As Americans prepare to go to the polls, most of us have got politics on the brain. Whether it's the economy, health care, parties where people drink lots of tea, Israel, or national security; we're all trying to figure out how to vote. What are the issues? Where should the country be heading? And who should be taking it there?
With all this floating around in my head, it's probably not surprising that I saw a political connection in this week's Torah portion. The main focus of our parasha is Noah and his rain-proof Ark filled with animals, but before we conclude the reading, we also learn about the Tower of Babel.
The story is pretty simple; the people
of the world all speak one language, and they decide that the best use of their time and effort is to, "build a city for ourselves, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves" (Gen. 11:4). God doesn't approve of the building project, and makes them all speak different languages in order to create confusion, which in turn leads them to abandon their (apparently) blasphemous plan. So where's the political message?
The way I see it, you can actually read this story in two different ways, each at opposite ends of our political spectrum. If you lean one way, you might see this story as celebrating a free market economy. In the beginning, all people are forced to conform, to join together in a single project, and contribute to the common good, with no room for individuality or small businesses. God then comes down to break up this monopoly. God sends them in different directions, allowing them to pursue their personal hopes and dreams, free from the constraints of "big government."
On the other hand, if your political preferences
went the other way, you might perceive the people of Babel as only caring about materialism and not about one another. Our rabbis tell us that they lamented the loss of a fallen brick, but cared nothing about the death of a worker. God pushes them away from their self-centered, cutthroat ways, and reminds us all that Governmental (in this case with a capital "G"...) regulation is an essential part of any society.
This story lends itself to either interpretation, much as the current recession can be "blamed" on either party (or both), depending on whether you root for donkeys or elephants. Any story can be skewed to prove the point of the story teller, which is an essential lesson for us all to keep in mind as we head to the voting booths. We each need to make up our own minds as to what we believe, and not let ourselves be swayed by how others are voting, or who paints the scariest picture of our future. Decide what your personal values are, and vote with your heart and your (informed) mind. Remember that Noah kept both elephants and donkeys on that Ark, two of each just like the rest of the animals. The real question is, who do we trust to steer the ship?
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