A look at the Holy Book Series

The Jewish Family Identity Forum with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer

In the calendar of the annual re-reading of the Torah, the focus is now on the Book of Exodus, recounting the tale of the Israelites as they left Egypt, set up a system of judicial administration, received the Law at Mount Sinai, went astray with the golden calf, and established a sanctuary with the Law in their midst.

These biblical events find unexpected parallels on the secular calendar during January and February: the Emancipation Proclamation; the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and numerous signers of the Declaration of Independence; the ratification of 28 states; and the secession of the majority of the southern states from the union.

In both calendars we find a rejection of slavery, significant leaders, the development of a new nation, conflict between ideals and status quo, and a commitment to new social and legal models — a parallelism in both history and values.

This got me thinking: What would it be like to look at the whole Torah through American eyes? Could I randomly open to any text and find the wellsprings of America’s unique ideals? Could such an experiment also highlight where America has gotten off track and how it might return to its roots? Here’s what I found.

Promises, oaths, and contracts. Esau sold Jacob his birthright for a bowl of stew, swearing to uphold the arrangement (Gen 16:29-34). Such “handshake deals” have been part of American contract law since its very beginnings and they carry legal weight, suggesting that moral obligation is a significant factor in the making of agreements.

Explicitly stated in Numbers (30:2), “(a person) shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth,” this value was enshrined by America’s Founders in the Constitution: “No state shall pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts (Article I:10:1).” Isn’t today’s emphasis on “going around the law,” “getting away with doing less,” “taking advantage of loopholes,” and “denying responsibility” a reflection of how businesses, employees, students, and even parents have forgotten the moral component of their contracts?

The value of life, equality of humans, and individual worth. When the pharaoh “who knew not Joseph” determined the Israelites were too numerous, he first embittered their lives through slavery and then through infanticide. The midwives, however, let the baby boys live (Ex. 1:8-17), a decision that went counter to the practices of ancient cultures where infanticide, human sacrifice, and amphitheater contests to the death were routine.

The ideas that life had little worth; life’s station was predetermined by race, class and gender; and slavery was natural to the human condition were categorically rejected by the Bible, based on the radical concept that humans were all created “in God’s image” (Gen. 1:27), equal and with intrinsic worth. From its very beginnings, America chose to enshrine the biblical notions about human life in its Declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Are the choices we make today — from our families to our schools to our government — designed to honor and respect life, equality, and human worth, or do they undermine individual initiative, integrity, self-respect, and liberty?

Rule of law and fair trial. When a king of Israel takes the throne, he is to keep a copy of the Torah with him and observe every word of it so he doesn’t become haughty and think he is above the Law (Deut. 17:18-20). Furthermore, the Law applies equally to citizens and “strangers” (Ex. 12:49) and must be applied fairly: “You shall not give perverse testimony in a dispute in favor of the mighty — nor shall you show deference to a poor man in his dispute (Ex. 23:3).”

These principles are echoed in America’s legal system, for starters in the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, the adage “Equal Justice Under the Law,” and the Equal Treatment Bench book for fairness in courts and tribunals.

Yet, if America is a country governed by the rule of law, how can a president do end runs around Congress, judges make laws from the bench, and representatives opt out of legal initiatives incumbent upon its citizens? Why do some big corporations get special preferences while others are penalized? What allows wealthy defendants to buy their way out of prison while the poor are incarcerated for identical crimes? Who allows illegal aliens and foreign diplomats to get a “pass” in legal matters? Shouldn’t we see an equal application of the law to leaders, citizens, and strangers?

History. Story. Memory. “You have but to inquire about bygone ages…Has anything as grand as this ever happened, or has its like ever been known (Deut. 4:32)?” Moses’ final act was to retell the Israelite story, reminding the people of their history and values. “Watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget…And make them known to your children and to your children’s children (Deut. 4:9).” Moses exhorted more than once.

I remember growing up with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Founders as heroes, and the Puritan ethic. Can today’s Americans identify and explain our country’s core values? Does America celebrate its heroes like Jews do Moses, David, and the Judges, despite their failings? Is historical revisionism undermining the grandness of America? How well are we doing retelling the American story to our children and grandchildren?

By design of the Founders, America is a unique reflection of the biblical story and values. America and the Bible are filled with parallel ideals, as well as parallel conflicts and challenges. What might you learn as you look at the Bible through American eyes?

Family Discussion: Open the Chumash (Torah) to any page and look for an underlying biblical principle, theme, or experience that has echoes in the American past or present.

Literature to share
Paper Children: An Immigrant’s Legacy by Marcia Fine: Part memoir, part historical fiction, this novel traces the stories of an immigrant Polish mother, her rebellious ‘60s daughter, and her seeking granddaughter whose roots are in the Holocaust but whose lives are primarily in America. Fast-paced and emotionally captivating, Paper Children is a fascinating view of the Holocaust from the other side of the ocean. Not to be missed.

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt: Through the eyes of a returning Marine’s younger brother, this novel explores some of the heroic, confusing, and brutal impacts of war on family and community. It’s not an action novel, but rather a social commentary and coming-of-age story in the best sense. A good read for teens.

To read the complete February 2014 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.