As a young child, I always loved the Fourth of July — the fireworks, the meat on the grill, the picnics and everyone seeming so grateful to be American. As I got a little older and learned about the Founding Fathers, who cherished their principles and beliefs so much that they were willing to risk everything in the quest for freedom, the Fourth of July took on a much deeper meaning. And as a rabbi, I gained an appreciation of how the principles upon which this country was founded resonate with Jewish tradition. Indeed, I have come to see the Fourth of July as a profoundly Jewish holiday.
Deuteronomy teaches us “tzedek tzedek tirdof” — “justice, justice shall you pursue.” The Founding Fathers realized the importance of this idea. They established, for the first time in modern history, a new nation based on ethical principles: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The values enumerated in the declaration have deep roots in the Jewish tradition. We are taught that the concept of pikuach nefesh — of saving a life — is paramount, and our sacred writings stress the importance of living. “I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Our quest for true liberty is a unifying theme throughout Jewish history, from the Exodus to the Maccabees to Israel’s early pioneers. “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45). Finally, “the pursuit of happiness” is one of the basic tenets of our religion. “Serve God in joy” (Psalm 100:2).
It is no coincidence that Jewish values and the convictions of the founders would be so similar. Indeed, what many people do not realize is how strongly Jewish history actually influenced the men behind our Declaration of Independence.
Of the five men who wrote the initial draft of the declaration, three were additionally selected to create a Great Seal for the United States. On July 4, 1776, the day that independence was declared, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were asked to design this seal, and in their deliberations we see the Jewish influence on our country.
Both Franklin and Jefferson wanted the seal to include imagery of Moses leading the Exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the sea and God being present with the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness. In a note from August of 1776, Franklin wrote: “Moses standing on the Shore, and extending his Hand over the Sea, thereby causing the same to overwhelm Pharaoh who is sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his Head and a Sword in his Hand. Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Clouds reaching to Moses, to express that he acts by Command of the Deity.”
According to his notes, Jefferson’s ideal seal included not only this imagery but also a depiction of “the children of Israel being led in the wilderness by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.”
Although these images were not incorporated into the seal that ultimately was chosen by Congress in 1782, it is clear that the teachings of our text shaped America’s architects.
July Fourth is a time for us to be happy and grateful. We celebrate our ability to live securely and worship freely as Jews in this country — opportunities that did not exist for many of our ancestors and still do not exist for some Jews around the world today. And we rejoice in the manifold blessings of a country whose values are so consonant with our own.
Rabbi Michael Barclay teaches theology at Loyola Marymount University and is associate rabbi at the Temple of the Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The author states: "The Talmud teaches us 'tzedek tzedek tirdof' — 'justice, justice shall you pursue'.”
This isn't in the Talmud; it's in the Chumash (Deuteronomy 16:20)!
This might have been an interesting article, but I stopped reading when I saw this.
Is there ANYTHING that we can reliably learn from a rabbi who makes so egregious an error?
Your comment is correct Harold, but you need to realize that when something is submitted to a paper or magazine, there is always an editing process... the quote is originally in Devarim as you say, and there is also a dialogue in Sanhedrin 32b about what that statement means (which focuses on understanding the verse, and "pursuing" justice by following scholars to their academies, by having both strict justice and compromise, etc.) ... unfortunately, for the sake of editing, it ended up being shortened and the article just reads "Talmud teaches..."
I hope that helps make you feel more comfortable, and that you will take a bit deeper look at the information about the Jewish values in our Founding Fathers' philosophies. (If you would like, you can even see an artists' rendering of the First Committee's Great Seal at www.greatseal.com)
Rabbi Michael,
Does the biblical imperative to "choose life" obligate Jews to oppose the killing of all unborn children, or merely refrain from it in their personal lives ? (The latter is not necessarily a bad thing. The rest of the world has a lot to learn from the Jewish people about respect for other peoples religions.)
Has your position on the faculty of a Catholic university facilitated your participation in inter-religious right-to-life activities ? If it has not, why not ?
And, do you have any suggestions as to how efforts among different religions and clergy can be shared in this supremely important moral cause.
Thank you.
Martin... I dont feel this is really an appropriate forum for that discussion, but you can feel free to email me at MBarclay@lmu.edu
I thank you for your wonderful article. I will study the references to the Bible in great detail. And, I fervently believe in the American principles of this great country and the Judeo-Christian values upon which this mighty of edifice of principles stands. In this era where secularism is seemingly gaining the upperhand (who wins over G-d?) and the religious groundings of America is pushed aside, almost as an embarrassment, I thank G-d for your article. I wish you the best, Rabbi, and as one American to another, Happy Fourth of July to you and yours.
The Fourth of July is not a Jewish holiday. In the Jewish tradition, all holidays without exception are in accordance to the Hebrew calendar which is the framework of all Jewish life everywhere - even in the American Diaspora.
Eighty or ninety years ago, most Jews in American still spoke their own language, and most still lived in a Jewish neighborhood. Jewish identity was still self-evident, and since Jews still lived in a Jewish society, intermarriage was almost unheard of. There were many Jewish leaders and thinkers who thought that integration into American society was the right direction for the Jewish people. They even used the word "assimilation", which in those days was regarded as a positive phenomenon. The disappearance or the collapse of Jewish identity was not feared at all - all in all, Jewishness was still self-evident.
Today, we are facing a new situation. American identity is self-evident. The Jews are very much at home in the American world. The problem is quite the opposite - the Jewish world is very unfamiliar, almost like a foreign language. In short, there is no longer a need to explain to Jews that America is home and that American festivals are important. I've never met an American Jew who didn't celebrate Thanksgiving, for example. However, I have met many who couldn't tell you what Shavuot is all about. I've also met quite a few who have never learned about the Hebrew calendar or wouldn't be able to recognize their own name in Hebrew script.
I found this article to be the most painful article that I have ever read in the Forward. Being Jewish is presented as merely another shade of the American identity. The Jews are no longer a unique people, scattered throughout the lands, united by their own heritage and aspirations.
Please, Rabbi Barclay. There is no need to convince the convinced about their American identity. The distinction between the Jews in America and other Americans is very blurry. The Jews are Americans, and they have been so for a few generations already. The problem is that the distinction between American Jews and other Jews of the world is not blurry at all. They have become foreigners to each other. There is no need to explain that the Jews should feel at home in the American world - they are at home, and perhaps too much so. It would be a bit more of a service to the Jewish public to explain how they could be distinct from others, and how they could maintain a common identity with other Jews in the world.
Yehuda,
"Eighty or ninety years ago, most Jews in American still spoke their own language..."
This is very misleading. If most Jews in the U.S. "spoke their own language" at that time it was simply because most American Jews were first generation immigrants, just as were most Italians and others living here in the early 20th century. All immigrant groups speak their native language when they first arrive and for some time afterwards--witness the many Spanish speakers in the U.S. today. There was nothing unique or distinctive about Jews in this regard.
For years, I've wanted to find more information about the claim, by many Jews, that the Founding Fathers were influenced by Jewish teachings. I see the Founding Fathers used references to the Old Testament, which, along with the New Testament, has always been part of mainstream Christian education. I've never found any reference, in biographies or memoirs of various Founding Fathers, to specific Jewish influences or specifically Jewish sources or Jewish interpretations of the Old Testment. We're in good company with the Founding Fathers, and vice versa, as we and they have always been on the same planet--except for those of us who care more about demonizing "the other" than embracing authentic Jewish values. We Jews, here in the U.S., have much to be thankful for and to appreciate in the Founding Fathers.
Lee - There is nothing misleading in stating the obvious truth that "eighty or ninety years ago, most Jews in American still spoke their own language...". I mentioned this fact in order to make the point that in those days there were leaders calling upon the Jews to become Americans, to assimilate. I could imagine a rabbi eighty years ago, calling upon the Jews in America to see the American holidays as their own. The Jewish audience was foreign to American culture, and the Jewish press called upon the Jews to adopt the American world. Today, this article is totally out of place. The Jewish public is American. They speak only the American language, know only American history - and they celebrate the American holidays. They need no prodding or convincing. Jews are nearly indistinguishable from other Americans. Why would they need an article that wishes to blur even further the differences between "American" and "Jew"? The Jewish cultural world is now foreign to most of them, and they need some guidance in re-asserting some Jewish distinctiveness.
Subject: Think About This
Ed McMahon died this week. He was a great entertainer, but prior to his stage accomplishments he was a distinguished Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII earning six Air Medals. He was discharged in 1946 and volunteered to fly again in the Korean War. He joined the California Air National Guard and was later promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Farrah Fawcett died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actress. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she became an activist for cancer treatment and devoted her last remaining years encouraging people to seek treatment. She documented her plight on film and used it to encourage others to stay positive and upbeat despite their diagnosis and suffering.
Karl Malden died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actor. He also served in the US Air Force during WWII and also served on the US Postal Service committee to review and recommend commemorative stamps. In 2005, the US House of Representatives authorized the US Postal Service to rename a Los Angeles post office the Karl Malden Postal Station.
Michael Jackson died this week. He was perhaps one of the greatest singers of modern time. He will also be remembered for his eccentric lifestyle that included sleeping with a chimpanzee, living in a carnival-like atmosphere at Neverland, his fascination with Peter Pan, and his numerous masks and costumes. He also admitted to finding pleasure sleeping with young boys and paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the families of these boys despite being acquitted by a court on one allegation of sexual molestation.
QUESTION 1) - Which of the above did the House of Representatives declare a moment of silence for today? (Hint - It wasn't the first three)
QUESTION 2) - Which of the above's family received a personal note of condolence from President Obama? (Hint - It wasn't the first three)
Harold, You're the man! If the rabbi doesn't know the source for "Justice, justice shall you pursue," that's incredibly feeble.
If a Jewish(!) newspaper "corrects" the rabbi's article, so that they in their wisdom decide that the rabbi is wrong and it is the Talmud that offers that verse, then the newspaper is incredibly feeble. And, incredibly insulting to the rabbi.
You nailed it precisely.
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