Who is Blind?

 Toldot

Gen. 25:19-28:9

 

Précis: ​We begin with the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob. Jacob is a quiet man while Esau is a cunning hunter​. Their mother Rebecca prefers Jacob and Isaac prefers Esau. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of porridge​. Isaac visits the Philistines where he claims that Rebecca is his sister (as Abraham did with Sarah) and again, the woman escapes unharmed. Jacob pretends to be Esau to obtain the primary blessing from his father Isaac. Esau threatens​ Jacob and Rebecca urges Jacob to escape to her family in Haran​.

 Gen. 27:1 “And it came to pass when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see, he called Esau, his older son, and said to him ‘My son’ and he said to him ‘Here I am.’”

Torah study tells us there are no unnecessary words in our text. Why does the text say that Isaac’s eyes were dim, and then that he could not see? Rashi​ says that his eyes were dim (a physical malady) and that he could not see (he was blind to Esau’s nature).  

               ​Are we blind to threats against the Jewish People today? The smashing electoral win by Democrats last week included the election of a number of ​outspoken ​critics of Israel. Some voices in the Jewish ​community believe that we (the larger American community in general and Democratic-supporting Jews in particular) have become blind to dangers posed by the increasing opposition to Israel within the Democratic Party. I ​believe these critical voices have ​b​een taken in by the MAGA​ scaremongering talking points that an evil cabal of Islamists are intent on establishing Sharia law in America. They say that we have passed the canary-in-a-coal-mine status to something equivalent to Nazi Germany in the 1930’s.

                I am not blind to the dangers of increasing acceptance of antisemitic ​tropes in political discourse which must of course be actively and continually opposed. But​ panic prevent​s intelligent opposition to those forces which we must​ ​fight. ​The handful of anti-Israel (and ​perhaps antisemitic) voices were elected in “safe” blue seats where those on the fringes could exert the most power. The Democratic sweep was not a result of DSA-linked candidates, but rather by centrist Democrats who stand for the rule of law. A recent report from Who Funds My Rep shows that 112 Democrats who will sit in the next House received support from pro-Israel funders, whereas a grand total of 11 DSA-linked candidates were elected (7 endorsed by the DSA, 4 aligned with them). Thus, pro-Israel supporters outnumber the DSA and its allies by 10:1. The far left​ anti-Israel critics are a rounding error.​ There will be a record number of Jewish Senators and Governors next year.

            While most of the criticism has been aimed at the Democrats, we should be equally concerned with the MAGA establishment and far right critics of Israel (Tucker Carlson, et al.) who claim that Israel manipulated the United States into war with Iran, and that Israel (and Jews) are responsible for the high cost of living.

            Isaac was blind to reality. We cannot be blind to reality, but we cannot allow fear-mongers to blind us to the need to fight authoritarianism, corruption, and to promote the rule of law. This fight is the safest a​nd only route to Jewish security in America.

           

 

A Seat at the Table

 Chaye Sarah

Gen. 23:1-25:18

 

Précis: The parasha begins with the counting the days of the life of Sarah (Chaye Sarah) and with her death. It continues with the purchase of Machpelah by Abraham for a family burial site. Abraham orders his servant to go to obtain a wife for Isaac, and after a series of fulfilled signs, the servant finds Rebecca. She and Isaac meet, become man and wife and fall in love. The parasha ends with the death of Abraham, and his burial by Isaac and Ishmael.

Gen. 23:1-2 “And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the days of the life of Sarah. Abraham arose from beside his dead, and spoke to the Hittites, saying, ‘I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site.’”     

 

Abraham has been promised this land by God, yet he needs to purchase a burial plot. Why? The Torah calls him a “resident alien.” Exactly what this term means has been a subject of much commentary and the majority view is that a “resident alien” is an individual who opts to live within a particular society without becoming an actual member. This distinction becomes important, given the repeated Biblical commands to treat the “stranger” with care, and the Rabbinic distinction between resident aliens and the Jewish People.

           This Biblical story has current applicability. Israel’s election last week resulted in​ no clear results. One issue of great importance is whether those opposed to Netanyahu as PM will accept Arab ​or Haredi parties in a potential coalition. Are Arab Israelis “resident aliens” entitled to some, but not all, rights of citizens of the Israeli state, or are they full-fledged citizens of a modern secular state? ​Should Haredi Israelis be required to match their fellow citizens in terms of national service?  Here I am guided by Avi Mayer, a former colleague at Hillel and now the editor of the Jerusalem Journal, a leading Israeli spokesman on political matters. He noted recently the following:

         A word about the Haredi and Arab parties. The former have seen their share of the vote shrink considerably, while the latter have achieved a record nineteen seats — nearly double the ten they hold in the outgoing Knesset — making them a political force to be reckoned with. But more important than the electoral fortunes of this or that sectoral party is the imperative to take these two communities and their needs seriously. Combined, the two groups account for more than a third of Israel’s population, and both face significant challenges, not least a sense of alienation…. that prevents them from becoming more fully integrated into mainstream Israeli society.

         Both Haredi and Arab Israelis deserve a seat at the table, and not all parties purporting to represent either community are the same. Responsible leaders on both the left and the right must devise thoughtful and creative ways to include them in finding a path forward — not merely as convenient bedfellows in the quest to achieve a momentary Knesset majority, but as full and equal partners in governance and in imagining this country’s future. At the same time, inclusion must entail responsibility. Both communities will have to make compromises of their own, embracing military or national service as a shared civic obligation and marginalizing those within their ranks who reject Israel’s legitimacy or advocate violence.

The founding document of Israel – its Declaration of Independence – makes clear that citizens of Israel are given equal rights regardless of religious affiliation. Those who would prevent Haredi or Arab Israelis from joining the government have a major hurdle to overcome when the stigma of apartheid is levied. Should those Haredi or Arab Israelis opposed to the Jewish character of the state be excluded from its government? ​Certainly. But there are many Haredi and Arab citizens of the State who accept the concept of a Jewish homeland in Israel​, where all have a stake and a role in Israel's future.  As Mayer states, they deserve a seat at the table.

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Gary D Simms