Like millions of people in North
America, my family and I saw the news about Nine African Americans gunned down
in the Charleston AME Church during a Bible study session. We watched the
authorities arrest a 22 year old, misguided racist young man. We watched the
news of his arraignment. Then we watched something truly amazing, some would
even call it miraculous. South Carolina law permits victim’s statements in
certain criminal court proceedings, a product of the victims’ rights movement
of recent decades. While these statement don’t usually occur during something
as mundane as a bond hearing; in this case, many of the victims’ families
decided to exercise their right to make a statement. Then something truly miraculous occurred.
Family members of the victims said that they forgave Dylan Roof for the heinous
racially motivated terrorist act that he perpetrated. They told him that hatred
will never solve anything, they told him to repent, they prayed that God should
have mercy upon his soul, and then they forgave him again. These people, who have every right to be
angry, refused to be consumed by anger. The family members of those murdered,
many of whom remembered the murder of four African American girls a Little Rock
Church more than 50 years ago, have every reason to hate White people. Yet they
refused to be consumed by hatred. The congregation of the AME Church, who lost
its Minister and 8 other Parishioners, who watched race riots occur in
Baltimore and Ferguson; could have instigated a race riot in Charleston. Yet
they refused to be consumed by the irrational raw emotions of laws caused by
violent death. Rather, the congregants of AME Church along with many other
churches both black and white, gathered together, held hands together, prayed
together, remained calm together,
mourned together prayed for a better tomorrow based on racial tolerance
together. As we watched this unfold over the past several days and Charleston
became something very different than the stereotypical racist Southern city; it
seemed that the lessons over the past fifty years, and the lessons of the past
fifty weeks and the lessons of the past fifty days have been learned.
This week we read from Parsha
Chukkat. This
Shabbat we read from Parsha Chukkat. Chukkat begins by telling us the Law for
the Red Heifer. The Priest who prepares the mixture of water and the Red
Heifer's burnt ashes will render the entire nation spiritually pure; but the mixture
will render him impure. A brief narrative concerning the death of Miriam, the
lack of water and B’nai Yisroel’s resulting anxiety and lack of faith leads to
the issuance of another test of faith in the Wilderness. Moshe and Aaron don’t
know what to do; so God tells them: Kach
et HaMateh v’Hakhaeil Et Ha’Edah Ata v’Aharon Achicha v’Dibartem El HaSela
L’Eineihem V’Natan Meimav V’Hotzeitah Lahem Mayim Min HaSela V’Hishkita et
HaEidah v’Et B’Iram – Hashem spoke to
Moshe saying: Take the staff and gather together the assembly, you and Aaron
your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it shall give its
waters. You shall bring forth for them water from the rock and give drink to
the assembly and to their animals (Num. 20:8). Instead of following
instructions, Moshe succumbed to his anger and hit the rock with his staff.
Indeed water came out, the people drank, but Moshe and Aharon were punished.
Aharon died and Moshe learned that he would not be able to enter into Eretz
Canaan. As B’nai Yisroel resumes its wandering, they are attacked by Amalek. As
a result, B’nai Yisroel are force to go around the heart of Amalek territory.
The people complain to Moshe again. They try to seek permission from the Sihon,
the King of the Amorites, to pass through Amorite territory. Sihon denies his
permission and B’nai Yisroel attacks and eventually defeats the Amorites. Og
King of Bashan tries to prevent B’nai Yisroel from marching through his land, B’nai
Yisroel, with the help of Hashem, defeat King Og and his army. The Parsha concludes with B’nai Yisroel
settling on the Plains of Moab on the eastern side of the Jordan poised to
enter into Canaan.
After the decree of the Law of
the Red Heifer, the Torah begins a new narrative, a narrative about Miriam’s death,
a lack of water, B’nai Yisroel’s complaint and God’s response. Rashi comments
on the first Pasuk of Chapter 20. Eidah Shleim – the congregation is complete (whole). Sh’Kavar Meitu Metai Midbar, V’Ilu Parsho L’Chayim (Tanchuma) – All those of the generation that left
Egypt that was supposed to die have died in the wilderness, and all those who
are alive at this point are supposed to enter into Eretz Canaan. From this point on, the Torah records the
final year of B’nai’ Yisroel’s time in the wilderness. So 38 years have transpired from the first
chapter of the Parsha to the second chapter of the Parsha. Yet in 38 years, a
generation that didn’t really know slavery, which only knew that God
provided food and water, a generation that didn’t have do anything except learn
Moshe’s Torah begin to sound like their parents and perhaps their grandparents.
Yes Moshe disobeys God by hitting the rock rather than talk to the rock.
However Moshe frustration might have been a result of the fact that he expected
this generation to know better, to have more faith in God, more trust in God, more of sense of purpose in terms of its relationship with God. Sadly, after thirty eight years, our ancestors, this time, a generation born to
freedom, still had work to do Vis a Vis its relationship to God. Yes they
came a long way since their parents were slaves, but they still had a long way
to go in terms of trust in God, faith in God, and a confidence that
Hashem would not abandons his chosen people.
While Judaism doesn’t believe
in Original Sin, there is no questions that the Talmudic Sages look at the
events of the Golden Calf, and the events of the Spies, as the Original Sin of
the a generation that Judaism will always struggle with. Both of these sins
were results of its lack of faith in Hashem, a lack of trust in Hashem, and an
inability to appreciate that inherent to a covenant with Hashem is a sense of partnership.
Historians of the United States suggest that slavery was America’s original
sin. Each American generation is forced to deal with this sin, and deal with
racism. Some generations take a step back and regress, but some move society
forward. All too often we witness a regression which reminds us that our soul
has within it certain very base, mundane qualities. However there are other
times when we witness a step forward, and we are reminded that within our soul
is something divine and holy, something that inspires to strive for sanctity
and holiness.
Peace
Rav Yitz
No comments:
Post a Comment