When someone stands up and says "I'm a son of Avraham! I'm a Jew!" whether verbally or making a statement with their behavior or dress, that can be a great, wonderful, special gevaltic thing. I only want to know one thing, is that where you've been or where you're going? What's a real Jew? Yehudi in Heberew. Y-HOD-I means something like, "Here I am in awe of the splendor of the Soul of the World". Important note: there is neither dress-code nor DNA code required. What's a real ben Yisrael? Some say, one who is Yashar with El-in integrity with the Universal Power that drives, fills, sustains, maintains, renews, creates, and surrounds the worlds. No small thing right?
Now, what does it mean to really be a descendent of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him? It means to see through his eyes, tuned into to the ample flow of Hesed (loving-kindness) supporting reality. It means to do all that can be done to sanctify and sweeten the sound of the Name. Avraham, what does he do? He sees the best in people-even known "idol worshipers". Even knowing that the Creator of Heaven and Earth wills to destroy the wicked, Avraham prays on there behalf. What did he do? He prayed for them? He prayed for the ones who built the tower of Babel. He prayed for the world and its inhabitants who stood by and watched him placed in the furnace. Avraham rose early in the morning and prayed for them in a heartfelt selfless space without the fixed structure of tefillah as we have today. I'm told that there is an idea put forth in the Gemara (teachings) that he who prays for the needs of others gets his needs taken care of first. When Avraham Avinu prays for the fertility of Abimelech's house, he himself gets a child. Thus he welcomes all, people from all walks of life into his tent, waiting on them and serving them-this is Avraham our Father.
To ascribe to someone a limited degree of worth, based on where they are from, or what they look like, or how they speak, or what they wear-these are not the ways of our beloved teacher/father. This way seems diametrically opposed to Avraham's. Are we allowed to make generalizations and use epithets like "towel head" or "rag head" and still claim this lineage? There seems to be a certain tension here.
So I want to know, is he our father gratis, or do we need to earn and aspire to be worthy of being called his children. There is a sense in which a relationship worth mentioning is one worth giving attention, and all the more so for a relationship which is mentioned and even invoked three times daily. Today, how do we relate to our grandfather who walked this land many thousands of years ago? At best, we relate by representing him, his teachings, and his model in our own behavior and in our own relationships to one another and all of HaShem's creation.
Avraham was specific in his instructions to his servent Eliezar when sending him to his "native land, his birthplace" to find a wife for Yitzhaq. Also a descendent of Terach, like Sarah, Avraham, and Itzhaq, Rivqa knew how to see the best in people. This is the sure sign that Rivqa is fit for family membership: Hesed. She willingly draws water for this stranger Eliezar and his Camels.
How do we stay in this family? How do we keep the family name one worth bearing? Don't loose our connection to Hesed. Therefore, we want to avoid running the risk of loosing our integrity (the "Yisra" in Yisrael) and our relationship with our ancestoral line of Integrity.
Now Israel is faced with the amazing challenge of maintaining this integrity throughout this process of ingathering the exiles. Peoples coming together from different communities and different traditions are required to interact. Both elements of normalization and mutual respect are needed. And at the same time we are faced with the ongoing conflict with our neighbors-descended of the same father. It is important to know that what may be done in the name of "necessary suspicion" may quickly turn our culture into a culture of xenophobia and racism. We need to be careful. The power of debur, speech can not be undestemated. We should never again know the bitter taste of exile brought on by our own behavior. After all, it is said that the second Home of Holiness (Beth HaMiqdash) met her destruction not because of the Romans' oppressive regime. This exile which has lasted 1700 years resulted from senseless and baseless hatred between yehudim. The pressure produced by these challenging times can be intense. Let's be careful not to lower ourseleves by using our speech imprecisely, irresponsibly, or devisively.
This means not calling people towel heads. Our ancestors, for example, the RaMBaM and the Ben Ish Chai, wore turbans with pride.
Avraham and other descendents of Terach, including all the Imahoth (mothers), knew how to see the best in people. If we are to continue claiming our place in their lineage, we must align ourselves with their model of being in the world. I'm not saying, Love your enemy. Don't go out and try to hug a Hamas leader, minister, or militant. I understand the need for being weary and suspicious in these times, really I do. But we don't want to loose our connection to the Hesed. Still, I fear that what may be done and justified in the name of suspicion will become xenophobia and racism. As children of Israel we are faced with an intense challenge. Many, in fact.
How do we face an enemy and at the same time maintain our humanity? Start by remembering that the enemy-without can manifest as the enemy-within. This enemy assaults us within the vacuum of diminished Chesed.
Eliyahu Dror
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Eliyahu Dror is a former student of Yeshivat Bat Ayin. He is currently working for the Yeshiva as Administrative Director. |