The RJC leadership conference is always an incredible event. It is hosted at the Venetian in Las Vegas -- this year, without the late proprietor and RJC benefactor Sheldon Adelson for the first time -- and features an all-star cast of political guests. It was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic; President Trump was to have addressed the conference for the second year in a row.
The lineup this year is impressive, and the mood will be festive, given the wave of Republican victories in this past week's off-year election. There will be tributes to Adelson, and discussions about how best to head off the Biden agenda, especially as the administration appears to be doubling down on its bad policies, rather than dialing them back in response to the poor election results.
One focus of the RJC may be efforts to stop Biden from declaring a separate U.S. consulate in Jerusalem for the Palestinians -- a move that Israel opposes, because it would effectively divide Jerusalem diplomatically, and which would violate both U.S. and international law. The RJC was instrumental in pushing for the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem; it is going to defend that historic win.
This week’s portion launches the great story of Abraham, who is told to leave everything of his life behind — except his immediate family — and to leave for “the Land that I shall show you.”
There’s something interesting in the fact that Abraham is told to leave his father’s house, as if breaking away from his father’s life — but his father, in fact, began the journey, moving from Ur to Haran (in last week’s portion). His father set a positive example — why should Abraham leave him?
Some obvious answers suggest themselves — adulthood, needing to make one’s own choices, his father not going far enough, etc.
But I think there is another answer. Abraham (known for the moment as Abram) needs to establish his own household. This is not just about making one’s own choice, but really about choosing one’s own starting point. It’s starting over.
Sometimes we start over in fundamental ways even if much that surrounds us remains the same. Sometimes the journey we have to ...
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
