Rabbi's Message - Shabbat Shuva- September 11, 2021
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B"H
Shabbat Shuva
We would be remiss if as a community we didn’t acknowledge the tragedy on 9/11. It’s been twenty years but we all vividly remember where we were at the time our world changed forever. I couldn’t believe it was happening but deep down I knew it was true. The images of the collapsing buildings and people jumping to their certain death are still haunting. Almost 3,000 Americans were murdered, and countless families' dreams were shattered. Yet, the realization that what happened once could happen again is a numbing fear Americans now have to live with.
This year 9/11 falls out on Shabbat Shuva, the sabbath of repentance. This Shabbat teaches us that if we continually repeat the follies of yesterday, we can expect similar results. Casting aspersions on politicians or blaming the policies of previous regimes serves no purpose. More so, claims that ISIS or terrorist groups have been eradicated are an illusion as they are chameleon-like and change color and name with ease.
The comparison to Shabbat Shuva is that the sinner must first acknowledge the sin and only then can one possibly overcome it. The same is true with terrorists, the threat will continue to exist unless we acknowledge the reality of their existence. It is only in step two that we can hope to eradicate them in the future.
But 9/11 also showed the beautiful side of people. Images of firefighters rushing up the countless stairways of the World Trade Center in the hope of saving people as well as ambulance services from across the five boroughs including Hatzolah driving towards the disaster instead of going away from it. While sadly some firemen paid the ultimate price, their bravery and sacrifice lives on. Who can forget companies like Cantor Fitzgerald who set up a $10,000,000 fund to continue paying families of workers who were killed.
It would be wrong to only remember the evil perpetrated on 9/11 (although there is much evil to remember) without also remembering the good. Sadly, we recall the names of terrorists (Muhammad Atta) but who can recall the names of the thousands who perished? So perhaps this year we have to repent for our forgetfulness. It behooves all Americans to keep the memory of those who died alive.
On 9/12 we all waved American flags to show the world that Americans are united, strong and remain undefeated. Well, what happened with those flags? Why are they not being waved anymore? Before we can defeat the terrorists, who try to destroy us, we first must regain our patriotism. I think it’s time for ‘Old Glory’ to once again make an appearance and for Americans to focus on our commonalities rather than our differences. And perhaps it’s time to lift our voices with pride and sincerity and shout the words “and I’m proud to be an American.”
