8 | JANUARY 6 • 2022 

essay

Morality, Wisdom and Hope in 2022
A

s the turbulent 2021 
came to an end, I was 
blessed to enjoy a 
family vacation to Washington, 
D.C. There, we oriented our-
selves by the Washington 
Monument: to the north sat 
our hotel, just beyond the 
White House; to the west, the 
Lincoln Memorial gleamed; 
to the east of the Monument, 
the Capitol 
dome rose on 
the Hill; and to 
the south, the 
U.S. Holocaust 
Memorial Center 
shared its mes-
sage with the 
world. 
 As a family descended 
from Holocaust survivors, 
we believe the United States 
remains an idea that inspires 
visions of a better tomorrow 
and a land that offers refuge to 
the tired masses yearning to 
breathe free.
Like the Washington 
Monument, Judaism stands 
among the world religions 
as a centering presence and 
directional support. Ever since 
our descent thousands of 
years ago into Egypt, and then 
again after the destruction 
of the First and Second Holy 
Temples, we Jews have served 
as an instrument of moral ori-
entation, as well as a towering 
presence of wisdom and hope 
to the world. 
First, as individual Jews 
living actively Jewish lives 
in a Gentile world, we share 
with our neighbors the ethics 
and morality derived from a 
position of intergenerational 
otherness. Thirty-six times the 

Torah reminds us that we were 
strangers in a strange land and 
that we therefore possess an 
obligation to protect the vul-
nerable. As if the entire Torah 
were an answer from God to 
Cain’s query, “
Am I my broth-
er’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9), 
Moses pronounced one of the 
most important teachings that 
Judaism brings to our world: 
“You must not remain indif-
ferent” (Deuteronomy 
22:3). The wisdom 
of Judaism and, even 
more so the lessons 
derived from suffer-
ing of Jews, lead to 
the realization that 
humanity cannot stand 
when the powerful 
abuse the powerless. 
Second, Judaism 
declares that a fam-
ily must take care of 
its own and that all within a 
nation are responsible for one 
another. Our Torah instructs 
us that maturity is only truly 
achieved upon seeing the suf-
fering of others and respond-
ing with action. Twice we read 
that Moses grew up, the first 
in reference to his physical 
development and the second 
regarding his spiritual devel-
opment when he arose pas-
sionately to cease the suffering 
of his kinsman. 
Moreover, when the Torah 
demands, “You shall love 
your neighbor as yourself” 
(Leviticus 19:18), it speaks of 
one Jew’s need to care, respect, 
honor and show compassion 
toward his or her fellow Jews. 
As communities locally and 
nations globally continue to 
see their residents suffering 

from the pandemic and pov-
erty, violence and vitriol, they 
would do well to learn the 
wisdom of the Jewish people, 
whose profound sense of obli-
gation toward one another 
far supersedes any sense of 
personal rights or self-entitle-
ment. 
Third, we Jews exemplify 
the meaningfulness of joyful 
gratitude and true humility. At 

home and at the synagogue, 
through the whisper of bless-
ings each day to the singing, 
dancing and culinary rituals 
celebrating Shabbat and Jewish 
holidays, Judaism uplifts the 
spirit and nourishes the soul. 
Moreover, the brilliance of the 
mandate to disconnect from 
technology one day each week 
offers a powerful salve in a 
world tortured by the plagues 
of social media and the 24/7 
news industry. 
Just as important, Judaism’s 
commitment to seeking truth 
and practicing radical listen-
ing, especially to those with 
whom we disagree, are the 
foundations of our education-
al process. In a world driven 
by ever-increasing commer-
cialization, tribalism and 
the echo-chambers of social 

media, the Jewish idea that 
life is richer through gratitude 
and humility offers a trans-
formational path to healthier, 
happier lives. 
Beyond all this wisdom, 
though, perhaps the great-
est direction toward which 
Judaism guides the world as 
we come into 2022 is the hope 
that comes from faith in God, 
and the pragmatic optimism 
that springs forth 
from the partnership 
between humanity 
and the Divine. It is 
the fervent Jewish 
belief in a messianic 
era, described as peace 
between nations and 
the satiety of human 
needs. In a time of 
terrible anxiety, blood-
thirsty anger and 
profound suffering, 
the vision of a time in which 
every person shall sit under 
his or her vine and fig tree 
and that none shall make him/
her afraid should unite us in 
shared purpose and labor. 
There is strength in faith and 
power in hope.
As we begin 2022, the 
morality, wisdom and hope of 
the Jewish people offer com-
pass and stability to a world 
desperately in need of direc-
tion and calm. May we orient 
ourselves by our faith and our 
people, by our Washington 
Monument, so the rest of the 
world, too, can find its path 
forward to life, liberty and the 
pursuit of happiness. 

Rabbi Aaron Starr is a spiritual leader 

of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in 

Southfield.

Rabbi Aaron 
Starr

PURELY COMMENTARY

