1 “I Can't Complain” Temple Beth-El of Great Neck Rabbi Meir Feldman's
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“I Can’t Complain” Temple Beth-El of Great Neck Rabbi Meir Feldman’s Sermon on Yom Kippur Morning 2012/5773 YOM KIPPUR WAR -- GOLAN HTS The year is 1973. The day is Yom Kippur. The hour is now. Fifteen hundred Syrian tanks are rolling toward the Golan Heights. In this sanctuary, on this very day, you gathered, terrified by the news of the Yom Kippur War. In a place that is now known as the Emek Ha D’maot, the Valley of Tears, 150 Israeli tanks faced the truly impossible. Within two hours, nearly 50% of them were wiped out. Binny Friedman, who today lives in Jerusalem, but grew up in Florida, tells a story about a young IDF soldier named Effie Eitam. Eitam was responsible for a five-man reconnaisance unit that was on duty, while most of his battalion had gone home for Yom Kippur. By 2:15 that afternoon Israel was clearly in dire straits. Shocked, Effie and his small unit witnessed over four hundred Syrian tanks heading their way, with not a single Israeli tank to stop them. The commandoes had only one portable anti-tank weapon. On the one hand, it was absurd to imagine that destroying one tank would make a difference. On the other hand, if you are an elite Israeli commando unit, how can you not fire the anti-tank weapon you are holding? Thus, Effie identified the Syrian tank with the most antennas. He ordered his men to fire the missile. They did. The intended tank burst into flames. And, inexplicably, the entire Syrian advance stopped in its tracks. ===== On this holiest of day of the year, we might ask: What do we do when faced with crisis? How do we want our children and grandchildren to respond to the most challenging moments in their lives, and in the life of our community? JOHN F. KENNEDY INAUGURAL I quote: “I have sworn a solemn oath before you and Almighty God . Now the trumpet summons us again -- not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need -- not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but as a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle . a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. “The faith and devotion we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” I’m thinking about two historic speeches. One, of course, is JFK’s inaugural address from January 1961, when my mom and dad were eagerly awaiting my arrival, in about 6 months time. The other, we heard in our Torah reading this morning. In his inaugural address, JFK created a 1 profoundly religious gathering. He invoked God’s presence, and, with an entire nation looking on, either in person or on television, he framed a covenantal moment. To every citizen, from the heads of tribes and the elders of the community, to the water carriers and wood cutters -- President Kennedy asked the same question. “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country?” THE LAND OF ISRAEL & JFK’S QUESTION JFK speaks to us about our future in the land of America. Moses speaks to us about our future in the land of Israel. I return to our Torah reading: “You stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your God, from the heads of tribes and elders of the community, to the water carriers and the wood choppers. to enter into the sworn covenant. I place before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life . that you may endure in the land, which the Lord swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” For thousands of years, to choose life has meant to bind our hearts and souls and dreams to the land of Israel. Since the beginning of Jewish time we have known that our potential as individuals and as a people is inextricably tied to one piece of land. Moses is speaking to us about our future in the land of Israel. JFK is speaking to us about our future in the land of America. If we close our eyes, or open them wider, the mind’s eye can see two bodies of water. Yes, today we stand in Great Neck, on the shores of the Long Island Sound, but today, we stand as well on the banks of the Jordan River. BUT IT DOESN’T EXCITE But it’s quite likely that JFK’s question, the Torah’s question, is problematic. It likely doesn’t resonate. It doesn’t excite. For many of us, when we contemplate our next vacation, Israel is far down on the list of destinations. When thinking about a language to learn, the most glorious language on the planet, the language of our family and of our people, Hebrew is likely not on the list. When considering a piece of world history to study, it’s usually not Israel’s. When downloading our next book on Kindle, or inquiring about a great artist, musician or thinker, none will likely be related to Israel. Lastly and most importantly, when searching for inspiration, for a sense of awe or wonder or passion; when we yearn for a soul-filling sense of connectedness, or commit to enriching our lives more than we could ever imagine, Israel is rarely considered. Unlike the 25 generations of Jews that preceded us, we don’t look to our communal connection to provide us with great meaning, or a sense of lofty purpose. So let me re-frame JFK’s question, why : Why must her past and future be critical to each of us, to our children, and to our grandchildren? Beyond the fact that the Torah instructs us to place Israel at our center, and beyond the fact that since our founding moments our dreams have been 2 bound up in this one piece of land, why must our care and concern for Israel be so deep, that each of us is unavoidably drawn to JFK’s question? ONE ANSWER There’s one answer. The full expression of our Jewish lives depends on it. We simply cannot fulfill our purpose, our mission as Jewish individuals, without a deep, abiding and ever-active love for Israel. Allow me to share a series of stories that make my fundamental point: neither we nor our children or grandchildren can fulfill our mission as Jewish individuals, without an abiding love and attachment to Israel. We owe that love and attachment to our past and to our future, but mostly we owe it to our present selves. MODERN LIBERAL JEWISH ZIONISTS & THEODORE HERZL I begin with the story of the giants of Modern Zionism, who stood at this covenantal moment, not thousands of years ago, but about 100 years ago. I hope you know of them. Max Nordau, Leo Pinsker, Moshe Hess, David Ben Gurion , Eliezer ben Yehuda, Vladimir Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin. These giants of the modern Zionist story were educated at the great European universities. They grew up with varying degrees of Jewish education, but all of them chose a largely secular Jewish life. Furthermore, all of them felt that without Israel, their lives would be incomplete; there would be no way to fulfill the potential of their Jewish identity. Then there is Theodore Herzl, the founder of Modern Zionism. Born in Budapest in 1860, Herzl studied at the Univ of Vienna. He received his doctorate in law, worked in the courts for a few years, and then became a writer. A decidedly non-observant Jew, Herzl became convinced in the late 1890’s that Jews had to create a Jewish state, and so he organized the First Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland, in 1896. This quite secular Jew is widely regarded as the father of modern Zionism.1 These giants of modern Zionism teach a profound lesson: university-minded Jews know the critical role that Israel must play in our lives. Liberal, non-Orthodox Jews should be the Zionist trail-blazers, the ones to inspire a historic renaissance in our ancient Jewish home. SOVIET REFUSENIKS Here’s a more modern version of that story. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin led a mission to the former Soviet Union, to visit Soviet refuseniks, non-religious Jews who dearly wanted to make aliyah to Israel. An American asked one of the ‘refuseniks,’ “How is the Jewish education in Soviet Russia?” 1 [In 1897, he wrote in his diary, “If not in 5 then in 50 years there will be a Jewish state.” 50 years later, in 1947, the United Nations voted to create a Jewish and an Arab state.] 3 Although it hardly existed, the refusenik answered: “I can’t complain.” “And how’s the availability of religious articles in Russia”? Although they mostly didn’t exist, he said: “I can’t complain.” “And how is your standard of living in Russia”? The refusenik answered: “I can’t complain.” “Then, why are you so anxious to leave Russia for Israel?” “Well, answered the refusenik, in Israel, at least I can complain.” COMPLAINING & ZIONIST LOVE But, I worry . that for too many of us, our Zionism has one, all-too-prevalent form of expression. We complain. We often give money. But even more often, we complain. There is so much to complain about and the causes for complaint are monumental.