July 1, 2021

We have been reading reports about the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, hoping desperately that survivors will be found. First responders, including a team sent from Israel, are working through the night trying to rescue anyone who might have survived this terrible tragedy. In the face of such devastation, it’s natural to pray for a miracle.

The Talmud, the 1500-year-old text that is the very heart of rabbinic Judaism, asks somewhat surprisingly if such a prayer is even appropriate.

Imagine you are returning from work, the Talmud suggests, and as you get closer to your home, you see smoke billowing up to the sky and you fear that it might be your house on fire. Would it be, the rabbis wonder, appropriate to offer the following prayer in such a situation: “Please God let it not be my house in flames!”

They reason that since the event itself has already occurred, this would be an example of a prayer said in vain. Either the house in question is yours or not, and no prayer can change that reality or undo the past.

Knowing that, what prayer can we offer and what might it teach us?

We cannot ask to “undo” the tragedy. For a whole host of reasons including unforgivable negligence, more than 18 deaths have been confirmed so far with more than 140 still missing. Nothing can change this harsh reality, but we can pray that rescue workers find the fortitude to continue to do their work with skill and determination so that any possibility of saving additional lives might be realized. We can pray that future misfortunes be prevented because of the lessons we learn from this moment. We can pray for a deeper awareness of the fragile, finite nature of our existence so that we will grow to be more appreciative of the ultimate gift: life itself. We can pray for comfort and community to surround the families of the missing as they wait and worry.

We can pray to hold on to hope, not necessarily for a miracle, but for the strength to carry on in the absence of one. We cannot change the past but that doesn’t mean that in the face of a tragedy we give in, collapsing emotionally in the face of physical trauma.

The Talmud relates an inspiring story of how through a combination of strength, ingenuity and hope, we might face moments like this one.

“Rabbi Abbahu entered a bathhouse when the bathhouse floor collapsed beneath him and a miracle transpired on his behalf. He stood on a pillar and saved one hundred and one men with one arm” (Berakhot 60a).

The commentators explain that it wasn’t that Abbahu had superhuman strength; rather, he reached out and grabbed one person’s hand who held on to another, who held on to another, and a human chain was formed that saved the lives of all of those souls.

The miracle—at least as it is viewed through the lens of the commentators—is not a supernatural one: it is simply people working together, joining hands to save lives.

While this is certainly an example of rabbinic hyperbole, it is one that comes to teach us an important lesson. We cannot change the past—no prayer could undo the tragedy that Rabbi Abbahu witnessed. But he holds on to hope and helps make a miracle happen. The miracle—at least as it is viewed through the lens of the commentators—is not a supernatural one: it is simply people working together, joining hands to save lives.

We will not give up hope. We will continue to work, to offer support, encouragement, and, yes, our prayers, so that somehow, some way, lives might be spared. And if, God forbid, no one else can be saved, then we will join hands in grief so that we can comfort one another and honor those we have lost.

Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback is the Senior Rabbi of Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles, California.

Last week, 73 members of the House Democratic Caucus sent a letter to President Biden urging him to reverse what they called “the previous administration’s abandonment of longstanding, bipartisan United States policy” as it relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That revisionist history reflects nothing more than a desperate attempt by a non-representative minority of lawmakers hoping to use anti-Trump sentiment in an effort to obscure what they are actually doing: advocating against the will of Congress and the American people.

Among the most egregious of the short letter’s follies were several requests, the fulfillment of which would actually be illegal, and several others that rely on gross distortions of the truth.

First, the letter pushes for the reopening of a Palestinian consulate in East Jerusalem. As a practical matter, this would be a redundant waste of taxpayer money because the Jerusalem embassy already provides consular services on a non-discriminatory basis. But it would also run directly contra to the actual will of Congress, as expressed in the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. The Act provides that “Jerusalem should remain an undivided city” and, for the record, it was passed by overwhelming bipartisan consensus, in both houses of Congress, 21 years before Mr. Trump was ever elected President.

Opening the consulate would also be illegal under the 2018 Taylor Force Act, another law passed by a massive bipartisan Congressional consensus (i.e. not by Trump). That bill put a hold on any assistance that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority until they stop paying terrorists to kill American and Israeli citizens.

Another of the letter’s requests, that Biden disburse all remaining congressionally appropriated aid to the Palestinians “following all applicable US Law,” is also exposed under that same bill as being either remarkably ill-informed or ill-intentioned. As recently as March, the State Department confirmed that “the PA has not revoked any law, decree, regulation, or document authorizing or implementing” their system of structured payments to terrorists. In layman’s terms, that means the U.S. cannot possibly, following all applicable U.S. law, disburse the appropriated aid. It is true that under Trump the PA was held accountable for their laws; it is unclear why the Democrats would want to reverse that and reward their intransigence.

The letter urges the President to “strongly oppose the forced expulsion via eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem and throughout Palestinian territory.” This apparent reference to the recent situation in Sheikh Jarrah is not only irresponsible but also actually dangerous. In early May, a private civil court case over unpaid rent (that did not even involve the State of Israel as a party) was spun as an example of “forced expulsion” that could be blamed on the Israeli government.

Under that justification, and empowered by the international support they received for their story—including from the left-wing of the Democratic Party—Hamas and other terrorist groups started firing thousands of rockets at innocent people in densely populated cities. There is no forced expulsion happening, and even paying lip-service to that lie, as this letter does, will only further embolden terrorists. It is also not what the American people, including these lawmakers own constituents, actually want: a recent poll found that a full 80 percent of Democrats approve of the way Biden handled the recent conflict.

There is no forced expulsion happening, and even paying lip-service to that lie, as this letter does, will only further embolden terrorists.

The letter asks Biden to “Make clear that the United States considers settlements to be inconsistent with international law by reissuing relevant State Department and U.S. customs guidance to that effect.”  In fact, the U.S., officially, does notconsider Israeli settlements to be inconsistent with international law. The “relevant U.S. State Department” guidance referred to here is a tortured three-page memo from 1978 that resorted to applying international law as it relates to Israel differently than it had been ever applied anywhere else in the world or in history, in order to conclude that Israel was somehow doing something wrong. That memo was rejected a mere three years later (and now a full forty years ago) by President Ronald Reagan. The truth is that, while the U.S. has at various times opposed the expansion of Israeli settlements, no sitting U.S. President has ever called the settlements illegal, because they are not.

The letter also calls for Biden to formally withdraw the previous administration’s peace plan, and reaffirm as official U.S. policy the principles for resolving the conflict referenced by the House of Representatives in H. Res. 326 (116th Congress).

It is unclear if any of the members who signed the letter actually read the full “Peace to Prosperity” plan, or simply dismissed it outright because it was delivered by President Trump. To be clear, the plan called for a Palestinian State with a capital in East Jerusalem that would incorporate some 97 percent of the Palestinians in the West Bank into contiguous Palestinian territory, with land swaps provided to make sure that the emerging State of Palestine would be comparable in size to the pre-1967 territories of the West Bank and Gaza, along with massive economic stimuli designed to jumpstart the Palestinian economy. Nothing in that outline is inconsistent with the expressed will of Congress.

If these lawmakers are actually interested in furthering the peace process, instead of just playing politics, they should call on Biden to:

a) respect the will of Congress, and withhold aid until the terrorist payments finally stop,

b) reject dangerous false narratives that are used to justify violence, and

c) encourage the Palestinians to realize that the basic parameters of a two-state deal have always been and will always be the same, regardless of who is President.

Dr. Mark Goldfeder is an international lawyer and Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center

“Acharai! After me!” This slogan, which epitomizes the culture of the Israeli army, is attributed to Nahum Arieli, a soldier in the Palmach. On April 8 1948, Arieli (who had just gotten married) led a rescue force to reinforce the beleaguered defenders of the Castel, a strategic outpost overlooking the road to Jerusalem. It was there that Arieli gave the command: “privates retreat, commanders stay behind to cover.” Arieli fell in battle that evening. But his actions inspired the slogan “acharai” and reinforced the military doctrine that a commander doesn’t send his troops into battle; he goes in first and leads them.

This idea of “acharai” has deep roots in the Jewish tradition. Rashi offers an insightful explanation of an unusual turn of phrase in this week’s Torah reading. Moshe is informed that he is about to die, and he asks God to appoint a new leader. Moshe says: “Let the Lord, the God of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in.”

This idea of “acharai” has deep roots in the Jewish tradition.

What is the meaning of  the phrase “go out before them”? Rashi offers the following explanation:

“Not like the kings of the nations, who sit at home and send their armies to war, but as I [Moshe] did, for I fought against Sihon and Og.”

Rashi’s explanation offers a 1,000-year-old foundation for the idea of “acharai.” A true leader does what Nahum Arieli did, and dashes first into battle.

But does “acharai” actually make sense? On a strategic level, it seems foolish to endanger the leader, who is the most important member of the team. And because of the “acharai” ethos, the Israeli army loses critical leadership. In Operation Protective Edge in 2014, 44% of the soldiers that fell in battle were officers. How can you replace so many leaders? At first glance, “acharai” seems to be a romantic gesture rather than a well thought out strategy.

But there is actually a great deal of strategic value to “acharai.” In the Battle of Princeton, George Washington led the army right up to the front lines, and nearly got shot; his personal aide, Colonel Edward Fitzgerald, put his hat over his eyes to avoid seeing Washington’s all but certain death. Washington’s charge may seem like a rash act of courage; but it had a powerful impact on his troops. David McCullough quotes one of Washington’s officers who wrote, “I shall never forget what I felt … when I saw him brave all the dangers of the field and his important life hanging as it were by a single hair with a thousand deaths flying around him. Believe me, I thought not of myself.” This dramatic display is one example of how Washington earned the love and respect of his soldiers. The following winter in Valley Forge, during an exceptionally difficult time, that love and respect is what kept the soldiers loyal to Washington. “Acharai” is not just how a commander leads; it is also why the soldiers follow.

Relationships are at the core of why “acharai” is so important in Jewish leadership. If you assess each soldier individually, you might say the commander needs to be offered much more protection; and historically, most armies have kept their officers away from the front lines. What this view overlooks is that an army is a holistic whole, and the commanders and the soldiers function as a team.

Relationships are at the core of why “acharai” is so important in Jewish leadership.

The Tanakh makes this point very powerfully at the beginning of the story of David and Bathsheva. At the opening of the narrative, the writer of the Book of Samuel makes a point of noting that David did not go out into battle with his army, saying: “David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him, and they devastated Ammon and besieged Rabbah; David remained in Jerusalem.” David’s failures begin when he sends his troops off and stays behind in comfort. And that triggers a series of events in which David sleeps with Bathsheva, the wife of an army officer, Uriah, and then David causes Uriah’s death by sending him off into an impossible battle. David’s decision to remain at home is a failure of leadership; and that failure is followed by multiple acts of corruption. A commander who is disconnected from his soldiers will lose his moral bearings as well.

“Acharai” also transforms the ordinary soldier. The commander works together with his soldiers as part of a team, and is their role model. This flattens the differences between commander and soldier; and when that happens, the soldier learns how to question and improvise, and become ready to take on leadership roles themselves. In the book “Startup Nation,” Dan Senor and Saul Singer argue that much of Israel’s high-tech success can be traced back to its military culture; and they point to this lack of hierarchy as being critical to developing leadership and creativity within the ranks. A commander who fights side by side with his soldiers is not just leading them, but also teaching them how to lead.

From this week’s Parsha to the IDF, “acharai” has been the motto of courageous leaders. And when leaders lead, both they and their followers are transformed.

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York.

The cheerful watchword of the past 15 months has been “gratitude.” With all our complaints, anxieties, loneliness, depression, overeating and compulsive Netflix watching, we are told to be consciously and frequently grateful for what we have, not as some silly bromide but as a means to increase our health and mental and emotional stability. I even saw a recent TV ad for mattresses that spoke of gratitude.

The online articles have been profuse. One says that “grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations.” Another highlights the virtue of keeping a weekly gratitude journal. (I’m grateful I don’t have to do this every single day, my cynical brain reports).  Another, which makes sense to me, talks of creating a list of all the benefits in our lives and asking ourselves to what extent do we take these for granted?

One UC Davis psychology professor says that the practice of gratitude can lower blood pressure, improve immunity and help improve the quality of one’s sleep. He also says that “people who keep a gratitude journal have a reduced dietary fat intake … Stress hormones like cortisol are 23 percent lower in grateful people. And having a daily gratitude practice could actually reduce the effects of aging to the brain.” Grateful people, he claims, are generally more optimistic. Optimism, they say, creates more disease-fighting cells in our bodies.

I agree, I think. The experts, masters of “positive psychology,” tell us to think of one thing or person we’re grateful for when we wake up and before we go to sleep. And take a few moments every day to meditate on grateful thoughts. Transition our minds from thinking about gratitude occasionally to making it part of our frequent or second nature. Amit Sood, doctor and author of “The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness,” talks about “sprinkling a little gratitude throughout your day,” as a way of decreasing one’s risk of disease.

My husband, Tom, and I do a daily Affirmation each morning. We’ve been doing this for thirty-nine years. We call it our “Aff” for short, and it’s a crucial ritual in our lives. First we each affirm our intention for the day (to be creative, calm, productive, kind, stress-free). Then we say everything we’re grateful for: each other, our good albeit aging health, Roxie our beloved dog, friends and family, work, the people who help us keep our lives together, our home on the beach. And more. Then we ask, “what can I do to make you happy today?” When we first began adding that question, we answered with items like “You can take the laundry to the cleaners” or “You can pick up some cheddar cheese at the market.” Then we realized how pedestrian and self-centered that sounded so we shifted to nobler sentiments like “You can enjoy everything you do, you can take some time to exercise, you can realize how much I think about you.” That works a lot better than the laundry request.

One social media influencer advises making a “gratitude jar.” To do this, keep an empty jar and paper in an accessible place at home, and ask those we live with to write a single thing they’re grateful for every day and put it in the jar. Every day we should read the contents of the jar aloud. And try to be funny. The same authority recommends creating reminders, like nearby photos of people to whom we’re connected or inspirational quotes, and keeping them on the fridge or by one’s computer.

Admittedly, I am not an inherently grateful person. To begin with, I’m Jewish and thus have an abiding and ancient fear and angst, no matter the situation. Add to this the fact that my family were Russian immigrants, so their history was one of turmoil, not ease. But my current circumstances are pretty great most of the time. I know that I have an excellent life. But feeling gratitude is not my historical way of being. I tend to experience anxiety, manifesting itself as a nervous belly. The occurrence can be anything from what happened the other day when I discovered the left front bumper of my car was coming apart for no apparent reason or a recurrent fear that our dog is going to run into the street, which she has never done and doesn’t walk by the street anyway. Would a practice of gratitude lessen these stressors? I have no idea.

Learning what it means to be grateful is a process. A daily sense of gratitude for one’s blessings probably means to understand balance and perspective. To lighten up, to appreciate, to understand excellent luck as well as forbearance. To really experience one’s good fortune. To make the connection between fine health and the virtues of gratitude. To appreciate Tom and all his qualities, as well as our daily Affirmation. I may not put notes in a gratitude jar, but I can surely manage to understand how to have lower blood pressure, less daily fat intake and a boosted immune system. For all that I’m very grateful.

Marcia Seligson is a theatrical producer in Los Angeles and New York and a sometimes journalist. She is currently writing her memoirs.