Does a "fringe movement" tell us something about Israeli society?

Sh’lach L’cha

Numbers 13:1-15:41

Précis: Moses is ordered to “send out” (sh’lach l’cha) spies to examine the land.Representatives of each tribe go out, report on its bounty, but also report about its fearsome inhabitants. The People are frightened, and their “murmuring” turns into something close to panic. God tells Moses that He will destroy the People, but Moses intercedes; the People are sentenced to spend 40 years in the wilderness. The parasha then returns to matters concerning the Tabernacle, with a discussion of the offering for unintentional sins. Near its end, the parasha discusses the wearing of tzitzit, a paragraph which is part of the traditional recitation of the Sh’ma. This is the 27th of 54 parshiot, marking the half-way point in the yearly reading.

Numbers 14:37-38 “The Eternal One said to Moses as follows: ‘Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of the Eternal and observe them….’”

                

These verses are the proof-text (guiding verses) for the commandment to wear tzitzit. While the mitzvah is ritual in nature, the tzitzit (fringes) became a distinguishing sartorial feature for Jewish men wherever they lived. For traditional and observant Jews, wearing tzitzit was not a matter of choice; here we have a biblical command to wear fringes. As Jews emerged into “modern” society, many of the outward signs (in dress, beards, hairstyles, etc.) of Jewish tradition were abandoned. This was particularly true in the Reform Movement, which eschewed such displays in the 19th century.

              

Traditional Jewish men have always worn a tallit during morning prayer, an explicit way of following the commandment for tzitzit. The tradition of wearing a tallit during morning prayer has again become more common in many Reform congregations, Moreover, in America, (at least in non-Orthodox congregations) it is no longer unusual for women to wear a tallit when praying.

               

But in Israel, the "Women of the Wall" have been cursed at, spat upon, and arrested for trying to observe the commandment. What are we to make of the outrage engendered by the desire of Israeli women to wear a tallit during prayer? This symbol of faithfulness to God’s commandments has become a symbol of a political struggle in Israeli society. In the State of Israel, the dominant Orthodox establishment finds a woman wearing a tallit so outrageously disturbing that riots and arrests have followed. Legal decisions on what is appropriate “custom for the community” continue to percolate in Israeli courts, and recent attempts to find a solution by creating another “section” of the Western Wall seem to have resolved very little. If nothing else, current events underscore the powerful nature of religious symbols, and also emphasize that in Israel today a small group of rabbis exert enormous authority over the entire nation. We Americans, particularly American Jews, take pride in the concept of pluralism. This, apparently and unfortunately, is not true in today’s Israel.  

               

In general, I believe that as a Jew living in the United States, I do not have a legitimate right to criticize the State of Israel as if I myself was an Israeli; after all, I have not chosen to make aliyah and become a citizen there. On the other hand, this matter is one of those instances where I feel, as a Jew, that I do have a right to express my anger over the absolute rule of the Orthodox rabbinate in Israel on matters of Jewish ritual life and civil status.  

The Burden of Leadership

B’haalot’cha
Numbers 8:1 - 12:16

Précis: The parasha begins with a description of the making of the seven-branched menorah, a (the?) central Jewish symbol. Next, the Levites are given specific directions for their duties. The parasha returns to narrative with a recounting of a second Passover celebration (required because some of the Israelites had been ritually impure when the first anniversary of Passover was celebrated). Next comes a discussion of the making of silver trumpets. The cloud of God’s Presence lifts, and the march of the People through the wilderness from Sinai begins, led by the Ark of the Covenant. The people begin to murmur, this time about a lack of meat. God provides, but the People are struck with a plague. This time, even Miriam and Aaron seem to have complaints about Moses, cast in terms of their critique about his “Cushite woman.” Moses is stressed by the demands of leadership.

Number 11:10-15 “And Moses heard the people weeping, family by family, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of God was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased. And Moses said to God: ‘Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not found favor in Your sight?.... I am not able to bear all this people myself alone, because it is too heavy for me. If You deal this way me, kill me... and let me not look upon my wretchedness.'”
               
Writing in her column Weekly Jewish Wisdom (6/16/11) Erica Brown made some excellent observations about the burdens of leadership. She recalled that upon his resignation from office, Israeli Prime Minister Menachim Begin simply stated, “I cannot go on." All of us in Jewish communal leadership face times when there are simply no answers to the challenges we face. They may be personal, financial, demographic, or disputes between factions we are unable to overcome, despite the application of the best of our skills, talents, and experience.
               Menachim Begin had decades of experience in leadership positions, including his command of the Irgun, the militant Zionist organization that tried to expel the British from Palestine before the State was established. For decades, he led the political opposition to the Israeli government, and ultimately as Prime Minister earned the Nobel Prize for concluding a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt.
               Begin's outstanding characteristic was his clear adherence to principles. However, when in quick succession his wife died, his health began to fail, and he was subjected to unfair claims about his alleged responsibilities for massacres in Lebanese refugee camps, he could no longer bear his burden, and he resigned. 
               The comparison with Moses in the cited verses is clear. Moses, too, was faced with a terrible series of trials; even God was angry with the people Moses was leading. He pleads for release, but that release is not granted. Moses’ strength was unique, and he was able to withstand the existential threat to his sanity posed by those who led.

               Perhaps there is a lesson when we look at Begin and Moses. Begin continued to labor until he could no longer accept the burden. Moses found a way to overcome the burden and soldier on. Few of us are like Moses. When to let others assume the reins is always a critical question, the answer to which begins with self-knowledge and self-awareness. Begin’s statement that “I cannot go on” was courageous and should serve as an inspiration to all of us.