January 14th: Beshallach
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
The columnist and broadcaster Fareed Zacharia recently observed that most people do not read the details of policies, laws, and programs. Rather, when asked about their opinions, they respond viscerally. They have a general feeling about the worth or lack thereof, and they trust leaders to take care of things.
Though I might pretend to be a deeper thinker, I must admit that I resemble that remark. Once, back in the 1990s, I was part of a large rabbinic delegation that visited Vice President Al Gore in the White House. As he was speaking, I fell asleep. Yes, asleep. The room was hot, and I had just eaten lunch, but the overriding factor was the excessive and tedious detail of his explanations. As I drifted off into slumber, I remember my visceral reaction: I cannot follow all these details, but this very intelligent man seems to know what he’s talking about. I trust him.
How many other people or ideas do we trust—or distrust—based on visceral impressions or reactions? How many of us really understand the way computers or cell phones work? How many of us understand the complexities of economic policy or the Coronavirus or global warming? We drive our cars and take our medications and enjoy music without really knowing how these things function. We live our lives with a kind of trust that those who know will take care of things. What happens, then, when we find out that the people we trust are abusing the responsibility we have given them?
Our Torah portion this week has an excellent example of trust betrayed. Think of the Egyptian soldiers caught in the Red Sea—individuals who trusted Pharaoh and followed his orders. Think of the ways their trust was betrayed as Egypt was destroyed—morally by the continuing enslavement of the Hebrews and then physically plague by plague. Think of the way they still followed his orders, rushing headlong into the sea after the escaping Israelites. Then remember how they died in a foolhardy attempt to thwart the Will of the Lord. “Moses held out his arm over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state, and the Egyptians fled at its approach. But the Lord hurled the Egyptians into the sea. The waters turned back and covered the chariots and the horsemen—Pharaoh’s army that followed them into the sea; not one of them remained.” (Exodus 14.27-28)
Whenever I read this in the Hebrew, something strikes me that the translation does not catch. The Hebrew says, “U’mitzrayim nasim lik’ra’to,” which is usually translated as “the Egyptians fled at its approach.” However, the word “lik’ra’to” usually means “greeting.” (We sing this every week in Lecha Dodi: “Lecha, dodi, LIKRAT Kallah / Come, my beloved, to GREET the bride…” The Egyptians are rushing to greet the disastrous waters—rushing headlong into a catastrophe that they finally meet. Their trust in Pharaoh’s leadership led them first to moral corruption, and now their trust in him is leading them to terror and physical destruction.
There are many issues confronting our society, and there are many opinions about how to solve them. We should be glad for those who take the responsibility for leadership. However, when we see our society plunging headlong into immorality or corruption, perhaps it is time to put aside our trust and get involved in pursuing justice and fairness.
Among the most complicated issues facing our state is that of fair voting districts. We all know what gerrymandering is, but determining when a district is drawn fairly is often quite difficult. Population is not evenly distributed. There are a variety of different governmental and regional lines that define/comprise communities. And, there are a variety of different interest groups pushing for different maps. Too often, however, and in too many places, large numbers of Pennsylvania voters have been strategically disenfranchised. This is not a benign political exercise; it is a moral depravity, and it indicates that that our trust has too often been misplaced.
We could be encouraged by the fact that the Commonwealth’s Constitution provides guidance—with specific goals and principles for drawing fair district lines. The question, however, is whether our political leaders are following these guidelines with righteousness or with guile. There are certainly the natural consequences of elections, but there is a difference between reasonable partisanship and political hackery.
We are fortunate to have two major state leaders in our community, Jake Corman and Kerry Benninghoff. Each purports to be a decent human being, but each seems to be pulled by the temptation to take unfair advantage of his political power. (This is not unique to these two individuals; it is the ubiquitous human situation whenever any of us attain authority.) Our responsibility is to insist that they behave decently, honestly, and fairly—staying on the right side of the line and following their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and pursue its goals. Realizing that all leaders are drawn by extreme and tempting voices, we need to support them when they rise above the partisan and do the right thing. This applies to all of us, whether Democrat or Republican.
Judging the comparative redistricting plans is very difficult. Figuring out where to draw the lines amidst the many regions and communities is a headache-invoking exercise. Fortunately, there are resources and opportunities to get involved. The Reform Movement’s Pennsylvania Religious Action Center has identified fair voting districts as its primary project this year, and our congregation’s Social Action Committee is joining in this important work. Our liaisons to the RAC and our Social Action Committee members will be drafting a letter to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission making detailed suggestions with regard to districts in Central Pennsylvania. Please contact either David Post (post@psu.edu) or Emily Fogel Conway (emilyfogelconway@gmail.com) if you wish to be part of this effort.
Brit Shalom is also sponsoring a community-wide discussion on this important matter of justice. On Sunday February 20th, at 4:00 PM, Dr. Lee Ann Banaszak, Head of the Department of Political Science at Penn State, and Dr. Chris Fowler, Associate Professor of Geography and Demography at Penn State, will offer insights on how our current redistricting process is unfolding and how we, as concerned citizens, can continue to raise our voices for justice. See our website for details.
Let us be careful where we put our trust, and let us do our part to make sure that justice is done. To do otherwise is to rush headlong into moral corruption.