Page 57 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA

SOCIAL COMMENTARY THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND

Rabbi Chaim Navon

What Would

Washington Think Today?

n December 1777, General George denies many citizens the choice of
Washington and his soldiers fearfully which school to send their children
Ifled from the British Army to Valley to. The latter outrages me a lot more
Forge. On Christmas Eve, Washington than the former since education is a
walked among his exhausted soldiers, lot more important than snail mail.
who were hungry and shivering from Educational freedom is important
cold. Next to one of the tents, he saw a to me because education is import-
soldier lighting a candle and whispering ant to me, and freedom of religion is
a few words, tears in his eyes. Washing- important only because religion itself
ton asked, “Why are you crying?” The is important.
soldier replied, “I am not crying. I am freedom of religious worship.” Really? If we erase our G-d and our Avodat
a Jew, and I just lit Chanukah candles. I Did Matityahu ever hear of this? After Hashem, our joy and our awe, the
prayed that the G-d of Israel, who gave all, this elderly Kohen from Modi’in Temple and the Altar, from the values
strength to the Maccabees to defeat their called out, “Whoever is zealous for the of Chanukah, what will remain from
evil enemies, will give us strength too to Torah and keeps the covenant, follow this beloved holiday? Freedom of reli-
defeat our enemies. We will triumph.” me!” Or, in the popular version, “Who- gion will become about as important
Washington returned to his tent with ever is for Hashem, follow me!” ('ה ַ ל י ִ מ as freedom of mail. And ultimately,
vigorous steps, a new light in his eyes. י ָ ל ֵ א). He did not say, “Whoever is for freedom of religion will also dissolve,
This famous story ties the ancient freedom of religion, follow me.” because people tend not to fight for
nation of Israel, which has a very I understand why gentiles looking for things that are unimportant to them.
young country, with the nascent inspiration in the holiday of Chanu- For me, religion is a higher value, and
American nation, one of the oldest kah would find more universal values therefore religious freedom is a higher
countries in the world. It is exciting in it. That’s legitimate, even desirable. necessity. I’m not a relativist, because I
and heartwarming to see how our own There are truly messages like this in believe there is truth in the world. I’m
holiday touches the hearts of others as all of our holidays. But when we exag- not a pluralist, because I don’t believe
well. No one knows exactly what that gerate in diluting the original Jewish in multiple truths. But I am tolerant
soldier said, and how exactly Washing- values in the holiday, we get a homeo- because I believe there is no other
ton remembered it. When I read dif- pathic medicine which is 100 percent way to live in our diverse and complex
ferent versions of this story, it seems water. On Chanukah, we want olive society today. If everyone tried to force
to me that, over changing times, it oil, not refined water. their values on others, our lives would
has become more and more watered George Washington himself was a turn to Gehenom. We simply have no
down, diluted. For example, Barack deeply religious man, and through his other choice.
Obama declared that Chanukah is the religious beliefs, he also valued reli- Freedom of the individual is the only
“holiday of religious freedom,” which gious freedom. But if we turn religion possible institution for shared exis-
teaches the right to liberty of religion, itself into an insignificant trifle, what tence in the 21 century. When it
st
and the fable of Washington and the importance can there be to freedom of begins to falter, our shared existence
candle tends to be interpreted in that religion? is in danger. But all of that is not con-
spirit today. Less “G-d of Israel,” more I am largely in favor of freedom. Yet nected to Chanukah. Religious free-
abstract rights. the importance of freedom depends dom is not a slogan but an essential,
In the Hebrew Wikipedia, the entry on the question of what it comes to life-affirming need.
“Chanukah” displayed the following protect. Israel denies most of its cit-
strange sentence: “The main mes- izens the freedom to decide which Rabbi Chaim Navon is a renowned author
sage of Chanukah is the triumph of postal service they want to use. It also and educator.

Freedom is lost when it is taken for granted.
We have taken ours for granted for too long.
RABBI SACKS | 57