Page 4 - The Jewish Voice - December '19

Page 4, The Jewish Voice

From the Rabbis from page 3 Joseph’s fellow servants who is interested in him but the submit.’ Thereupon the Sages said: ‘Let him die rather
wife of his powerful boss. The power differential is so than that she should yield.’ Then [said the doctors]; ‘let
were freely available to use as long as they returned them great that Joseph has to worry not only about doing the her stand nude before him’; [they answered] ‘sooner let
when they were done with them. When Uri’s father retired right thing morally by refusing her advances, but he also him die.’ ‘Then,’ said the doctors, ‘let her converse with
and sold his business, he donated some capital in memory has to worry about his career. him from behind a fence.’ ‘Let him die,’ the Sages replied,
of his mother, Sarah, who had been killed in the Holocaust, Similarly, if a film producer makes a pass at an aspiring ‘rather than she should converse with him from behind a
and the charity was named Yad Sarah. actor, it is wrong not only because of their inability to fence.’”
Today, Yad Sarah is the largest volunteer organization control their libido but because they hold the keys to the One could ask, shouldn’t she at least be allowed to talk
in Israel, providing much-needed medical equipment actor’s future — their career in Hollywood. to him from behind the fence in order to save his life? No
to over 350,000 people annually, and saving the Israeli Joseph’s situation is exacerbated by the frequency say the rabbis. No excuse whatsoever, whether it be his
health system over a billion shekels each year. Yad Sarah and repetition of the advances of Potiphar’s wife: “And it needs or his upbringing, can justify making her do anything
has centers in 103 cities and villages in Israel, exports came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he against her will.
its expertise to developing countries, and has established hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her” In the story of Joseph, Potiphar’s wife held the power.
similar models in various countries. Yad Sarah is a (Genesis 39:10). Being inappropriately propositioned is In most cases throughout history as well as today, we know
recipient of the Israel Prize and has been awarded advisory difficult and upsetting. To have it done day after day would that it is women who are the victims. What I appreciate
status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. be overwhelming. about Judaism is that it makes the case that it is the
What I find so inspiring about this incredible charity There is a great story in the Talmud that points to the power dynamic that is important. Those in power may
is that it wasn’t founded by a celebrity or a billionaire fact that we should not give in to abuse (Sanhedrin 75a): always have the temptation to abuse it but the Torah and
who just sold his company. It was just Uri and Michal, “A man once conceived a passion for a certain woman, the Talmud give us avenues for opening and engaging in
two regular people who noticed that their neighbors had and his heart was consumed by his burning desire [his discussions about these difficult issues.
a problem. life being endangered thereby]. When the doctors were Paul Arberman is the spiritual leader at Temple Beth
Noah, too, had nothing extraordinary about him. He consulted, they said, ‘His only cure is that she shall David in Palm Beach Gardens
struggled to believe in G-d even when G-d spoke to him!
Yet despite his doubt, he got the job done. He built the
Ark, rounded up the animals, and saved the world from the
devastation of the Great Flood. We’re here today because
of what he did then.
Greatness is measured not by our doubts, but by our
deeds.
G-d knows that we are flawed human beings. He
created us that way on purpose. Yet we inspire G-d to call
us perfect when we do what we have to, notwithstanding
how we struggle to get there.
You don’t have to be a cantor to be able to daven and
you don’t need to be a rabbi to keep kosher. Like Noah, you
might struggle with your faith and have serious questions
about the Holocaust. When all is said and done, however,
what matters is not how you felt on the inside but what
you did with it on the outside.
It’s really no big deal for extraordinary people to
do extraordinary things. But when ordinary people do
extraordinary things, that’s inspiring! So what’s going to
be the mark of your greatness?
Rabbi Dovid Vigler is spiritual leader at Chabad of
Palm Beach Gardens and host of the Jewish Schmooze
Radio Show. Email him at gardensrabbi@gmail.com.
The Power Dynamic

By Rabbi Paul Arberman
Ronan Farrow’s new
book, Catch and Kill: Lies,
Spies, and a Conspiracy
to Protect Predators,
recounts the challenges he
faced chasing the stories of
Harvey Weinstein’s decades
of alleged rape, sexual
assault, and sexual abuse
of women. It reminds me
that Judaism has it’s own
“Me Too” story.
In the Torah story of Joseph, we read: “And it came
to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her
eyes upon Joseph; and she said: ‘Lie with me.’ But he
refused…”(Genesis 39:7).
Now, it might strike you as odd that Joseph is a man
who is the target here while usually (but not always) it is a
woman who is the target of unwanted advances. However,
it makes the point that inappropriate sexual advances are
really about power relationships. To wit, it is not one of

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