We all want America to be strong! And, as Jews, we all want Israel to be strong! And, as free people who enjoy the benefits of Western civilization, we all want the West to be strong!
But the ongoing developments happening all around us, and the news from afar that the media bring so close to us, have many of us worried. Are we strong enough? Where is our vaunted might and how can we use it to best advantage? These fears permeate the U.S. election process, now in full swing, with the primaries almost upon us. One of the ubiquitous claims that each and every candidate makes is that she or he will keep America strong, or restore America to her former strength, while the other candidates are going to destroy American power, whether through misguided incompetence, weakness of moral fiber, or covert feelings of treason.
Similarly, because we care about Israel and pay attention to what is happening within her borders and surrounding her, we are also witnesses to inflamed controversies regarding Israel’s security and the need for Israel to maintain her might.
We are worried sick. And, as a result, the atmosphere in which we conduct our deliberations and our arguments has taken on a diseased quality. We are no longer able to distinguish between dangerous opponents and people who simply disagree with us. We are also no longer able to distinguish between our enemies and people who are not our enemies, but whose crime is that they look too much like our enemies. We are not willing to consider facts, let alone arguments, that do not fit our convictions. We are not willing to give a hearing to people who acknowledge our fears but who are not willing to surrender to them. We no longer trust each other or believe that we all deserve an equal opportunity to participate in a free exchange of ideas. We have begun to hear voices among us that are unabashed in their pandering to fear and hatred. And we are witnesses to the substantial support such voices have garnered.
If only we could feel secure in our might! But how should one define “might”? If we do not define it we will not be able to measure it, to see whether we have become or can become stronger or weaker. If we do not define “might” we will be unable to decide what is needed to fortify our might.
A common conception of might sees it as founded on physical force. To have enough force to be able to fend off attack and to impose one’s wishes as one decides – that is might. So we measure our might by the size and quality of our military. And we measure our might by our willingness to punish or destroy anything and anyone who might pose a threat to our sense of safety. In that spirit we marshal the use of political, economic and legal means to obtain our goals. But the more we exercise our might in these ways the more “collateral damage” results. Is this the kind of might we aspire to?
We can find an alternative conception of might in the second blessing of our central daily prayer, the Amidah. This blessing is called “G’vurot – Mighty ways.” It is a celebration of God’s might. How is God’s might described?
The first lines of this blessing extol God as eternally mighty in that God is the One Who “brings the dead to life, the Master of salvation.” This attribute is chosen as the closing phrase of the blessing, as well. God is “the One Who brings the dead to life.” A common understanding of this blessing is that it refers to the resurrection of the dead. Since many of us don’t really believe in that doctrine anymore, we are content dismiss or ignore this blessing’s content. But this would be a mistake. The underlying idea of this blessing does not base itself on some unbelievable miracle that only God will be able perform in the future through God’s might. The underlying concept is, rather, that God is – now and ever – the force of life itself. Even without resorting to a belief in some future resurrection, it is wondrous enough for us to appreciate that the dead matter that composes the entire cosmos has, in some mysterious way, been quickened to life, in the past and the present. We acknowledge that it is God’s might that has transformed and overcome dead matter and suffused it with the glimmer of life – in the universe and in ourselves.
Life is not seen as a mere accident of physics. It is a gift made possible only because of God’s might. Therefore, the gift of life through Divine might carries with it a number of crucial implications. This becomes clearer when we consider the rest of the text. What are the details that we enumerate so as to illustrate how God is mighty? We say: “You sustain life with lovingkindness, bringing the dead to life with great compassion. You support the fallen and heal the sick and free the captives. And You keep Your faithful promises to those sleeping in the dust. Who can compare to You, O Master of Might!”
This picture of might has nothing to do with physical force or military power. It has nothing to do with imposing order, imprisoning or otherwise punishing criminals and foes. Rather it has to do with releasing people from incarceration, helping the unfortunate, increasing freedom, and keeping promises to those before us who never lived to see their dreams fulfilled. It has to do with being loving and compassionate.
What does this have to do with might? First of all, it tells us that love and compassion are the greatest sources of power we have. Second of all, it tells us that the proper use of might is for the sustenance of those who are not physically, economically or socially mighty. Third, it tells us that to be loving and compassionate in this world requires an exercise of mighty commitment. Since our fears and darker impulses are ever seeking to turn us to other paths, one must use all one’s strength to thwart such temptations.
This blessing constantly reminds us that true might is defined as the force that promotes life, love and freedom, not only for ourselves, but for all. And, as we contemplate our present situation and our concerns for the future, when we are developing our ideas, policies and strategies, choosing our leaders and the groups we wish to support, we must exercise all our might by insisting that we measure them by this yardstick – by whether they spring from a commitment to compassionately enhance life for all, and whether they want to find the best ways to do so.
As we repeat every day in our recitation of the Sh’ma – we must love the Eternal, our Almighty God, with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might.
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Thoughtful and well-reasoned argument and a necessary corrective to my tendency to place my trust chiefly in the armaments of Israel and the US. I will have to reflect on this a lot more than I have if I am to sleep well at night. Thank you, Rabbi, and a Happy and Peaceful New Year to you and your family.