KEDOSHIM 5779
LONELY IN THE CROWD
May 8, 2019
5 Iyar 5779
Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's 71st Birthday
You shall not curse the deaf… you shall fear your God. I am Ado-nai (Leviticus 19:14).
The deaf may not hear what is being said but it is forbidden to curse them. Holding up others to ridicule violates their personhood. They may not hear what is being said, but every human being is created in the Divine image and deserves respect.
The verse is also a caveat to be sensitive to the hearing impaired among us. Not being able to hear what is being said essentially marginalizes one. Whether at a home family dinner or at a restaurant, being unable or straining to hear is an impediment to participating in the conversation and effectively renders the hearing impaired lonely in a crowd. It's terrible to be present and yet not present.
With the increase in longevity, more and more people will suffer hearing impairment. While the ongoing development in hearing aid devices has been helpful, they tend to be ineffective where there is background noise. This verse calls for special efforts to include the hearing impaired through direct one-on-one conversation. The caveat not to curse also includes the caveat not to exclude.
I suspect that many of us have, from time to time, been in the presence of foreign language speakers. Not being able to understand their language effectively excluded us from participating in the conversation. At times, non-English speakers have been in our midst, and we may have been insensitive to their exclusion. The verse is a call to make every effort to keep the lines of communication open for all. Hopefully, this well-known verse strengthens our resolve to enable everyone to feel included and embraced. No less is expected of us as we strive for holiness.
From Newton, my best wishes for a Shabbat shalom u'mevorach, a Shabbat of peace and of blessing. I look forward to my annual visit to Ahavath Achim next Shabbat, May 17 – 19. This annual shabbaton is an opportunity to visit with many of you and to get caught up about our families. I look forward to seeing and greeting you.
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Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman
ACHAREI MOT 5779
POWAY AND THE TIMES
May 2, 2019
27 Nisan 5719
Tragically we have become all too accustomed to attacks on worshipers at churches, mosques, temples and synagogues. This Shabbat we were horrified by the news from San Diego exactly six months after our community collectively mourned "Pittsburgh." We are horrified by the murderous assault on Poway's Chabad Synagogue. Our determination to dissolve sectarian differences is thwarted by the reality that, even in this post Post-Holocaust era, we remain a common target of various Jew haters.
Two days prior to the horrible tragedy of Poway, we were disturbed by the political cartoon published in the European edition of the New York Times. The illustration of a blindfolded Donald Trump holding a leash and being guided by a dog with the facial features of Prime Minister Netanyahu was of a piece with Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitic accusation.
Her allegation that Americans supporting Israel demonstrate allegiance to a foreign country is the well-known accusation of dual loyalty. Sadly, it's an all too familiar trope. The clear message of the Times cartoon is that Jews are an international body determined to dominate world governments and economies. Jews are thus clearly the architect of American Middle East policy that advocates and crafts decisions that are inimical to the best interest of our nation.
In the uproar that followed the cartoon's publication, the Times publicly and clearly apologized for this clear anti-Semitic attack. Yet, its very publication reflects the thinking of many progressives that Israel is an occupying power. It's a complicated issue but the massive American Jewish support of the Zionist aspiration to build a democratic Jewish state in the ancestral Jewish homeland is consistent with American interests and values. To be sure, the conflict with the Palestinians has to be resolved and it dare not be reduced to a Zero Sum Game of winner take all.
In this post-Holocaust era, we assert our pride in our American citizenship. The tragedy in Poway affirms the pressing and ever present need of physical security. The unfortunate New York Times cartoon and the likes of the Ilhan Omar attack are ongoing reminders that we must be eternally vigilant in protecting our good name as loyal citizens of this blessed land.
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From Newton my best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach, a Shabbat of peace and blessing.
Rabbi Arnold M Goodman
