If You Get Confused, Listen To The Music Play ( Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia,& Bill Kreutzman - "Franklins Tower"

Our eldest daughter has been quite busy these past few months and for the next week, until election- day she has explained that she is so busy that 18 hour days are quickly becoming normal. She explained that she no longer works in her office but now with days before the Presidential Election, she works in something called “The Boiler Room”, and a “War Room”.  When we speak, and she can barely afford 2 – 3 minutes of precious time, during which I ask her about the polling in Pennsylvania, and how Philadelphia and it suburbs look. She is responsible for voter registration and turnout for parts of Philadelphia and it suburbs. I have started to sense that she has grown tired of her family calling, nervous and anxious for her, and how the result will impact upon how well she is perceived to have done her job. Has voter registration increased? Has more people voted? Was voter turnout high? Were the precincts she was responsible for, voting resoundingly Democratic or Republican. Amid all the chaos that is her job, amid the chaos of her boss’s emails, she has reminded me of an August 25^th Bloomberg Market report “Citigroup claims that a “Trump victory in November could cause a global recession,” and at the very least lots of political and economic uncertainty with trade partners and countries with whom the U.S. has treaties and cooperative relationships. Whenever my conversations get a little too long and she becomes a little impatient, our daughter reminds me that she is trying to prevent the chaos and that I really need to hang up and let her get back to her work.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Noach. Comprised of two distinct narratives; both deal with the theology of chaos and confused boundaries. First we read the story of  Noach, God’s disenchantment with creation and mankind’s behavior, the instruction to build the Teva (the Ark), the Flood as punishment for mankind’s unethical behavior, the covenant made between God and Noach and the resulting offering to God, and then an odd story about Noach’s drunkenness and one’s sons inappropriate behavior. The second distinct narrative is also about chaos and confused boundaries. This time mankind confuses boundaries and trying to build a tower up to the heavens. The result is that God scatters mankind across the earth by making mankind speak numerous languages and making communication difficult.

While both narratives can conceivably stand alone; both narratives are related. As manifested in the previous Parsha, God is a god of creation and order. Therefore, in order for God to destroy, order must be removed or chaos must become firmly entrenched.  Meivi et HaMabul Mayim AL HaAretz L’Shacheit Kol Basar Asher Bo Ruach Chayim Mitachat HaShamayim Kol Asher Ba’Aretz Yigvah – I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth  to destroy all flesh, in which is the breath of life from under heaven, and everything that is on earth shall die. Clearly from the text there must be other kinds of floods besides water, otherwise we do not need to be told that this particular flood is one that involves water. The message is that God will punish creation by instituting chaos for a period of time. Later in Chapter 11 as mankind begins building a tower up to heaven God becomes disappointed again. Vayomer Adoshem  Hain Am Echad V’Safah Achat L’Chulam V’zeh Hachilam La’Asot V’aAtah Lo Yibatzeir Mei’hem Kol Asher Yazmu La’Asot – Behold the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be withheld from them which they have schemed to do. Hava Neirdah V’Navlah Sham Sfatam Sher lo Yishmu Ish Sfat Rei’eihu – Come let us go down and there confound their language, that they may not understand on another’s speech. Instead of the flood of water, God created the flood of language and confusion the flood of a cacophony.

The flood of chaos and the struggle to handle chaos is part of our human condition. The first narrative, the Noach narrative, teaches that chaos is now part of creation and in a sense a type of punishment. The second narrative, the Tower of Bavel, teaches us that chaos is part of the everyday human life. It is part of our task as human beings as we struggle to elevate ourselves from the animal aspect of our existence to the spiritual aspect of our existence that we create order from chaos. To do so is a Godly endeavor. To do so allows us to transcend the physical world. Who would have thought that a presidential election, no matter how un-likeable each candidate might be, could be distilled into chaos and order? I just hope that no matter what happens, our daughter can continue to maintain order in world amid the chaos that she will be experiencing over the next several days.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Still I Know I Lead The Way, They Tell Me Where I Go (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Estimated Prophet")

          Apparently, here in Canada they are gearing up for an election. Signs supporting one candidate or another are all over the lawns of people’s homes.  The news radio station has mentioned polls regarding the support for the three major political parties: Conservative, Liberal, and NDP. I have even heard some commercials that support Prime Minister Harper and the Liberal nominee, Justin Trudeau. Listening to the commercials has been a real education. One comments that the other guy is not yet ready for the job. One comments that the other guy is out of touch with the common working class guy.  Like most things Canadian, the commercials are civilized, there is nothing that is outrageous, and there is nothing that is extreme. Even when these candidates are interviewed, they are now ridiculous one liners, no insults, nor personal attacks. It is so boring. Meanwhile, there are 6 months before the first Presidential Primary in the United States and 14 months from the Presidential election. The signs are out. The insults have been hurled like a food fight at camp. The ridiculous and outrageous statements have been made and will continue to be made including building a fence between the United States and Canada as a way of protecting America’s borders from all those illegal Canadian immigrants. Candidates have been classified as “losers”, “low energy”, “liars” and “dangerous”. On one hand this theater of the absurd is very entertaining. On the other hand there are large numbers of the American electorate that really believe much of the drivel, much of the outrageous statements, the false assumptions about the current issues, as well some candidates policies and solutions that contradict the Constitution. Yes, American politics may be more entertaining. However there is strand of the American electorate that is easily led towards the stupid and the extreme.

            This week's Parsha is Ki Tavoh. For the past several Parshiot, Moshe has been listing and explaining all the precepts and laws. Last week's Parsha and the first part of Ki Tavoh explain the rewards. We will inherit the land; we will keep the land. Our enemies will be rendered weak. We will be fruitful and multiply. However the second half of the Parshah explains all the curses that would befall us if we neglect to observe these laws. Every curse, of course, is the diametric opposite the previous blessings. So if we were promised bountiful harvests and many children, then our curse will be drought, famine, and bareness. Traditionally, the Aliyot that contain the curses are read in a softer voice. However as horrible as these curses are, we must understand that it is up to us. We can either follow these laws or not, and as a result we will bear the consequences of our actions. This is not necessarily a bad lesson for us as well as our children to learn. We are responsible for our actions, and we must bear responsibility for the consequences of those actions.

            While there are all kinds of curses, one curse in particular I find interesting given the fact that Moshe Rabeinu, the leader of B’nai Yisroel, a “political insider”, is the transmitter of these curses. Arur Mashgeh Iveir Ba'Derech, Va'Amar Kol Ha'Am Amen - Accursed is one who causes a blind person to go astray on the road. And the entire nation said 'Amen" (Deut. 27:18). If we read this literally then we are talking about a guide or a seeing-eye dog that would lead the blind astray. However this curse is symbolic. We know that Torah is a light and the word Derech (way) is usually in combination with the Way of the Lord (God's Laws). On a metaphorical level, the curse is upon those leaders of a community that causes the less knowledgeable to go astray. If that knowledge causes those who are blind (re: those who are in the dark or without light) to go astray, then that leader should be cursed. Implicit to that statement is that the one who causes the blind to go astray sees the light, has knowledge and teaches or guides the community away from God. The Talmudic Sages had their own understanding of this curse. "If there are two teachers, one who covers much ground but is not exact, and one who does not cover much ground but is exact, Rav Dimi b. Nehardea maintained that the one who is exact and does not cover much ground is to be appointed. What is the reason? A mistake once implanted (in the mind or in behavior) remains [a mistake].” (Talmud Baba Batrah 21a-b). Our sages essentially understand the first rule in education and leadership and misguiding students, the electorate, and the masses was a serious matter. 

            It is terribly difficult to undo that which has already been incorrectly taught. Maybe a dull, civilized election process that focuses upon guiding the electorate towards informed decisions is better than a highly entertaining yet ultimately destructive process that focuses upon misguiding and misinforming the electorate so that they make uninformed decisions. Or, maybe the electorate should not allow itself to be blinded by the shiny objects of disinformation, pandering and demagoguery and focus upon the light of what is best within itself.

Peace,

Rav Yitz