Judge Decreed It; The Clerk He Wrote It (Noah Lewis- "Viola Lee Blues")

           As my daughter continues to heal from knee surgery, we have had some wonderful father/daughter bonding. While watching the news this past week, we learned that a legally issued search warrant was obtained by the FBI in order to conduct a search for documents that were removed from the White House and stored in Donald Trump’s Mara Lago home.  Documents in the White House belong to the people, not to a President. According to The Federal Records Act, The Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act, and The Presidential Records Act,  all documents of an outgoing president belong to the National Archives and ultimately the American People. Also, the law re-enforces a fundamental truth in democracies, the president and for that matter, an outgoing president is not above the law, but rather bound by it. Breaking the law has consequences.

          This Shabbat is Parsha V’Etchanan; it is also known as Shabbat Nachamu (Shabbat of Comfort). Parsha V’Etchanan is always the Parsha that immediately follows Tisha B’Av (the Ninth of Av), the day on which we commemorate the destruction of both the First and Second Temple. V’Etchanan is a continuation of Moshe Rabeinu’s lecture to Bnai Yisroel.  Moshe urges and cajoles Bnai Yisroel to learn from their hardships. Moshe reiterates the Ten Commandments and his experience at Sinai. Then Moshe explains that while he can speak of the Ten Commandments and share his experience, Bnai Yisroel will now have to pass this information and these commandments in a very different way than sharing a firsthand experience of the revelation of Sinai. Instead, this generation, the generation that did not stand at Sinai, will have to teach the meaning of these words, ideas, and commandments, to their children and live by them.

          The Parsha begins with Moshe Rabeinu, the soon-to-be outgoing leader of the Jewish people, explaining that he wasn’t above the rules. V’Etchanan El Adoshem B’Eit Ha’Hee Leimor -I implored Hashem at that time saying: E’Ebrah Nat V’Ereh et Ha’Aretz HaTova Let me now cross and see the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon (Deut. 3:23). Moshe recounts his desire to enter into Eretz Canaan, God’s anger because he failed to heed God’s commandment to speak to the rock and the resulting punishment. VaYitaber Adoshem Bi L’Manchem V’Lo Shama Eilai VaYomer  Adoshem Eilai Rav Lach Al Tosef Daber Eilai Od B’Davar HaZeh - But God became angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me; God said to me ‘It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter. (Deut. 3:25-26). Despite blaming B’nei Israel's behavior as the reason why Moshe lost his temper and hit the rock instead of speaking to the rock as God had commanded, God didn’t want to hear any more about it. Moshe was going to be punished and Moshe needed to accept the punishment.

           Leaders have responsibilities, they are bound by certain rules given the role of leadership. Moshe is described as the most humble servant of God, and the greatest prophet. Within Jewish tradition, Moshe is considered one of, if not the greatest leader of the Jewish people. Yet, he violated a commandment and suffered the consequences. He was removed from his role as leader and he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land. Instead, he had to settle to look out upon it from a hilltop on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Democracies are based upon Laws.  The United StatesAttorney General Merrick Garland is Jewish. He is well versed in the fundamental sanctity of Torah and law. He reminded the world that in a  democracy, a society that is grounded in law, that no one is above the law.

Peace,
Rav Yitz