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By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
 SAN DIEGO--About a month ago, shortly before beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul, I was invited to participate in a conference call with President Barak Obama. Needless to say, I was quite flattered, at least until I learned that 1,000 other rabbis were on the line.
The White House had requested an opportunity for the President to speak to rabbis before the High Holy Days and the call was coordinated by a coalition of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.
President Obama began by wishing all of us a Shana Tova, a happy New Year, and then reassured us of his commitment to a secure, democratic, and Jewish State of Israel, and a two state solution for peace in the Middle East. He then turned to the reason for his call. He wanted us to speak about healthcare reform during the upcoming High Holy Days. He even quoted the Unetaneh Tokef, implying that universal healthcare is one way that we humans can make sure that the question: “Who shall live and who shall die” is a lesser burden in our hands. His address was followed by short presentations from representatives of the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements of Judaism about Jewish tradition’s emphasis on healing and providing for the poor, and how the current healthcare system leaves many Americans without sufficient and affordable access to physicians, hospitals, and medication. Something has to be done, we were told.
When the call ended I was disappointed and unsatisfied. I guess I had expected to hear something I did not already know. Most Americans agree that our healthcare system has major problems and needs fixing. Most Americans also believe that all citizens deserve access to appropriate, expert, and affordable healthcare. Almost every rabbi and Jewish communal leader acknowledges that Judaism places high value on the healing arts and that the “haves” have a responsibility to the “have-nots.”
The president wanted rabbis, during these High Holy Days, to speak about the need to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all Americans. For a few minutes I was almost tempted to do so. It would have been easy. It would have been a walk in the park. I could have quoted Biblical and Talmudic sources about the mitzvah of healing the ill. I could have cited Isaiah’s call for us to allow the fast of this day to turn our eyes toward the poor and helpless of our society. And I could have called for the leaders of our country to do their utmost to find a fair and equitable solution to the problem, one that would provide healthcare to every American at a cost that we as individuals, and the country as a whole, could afford. It would have been a “no brainer.”
But, as Noam Neusner wrote in an editorial in “The Forward,” “Does anyone really think that as American Jews follow[ing] the healthcare debate, they are wondering to themselves: ‘What does my rabbi think?’...If the rabbis follow Obama’s directive to speak about healthcare, they might well invent a new phrase for the lexicon: ‘Rosh Hashana riots.’...[Their congregants] might mutter loud enough to be heard: ‘If I wanted to hear an ignoramus talk about healthcare, I would have stayed at home and watched the TV news...Or worse, they may decide: ‘Ach, I haven’t listened to this rabbi before. Why should I start now?” (The Forward, Sept. 4, 2009, p.9)
Nevertheless, I could have given a sermon about the importance of providing affordable healthcare for all Americans tonight. But in order not to ignite a “Yom Kippur riot” it would have been what we call in the business a “mom, flag, and apple pie sermon.” It would need to be a sermon that would be vague, ambiguous, and overgeneralized. It would need to be a sermon that few disagreed with and everyone could feel good about. In other words, a “cop out.”
It would have been a cop out the same way the conference call with President Obama and the representatives from the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements was. The problem, you see, is not getting everyone to agree that there is a problem with healthcare, but getting everyone to agree on a solution. During the Rabbinic conference call there was a blatant lack of specifics. No one laid out a plan. Everyone, including the president, was trying to be so non-political, that they ended up saying very little.
If I spoke about healthcare today I would end up doing the same. If I dared to support or critique any specific approach to dealing the America’s healthcare crisis, I would be perceived as playing politics and end up alienating half of the congregation. Someone might even stand up to argue with me, or stage a walk out. So instead, I choose to say nothing.
I am not the only rabbi who is not speaking about healthcare this year. A few days ago I called a colleague and asked him if he was going to speak about healthcare during the holidays. “No,” he said. He did not participate in the conference call nor was he going to speak about healthcare. When I asked him why, he told me that he tries to stay away from political issues during the High Holy Days. I told him that I wasn’t going to talk about healthcare either and how sad I was that both of us were going to stay away from such a vital Jewish and humanitarian issue as the need for accessible and affordable healthcare for all Americans because it is “too political.”
When I discussed my dilemma with family and friends, I half jokingly said that I long for the days of President Gerald Ford. I have long been fascinated by the life of President Ford. He was vilified for pardoning President Richard Nixon and lost the next election in which he ran for the presidency on his own merits. Later in life he was recognized and honored as a hero by Americans of all political persuasions.
Why, at least in retrospect, was he so warmly celebrated as a great leader? Because he got along with people on both sides of the aisle and was known for building consensus and compromise. He was a friend to all, including those with whom he bitterly disagreed. When Ford was nominated to the Vice Presidency upon the resignation of Spiro Agnew, Ford, during his hearing before the House Committee on the Judiciary, said: “I believe in friendly compromise. I said over in the Senate hearings that truth is the glue that holds government together. Compromise is the oil that makes governments go.”
At the time of President Ford’s death, Stu Spencer, a friend of Ford and a longtime political consultant to Ronald Reagan said: “He could disagree, but he disagreed agreeably, and he always had respect for both sides of the aisle.”
Bill Carrick, a Democratic consultant in Los Angeles, said that “the polarization we've come to know and loathe was nonexistent in Ford's day...in many ways his politics were...much more tolerant and open-minded than we see now.” (Steve Lopez, LA Times, 1/3/2007)
And finally Ford sacrificed his own political ambitions because he thought more of the needs of the country than his own electability.
One of the reasons that I am a Conservative, and not an Orthodox or Reform Jew, is that I am a firm believer in seeking the middle path, a path of moderation, compromise, and pluralism. It is what Rambam, Moses Maimonides, one of the greatest Jewish scholars and theologians of all time called the shvil hazahav, “the golden path” or “the golden mean.” I do not believe the truth lies on the right or on the left, but somewhere in between.
It is no secret that the Conservative Movement has been facing demographic challenges over the last decade or so. I believe one of the reasons for the decline in numbers is the polarization of society in general, and the Jewish community in particular. Jews no longer value the shvil hazahav, the golden mean. They no longer tolerate ambiguity or wish to wrestle in the gray areas. They see things as black and white and paralleling American culture, not only rejecting opposing views, but vilifying those who hold them.
In June of this year Chareidim, extremist ultra-Orthodox Jews, rioted in Jerusalem over the city opening its municipal parking structure on Shabbat to those visiting the Old City on Saturdays. On June 27th, the Israeli newspaper “Ha’aretz” reported: “Four police officers were lightly hurt during the protests, as was a six-year-old boy...Near the site of the demonstration, thousands of secular Israelis held a counter-protest...Police had deployed a large force to secure the area amid fears that the secular rally could spark a violent clash with ultra-Orthodox protestors, who bitterly oppose the opening of the lot as a violation of the biblical command to rest on the Sabbath.
“... the officers...scuffled with ultra-Orthodox demonstrators who hurled soiled diapers and rotten fruit and vegetables at them.
“Police arrested the ultra-Orthodox protestors for disorderly conduct and illegal assembly. Earlier, undercover policemen arrested four Haredim who damaged passing cars on Jerusalem's Bar Ilan Street.” (Ha’aretz - Internet Edition, 6/28/2009)
Of course, ultra-Orthodox protestors turning to violence is not that common, but their protests and visible disdain of secular Israelis are well known.
I also want to make it clear that it is not only Orthodox Jews who draw lines and reject compromise and a middle ground, but liberal Jews as well.
Many of you may be aware that an ad-hoc group of Jewish organizations tried to organize a “Walk for Israel” in downtown San Diego on Sunday, September 13th. Unfortunately, due to problems of logistics and security, the walk was postponed. However, a controversy arose during the planning having to do with the inclusion of Christians United For Israel as a sponsor of the walk.
A number of rabbis in San Diego did not want to support the walk because of Christians United For Israel’s participation.
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They were worried about proselytization and the theological motives that they believe underlie Evangelical Christian support of Israel. Since I had at one time shared their concerns, I do understand them. However, another issue raised was that the social and political agendas of Evangelical Christians do not always mesh with those of the Jewish community, particularly the liberal Jewish community. Among other concerns voiced was that the Evangelical community was not supportive of Gay and Lesbian rights, therefore Jews should not join them in marching in support of Israel.
Even after Christians United For Israel voluntarily offered to withdraw its sponsorship rather than allow its participation to undermine the walk, several congregations still declined to join because the walk coincided and appeared to support “A Night to Honor Israel” that was staged by Christians United for Israel the same evening. It was a kind of “guilt by proximity.”
I was surprised by the decision and its logic. Does that mean we have to agree with someone else’s social and political agendas in order to join with them on matters of mutual concern? Does that mean we cannot celebrate those things that unite us because of those things that divide us? Can we be friends only with people who share all, and not just some of the same opinions?
I not only attended Christians United For Israel’s Night to Honor Israel but was privileged to deliver the opening prayer and introduce Gil Artzyeli, the State of Israel’s Deputy Consul General in Los Angeles. As the members of our congregation who attended can attest, it was an incredibly exciting and moving event. There was cheering, singing, dancing, and celebration. I wish more Jews loved Israel with the same depth of feeling and emotion as I experienced from our Christian friends that night.
There are many Jews who do not agree with much of the Christian Right’s social and political agendas, but we do agree on the need for a strong, safe, and free Israel. That is what Christians United For Israel is about and that is why this organization deserves our thanks and support. What’s more, by coming together on those things we share, we open up an opportunity to dialogue about those things about which we disagree, and perhaps even may learn from each other.
Before the Night to Honor Israel began, I was chatting with Bishop George McKinney of St. Stephen's Cathedral Church of God in Christ in San Diego. I told him that the Night to Honor Israel event is controversial in some quarters. I also lamented the increased polarization of Americans in general, the state of agitation and divisiveness in this land, and an increased hostility towards discussion and compromise. Bishop McKinney simply said: “Yes, today we are suffering from a lack of civility.”
How true are his words. From the tennis court, to the MTV Video Music Awards, to the House of Congress; in recent weeks we have witnessed thoughtfulness, respect, and reason give way to tantrums and outbursts. We no longer seem able to engage in thoughtful conversation and respectful debate, finding it instead more satisfying to grandstand, heckle, and demonize. More and more, people are staking out their territory, drawing lines in the sand, and noisily closing themselves off from opposing views.
In the section of the Mishna called Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of the Ancestors, Rabbi Yehoshua taught:
עַיִן הָרָע, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע, וְשִׂנְאַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם:
“The begrudging eye, the evil impulse, and the hatred of one’s fellow human beings will ruin a person’s life.” (Pirkei Avot 2:11)
Rabbi Yishmael taught:
וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה
“Greet every person with a cheerful manner.” (Pirkei Avot 3:12)
Ben Zoma taught:
אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
“Who is wise? Those who learn from everyone.” (Pirkei Avot 4:1)
Although Jewish tradition is far from monolithic, I am sure you get the drift. Judaism has strong opinions of right and wrong and inviolable moral values, but Judaism also prizes friendship, respect, dignity, and harmonious human relationships.
Judaism also places a high value upon listening over speaking. The most important prayer in our tradition, the Shema, is really not a prayer but a statement:
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, יְיָ אֶחָד
“Hear, O’, Israel. The Lord is our God. The Lord Alone.” The Torah does not tell us to speak about, argue about, or defend God, but rather to listen, and not to God – but to each other.
“Hear O’ Israel” the verse begins. Before we can pronounce God’s name among the nations of the world, we must first be prepared to listen and learn. Only after we listen, hear, understand, and internalize the concept of one God, are we adequately prepared to share our beliefs with others.
Similarly, before we argue the veracity of our own opinions and beliefs we must be prepared to listen and to understand what those with whom we disagree believe. When we share mutual goals we must demonstrate a willingness to compromise and meet halfway, even with those with whom we most violently disagree. We would do well to remember General Moshe Dayan’s famous words: “If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.”
The renowned Rabbi Hillel taught: “Be a disciple of Aaron – loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures and attracting them to the study of Torah.” (Pirkei Avot 1:12)
Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai were colleagues. They lived and taught together during the first century C.E. They were also adversaries when it came to principles of Jewish law. Their disagreements, which were often ferocious in nature, were preserved and continued by their students. Beit Hillel, the disciples of Hillel, and Beit Shammai, the disciples of Shammai often disagreed on essential principles of Judaism. Nevertheless, they still worshiped and celebrated with each other, and they even married with members of each other’s families despite the fact that they disagreed fundamentally over some of the marriage laws. In other words, they did not allow their disagreements to grow to be barriers separating them.
Eventually, the decisions of Hillel and his students were accepted as authoritative, but not because they were inherently better or more reasonable than Shammai’s. Rather, the Talmud teaches, it was:
מפני שנוחין ועלובין היו, ושונין דבריהן ודברי בית שמאי.
ולא עוד אלא שמקדימין דברי בית שמאי לדבריהן.
“Because they [the disciples of Hillel] were pleasant and humble, teaching the opinion of both sides, and they always stated Beit Shammai's view before their own.” (BT. Eruvim 13b) That is, they respected and honored their opponents.
As you can see, I am not talking about healthcare today...but if I was, this is what I would say: I would say that one of the reasons we have not arrived at any solution for this moral challenge and imperative is because there is too much talking and not enough listening going on. There is too much demonizing and not enough humanizing of those who disagree, too much posturing and not enough compromising, and almost a complete absence of tolerance, respect, and menshlechkeit.
But if I was going to talk about healthcare this is what I would want you to do: After sundown tomorrow night I would ask you to write your president, congressperson, and senator and state the obvious: that a solution needs to be found to this country’s healthcare crisis. Then, instead of urging them to take an immovable stand on a specific plan, I would ask them to begin to listen to those with whom they disagree and find a shvil hazahav, a golden mean, a compromise, that most of us can live with. What will that compromise be? I make no recommendations, but I am confident that those whom we have elected to public office have the ability to put aside their ideology and self-interest and to come up with something to get the ball rolling. Whatever it is, it will not be a perfect solution, and there probably will never be one, but at least it will be a start, a beginning, and hopefully one that will begin unifying our country instead of continuing to tear it apart.
And as for us, on this Yom Kippur, this day of reflection, atonement, and forgiveness, may we begin to listen to those around us without shutting them down or shutting them out. There are lots of people with whom we disagree and who disagree with us on all kinds of issues, both big and small. But that doesn’t mean we cannot respect them, listen to them, learn from them, honor them, and even befriend them. We must tone down our rhetoric and reintroduce civility into our relationships with others. We must learn how to listen, how to be patient, and how to compromise. We must learn, as Rabbi Hillel advises, to
הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם,
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:
“Be disciples of Aaron – loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures and attracting them to the study of Torah.” (Pirkei Avot 1:12)
Let us look for that which we share and have in common, that which unites us, instead of focusing and fixating on that which divides us. Let us live the lesson of Rabbi Ben Zoma who taught:
אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
“Who is wise? Those who learn from everyone.” (Pirkei Avot 4:1)
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