Sermons
ROSH HASHANAH MORNING, September 30, 2008
"Welcome to our High Holyday edition of Rabbi's In Distress, our annual Sunday morning television talk show. Rabbi's In Distress is, for some Rabbis, the ultimate source of High Holy Day sermon topics when all else fails."
This morning our guest is Abraham the Hebrew and we will discuss change and leadership."
"Abraham, it's good to have you with us, especially after that incident with Isaac and the ram on Mt. Moriah.""
Abraham looked perplexed. "It is a pleasure to be with you but why did you invite me? I'm not a celebrity. I did have some impressive coverage in the Bible but that was long ago. "
I demurred. "Abraham, you're too modest, although I feel obliged to ask, your robe, how did you get by our makeup department? Incidentally how long have you been wearing that robe?""
Abraham quickly calculated. "About 3,800 years.""
"Well, it doesn't matter. As you know these are anxiety ridden times. Precariously constructed sand castles are steadily eroding. There is a sense of powerlessness. Leaders do not have answers, except to blame one another and often there is a total absence of leadership. But you, Abraham, you seem to be an exemplar of a leader who changed his world. In fact, you changed an entire pattern of worship ---- substituting a ram for your son Isaac, absolutely brilliant.""
"Was the decision based on Sarah's biological time clock? After all, she was in her 90's. Chances of having another child were slim and how could you be father of a great nation without children?""
Abraham shook his head. "That wasn't the reason. I simply took a risk. How did I know God would accept a ram? But sacrificing a child on an altar on Mt. Moriah, or the contemporary version of offering up our sons and daughters in ill conceived foreign wars - I knew that was wrong. Let me tell you a story.
"Once a man lost his way in those woods. After wandering for several days he encountered an old woodsman, straggly beard, tattered leather jacket, scuffed hiking boots. Breathing a sigh of relief the one who was lost approached the woodsman and explained his predicament. "Sir, you appear to be a man experienced in these woods. I am lost. Can you show me the way out?"
The woodsman smiled. A sad, yet ironic smile. Then stroking his beard he replied: "I am sorry but I too am lost --- and have been, not for days but for years. But don't despair. Although I can not tell you what path will lead out of the woods I can tell you what paths not to take. And that is a beginning."
Abraham sighed. "We can not repeat the paths taken in the past --- paths leading nowhere, or, even worse, paths entangling us in an even deeper thicket. "
I agreed with Abraham then I added, several years ago I was on a panel with a priest and a Muslim scholar. We were talking about you?""
"Me?" Abraham asked."
"Yes, the topic was your almost sacrifice of Isaac and each one of us was asked a single question. 'How do you interpret this story?' My Muslim colleague explained: 'Islam means submission. We believe Abraham demonstrated perfect submission to God.' The audience applauded loudly. 'The Priest replied: ~We interpret the story as an exemplar of Abraham's total faith in God." Again everyone applauded."
Then the moderator asked, 'And you, Rabbi. What do you make of my story?"
"Forgive me Abraham, but I compared you to a present day religious fanatic. You were hearing voices. Acting on blind faith --- at least until you sobered up and went for the ram. Silence."
"You know Abraham, it is so much easier to have simplistic answers to complex problems. To avoid the troublesome process of engaging the critical mind.
Recently I overheard a conversation:"
'Alex, who are you voting for?""
'I'm voting for McCain."
'Why? "
'Because I'm a Republican!"
'And Eric, who are you voting for?"
'Obama."
'Why? "
'Because I'm a Democrat.'"
"Are those answers sufficient?
Descartes said 'I think, therefore I am.'"
"In a clever play on those words the essayist Ambrose Bierce wrote 'I Think I think. Therefore I think I am.'"
"Abraham, we think we think but we don't really think""
"That wasn't you Abraham. But I do need to ask a question: Why did you wait so long before saving your son? You did cause a bit of trauma to Isaac --- I mean, that knife poised overhead.""
Abraham looked pained. The wrinkles on his weather beaten face became more taut and his aged presence was timeless. You could see the burden of centuries descending on his shoulders."
"Yes, I waited but it was a delicate balance. I could not undo what went before. But as a leader I also did not want to act impetuously.
"Yet, when the times demanded I acted. Haven't Jews always done that?
"Now let me tell you another story I heard in my wanderings through time.
"Once a flood threatened the earth. When the news reached the village square three men, a Frenchman, an Italian and a Jew debated what to do."
The Frenchman said, "'Well, since there is no longer a reason to save my fine wine I intend to drink the old vintages before I am washed away.' And the Italian replied, 'I have been carefully watching my diet but if the flood is coming that seems useless --- I intend to dine on all the pasta I can consume! Finally the Jewish man commented, 'Since the flood is inevitable I am going to go to the library and research books on how to live under water.'"
Abraham paused. "That story is one of the secrets of Jewish survival --- find a way to go on in spite of everything. We are a people optimistic about the future.""
"Abraham, you considered your decision for many years. But who did you speak with? In America politicians often make decisions maneuvered by shrewd strategists or polls. They weren't available to you. So how did you decide? Was it God that influenced you --- or your neighbors?"
Abraham paused. "It certainly was not my neighbors. They lived a long camel ride away. And God? Perhaps - or at least the Godly within us."
"But whose God, Abraham? The God of Judaism? Of Christianity? Of Islam? Whose God?""
Abraham shook his head. "Does it matter? Should we judge a person by their faith? Or whether they use that faith to separate or unite people? And anyway, wasn't it the prophet Malachi who preached: "Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, brother against brother?"
"Well spoken, Abraham, well spoken --- but those words do not accurately portray 21st century America.""
"What do you mean?" Abraham queried."
"We are a divided country." I replied."
"For instance 13% of Americans say Barack Obama is a Muslim, often not a popular label in today's atmosphere. Incidentally, that is an increase from 10% in March. 16% aren't sure. And the Muslim issue may only be a cover for the real issue of racism, the shadow that will appear when the curtain closes on the polling booth. Sadly, even Jews, in spite of our own history, display racial bigotry.""
This bigotry is especially pronounced among the older generation. On Columbus Day weekend Jewish children will be encouraged to visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Barack Obama and swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor. The pilgrimage is called, "The Great Schlep." One comedienne urges Jewish grandchildren to use threats. Tell their grandparents that "if they vote for Barack Obama they're gonna get another visit this year from their grandchildren. If not, let's just hope they stay healthy till next year.'"
Unfortunately, bigotry has also been manifest among religious leaders.
For example, both Presidential candidates suffered from clergymen who castigated groups ranging from Gays, Catholics, Muslims --- religious leaders who the candidates hesitated to cast off. And I speculate that the crisis in the financial markets may redound against Jews. At present diversity is not the climate in America."
In a speech in 2004 Barack Obama proclaimed:"
"This is not a liberal America or a conservative America. This is the United States of America.""
Then my voice dropped. "We are not a United States of America. We are not one people. We have religious wars, culture wars, party wars, generational wars. Candidates speak of respect one day and attack one another the next.
"The recent economic crisis reminds us we are members of one global world but in human relations --- well I am not sure we have made any advances over your times Abraham. We do have technology, computers, but has human nature really changed?""
A deafening silence filled the studio. Then Abraham spoke."
"On the other hand, you do have a woman on a ticket. That heals one rift."
"Or opens more questions," I suggested. "About judgment in decision making. About a placard announcing "Guns, God and Lipstick." Is that really a step forward for gender equality or only a political calculation?"
"Well, she seems strong," Abraham ventured. "Reminds me of my Sarah.
"Your Sarah? She did everything you wanted. Even let you sleep with your maidservant Hagar so you could have a son. You called him Ishmael. I can't see too many women doing that today.""
Abraham chuckled. "Ah, but what about the rest of the story? Later on Sarah and I had Isaac, and Sarah made me throw out Hagar and Hagar's son Ishmael. At first I refused to exile Hagar and Ishmael but Sarah insisted: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son!' Those were her exact words. Look them up in Genesis. Sarah made my life miserable. And all the Hebrew women, 1800 of them, applauded. "
"What did you do?" I asked."
I spoke with God. Asked for God's advice. And God answered. "Don't worry Abraham, behold, I have also blessed Ishmael. Remember, his name means 'A man from God' and he is destined to be the father of the Arabs." "
"Not only that," Abraham continued. "When I died both Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury me. As if they were burying past enmity. One people was not better than another in my day." "
Time was running out and I still had one question to ask."
"Abraham, I'm not certain any of our candidates are ideal. Would you consider running for President? A write-in candidate?""
Abraham laughed. "Who wants a 3,800 year old tribal leader who speaks Hebrew as a second language for President?""
I interrupted. "It is what you stand for." Abraham responded. "Quite modestly, I do have an impressive resume. As you might remember, I was born in Ur of the Chaldees. That is your present day Iraq. Then I set out on my journeys. From Ur to Haran, today's Turkey, and on to Syria, Lebanon, Israel. Yes, my CV in foreign affairs is quite extensive. And I'm also aware of domestic affairs. When I had to circumcise myself, a sign of my covenant with God, I used a dull flint blade. It was the only knife I could find and it hurt. Since that day I have worked for adequate health care. " "
I smiled, aware that Abraham also had an ego --- he was perfectly suited to be a politician."
Abraham, One of our columnists, David Brooks, wrote about leadership and stressed the importance of judgment and acquired skills - although not necessarily 3,800 years worth. Those without these qualities, he wrote, compensate with brashness and excessive decisiveness ... Traits we have witnessed too often in recent years. "Democracy," Brooks concludes "Is not average people selecting average leaders. It is average people with the wisdom to select the best prepared."
"That's you Abraham. Interested?""
"Well," Abraham grinned. "I might be. Call me in 2012." Then becoming somber Abraham offered a final thought. "It was 2,000 years ago. I was visiting scholars in a Yeshiva in Jerusalem. They were writing the Talmud. One Man, named Hillel, dipped his reed pen into the ink and paused, the tension rippling through his body. Suddenly an idea was born and he wrote furiously on the open parchment. The words flowed. And these were the words: 'In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.' Abraham repeated the words of the Talmud, 'In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.'"
"Those words remain engraved upon my heart. These times, your times, need leaders who will raise the level of discourse, not try to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Men, women, who will act with integrity no matter how difficult, how unpopular --- no matter what the pressures."
And, with those words, Abraham slipped back into his sandals and vanished into time.
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