It’s still Chanukah. There’s only one more day to light the Menorah. In my message to you last week, I wrote that the devastating fraud perpetrated by Madoff casts a pall over our celebration this year. It’s difficult to raise the subject because it isn’t clear where the wounds are and who bears them. But, we must raise the subject because we all bear the wounds. Every Jewish man, woman and child bears the wounds. So, I’ll raise the subject here again.
The pain is intense. The wounds Madoff caused will run wide and deep. One financier took his own life once he realized the depth of the losses. Charitable funds have been wiped out and many are on the verge of closing down. These are literal wounds, but there are more. National commentators have called the Madoff scandal “a Christmas gift for every anti-Semite.” So, I’d like to respond.
First, let’s not become self-hating Jews. Let’s not resurrect images of ourselves as some “light unto the nations” who cannot ever falter. If history had dealt fairly with Jews, we would have been spared such rigid standards. Rather, let us be lumped into the pool of human beings who distinguish themselves by bearing witness to religious teachings. Judaism is our link to God Almighty who holds us to account through Torah. This is the ideal we strive to reach and only then may we even begin to imagine that we might resemble such a light for others. That is not to say that Madoff couldn’t have done better; but, let’s not accept that he nor any other reasonable Jewish adult was ever the contemporary “light” of prophetic expectations.
Second, let’s not bury our heads in shame. Before Chanukah ends, we must bear up and rededicate ourselves to the Torah lessons that begin with the Ten Commandments (“Thou shalt not steal,” is a good place to start), and continue with the ethical teachings of Jewish literature in Talmud and Responsa, up to this day. The Maccabees rededicated the Temple in order to honor God through worship and deeds. If the Menorah means anything to us, today, it must represent our rededication to everything Judaism holds dear. We cannot justify our deeds because they serve us, alone. They must serve a greater good beyond us to include God and our neighbors.
Third, Judaism must address the issues of crime and repentance. How does a man who allegedly defrauded investors of $50 billion restore the losses? What laws and precedents will the court use to hold him to account? Will Judaism’s laws of repentance enable him to apologize for his crimes and make restitution? I can only answer the last question with some confidence. Madoff will be unable to apologize completely for the crimes he committed against people and there is no way for him to make complete restitution. He will truly live without the possibility of Teshuvah, of returning to a place of peace within the Jewish community.
Finally, there is a terrible sadness we can feel in our hearts and souls. Not only have the Jewish community and many others been hurt by his despicable acts, but he has suffered, too. He is a broken man who lost his way and never asked for help. Even his family, it appears, was in the dark. Judaism will not permit him to blame others for the decisions he made; he will have to take personal responsibility for his actions. But, we must also learn from these events. We have to ask ourselves, How did it happen? What can we do to prevent it from ever happening again?
As the last candles on the Menorah are lit, please reflect on what it means to be a Jewish person who bears witness to God’s covenant through Torah teachings. May the lights of the Menorah express our people’s hope that where we have the opportunity to increase light, we may also increase holiness for us and for all who are touched by our lives.
From my desk to yours, Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom.
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