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Parshat Ki Teitzei - I’m looking for a man in finance


The speed of modern social media memes is breathtaking. It's nearly impossible to know which memes are current or passé.


A sales professional, Megan Boni, saw her life change overnight. Inspired by thoughts on single women, including herself, who vent frustrations about relationships while holding unrealistic expectations of men, Boni created a song purely as a parody.


She sang, “I’m looking for a man in finance. Trust Fund. Six-Five. Blue Eyes.”


On April 30, 2024, she posted a short 19-second video with the caption, "Did I just write the song of the summer?" The catchy lyrics and upbeat tempo took only minutes to create. 


In just three weeks, her TikTok video exploded, amassing over 26 million views and igniting a wave of remixes across the platform. Here is a link to one of literally hundreds of remixes: https://youtu.be/wpIQt57vT_A?si=JyCvD1IQO6LAutjA. I chose this one because you can see Ms. Boni’s original video before the remix begins.


Our culture coined the phrase “Finance Bro” for young men working on Wall Street and elsewhere who embody an ethos where money rules everything, including friendship, family, and community. Every generation has its finance bros. In the 1990s, Michael Lewis’ Book Liar’s Poker captured this Finance Bro Culture at the Wall Street firm Salomon Brothers. 


As you emerge into the workforce, you will be challenged to understand your relationship to your inner Finance Bro - we all have one.  Our Yetzer Harah will always push us to seek to maximize our financial transactions with others. 


In our Parsha, we are told not to charge interest when we lend money to fellow Jews—it is a prohibition among the 613 mitzvot. We read in Chapter 23, Verse 20, as Moses says, “You shall not give interest to your brother, [whether it be] interest on money, interest on food or interest on any [other] item for which interest is [normally] taken.” This is the third time we have been given this mitzvah in the five books.


Rashi teaches that this is a warning to the borrower that he should not pay interest to the lender. Earlier in Leviticus 25:36, we read that one should not charge interest to a fellow Jew. Therefore, prohibition flows both ways.  


Moshe’s admonition about charging interest doesn’t come in a vacuum. In the verses preceding this one, our parsha, we read about how our new nation in Israel is to treat the stranger, the convert, the orphan, and the widow.  Moshe reiterates positive and negative mitzvot that teach us to honor these individuals, not exploit them. 


Rabbi Avishai Milner, writing at the Ohr Torah Stone website, adds, “Naturally, these people are prone to exploitation and unfair treatment and for this reason the Torah cautioins us to not take interest from these vulnterable persons.”


He goes on to quote Rashi, in his commentary on the same prohibition when it appeared earlier in Exodus, saying “Neshech (interest) is like the bite (neshichat) of a snake that bites one’s heel, leaving only a tiny bruise.  At first, one feels nothing, but then the venom flows and reaches the head.  Such is interest.  At first, one does not feel it, but then the interest inflates and deprives one of much money.”


Rashi offers a powerful reminder of how painful and lasting the impact of interest can be. However, Rabbi Miler adds that the parsha this week isn’t referring to charging interest to the oppressed; instead, it's about our fellow Jew, regardless of her status. 


Milner quotes Ramban, saying that there is nothing wrong with charging or paying interest. In fact, it's how the free market works. We don’t charge our fellow Jew interest because he’s our brother.


The Ramban and others speak to this prohibition as a mitzvah. We are commanded to forego the interest. This act of tzedaka, of treating our brothers with kindness, is not just a commandment but a source of inspiration and promise of something bigger. When we forego interest and treat our brothers with kindness, Gd will reward us and bless the labor of our hands.


Regarding non-Jews, Verse 21 clarifies that the opposite is also true. It reads, “You may [however,] give interest to a gentile, but to your brother, you shall not give interest, in order that the Lord, your God, shall bless you in every one of your endeavors on the land to which you are coming to possess.”


Rambam, in his Laws of Kings 6.8, as quoted in the Rebbe’s Chumash, states, “In principle, the Torah would require us to charge interest to any borrower.” It says charging interest is ethical and universally accepted. Rambam adds that failing to charge interest would violate the Torah’s prohibition against wasting money. It is only because Gd has deemed it so critical that we waive interest in transactions with our fellow Jews. 


Rav Hirsch provides additional context in three ways.  He compares the mitzvah prohibition against charging interest to a fellow Jew as similar to the Schmittah (the sabbath year for the land) and the Sabbath itself. All remind us that our possessions aren’t ours. It is Gd who is the master of all property.


He also adds that the prohibition against charging or paying interest among Jews means this mitzvah sits above our normal mitzvot related to justice. This is nothing less than an act of homage required by Gd.  Paying or charging interest is incompatible with serving Him.


Finally, he adds that this verse comes at a moment when the Jews are about to settle the land of Israel. Commerce and land management require lending to be successful. The duty not to charge interest or pay it is meant to foster a positive influence on social relations—that we are all in this together.


In an interview about what she was really looking for in a man, Ms. Boni was a bit more serious.  She said, “I’m looking for someone who understands my humor, lets me shine a little, and balances me out. 


Whether it's dating or building a society together, we are in a pitched battle with our Yetzer Harah. It wants us to disregard the humanity of others for the sake of personal gain. When building a Jewish nation, this prohibition is a decisive step to remind us that it takes all of us to complete the work, to balance each other out, and to help each other shine.

Parshat Shoftim - Pursuing Justice


By Dan Cohen


Earlier this year, civil rights pioneer Rev. James Lawson passed away. He is noted for teaching nonviolence to Martin Luther King after learning it by traveling to India to see Gandhi practice it there. He put all of his efforts into building a more just society.



Quoted in his LA Times obituary, he said that in the pursuit of justice, “Instead of giving in to anger, we must respect the inherent dignity and nobility of those with whom we disagree. We must listen. We must make connections rather than instigate separation, recognizing that violent thoughts, words, and actions only incite more violence.”



The piece added that Lawson also related his own experience with a young man who spit on him during a protest. He wiped his face and asked the young man about his motorcycle. A conversation began; the conflict was averted.



The third verse of our parsha is “famous” in American Jewry. I bet any socially active Jew can even recite it (in English).



Chapter 16, Verse 20 says, “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your God, is giving you.”  In Hebrew, its said, “Tzedek Tzedek Teerdof.” 



It's the rallying cry of every Jewish social justice movement in the US. I remember it as the basis of our shul youth group’s work on social action for Soviet Jewry and Ethiopian migration to Israel - significant issues in the 1980s.



We don’t read this Parsha in a vacuum. We usually read it when the calendar turns to the first Shabbat of Elul. This month, before Rosh Hashanah, is the month of our return, when we are urged to self-reflect. During this month, we are asked to use the daily call of the shofar to reflect on teshuvah (repentance), T’filah (prayer), and tzedakah (righteous giving). 



At the root of the word tzedakah is tzedek - justice. The parsha informs us that we need judges and an incorruptible legal system to enact justice. Justice also calls on us to think about how to give of ourselves righteously in the service of others.



Maybe one of the reasons many activists (Tikkun Olamers, like I used to call myself) are drawn to this is the interplay between the fire of the Torah and how it is realized in the rule of law in society. Rav Hirsh says, “Justice…is to be the one supreme goal sought purely for its own sake; a goal to which all other considerations must defer.” In a way, without justice, we have nothing.



He adds that if Israel is successful in establishing justice as a social institution, we have done everything within our power to secure our physical and political existence here. How does pursuing justice through social activism connect with this parsha’s call for a society with justice at its core? Rav Hirsch shares some insight.



First, as a reminder, we continue with Moshe’s speech to the nation here in Devarim. He says, “Justice justice shall you pursue.” This isn’t past or present tense. It's future tense. Moshe and the Torah imply that work remains to be done. 



Moshe teaches that while Israel will gain possession of the land, we will only retain it if we prioritize justice. Hirsh points out the giant “if” in this notion. Our possession of this land can be called into question at any time, and we must continually take ownership of it only through the full realization of justice.



That’s a lofty imperative.  Hashem tells us that yesterday’s work pales compared to the work we must do today to build a just society.  We cannot rest on the work of our elders, nor can we assign it to our children. We have to do the job.



Second, the verse repeats the words Tzedek Tzedek. Hirsch summarizes the Gemara in Sanhedrin 32b. He says calling out justice twice urges us to perform each judicial activity impartially, whether it decides the law or arranges a compromise—justice can be either outcome. It is a mitzvah to illuminate the law and/or to bring amicable compromise between parties.



The Gemara gives these examples. “Where there are two boats traveling on the river and they encounter each other, if both of them attempt to pass, both of them sink, as the river is not wide enough for both to pass. If they pass one after the other, both of them pass.



And similarly, where there are two camels who were ascending the ascent of Beit Ḥoron, where there is a narrow steep path, and they encounter each other, if both of them attempt to ascend, both of them fall. If they ascend one after the other, both of them ascend.”



It dawned on me today that Israeli drivers have probably never read this page of the Gemara or Dr. Seuss’s North-going Zax versus the South-going Zax. (See: https://youtu.be/dZmZzGxGpSs?si=53d7gvyLCfL-ZFJi)



Justice, whose root is in tzedakah, can mean righteously giving in a bit to achieve compromise. When I used to think about justice, it was an all-or-nothing proposition. Here, we learn that a just and fair solution is ideal.



Third, a famous phrase says, “The end justifies the means.” It is a paraphrase of the political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli. It means that if a goal is morally important enough, any method of getting it is acceptable.



Throughout my life, I’ve met many social activists who felt so strongly about their goals that any means to achieve them was applicable. Even many civil rights activists fought Rev. Lawson on this very point - urging drastic and sometimes illegal actions to achieve racial justice.



We are taught differently. The Stone Chumash quotes R. Simcha Bunam of P’shis’cha and adds an obligation on all of us who pursue justice. He says one should pursue righteousness (and justice) only through righteousness. The Torah does not condone pursuing a holy end through improper means.



I am attracted to leaning on Tzedek Tzedek as a core tenant of my activism and even part of my Jewish identity. We Jews are restless in the pursuit of making things better and improving the world day by day. We are created in Gd’s image, and it is on us to help perfect the imperfections around us.



The Torah and examples like Rev. Lawson guide us on gracefully actualizing and doing this work. First, we must continue the work in the present, regardless of the past. Second, in civil matters, we must pursue justice through the rule of law and compromise, not stridency. Third, we must seek justice using our best ideals, not our most expedient actions.

Parshat Re'eh - Where is your antenna pointed?



As a kid, I loved listening to AM radio, especially at night. During the day, I could hear all the Philadelphia stations and sometimes those from New York. If I moved the dial slowly and lifted the antenna towards the ceiling at night, I could tune into baseball games broadcast from St.Louis, about 900 miles away. All it took was turning the dial slowly and paying attention to the signal.



The parsha begins with a famous verse.  Chapter 11, Verses 26-28, says, “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing, that you will heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today; and the curse, if you will not heed the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the way I command you this day, to follow other gods, which you did not know.



Throughout these drashot, I’ve tried to instill in you the notion that your choices matter, potentially more than just about anything else. Each of you has the opportunity, every day, to make choices to observe mitzvot and treat your fellow humans with respect and empathy. Choice is the most human thing we can do—ultimately, what God wants us to do.



The story behind this verse is that the Jews are about to enter Israel.  Moshe tells the nation they are to choose between blessings and curses, between accepting Hashem and the alternate.



The Rebbe’s Chumash dissects this choice in three ways, with each elevating our observance. First, he says, we can observe mitzvot out of plain obedience. This approach lacks understanding and appreciation of the Torah but does represent a willingness to accept the yoke of Hashem.



Second, an individual builds on her deference to Hashem and performs mitzvot because she understands that mitzvah observance can bring reward. However, this choice is motivated by potential upside.



The third approach to understanding this choice is to use the power of sight (Re’eh). Using this “spiritual vision,” she sees that the core of our spiritual enlightenment is identifying Hashem in everything around us and doing mitzvot to honor Him.



In my search for spiritual vision, I’ve sought out sages, experts, and gurus. Moshe tells us that the key is to see Hashem right before us. It is a choice we can make every day.



One question to consider is whether it is a curse that Moses references. The Rebbe’s Chumash asks the following question. “How could Gd, who is the very essence of good, issue a curse. (After all) aren’t we taught that ‘No evil thing is issued from Above?’” (Midrash Rabah 51:3)



Onkelos is on one side of the debate about the meaning of the verse. He wrote a translation during the downtrodden Babylonian era. He interprets the word “K’Lalah” as a curse, which makes sense, given the horrible conditions and spiritual depths the nation experienced.



However, the Targum Yonasan wrote his commentary during the Temple era when blessings were abundant. He interpreted the word differently, claiming that K’Lalah could be translated as “substitute” instead of a curse.



I prefer the idea that Gd chooses only to bless us, not curse us. One answer to this back-and-forth is that Gd grants blessings we see and can handle. He doesn’t grant curses. Instead, these “substitute” blessings are just ones we can’t access or accommodate. We don't have our antennae in the right direction to receive them because we choose what to prioritize.



The Chumash adds that difficulties, trials, and tests Gd sends us are the means to achieve the ultimate objective - elevating our soul to the highest level possible. These troubles aren’t curses but are all part of Hashem’s system in which we have to work and toil to reach the highest levels of reward and goodness - which we have to earn.



We have a fighting chance to elevate our souls and be attuned to Gds blessings. Isaiah 60:21 says, “Your people are all righteous.”



I take great solace in this quote. I don’t like to think of Hashem as vengeful. I prefer to think of your souls and mine as inherently good. I also want to feel that Gd has given us a playbook and many hints on what he believes will help us grow.



If Gd seeks to offer me blessings and I’m not acting appropriately or in the right headspace, then that’s on me. I’m okay with a Gd that passes judgment, but not one that seeks my downfall.



Rav Hirsch builds on this idea. He looks at the same word, K’Lalah. He says that if a blessing brings progress and prosperity, the curse brings emptiness and a void. Our choice to be disobedient means we are missing something. Our actions will cause a loss of self-worth and a regression to personal nothingness.



He adds that Judaism’s belief in one God is not simply a belief in God’s existence; it is an acknowledgment of His rule over us and one that entails submission to His will. 



Moshe tells us that we will be cursed because we will chase after idols. These words reflect not just actively choosing to worship idols but minimizing the centrality of Hashem in our lives. Hirsch says that Gd revealed himself to us and connected himself with our fate in a thousand different ways.  Can we point to an idol that did the same?



With that rebuke, we reach the crux of what it means to “see” for ourselves. We’ve been given a pure and holy soul. We choose what to believe and how to act. When we are aligned with Hashem, the blessings will flow and be received. When we aren’t, it is not his fault, it is ours, and we’ll miss the signals he sends.

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