Miketz - Rabbi M. Diamond
The Blessings of a Good Name
Miketz ("It came to pass...") Genesis 41:1-44:17
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
December 8, 2007 / 28 Kislev 5768
The special Haftarah for Shabbat Hanukkah takes us back more than 2,500 years to the life and times of the prophet Zechariah. In 538 B.C.E. King Cyrus of Persia had decreed that the exiles from Judea could return to the land of Israel and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Two decades later the project remained unfinished. The people had fallen into despair, overwhelmed by animosity from their neighbors, natural disasters and their own internal woes. Zechariah rose to the occasion, preaching a message of vision and hope in a time of darkness and gloom. His thundering words -- "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, says the God of heaven's hosts" -- roused his people to renew and eventually complete the work of rebuilding the Temple.
Last week I was privileged to be the first rabbi invited to preach at World Vision International, a multi-faceted NGO whose work spans nearly one hundred countries across the globe. I share below excerpts of my sermon, which echoes the message of hope in the prophecy of Zechariah and the festival of Hanukkah.
"The Blessings of a Good Name"
Excerpts of an address delivered at World Vision International
Rabbi Mark S. Diamond
Executive Vice President
The Board of Rabbis of Southern California
November 28. 2007
...We know that fear is a potent and often crippling emotion. In the Talmud, the classic compendium of rabbinic wisdom and law, we glean a fascinating insight into the nature of fear:
"Our Rabbis taught: There are five instances of fear cast by the weak over the strong: the fear of the gnat over the lion; the fear of the mosquito upon the elephant; the fear of the spider upon the scorpion; the fear of the swallow upon the eagle; the fear of the stickleback over the Leviathan." (Talmud Tractate Shabbat 77b)
The Talmud teaches us a lesson using insights from nature that would make a zoologist proud. It is the way of the world that even the mightiest of creatures fear other species. The weak can and do exert fear upon the strong. A tiny gnat bothers the lion, king of the jungle. A small swallow can creep under the wings of the mighty eagle and cause irritation and infection.
Like these creatures from the animal kingdom, our pride and confidence are tempered by the sober realization that the weak may besiege the strong. I am struck by a malaise I sense in many people I meet as I travel around the community. We live in difficult times. We live in a nation and world beset by economic uncertainty and existential insecurity. We fear for the welfare and safety of our children, our families and our communities -- here in America, and throughout the world.
Perhaps our greatest fear is epitomized by the final example cited by the Talmud. In Jewish lore, the Leviathan symbolizes the Messianic era, and our yearning for a more just and perfect society. The most debilitating fear is darkness and despair. The gravest danger we face is a loss of hope in a brighter and better world.
No human being should live without hope for a brighter tomorrow. No child should live without hope for the future... Here I know that I am preaching to the choir, as it were. For you, the staff of World Vision International, know how to help children across the globe to realize their full potential. You understand what it means to wrestle with the causes of poverty and injustice. You and your colleagues touch lives and bring hope and healing to children in one hundred countries. In so doing, you embody the truest and finest ideals of your Christian faith...
Your lifesaving work at World Vision gives us hope for the future. And, dare I say, the summit in Annapolis and the meetings in our nation's capital give us a glimmer of hope as well. We hope, pray and yearn for a just and lasting resolution of the bitter conflict in the Middle East -- a democratic state of Palestine and the democratic state of Israel living side by side in peace and security. The sacred quest for peace has failed time and time again. And yet, as people of faith, we must continue to strive for peace. We must strengthen the voices of moderation and reconciliation in their struggle against hatred and extremism. If we do these things, we will serve as God's partners in shaping the destiny of the birthplace of our faiths. For this is the right path -- the only path -- that brings the promise of redemption.
Let me close with the theme with which I began--the power of names. Names like tikvah - hope. Rina - joy. Yisrael - perseverance. Shalom/Salaam - peace. We know that names heal and hurt. Names divide and unite. Names bear curses and blessings. Names bring despair and hope. A rabbinic sage named Rabbi Shimon teaches us in the Mishnah:
There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of Priesthood, the crown of Royalty. The crown of a good name is superior to them all. (Rabbi Shimon in Mishnah Avot 4:17)
How do we earn the keter shem tov, the blessing of a good name? We do so by recognizing that each of us, in this chapel and outside this chapel, is created in the image of God. Each of us, in this chapel and outside this chapel, is a child of God. To love God is to act with love, kindness and compassion towards God's children. This is what God requires of us. This is what our faith demands of us. This is what our fellowmen and women expect of us. May we work together to bring hope and healing to the dark and lonely places of our world.