We know from Pharaoh

Whatever hope we had for the future of America in 2021  took a hit with the January 6 attack on the Capital. Thoughts and prayers are not going to be enough; as if they ever were. But I still have faith in the power of us.

In Torah this week, God says: “I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.”  I imagine that the Holy One is cognizant of the insanity that has overtaken this country. God hears the moaning of Americans and likely thinks, “not again! Can’t you people get this right? I taught you to place human life and dignity above all else.”

Like my vision of an exasperated God, we too are exhausted. We are disgusted by four years of partisanship gone wild. Our country has endured narcissism on crack. And then there was a pandemic.

Most who will read this have fared well enough. Our IRA accounts have grown. We had access to great medical care. Even in a pandemic, we ate fresh food, stocked up on toilet paper, and relied on Amazon prime to ease the way through 2020.

Then a mob attacked the Capital. One rioter wore a “Camp Auschwitz” hoodie. Five died. Others were planning an armed insurrection, like the 1933 attack on the Reichstag in Germany. If you ever thought “it can’t happen here” this was the week you changed your mind.

We cannot afford to merely hope that this country will get unstuck from the current depravity. The departure of Pharaoh that did not know Democracy leaves us to reckon with those who followed Pharaoh’s orders. And what of the fine people on the other side who envision a Judeinrein nation?

Next up is Joe Biden. Is he our modern Moses, come to lead us into the expansive American future? Biden is about the same age as Moses was when he undertook a leadership role. Do you believe that a Biden administration is the antidote to the hatred unleashed in America? I’m not inclined to rely solely upon any politician or political party. I put my faith in us.

Like ancient Israelites, there are Americans moaning, and pleading. Their salvation does not depend on any single political leader but upon us, as Jews who know the value of freedom from a history of answering to Pharaohs.

Our tradition teaches us to emulate God. Like God, we must hear the moaning of people, and recall the covenant. The American covenant, by which we flourish, directs this nation to expand freedom. Freedom is not merely the release from constraint. Freedom is diminished when vigilantes harm innocents, where medicine is a luxury, and while children suffer from hunger. Freedom thrives when each person is secure from violence, has access to health care, and is properly nourished.

The covenant to pursue freedom requires our vigilance. It is not enough that Americans are deemed to be free. All must be able to enjoy that freedom. We proclaim the pursuit of freedom that shines hope for all people. That is our holy purpose, both as Jews and Americans.

To release this country from the narrowness of extreme partisanship and acrimony, we cannot hide behind our privilege and our comfort. Recalling the Pharaohs we confronted in the past, we must demonstrate that the Jewish experience in America paved a path to freedom for everyone. With pride in our heritage and accomplishments, we have the moral compass to urge America toward a better future.

The task is ours, my friends. And we may not desist from it at all.

Rabbi Evan J. Krame