Yes to Cooperation, No to Boycotts

I was shocked and saddened by Professor Stephen Hawking's decision, as reported by the Guardian, to cancel his participation in this year's President's Conference in Jerusalem. Hawking did not publicly explain his reversal but the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine said that Hawking decided to respect Palestinians' call for academic boycott "based upon his knowledge of Palestine and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there." 

I highly admire Hawking as a physicist and author, but I consider his cancellation - if indeed motivated by boycott - to be misguided and downright wrong. 

I believe that the call for academic or economic boycott of Israel is morally reprehensible and intellectually indefensible. This call is based on a moral double standard and blind ignorance. It is deeply upsetting when supported by people who are presumably dedicated to the idea of unfettered access to knowledge and research, free speech and democracy. 

Many yeas ago, I supported the idea of selective divestment from firms that profit from Israel's occupation, believing this has ethical roots in Judaism (do not profit from ill-gotten gains) and would perhaps nudge Israeli politicians to accept the Saudi Peace Initiative. But in 2006 I changed my mind, and as I explained in my Jerusalem Post op-ed, I think the so-called "BDS strategy" (boycott, divestment and sanctions) is wrong and harmful. 

I do oppose certain Israeli policies toward Palestinians in the West Bank and violations of basic human rights. But whatever mistakes the Israeli governments have made in their treatment of Palestinians, they pale in comparison to those perpetrated by any number of states ranging from Iran through Russian to China, to name a few notorious examples. Would Professor Hawking boycott conferences in those countries too?! And while we're at it, executions (whether by drones or judicially-ordered) have been decried as a basic violation of human rights and are considered by the overwhelming majority of democratic countries a barbaric and inhumane practice -- shouldn't Professor Hawking ban conferences in the United States too since it is the No. 4 in the world in executions per year?!   

Professor Hawking earned critical acclaim and became my hero with his first book, A Brief History of Time,  in which he explored with amazing clarity such profound questions as direction of time, Einstein's general theory of relativity and the quest for a Grand Unified Theory. It was heartwarming to  see how he overcame the terrible conditions of Lou Gehrig's Disease to become a world-renowned professor and author. I also felt a personal connection: In his book, he praised  Professor Jacob Bekenstein, a theoretical physicist specializing in black holes who was a colleague of my father Elhanan z"l at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and a close friend of our family. 

It therefore upsets me that such a personal hero and bright intellectual justifies this double standard and singling out of Israel. How can he ignore that Israel has been, from its inception, under constant attack by countries and terror organizations who wanted to destroy it? 

While Israeli governments have made mistakes in balancing between security concerns and human rights, there is no justification whatsoever for a boycott - which, in essence, is a bashing of the entire Israeli society. Rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, Jews established - against all  odds - a thriving democracy. It is not perfect, but perfect countries exist only in the minds of bleeding-heart liberals incapable of acknowledging reality. It is perfectly legitimate to oppose the ill-conceived and illegal (under international law) settlements in the West Bank but one cannot deny that Israel is a country of free speech, equality, an independent judiciary and rule of law.   

Rather than kowtow to the vociferous fringe radicals who call for boycotts and sanctions, Professor Hawking would do well to affect positive change by visiting and teaching at  Israeli and Palestinian academic institutions (as he has done in the past), promoting cooperation and dialogue. 

Professor Hawkin made headlines in his past 4 visits  and contributed immensely to promoting science and research in Israel, so we don't really know what got into him this time. The real villains in this case are the people behind this dubious "BDS" movement who swayed him in the wrong direction. We should really avoid using that abbreviation, because even using it gives them a sense of legitimacy. 

If I had the honor of meeting Professor Hawkin, I would implore him to reconsider, and join the many dignitaries and scientists who will be attending the President's Conference in Israel, celebrating the 90th birthday(!) of Israeli President Shimon Peres.  There, he could announce his support for my version of "BDS" -- Bi-lateral Doubling of Support -- support to all Israeli, Palestinian and Arab institutions opposing violence and devoted to freedom and democracy. 

What Is the Common Denominator Between Parshat Naso, Psalm 119, and Tractate Baba Batra?

Question of the Week #12: 

This week we read Parshat Naso - the longest parsha in the Torah. 

What is the common denominator linking Parshat Naso, Psalm 119, and Tractate Baba Batra in the Talmud?  

Answer: 176. 

Parshat Naso - the longest parsha in the Torah - has 176 verses. 

Psalm 119 - the longest chapter in the Bible - has 176 verses. (This acrostic-based Psalm is well-known  because many have the custom to read verses from this Psalm at the grave site of a loved one.)

Baba Batra - the longest tractate in the Talmud - has 176 pages. 

A teacher in grade school taught us about this common denominator, and because it's an amazing coincidence - it's easy to remember and I have never forgotten this number (but just to make sure - I actually counted before I published this:)  

What is another easy-to-remember coincidence that sticks in your mind? Leave your comment below . . . 

Which Biblical Verse Appears In An Iconic Landmark of American History?

Question of the Week #11: 

The Torah reading for this week is a double-header: Behar and Bechukotai, the last two sidras of the Book of Leviticus. 

In Parshat Behar, we find a verse that appears in an iconic landmark of American history, and if you're older than 25 I would bet that you've been there.  

What is the verse and where does it appear? 

Answer

When William Penn created Pennsylvania’s government, he allowed citizens to take part in making laws and he gave them the right to choose the religion they wanted. The colonists were proud of these freedoms. It was a novel and groundbreaking idea. 

In 1751, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered a new bell for the State House to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges. He asked that a Bible verse be inscribed on the bell, and the verse that was chosen is from this week’s parsha:

Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land Unto all the inhabitants thereof – Leviticus 25:10

which is a translation of:

וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ לְכָל יֹשְׁבֶיהָ

This proclamation of liberty relates to the laws of the Jubilee, the  50th year when all slaves are freed, and families return to their land if they were evicted due to inability to pay their loans. Once they enter the Land of Israel, the Israelites are commanded to count the years in 7-year cycles: Every seventh year, called shmita, has special laws relating to the farmers, and after 49 years, they are to hallow the fiftieth year, the Jubilee, by "proclaiming Liberty."  

The early colonists saw in this verse a larger message. While most were devout Christians (who knew their Bible), they found in it a calling for religious liberty. Since the bell was created for the "Jubilee" anniversary of Penn's Charter of Privileges, it was a particularly appropriate message because his Charter spoke of the rights and freedoms valued by the people the world over.   

A Short History of the Bell

A bell for the Pennsylvania State House was cast in London, England, however it cracked soon after it arrived in Philadelphia. Local craftsmen cast a new bell in 1753 using metal from the English bell. By 1846, a thin crack began to affect the sound of the bell. The bell was repaired in 1846 and rang for a George Washington birthday celebration but the bell cracked again and has not been rung since. 

Who Called It "Liberty Bell"? 

The Liberty Bell gained iconic importance when abolitionists - in their efforts to put an end to slavery - adopted it as a symbol of their cause. Previously, the bell was called simply the State House Bell, but after the abolitionists used it to promote their cause, they gave it the name "Liberty Bell"  in reference to the verse inscribed on the bell and the message of freedom and liberty to every human being. 

In the late 1800s, the Liberty Bell traveled around the country to expositions and fairs in an attempt to heal the divisions of the Civil War. It reminded Americans of their earlier days when they fought and worked together for their independence.

In 1915, the bell made its last trip and came home to Philadelphia where it now silently reminds us of the power of liberty. It cannot be rung anymore due to the famous crack - as you see here in the picture with my kids - but it continues to stand as a symbol for freedom as a universal idea. 

Freedom to the Oppressor Too

The Pnei Yehoshua, an early 17th-century commentary, has a profound insight on this verse. He points out that liberty is proclaimed "unto all the inhabitants" of the land because the jubilee year brings freedom not only to the slaves but also to the slave owners, freeing them from the dehumanizing situation of having such power over other human beings. 

If you haven’t been been there, take a trip to Liberty Bell Center at the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Standing next to the bell and seeing this age-old Biblical verse inscribed on the bell is inspiring, showing how relevant these verses remain in our lives. 

Why Do We Count the Omer?

Question of the Week #10:

As we celebrate the minor-but-quite-enjoyable holiday of Lag Ba'Omer - the 33rd day of the Omer - you may wonder: Why do we still count the Omer?

The origin for counting of the Omer is in this week's parsha, Emor (interestingly, Emor and Omer are anagrams!): 

And you shall count for yourselves from the day after that Sabbath, from the day of your bringing the wave offering of the omer; it shall be seven complete Sabbaths. Until the day after the seventh Sabbath-week, the fiftieth day, you shall count. . . (Leviticus 23:15-16) 

As I explained in this blogpost, we began counting the Omer on the second night of Passover and will continue to perform this mitzvah until the night before Shavuot (and I showed a magic formula for figuring out the count for every night). 

But this mitzvah is inherently connected to the Temple sacrifices. In the time of the Temple, the Omer was a seasonal offering of barley brought on the second day of Passover and would permit the consumption of recently-harvested grains. When you look at the verses, it is clear the mitzvah of counting the Omer is related to two special agricultural-related offerings: The counting begins on the day that the Omer offering of the first crop of barley was brought and it ends on the 50th day with another special offering, called Korban Shtei HaLechem - an offering of two loaves of bread made from the new crop of wheat, and brought together with one bull, two rams and seven lambs. 

Question

The sacrifices and offerings ceased (thank God) after the destruction of the Temple, so why does the mitzvah of the Omer continue? What is so important about this mitzvah that long after the termination of the sacrifices we nevertheless continue this mitzvah, and every night - between Pesach and Shavuot - we recite a blessing and say “Today is one day to the Omer”, “Today is two days to the Omer” etc.? 

Answer

The counting of the Omer is based on the fundamental idea of a Jewish calendar. This reminds us that the very first mitzvah given to the Jews when liberated as a nation from slavery was the Hebrew calendar, in the form of sanctifying the beginning of each Hebrew month. Why? 

Rabbi Joseph D. Soloveitchik, whose 20^th yahrtzeit was celebrated this month with many conferences, explains the reason this was the very first  commandment when leaving Egypt. Slaves do not have control over their time but are vulnerable to outside forces. Upon emerging from slavery, the Jewish people were now endowed with the ability to control their own existence, and most dramatically, time was now their own. Thus, the first command they received was to impact the world around them, and this was achieved primarily by bringing time under their control. As free people, the Israelites were then able to make their own calendar and shape their own time. 

The countdown (or rather count up) from Passover to Shavuot is a reminder that we should strive to make the world a place where all people - regardless of race, ethnicity, religion  or gender - are free and able to control their own time. Thus, the Omer counting reminds us every night there are still people in this world who don't have control over their time, and we should use our energy and resources to correct this injustice.  


For an in-depth analysis of the counting of the Omer, I highly recommend Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sack's article on this subject: What Counts? A Study of the Counting of the Omer.  

What is your favorite reason for counting the Omer? Add your comment below.