-d’s commandments and ideals without providing piles of dire warnings. The tochacha’s threats were needed only after our internal sense of direction failed us and we created and worshipped the golden calf (Ramban Vayikra 25:1).
These are difficult days. While we must not despair of finding our way back to Plan A, to the internal commitment to do that which is right and true for G-d and man, given how distant that appears we must begin the selichot season with an extra measure of yirat shamayim, the full and fearsome awe that these days inspire along with an intense awareness of their consequences. And we must intensify our prayers for the welfare and effectiveness of our government.
May the One who makes peace on High bring peace upon us and upon all of Israel, Amein.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and may we be blessed with besorot tovot, truly good news.
Moshe Hauer