Fighting for Humanity.

Robert S. Reichmann

November, 7 2023 // 23 Cheshvan 5784

From the day this war began, the Torah cycle also began anew. Although we’ve studied its words so many times before, the history and lessons it teaches seem more alive than ever. As we parse through the narrative, we begin to see common themes and messages with such relevance and clarity, that only the Creator Himself could impart.?

Our story is that of the attachment with the creator, our ego’s corruption and that of reconciliation. We discover that morality unchecked has a tendency to devolve into chaos and is a plague that can infect anyone. An awareness of the divine drives a moral imperative to be a light in the darkness so as to inspire and illuminate a path forward. But even still, this is not always enough. Humanity’s ultimate survival hinges on its ability to rise above the chaos, maintain a moral clarity and take responsibility for our world.

The Torah begins with the struggle of man between good and evil; soul, aligned with eternal truth, and ego, externalized insecurities and trauma focusing anywhere but inside. But as the world devolves, we witness the first extinction event. The world is “Malei Chamas”(1), chaos and moral corruption took over humanity. Although we learn man’s idealized objective is to influence humanity to mend its ways, Noah feels he cannot. The headwinds are too strong. Despite his character, “Noach Ish Tzadik”(2), he recognizes that corruption can influence even those with good intentions. Society is too far gone. Instead he focuses inward, protecting himself from the influences and elements.??

This concept is hard to fathom, but unfortunately we have come to witness it in real time. On October 7th we saw evil rear its face in a way we never thought imaginable. The evil perpetrated was beyond comprehension, but disturbing even further, was its ability to seep into and find acceptance and support deep within our culture and institutions. Instead of embracing an internal path towards meaning and purpose, we've shifted our focus outward, embracing victimhood, blame, cancel culture, and now violence; a reflection of a society in decline, echoing the generation Noah. Concealed behind a veil of isms, different modalities of absolute moral corruption have collided. And now, the mask is off. LBGQT and other historically persecuted minorities are chanting against the one Middle East country that would accept them, for a movement that would drop them from a building top. Supposed academics are “exhilarated”(3) at the brutal rape and dismemberment of Jews. Mobs have overtaken an airport searching for “Jews”. The rot is beyond reproach. We cannot fix it. Instead as with Noah, we find our strength inward and upward, within our soul and from the creator.

Following this lesson we are introduced to Abraham, our patriarch - the first Jew.? Although there were a number of righteous people before him, this designation was proffered only to him. Understanding this sheds a light on who we are and our mission.

?Until this point, civilization perceived Gd as uninvolved, disconnected and unrelatable in our world (“E-l Elyon”)(4). Abraham ushered in a new consciousness, he believed Gd's presence is manifest here in this world (Konei Shamayim V'aretz)(5)(6). With this awareness he introduced a moral imperative upon the world and a responsibility upon himself, as a representative of this new consciousness.?

But his belief would be of no consequence if not for his affirming action. Abraham was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in; he stood up to his father, to Nimrod and to the five kings. He also always put others first, as demonstrated by him again risking his life to save his nephew Lot. These qualities and actions reflected his essential truth and kindness, recognized by Gd. Humanity goes through many struggles, but he who can stand alone in the face of evil, focused not on himself but on Gd's children, humanity - it is he who is chosen to carry forth Gd's message.

Yet Abraham cannot save everyone. Again the world devolves into moral failure as Sodom and Gomorrah face extinction. Rashi highlights a notable linguistic anomaly that hints to the source of the corruption, “naar ad zakein”, from young to old. He suggests that a society where the young guide the old is a recipe for disaster. Indeed today, it seems nothing less than prophetic. This is echoed today, in an endlessly confused and misguided world where the young tear down monuments and claim superiority over leaders' past. They’ve chosen violence as a path to peace, conflated progressivism with pogroms and distorted kindness with killings. Chaos reigns once again.

As we sit today in a dark and lonely world, it is easy to feel helpless and hopeless. How can I speak the truth in the face of adversity? Who will be the voice of truth? These are the questions of generations past all the way to our forefathers, a difficult well trodden path, paved through the centuries. We must stand up for what is right and we must think beyond ourselves. In a world of brokenness, it is our responsibility to be the voice for humanity.?

Lord Jonathan Sacks said “to be a Jew is to know that over and above history is the task of memory”(8). We must recall the past not simply as a matter of lineage, but as a living directive. Our mission is to recall our forefathers' memory, accept their responsibility, and perpetuate their legacy.

Today, Israel may be battling terrorists, but the war is for nothing less than for humanity's itself. Our survival is a given and nothing less than a promise to our forefathers. Our mission is to recall their memory, accept their responsibility and perpetuate their legacy. In a world of chaos, we are to be a light in the darkness. As Jewish people, our survival is promised. We fight not for ourselves but for the soul of humanity.

(1) Genesis 6:11

(2) Genesis 6:9

(3) ?https://cornellsun.com/2023/10/16/cornell-professor-exhilarated-by-hamass-attack-defends-remark/

(4)?Genesis 14:18

(5) Genesis 14:19

(6) Genesis 24:7

(7) Genesis 19:4

(8) https://www.rabbisacks.org/quotes/history-memory/