After a pleasant Shabbat in Lavon, Israel, I turned on my computer – only to learn two pieces of bad news, one horrific and one sad.
The horrific news, of course, was the terrible tragedy in Pittsburgh. The sad news was the identity of the person behind the wave of pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats. I had been quite convinced that we were seeing a false flag operation, as any Trump supporter with a brain larger than a cockroach would surely know that targeting Democrats with bombs would hurt – not help – Republicans come November 6. But it appears at this point that the culprit was indeed a Trump supporter.
Thus, various people will be quick to blame President Trump for these pipe bombs. Others, though, will blame the volatile political climate that led to it on critics of President Trump. I believe it noteworthy that the two acts of terror were perpetrated by opposites characters – an anti-Trump monster in Pittsburgh and a pro-Trump monster in the case of the pipe bombs.
What should be clear is that both sides use too much violent rhetoric, and instead of blaming the “other side,” both sides need to find a way to return to civil discourse. Both must find ways to disagree politically without demonizing the other.
I am all for passionate argument and taking principled stands. But we should do so within bounds. Perhaps we can learn how to do so from one of our patriarchs:
We just read in Vayera about Avraham’s heroic effort to save Sodom. (That alone should give us pause – who among us would pray that the absolutely wicked be spared G-d’s wrath?) The Torah states, “And Abraham approached and said, ‘Will you even destroy the righteous with the wicked?’” (Bereishis 18:23).
Rashi comments that the word “vayigash” (“and he approached”) is used in reference to battle, mollification, and prayer. Avraham, Rashi writes, approached with all three in mind. That he approached to mollify and pray is understandable. But to do battle? Avraham, a man of love and kindness, approached G-d to battle?
And yet, we find Avraham did use accusatory and harsh words in speaking to G-d on this occasion. The greatest of believers shockingly accuses Hashem of acting unjustly. “Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?” More passionate words of protest have never been spoken!
But at the end of this mighty verbal battle, we read: “v’Avraham shav limkomo – and Avraham returned to his place.” I heard a beautiful interpretation of these words from Rav Mordechai Elon. He noted that Pirkei Avos (6:6) lists “hamakir es mekomo – recognizing one’s place” as one of the 48 ways of acquiring Torah and said as follows:
Too often people have either an insufficient, or too grandiose, notion of their place. Some people think little of themselves and thus do not aspire to the greatness they ought to achieve. Others have grandiose notions of their importance, and do not recognize that they are acting out of place when acting arrogantly. A wise person knows where he belongs, and strives not to be an iota less than his true potential while at the same time not imagining himself beyond it.
Mild-mannered Avraham would normally never have dreamt of challenging G-d, certainly not in a harsh and accusatory fashion. But he felt such a great injustice was about to unfold that he could not remain silent. And so he challenged G-d, forthrightly and fearlessly, while never forgetting whom he was addressing.
After he concluded his argument, though, and realized further comment would be futile, “Avraham returned to his place.” He knew the time for protest was over and returned exactly to who he was before the crisis – so much so that not long after we read of his total unquestioning obedience at the Akedah.
Current events are, of course, vastly removed from the holy actions of Avraham Avinu. But it seems to me that the shocking tragedy on Shabbos indicates that perhaps the passionate arguments on all sides have gone as far as they ought to – and beyond. It is time to “know our place,” to simmer down, and to recognize that our political disputants are not evil and that any hint of violence is totally out of bounds since insane monsters out there will take such talk as an excuse to carry out nefarious deeds.
May we come together as a nation and restore civility and polite discussion and end the bitter, personal vituperative attacks. Otherwise, we all lose.
