When the Israelites stood at Mt. Sinai and accepted the Torah, they established a brit or covenant with God – a relationship in which both God and the people became mutually responsible for one another. At that moment, the Israelites recognized that they shared a common fate and destiny.
Importantly, a covenant is different from a contract. Contracts are based on transactions and focus on what is received instead of what is given. A society based on contract alone leads to the prevalence of grievance and resentment.
As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks notes, “…the United States is the only country today whose political discourse is framed by the idea of covenant.” This principle is encapsulated by our Constitution’s preamble which begins with the phrase, “We the People” reflecting our joint collective identity. As Americans, we are asked to collaborate for a broader good. Our democracy asks for a deep connecting trust between its citizens which is centered on what is best for the whole instead of what advantages the few.
Perhaps no moment in recent history better reflects the meaning of our covenantal relationship than what took place eighty years ago today on the shores of Normandy’s beaches in France. On June 6th, 1944, hundreds of thousands of young American men stormed those beaches to end the war in the Atlantic. On that day, young men gave their lives for a covenant – for a deep and meaningful relationship they held with an entire nation.
This coming Tuesday night, Jews around the world will observe Shavuot – a holiday recalling the moment when the Israelites stood together at Sinai On Shavuot, we celebrate the idea of covenant, the idea of a relational trusting bond.
This bond lies at the very heart of what it means to be both a Jew and an American.
Our celebration of Shavuot begins on Friday night at 7:30PM with a pre-celebration led by Cantor Anna with traditional dairy desserts following the service and then on Tuesday evening at 7PM, where Rabbi Leiken will lead a short session on the meaning of the Book of Ruth to our contemporary lives which will be followed by a short conversation with Rabbi Stacey Blank, who will update our community on what is happening in Israel.