When Moses wanted to get the Israelites attention, I mean really get the Israelites attention, he didn’t use the Shofar. No, as described in this week’s Torah portion Beha’alotcha, the instrument of choice was the trumpet, and more specifically the silver trumpet. As it says in Numbers 10:2: “Make two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shall you make them; that you may use them for calling the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.”
In the ancient world, the different way these trumpets were used indicated the severity of the need. If one trumpet was sounded only the leadership needed to gather. If two were blown in one direction all the people needed to gather and prepare to journey. If both trumpets sounded in all four quadrants of the camp, war was imminent, and everyone needed to be prepared to fight (Rabbeinu Bahya on Numbers 10:2).
After two major attacks on American Jews in two weeks, we have just entered the latter scenario. For the most of US history, attacks on Jews were almost nonexistent. Starting with the Tree of Life attack in 2018, antisemitism incidents have reached historical levels, each major incident leaving a scar in our collective psyche. Police officers now guard the door of almost every Jewish institution in this country. And, yet despite this we do not feel safe. How do we show the rest of the country we are hurting? How do we sound our silver trumpets?
The first step is to stop pretending we are okay. We must let our friends and neighbors know we are hurting. This is not only about what is currently going on in Israel/Gaza. While that has played a role, the rise in antisemitism started several years before the October 7th attack.
And we must continue to be vigilant. This is not a faraway problem, but one that seeps into our very own community. Two weeks ago, one of our synagogue members had a rock thrown through their window because they had a “Buffalo Stands with Israel” sign. At the Pride Parade, some of the marchers had “From the River to the Sea” and “Long Live the Intifada” signs. When you notice these types of incidents alert us and have confidence that we have your back. Know that our community led by our Jewish Federation is strong, coordinated and prepared. May God continue to send down blessings, reminding us of our long history of overcoming adversity in even the most challenging of times.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex