Giving thanks through deeds

 Eikev

Deut. 7:12 - 11:25

 

Précis: Moses continues his recapitulation of the commandments to the people, reminding them to be obedient to God’s laws in their forthcoming struggle with the Canaanites. He describes in detail the blessings which God had already provided them and reminds them to bless and thank God for the bounty they receive.

 

Deut. 8:10 “When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in, and your herds and flocks have multiplied . . . Remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to get wealth . . .”

            In this verse, we have the proof-text (origin) for the recitation of the Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meals. This verse is also an important reminder that when we achieve material wealth, we should remember that our success is not due solely to our own efforts. Rather, God has given us the ability and opportunity to achieve. The verse implies that God gives us that opportunity when we observe God’s commandments, including those about treating the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the stranger with dignity and compassion.

            Recent studies have revealed that in the United States, 300 families control 20% of the wealth of our nation. This unprecedented concentration of wealth has led us to an era of oligarchy, far exceeding the Gilded Age of the late 19^th century. Even so, there is an important distinction between the present and the previous era. Then, oligarchs like Rockefeller, Carnegie and Vanderbilt were known not only as rich titans, but also as great philanthropists. Today’s version of the super-wealthy seems more intent on funneling their money into outrageous weddings, giant private estates, political black funds, and control of the media. They display an ongoing disregard for the message of our weekly reading.

Israel and America's Mission

Va'etchanan

Deut. 3:23 - 7:11

 

Précis: Moses continues the recapitulation of travels and urges the People to follow the laws​. Moses pleads with God that he be allowed to enter the Promised Land and is refused. Moses continues with a restatement of the Ten Commandments and follows with an articulation of the basic element of Jewish theology: the Sh’ma. 

 

Deut. 4:5-8 “See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. Take care to keep them, for this will be your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people!’ For what other nation has decrees and laws as just as this Torah that I am setting before you today?”

 

 It is ironic, given the incredible condemnation around the world of Israel (in specific) and Jews (in general), that our Torah reading implies a time when all nations will appreciate the gifts that Israel has given the world. It is also ironic that the United States has claimed a similar distinction during its history; that this distinction is imperiled by the current regime.

​     Rabbi Sacks examined the similarity between Israel and the United States as beacons of honorable societies (Rabbi Sacks Legacy, 8/15/24). He notes that while Moses foresaw a day when all other nations would admire the Jewish commitment to honorable decrees and laws, it was the United States which seemed to have inherited this mantle. Much of American political discourse is based on the biblical idea of covenant. Presidents from Ronald Reagan through Barack Obama all made statements which were explicitly religious in nature in their inaugurals, claiming a special role for the United States like that envisioned for Israel in the cited verses.
            How did this come to be?  Early Protestant theologians were students of the Hebrew Bible and of Talmud. Afterwards, Enlightenment thinkers continued to rely upon Biblical knowledge and language. (As an aside, learning Biblical Hebrew was a mandatory course, along with Greek, in most American universities into the 19th century.) This historic connection between the Hebrew Bible and the revolutionary thought of the American Founders is obvious.  

As John Adams wrote: “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation.”

            The history of ancient Israel shows that the goal of being a light unto the nations dissipated with the destruction of the Second Temple. It can be argued that today, the holy mission inherited and undertaken by our Founders has been neglected if not abandoned. We can pray that we have the time, talent, and understanding to reassert America’s devotion to the ancient dream of Israel to create a just society.