Rabbi Evan J. Krame
This week’s Torah portion is Vayera: Genesis 18:1 – 22:24
After a vitriolic election, we should reflect on the issues motivating the electorate.
Candidates appealed to voters with positions on the economy, immigration and women’s rights. For Jews, I believe that the most pressing issue was the sanctity of life. As democracy’s hallmarks guarantee safety for citizens, Jews supported defenders of democracy, would-be protectors of our lives and all human life.
Whenever Jews began to feel a semblance of comfort in a country, we were often jolted back to our foundational concern: the sanctity of life. Our sages advocated that life is sacred; however, the theological origins of that advocacy began in a dialogue between Abraham and God.
In Parshat Vayera, God reveals His intention to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their pervasive evil. In an act of moral advocacy, Abraham argues for their salvation. Abraham understands life is sacred, exercising the democratic right of free speech to challenge God.
Abraham implored God to spare the cities even if there were only 10 righteous people. In the face of overwhelming evil, Abraham’s passionate plea illustrated the sanctity of life and the responsibility to protect the innocent. Although 10 righteous souls were not found, some lives were preserved. The angels rescued Lot and his family, demonstrating that, even if only for a few people, saving life is imperative.
Protecting life reverberates throughout contemporary political discourse. Recognizing that Jewish lives have often been devalued in our history, we stand as witnesses to the importance of protecting life. Accordingly, today’s rabbinic voices echo Abraham’s advocacy, even extending it beyond our community to encompass all humanity. When the world acknowledges the sacredness of all life, Jews will also find safety. This hope underpins our historic commitment to human rights, rooted in the Torah and reshaped into the framework of democracy.
Democratic values honor individuals as worthy of respect and protection. By championing these values, we transform freedoms from mere legal constructs into moral imperatives. For instance, the right to free speech is a cornerstone of our advocacy. After all, if Abraham could challenge the Almighty, then shouldn’t we have the right to express ourselves freely?
Yet, the Torah also teaches that every moral principle has its limits.
The exchange between God and Abraham illustrates that competing values can lead to complex moral dilemmas. God brings justice to the world, while Abraham channels temperance to protect the innocent.
Today, the Jewish psyche grapples with existential challenges in American politics. The current discourse resonates deeply in our historical experience. Jews know that incendiary language can escalate into horrific realities. As we risk being victims to passions untethered to morality, our commitment to democracy must prevail.
To be Jewish in the legacy of Abraham is to advocate for life, to protect the innocent, to empower the vulnerable, and to defend the threatened. Our mission as Jews is to confront those in power, just as Abraham did with God. That advocacy must propel the core principles of the Jewish faith: pursuing peace, respecting people and protecting life. These Jewish values are best advanced by democratic principles in a tradition of advocacy that began with Abraham.
Rabbi Evan J. Krame is the co-founder of the Jewish Studio, a former president of the Washington Board of Rabbis, and an attorney practicing estates and trusts law.
