After our children have spent time studying the Holocaust in school, I always asked each of them a question. I always wondered at what point did our children sense that Jews in Europe began to be de-humanized, and is there one image that symbolized that dehumanization. The Yellow Star of David was a symbol of dehumanization, much of the anti-Semitic imagery and language served to dehumanize the Jews. Suggestions in language that Jews were vermin or images of an octopus with its tentacles wrapped around the earth and squeezing out all its wealth also served to dehumanize the Jews. However, for my children, perhaps the tattooed numbers upon Jews entering into work camps and concentration camps, however, seemed to be the most powerful moments of dehumanization. When asked why, each said that the numbers were an attempt to take away their names, their own individual identity. Last week, our children saw stunning images at the border between Mexico and The United States. As more and more people try to enter the United States’ southern border and U.S. immigration officials have figured out a solution to avoid the risk of losing children if and when they are separated from their parents. The U.S. immigration officials have started writing numbers upon parents and children. Numbers have started to replace names as a form of identity for those Spanish speaking people trying to cross the border from Mexico to the United States.
This Shabbat we begin the Book of Exodus with the Parsha Shmot. Jacob’s twelve sons have died. With the passing of that generation of immigrants, a new Pharaoh took over and did not have the same relationship with Joseph’s family as the previous Pharoah. He enslaves Jacob’s descendants. Then in the second chapter of Shemot, a baby is born from the tribe of Levi, He is hidden and eventually found by the Pharoah’s daughter and raised as Egyptian and given the named Moshe. The grown boy sees an Egyptian beating a slave and kills the Egyptian taskmaster. He sees two Hebrew slaves arguing and again gets involved. However, he is identified and known as someone who has killed a taskmaster. Moshe flees Goshen and Egypt and arrives in Midian. He marries and becomes a shepherd for his father in law. While serving as a shepherd he encounters God at the Burning Bush. During this moment of revelation, God tells Moshe that he has been chosen to lead the people from slavery to freedom. Moshe hesitatingly accepts the jobs and he returns to Egypt. Moshe meets his brother Aaron, and together they meet Pharaoh and makes the first request to release the slaves.
Parsha Shemot begins V’Eilah SHmot B’nai Yisroel, these are the names of the Children of Israel (Yaakov) HaBaim Mitzraima Eit Yaakov Ish U’Veito Bau- who were coming to Egypt with Jacob, each man, and his household. Each son and each tribe is mentioned. Keeping in mind that each tribe received a blessing at the very end of Breishit, each tribe represents some innate quality and value that is vital to the people as a whole. Each name is a source of identity to those people. With the appearance of a new Pharaoh, these children have swelled in population: Paru V’Yishretzi VaYirbu V’Ya’Amtzu B’Meod Meod V’Timaleh HaAretz Otam - fruitful, teemed increased and became strong - very very much so; and the land became filled with them. The new Pharaoh sees the increasing minority population as a threat. He doesn't see individuals, he sees a group, a tribe, a people. In the second chapter of the Shemot we read narratives how Moshe receives his name an the meanings of the names of Moshe’s sons. When Moshe encounters God, the first thing Moshe asks of God is Ma Shmo What is His name? Commenting on the importance of Shem - name, the Chatam Sofer, the late 18th/ early 19th-century commentator taught “Be careful not to change your name, language, and do not dress like non-Jews, Heaven forbid. This alludes to the fact that Jacob arrived in Egypt Shalem (intact) and for Bnai Yisroel to remain intact, and complete, they must not change their names (Shem), their language (Lashon) and their dress (Malbush). A name is one of the three legs upon which identity rests.
Names are sacred. Names are empowering. Parents name their children. Pet owners name their pets. To give another a name is a source and perhaps a demonstration of power and authority. Receiving a name or a title could be empowering when it separates and elevates the individual. However, receiving a name or a title could also be incredibly demeaning.So when we see those in power writing numbers upon the arms of the powerless; we see an act of dehumanization. We see a people telling a powerless group that they are insignificant and have no identity. Treating them like second-class citizens could be considered acceptable and perhaps expected. As our children continued to watch those immigration officers write numbers upon the wrists of those immigrant children, we couldn’t help but think how dangerously weak the beacon of liberty and democracy has become.
Peace,Rav Yitz
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