This week’s parashah describes the construction of the Tower of Babel, and the scattering of all the peoples of the earth. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch presents differing interpretations of the tower builders’ transgression and the contemporary significance for our times.
“These last few weeks, Kanye West has peddled old vile antisemitic tropes,” says Rabbi Sam Natov. “There is no excuse or explanation for his hateful words. Trying to find one is a waste of time. We need to call out antisemitism any time we hear it. Every single time.”
In the aftermath of the Golden Calf, God swore to destroy the Israelites. “It was Moses alone who saved them,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Leadership is about taking responsibility for others. When you go to vote, look into the souls of the candidates. Will they be there for us when we truly need them?”
If you could invite anyone from history to dinner, how would you prepare? Rabbi Sam Natov ponders the practice of ushpizin and how preparing for imagined guests leads to mitzvot: “May our acts of tzedakah, hospitality and compassion lead to a season of spiritual uplift, gained wisdom and Joy.”
During Rosh Hashanah, “I stopped in my office in between services to check on the Yankee games,” admits Rabbi Rena Rifkin. And now she finds that “the space between Aaron Judge’s 61st and 62nd home runs is similar to the 10 Days of Awe”: we reflect on how far we’ve come and wonder how much farther we can go…
Was the world created for us or are we but dust and ashes? “Depending on the situation, we should contemplate one or the other to remind ourselves of our place in the world,” says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. “Judaism believes that life is about balance…”
