Posted on 07/25/19
It doesn’t take much political savvy to realize that the Democratic Party has taken a very very sharp turn to the left. With the so-called “Squad” advocating for the most outrageous changes of policy, or more accurately, to abolish policy all together, it is becoming increasingly clear what is their real agenda. During the first round of debates, the candidates tried to out-left one another and to sound the most progressive. Notice how there were no solutions offered. None. Each one just took an existing policy and ripped it to shreds. What is striking though, is how all of them used the same argument - “It’s a basic human right.” Open borders? “It’s a basic human right.” Healthcare for all? “It’s a basic human right.” Free insurance for illegal immigrants? “It’s a basic human right.” Late term abortion? “It’s a basic human right.” Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and now one of the “Squad” is suggesting $20 an hour? You guessed it, that too is “A basic human right.” What is with this madness?
In this week’s Parsha, Pinchas is hailed a hero for taking the law and his life into his own hands by killing Zimri for his audacious and disgraceful act with Cuzbi. Hashem rewards his with His “Bris Shalom,” and informs him that if not for his heroic act, the entire Jewish Nation would have been completely wiped out.
Klal Yisroel had hit rock bottom, they got involved with B’nos Moav and served avoda zara. And not just any avoda zara, but Ba’al Peor, the most vile and disgusting form of idol worship.
It is interesting to note that in recounting this incident, the Torah says ״ויחל העם לזנות אחר בנות מואב״ “And the nation began to stray after the daughters of Moav.” The entire downfall happened when the Jewish men just began to stray. But they very quickly fell to the lowest depths of sin possible. When the lines are blurred and our values are compromised, it does not take much from there to fall into the abyss.
Liberals have always been at the forefront of social issues and have definitely made America a better place. We as Frum Jews have benefited greatly from many of their efforts and policies, but it’s is a very dangerous and slippery slope. In the name of many social causes much of the values this country was built on have eroded, leaving Liberalism as a movement a shell of their former self and creating a vacuum for extremism to thrive.
Open borders is the hot button issue of the day, but it’s just about our immigration policy. It has become the very definition of the liberal left agenda. It’s an ideology that erases every line of reason, and so called “Social justice,” reigns supreme. It’s about a society in which true values and morals are scorned and those who try to stick up for what they believe are immediately denounced as “Racist!” or worse.
Even as the more moderate Democrats try to save face and claim that the so-called “Squad” does not represent the Democratic Party as a whole, and even as some outright abhor them, the truth is that they are now being given a taste of their own medicine. They just started the blurring of the lines, but from there it is only a matter of time before those lines are abolished altogether.
When Hashem awards Pinchas with the Bris Shalom, the word Shalom, meaning peace, is written with a split vav, making it as if it’s not there and reading shalem, meaning complete. Perhaps the message here, is that through his heroic and selfless act, Pinchas reached complete shlaimus on a personal level. He also brought peace to the Jewish People and an end to the plague threatening to wipe them out. However, that “Shalom” is lacking in the sense that we are continuously faced with this challenge, in every generation down to today. At times Klal Yiroel is strong and at times, unfortunately less so. By no means was the Shalom he effected everlasting .
We are taught that Pinchas lives on forever as Eliyahu Hanavi and it is he who comes to the Bris of every Jewish child. He comes to tell the young child of only 8 days a crucial message and to give him strength to face the long journey ahead. He says “My dear child, in every generation there has risen up some sort of “ism” which threatened to rip away from us the values we hold so dear. Those who held on tight were able to wait out the storm and survive. It was through such people that the Jewish people live on. During your life ahead you will face many challenges and a society that wishes to compromise your morals. I beg you, be like me. Be strong and fight valiantly. Hold on tight, and do not give in to the slightest deviation from our precious mesorah. If you are able to do that you are my hero.”