I have heard that there is an unwritten rule to never discuss politics when giving a drash. However, it is only once every four years that we encounter a presidential election, two national political conventions, and the International Olympic Games. Much has occurred in the world over the past few weeks and months. There have been ups and downs (and unfortunately the downs seem much more visible). A few weeks ago, Republicans gathered to officially nominate their candidate for the presidency. The nightly news highlighted what I can only call ruckus behavior throughout the week. What was supposed to be a gathering about unification merely tore a greater divide amongst our American community. And the week following, the president announced he would withdraw from the race leaving many to ponder “what’s next?” while his vice president scrambled to pick up the pieces. At the same time all of this is occurring, the world’s best athletes descended on Paris. Upon writing this piece, the Olympic games have just begun, and they are already marred in controversy, including potential cheating, cardboard beds, and a river that may not be swimmable due to parasites. All the bedlam makes me wonder how it is possible for us to come together in a positive way.
This week we read the double parsha Matot-Mas’ei. The portion offers something rather interesting as our presidential candidates’ “vow” to move our country in a better direction. In addition to laying out the laws of annulment and the parsing out of the spoils of war, there is an exchange between Moses, Reuben, and Gad. Reuben and Gad want to settle in the land east of the Jordan River. Moses was angered by the request. Are they going to settle on this land and not help the rest of the community conquer the Promised Land? Reuben and Gad then commit to send fighters to help win the land. Their families and servants are then able to stay while the troops cross the Jordan to fight for Israel.
The compromise and commitment by Reuben and Gad is just an example of what it takes in order to achieve our goals. Unfortunately, too often we see in Washington an unwillingness to reach across the aisle in an effort to make change for the better. You may remember several years ago when John Stewart filled in on The Late Show. I recall him commenting on how a certain news anchor was justifying behavior by then candidate Trump when throughout the last eight years chastised President Obama for similar behavior. Stewart concluded his critique by saying, “Either (Hannity) and his friends are lying about being bothered by thin-skinned, authoritarian, less-than-Christian readers-of-prompter being president. Or they do not care, as long as it is their thin-skinned prompter-authoritarian-tyrant-narcissist. You just want that person to give you your country back. Because you feel that you are this country’s rightful owners.” His notion that it does not matter what your representative stands for as long as they are yours is spot on to what is making it close to impossible to keep America moving forward.
I know that I have painted a very grim picture of what is occurring around this country and the world right now. I am not saying that one side is better than the other. What I am trying to make us aware of is that we are all on the same team whether we believe it or not. Everyone has their own personal interests. We all want to see our lives improve. That is what makes us human. We, like Reuben and Gad, must acknowledge that our commitment to the greater whole is what will make us whole in the end.
Shabbat Shalom.