Pekudei: The Slurs are Back... So Now What?

This is uncomfortable to say... but let's talk a little about Jews and money. Lately in the news, there have been several stories about anti-Semitic tropes, often involving Jews, money, and power, as well as the infamous (and indefatigable) accusation of dual loyalty. For most people, our gut reaction is to say

"NO! You can't say such things!! That's anti-Semitic, it's racist - BE QUIET!!" We simply want it to stop. Here's the problem: The stereotype, the slur, the accusation; it doesn't go away. It festers... only now it's ever-so-slightly below the surface and hidden from view. So what if we resisted that visceral instinct to silence hate and bigotry and misinformation? Is there a way to confront it and have an open dialogue... one that doesn't ALSO lend credence or legitimacy to views we find abhorrent? I don't know if there is. But I also know that displays of unity, force, and condemnation are NOT eradicating hate and ignorance. They're just masking the problem. What if we took a different approach?

Our parashah doesn't deal with anti-Semitism or hate speech. However, it DOES brush up against that first cliché I mentioned; the dreaded linking together of Jews and money. For the umpteenth time in this same part of the Torah, the text
describes the materials, methods, and funding of the Tabernacle in the desert. Why do we need to hear about this over and over again? What does OUR specific reading add to the narrative? For one thing, it's Moses opening up his books and showing the transparency of his accounting. The commentary in the Etz Hayim Chumash explains: "Why did Moses feel obliged to give this detailed account? Some Israelites knew that they would have taken advantage of handling all that gold and silver for their own enrichment. They suspected Moses of being no better than they were." (p. 564) Moses wants the people to know he's trustworthy and honest. Maybe he doesn't even know it, but he's already battling a vicious stereotype...

The text goes out of its way to insist Moses was not acting according to his own plans. Everything was decreed by God; everything followed God's Plan. The text, in fact, reiterates this constantly. From Exodus 38:22 to 40:32, in just 86 verses, the Torah repeats the phrase "Ka'asher Tzivah Adonai" - "... as Adonai had commanded" - NINETEEN times! The Torah wants
to make it *abundantly* clear that Moses is not advancing his own interest here; he's carrying out the Will of God and working on behalf of the community. Fast forward a few thousand years, this all-too-familiar slur just will NOT stop hounding us. When I hear these accusations resurfacing again and again, I feel many mixed emotions. On the one hand, it's like nails on a chalk board - the same, old criticisms of pro-Israel lobbies, wealthy Jewish donors, and dual loyalties that allegedly undermine America's ability to trust us. On the other hand, maybe we need to take a step back. WHY won't these tropes go away? Why do they constantly return, despite being shouted down repeatedly, over the course of centuries and even millenia? Something has to change.

I don't know that our detractors are interested in a dialogue. I hope they are. Because this country is made up of a myriad different groups and ethnicities, all with loyalties to family, community, country, religion, and more. These same recriminations have been launched against us since Pharaoh in the beginning of

Exodus (1:10), and more recently against other minorities like Japanese-Americans in World War Two and Muslim-Americans after 9/11. Furthermore, our Torah portion this week demonstrates how long we've been fending off accusations surrounding Jews and money. It never ends, and perhaps it never will. What I do know is that shouting down our accusers hasn't worked; the slurs keep coming. In fact, the more we shout, the more they feel justified in claiming we wield our power to censor any and all opposition. Maybe it's time to try something else? Do the critics really KNOW our story? What we've endured and overcome? And do we do enough to support others, and to stand up against THEIR attackers?? I don't know the answers, but I'm also tired of going around in circles and getting nowhere. Isn't it time we find a new way to respond?


Images in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of muzina_shanghai on Flickr
2. CC image courtesy of Sony Dslr-A350 on Max Pixel
3. CC image courtesy of Sharon Drummond on Flickr
4. CC image courtesy of Wikipedia