Smashing the Luchot and Aipac
Adapted from Rabbi Braun’s sermon in 5775
Aipac was spectacular! A group of seven people from the shul spent Sunday through Tuesday in Washington as part of the shul’s first official delegation to the Aipac policy conference.
I hope that next year we will have 15 to twenty going. (we currently have more than that!)
I want to begin to explain why by answering one of the oldest questions that the episode of the post golden calf-smashing of the tablets raises.
- And the Lord said to Moses, Go down; for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves;
- They have turned aside quickly from the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, These are your gods, O Israel, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Then God suggests wiping out the people and starting again with Moshe. Only after that (verse 19) Moshe descends, sees the calf and shatters the tablets at the foot of the mountain.
Why wait? If the tablets were to be shattered then why not break them atop the mountain? Surely he believed God and did not have to see it with his own eyes to believe it!
I want to share two answers with you, each with real relevance to Aipac’s policy conference.
The first is one that I have heard and seen quoted, but in the spirit of intellectual honesty, I could not actually find a source for.
There is an idea that שאינו דומה שמיעה לראייה – there is no comparison between hearing and seeing. Yes we can intellectually comprehend something and believe it but that is nothing compared to actually seeing it! When you see it you can comprehend and understand it in a more profound way.
Of course Moshe believed God and knew that the people had sinned but when he came down the mountain and actually saw the people, wow – that really got him. When you experience something as opposed to simply hearing about it the impact is much more profound.
I could tell you all about the policy conference. I could try and describe 16000 on their feet for the prime minister of the Jewish state or for our Senator Robert Menendez. I could try and portray the emotions, the sense of pride, the inspiration that Israel provides and you could understand it. You might well believe that lobbying works and the relationships built between us and members of congress do help. You might understand that helped secure $225 million dollars of missiles during the summer war.
But ask anyone who went – אינו דומה שמיעה לראייה – there is no comparison between hearing about it and seeing it firsthand. It is an amazing experience and one that you should have.
In fact, the entire delegation from the shul is already signed up for next years conference!
I saw a second answer in the writings of Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli, former chief rabbi of the State of Israel.
He does not ask our specific question but he wonders:
- If it was only the riffraff (erev rav) sinning, why does Moshe smash the luchot? What about the rest of the people? The riffraff were a small minority!
- Furthermore he asks, why does Hashem want to kill them all and start again with Moshe, not everyone sinned!
Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli gives an amazing answer.
He writes that Moshe came down and saw who was sinning. But he also saw everyone else who sat by, did nothing and let it happen. Where were they? Why didn’t they act? Why didn’t they stop it?
He explains that the people were good and holy and were enjoying God in the desert. Yet they only wanted a connection and only cared about other Jews like them. They had nothing to do with the riffraff and did not believe that they had an obligation to do so. (The riffraff wanted a leader to take them to Israel in place of Moshe. The others were happy with God in the desert and wanted no part of a plan to get to Israel…)
Moshe came down saw the rest of the people and broke the tablets.
What was their sin? They didn’t do anything wrong! They didn’t make the calf!
Rav Yisraeli identifies two sins:
- They did not understand that their obligation is to the entirety of the people of Israel, not just to like minded Jews.
- You don’t have to act to sin; Sometimes inaction is a sin as well. They had an opportunity to step in and stop the destructive calf yet they did not and for that they are held accountable.
He could have been writing for Aipac.
- We have an obligation to the entirety of the people of Israel and to the State of Israel.
One of the things that I felt was really being a part of the larger Jewish people. There were people there from all over the Jewish world, right and left, reform, conservative, orthodox secular united to work on behalf of the Jewish people. That was inspiring! On Monday morning I spent an hour waiting on the second security line in anticipation of Bibi’s speech talking to a woman from Mezu Montana. There we were, a totally secular woman from Montana and an Orthodox Rabbi from NJ united in purpose for the State and people of Israel! Everyone there understood their obligation to Klal Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael.
- I have been preaching this all year. You need to do something for Israel. You can’t simply live in your own world and be Jewish. If you have an opportunity to help and do something, it is wrong to sit back and do nothing. Not only will you help, it will deepen your connection to Israel! There are many ways to help and Aipac is a good one.
Remember:
You need to see it to believe it!
You have an obligation to the Jewish people of and State of Israel!
You have an opportunity to help; therefore you have an obligation to help!
