The Dilemma of the Diaspora
讘诪讚讘专 专讘讛 讻讘:讟
讚状讗 讜诪拽谞讛 专讘 讝砖状讛 (拽讛诇转 讬) 诇讘 讞讻诐 诇讬诪讬谞讜 讜诇讘 讻住讬诇 诇砖诪讗诇讜 诇讘 讞讻诐 诇讬诪讬谞讜 讝讛 讬爪专 讟讜讘 砖讛讜讗 谞转讜谉 讘讬诪讬谞讜 讜诇讘 讻住讬诇 诇砖诪讗诇讜 讝讛 讬爪讛状专 砖谞转讜谉 讘砖诪讗诇讜
讚状讗 诇讘 讞讻诐 诇讬诪讬谞讜 讗诇讜 讛诐 讛爪讚讬拽讬诐 砖讛谉 谞讜转谞讬谉 诇讘诐 诇转讜专讛 砖讛讬讗 诪讬诪讬谉 砖谞讗壮 (讚讘专讬诐 诇讙) 诪讬诪讬谞讜 讗砖 讚转 诇诪讜 讜诇讘 讻住讬诇 诇砖诪讗诇讜 讗诇讜 讛谉 讛专砖注讬诐 砖讛谉 谞讜转谞讬谉 诇讘诐 诇讛注砖讬专 砖谞讗壮 (诪砖诇讬 讙) 讘诪砖讗诇讛 注讜砖专 讜讻讘讜讚
Numbers Rabbah 22:9
Another explanation of “[The Reubenites and the Gadites] owned cattle in very great numbers . . .” (Num. 32:1). This relates to another verse: “A wise man’s mind tends toward the right hand, but a fool’s toward the left” (Eccles. 10:2). “A wise man’s mind tends toward the right hand”鈥攖his [describes] the good inclination, which is set on one’s right side; “a fool’s toward his left”鈥攖his [describes] the evil inclination, which is set on one’s left side.
Another explanation [of Eccles. 10:2]鈥�”A wise man’s mind tends toward the right hand” refers to the righteous who apply their minds to the Torah, for this [intellect] is on the right, as it says,” [“The Lord came from Sinai] . . . from His right flashed a fiery law unto them” (Deut. 33:2). “A fool’s toward his left” refers to the wicked, who set their minds on getting rich, as it says, “[In her right hand is length of days,] in her left are riches and honor” (Prov. 3:16).
If you are reading this commentary in North America, beware: the midrash above is a warning directed at you. That perspective, at least, is one long-held rabbinic reading of the initial conflict involving the request from the Reubenites and Gadites to settle in territory outside the Promised Land. Even though Moses and the tribes amicably resolve this issue, the interpretations above treat the outlying Israelites as traitors. On the figurative “right side” of God’s plan, Moses, in the language of Ecclesiastes, is the “wise man” focused on righteousness and Torah, while the tribes are rogue “fools” who sinisterly pursue “riches and honor” rather than the common good of Israel. While we must similarly distinguish right from wrong, a derisive kind of right-versus-left rhetoric has emerged recently regarding ideological differences between Jews in Israel and the Diaspora that should trouble all of us.
In the past several months, new debates have arisen regarding the Zionism of my generation in general and my non-Orthodox rabbinic peers in particular. As my colleague Dr. Alex Sinclair wrote last month in the Jerusalem Post, many of these critiques “are, at their core, classic Zionist ‘negation of the Diaspora’ positions: Israel is the center of the Jewish world; Israelis know best about Israel’s problems; Diaspora Jews should support Israel come what may, and refrain from criticizing Israel in public, and be very cautious about doing so even in private.” Sinclair further argues that such opinions are counterproductive to those seeking future support for Israel from North American Jews; instead, he advocates for educational initiatives like the one he directs for 91快活林 in Jerusalem (Kesher Hadash Semester-in-Israel program, William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education) that are aimed at building mutual understanding and cooperation between Israeli and Diaspora Jews.
In fact, that vision and its implementation literally conclude this week’s Torah portion. After Moses secures a guarantee from the tribes of Reuben and Gad to take part in conquering the Promised Land, he tells them that upon return from Canaan “you shall be clear before the Lord and before Israel; and this land shall be your holding under the Lord” (Num. 32:22). Hearing more of that kind of message, one of affirmation rather than of scorn, surely could inspire me to reinvest in my Zionist commitments.
