Peace on Memorial Day

Rabbi Melanie Aron

Saturday, May 26, 2007

In the Jewish tradition, peace is considered the greatest blessing of all. We see this in our texts and in our prayers. The blessing for peace, is the concluding blessing of the Amidah, the core prayer of our service. Whether expressed as Shalom Rav in the evening, or Sim Shalom in the morning, it is always part of our service, whether on weekdays, Shabbat or holidays.

Similarly in the priestly blessing that Elizabeth and Rachel chanted for us this morning, the blessing for peace is also the concluding blessing. It is the ultimate according to our tradition as without peace all other blessings lose their meaning. This is true both of peace as an internal state, for without peace and serenity one cannot appreciate the other blessings, and also of peace as an external state, for without peace and security, one will not be able to enjoy one’s other blessings. Over and over the rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud praise peace and those who in the Bible were peacemakers. For the sake of peace other values could be temporarily ignored, including truth and respect for the holiness of God’s name.

And yet Judaism is not a pacifist religion. The law codes in the Torah contain instructions for warfare, including limitations on the destructiveness of war and provisions for exclusions from military service. The greatest heroes of the Bible, Abraham and Moses, though remembered primarily for their contribution to our religious understanding, also fought battles. Abraham is credited with the idea that God is one, and is considered the founder of Judaism. But the Bible also describes Abraham as the commander of a considerable force that became involved in a regional war. This force went out to rescue Abraham’s nephew Lot when he was captured during the war of the four kings against the five kings.

In Jewish tradition, Moses is called Mosheh Rabbeinu, Moses our teacher, and remembered most for his role in the giving of the Torah. But Moses also rallied the troops when the Israelites were attacked by the Amelekites during their desert wanderings; it was the sight of his arms, lifted up, that gave them courage.

I was thinking about this on the eve of our American Memorial Day, the day on which as a community we remember America’s fallen soldiers. How does one commemorate those who fell in war while upholding the values of peace? What meaning should Memorial Day have for us this year, 2007, in the fifth year of the war in Iraq?

In Israel, Memorial Day Yom Hazikaron is celebrated on the day before Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. It begins as do all Jewish holidays in the evening, and at 8pm a one minute siren is sounded. Prayer services are often held that evening. Most noticeable though is the siren that goes off at 11am for 2 minutes to mark the beginning of the official ceremonies of the day. All over the country, when the siren goes off, traffic stops and people get out of their cars. Office work ceases, and everyone stands silently at attention. This level of observance arises because everyone has a personal connection with at least one of the over 22 thousand fallen Israeli soldiers. This comes from Israel’s small size, and the requirement that all Israelis serve in the military from ages 18-21, and then for many more years of reserve duty. But I think it is more than that. I think the juxtaposition of the two holidays is a sign that the community appreciates that it is the sacrifice of these fallen soldiers that enables Israel to survive.

That appreciation of the fallen soldiers and the loss that represents to those who loved them does not mean that the military and its operation are above criticism or in my opinion, that war is glorified in Israel.

I was in Israel during my junior year abroad just after the Yom Kippur War. I remember when the results of the Agranat Commission were released, criticizing the military and political establishment for their failings in the period leading up to that war. These words had consequences. Ultimately the government fell, Golda Meir resigned, and major changes took place throughout the government and the army.

This year following last summer’s war in Lebannon a similar commission of inquiry was established. The findings of the Winnograd Commission were released this spring, just a week after Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAztmaut. They were also critical of the handling of the war, particularly the decision to escalate the conflict and the preparedness of the military, and at the same time, of six years of failure to find an effective response to the Hezbollah buildup near the border. It is still too early to tell what the end results of this criticism will be but it is evidence of a society that is willing to reflect on its own failings.

America’s Memorial Day arose following the Civil War and the very large number of soldiers who died. It was a way in 1868 of bringing the country together. It is sometimes called Decoration Day for the many flowers and baskets brought to the cemetery on that day. My husband’s grandmother used to tell stories of what an important day it was in Boston where she grew up in the early part of the 20th century and about how as a young child she met a veteran of the Civil War who was being honored. I doubt our kids will have any stories to tell their grandchildren about Memorial Day or that many have even a small sense of what the day is about.

To my knowledge, three young men from our congregational community have served in the military recently: one on a battle ship in the Middle East, one in Afghanistan and one, presently in Iraq. To a large extent their sacrifice in serving in the military, along with thousands of others, and the sacrifice of the over 3,000 American soldiers killed, remains invisible in American society. A memorial day marked by communal ritual and observances, would not only do honor to their lives, but also make us more conscious of the decisions we have made as a country.

Elizabeth and Rachel, as you grow up and take your place in our adult community, we pray that you will remember the words of your blessing, and be among those who help establish peace.