For our Biblical ancestors there was no greater political divide than the one between the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms. After the death of King Solomon, ancient Israel split into two parts: Judea to the South, and Israel up North. There was no love lost between either side and often nasty accusations cast on the rivaling territories. One of the worst polemics comes in this week’s portion Ki Tisa, which begins with the story of the Golden Calf. The Bull was the symbol of the Northern Kingdom and included in iconography throughout its central worship site in Shilo. The molten calf chosen in our portion was not an accidental choice, but a deliberate way for the Judeans to poke fun at their Israelite rivals. In the same way nasty social media posts function today, this low blow was meant to hurt.
Knowing this, what can we take away from this ancient form of propaganda? First, while the technology has changed, attempts to “win” the narrative battle is baked into human evolution. Second, once the stories are out there, we are stuck with them for a very long time. Thirdly, even though they endure, the stories are not stuck in stone. Hundreds of years after their split, the Northern and Southern Kingdoms eventually reunited. For better or worse, the combined polemics of both sides of the conflict form the basis for much of what is in the Torah. Right now, it is hard for us to look past the current political divides. God willing there will come a time where none of our misgivings will matter anymore, and perhaps, as in the case of ancient Israel, we will wonder why we fought in the first place. If it were up to me, the sooner we get there the better.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex