Pope Leo and I lead different lives. But, last week, when he made comments about the war in Iran, I felt I had a lot in common with His Holiness. While I have never been addressed directly by President Trump, I have, like the pope, been told religious leaders should “not be getting into politics.”
When it is appropriate to speak out on political issues is one of the most sensitive and important questions religious leaders are called to address today. This week’s Torah portion, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, shows us why Judaism does belong in political conversations, and also, why it matters how we talk about it.
The Book of Leviticus’s function is to complete the formation of the Israelites as a people and prepare them for their journey to the Land of Israel. Until now, it has concentrated on the ordination of the priests and the sacrifices at the Tabernacle that give religion the reputation for being about ceremony. However, this week, all that changes. In the climax of the book, God tells the people what all their preparation is for. In a passage commonly called the Holiness Code, God says, “You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy.” Following these words is a list of commandments that encompass both interpersonal behavior and societal morality. Here are a few:
You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the Lord am your God.
The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning.
You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.
You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kinsman fairly.
Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the Lord.
When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt:
These commandments cannot be said to govern individual behavior alone. They have much to say about caring for the poor; the fair treatment of workers; the impartiality of judges, the honoring of immigrants; inclusion of people with disabilities; and our obligation to fight against oppression. If Jewish leaders fail to raise up these teachings, we are missing the point of Torah.
At the same time, the way we talk about these imperatives is important. All of these matters have many sides and multiple solutions. They require open minds. Perhaps this is the reason for the interesting presentation of the last part of this passage, below:
You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
The most important commandment of Torah, to love your neighbor, is accompanied by warnings that remind us that being a holy community does not mean avoiding subjects we don’t see the same way. Rather, we are challenged, not to be silent nor to bear a grudge; to talk about our grievances and assume good intentions; to disagree with each other, and at the same time, to love each other.
Wishing You a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jeff Saxe
