Rabbi Weill's Blog

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares

And their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation shall not take up

Sword against nation;

They shall never again know war;

But all shall sit

Under his vine and fig tree

And none shall make him afraid.

Micah 4:3-4

Dear Friends,

Never forget the fundamentals of our faith, expressed here by the prophet Micah in the eighth century B.C.E. We tend to forget these fundamentals because we are consumed by an unquenchable desire to vanquish – on battlefields, in policies, in opinion pages – those we consider to be enemies. Sadly, we don’t love our enemies, but we seem to love having them.

As we enter Independence Day weekend, let us keep in mind the vision our founders expressed for this country. George Washington quoted Micah often. He once wrote to Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode, Island, “May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to…enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants – while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

May we all extend good will to each other in this land, in the land of Israel, and everywhere.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jeffrey Weill

P.S. Join me in welcoming Cantor Dan Gale for his official inaugural Shabbat this Friday night and Saturday morning!