There is a story told in the Gemara, Bava Basra, Daf Yud, how Rav Yosef, the son of Rav Yehoshua, fell ill, and his neshamah, his soul, temporarily ascended to heaven. When he recovered, his father asked him, ‘What did you see up there?’ He answered, ‘I saw an upside-down world. ‘Olam hafuch ra’iti.’ Those who are considered important in this world are at the bottom. And those who are unimportant down here, in heaven, are the most distinguished.’ His father replied, ‘You didn’t see an upside-down world. What you saw was a clear world; olam barur ra’ita.’
I could have saved Rav Yosef a trip to heaven; all he had to do was turn on the news this past week. When we think of who is most important in our society, I’d venture to say it is our politicians voted upon by hundreds of thousands and Hollywood stars and directors who grab our attention. But instead of showing us how to take advantage of their mega-platforms, instead of demonstrating true leadership in the darkest of times, two people, one a politician, the other a Hollywood director, reminded us how upside-down this world really is.
Chuck Schumer, a man who in every single talk he gives with a Jewish audience reminds them how Schumer comes from the word, ‘shomer,’ protector. “I am,” he would proclaim, “the protector of the State of Israel.” But this past week he showed us that he is one who endangers the Jewish People. He lambasted Israel’s actions, giving fuel to the many who are trying to marginalize Israel. And while we could have a serious discussion about whether or not Netanyahu should remain Prime Minister of Israel, for an American politician to make this case is, in the words of Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s prime opponent, “counter-productive and unacceptable.” A Jewish politician who claims to be a friend who endangers Israel in their time of need? This is not respectable behavior. We live in an upside-down world.
This past Sunday, nearly 20 million people tuned in to watch the Oscars. As I am sure you all know by now, Jonathan Glazer, a Jew, who directed a powerful film about the Holocaust, after stepping up to the podium to receive an Oscar not only criticized the Jewish State, but demanded that the Holocaust not be invoked by the Jewish People. “Olam hafuch rai’ti. It is indeed an upside-down world.”
It’s not only those who are at the top who are really at the bottom. The inverse is true as well. Allow me to share with you two different stories about people who do not have prestigious positions, who many of you never heard of, but are making a real difference.
The first is about a guy name Ron Hassner. He is a dorky political science professor who despite teaching at UC Berkely. The past week he has been living in his office. He is 6’4 and his office is the size of a one-car garage, but that is not stopping him. His wife did not kick him out. Why is he doing this?
The Berkeley campus has been a cesspool of antisemitic hate and that hate predictably turned violent. A gathering with an Israeli lawyer was shut down by the police after 200 violent protestors broke windows and doors and injured students who were trying to attend the event.
Hassner, who despite teaching at Berkeley never joined a single protest is now staging a live-in. Until the university agrees to properly combat antisemitism, until the Jewish students on this campus can feel safe, Professor Hassner is not leaving his office. I am told that he asks visitors to bring Febreze as the stench in the room is getting quite strong. This man, who never protested before, who no one ever heard of, who is unimportant, is actually making a difference, is likely saving lives. “Olam hafuch rai’ti. It is indeed an upside-down world.”
Let me tell you about another unrelated news item in the Jewish world. According to Jewish Law, divorce can only be affected when a man chooses to give his wife a divorce bill, a get. Though it is rare, unfortunately, this is sometimes taken advantage of. There are men who use this power that they have and refuse to divorce their wife unless some crazy demands are met. A woman who is waiting for a get is called an Agunah, literally, a chained woman, as she is unable to get remarried until she receives her get. We don’t know the exact number of women who are waiting for a get, but I do know of one – her name is Malki Berkowitz. She lives in New York and her husband is refusing to give her a get. It’s a tragedy. It’s disgusting. It’s heartbreaking. But most of us are going on with our lives.
However, there’s a 36-year-old woman by the name of Adina Sash, some may know her by her Instagram handle, FlatbushGirl. She decided one day that she wanted to help Agunos. She rolled up her sleeves and she did. She has helped people who were struggling receive their get, incredible. Recently, she became aware of the plight of Malki Berkowitz but none of her efforts were successful. So she came up with an idea – she asked all of her followers on social media, and she has many, to not be intimate with their husbands until Malki receives her get. Yes, you heard me correctly.
Now I happen to think it’s a terrible idea. There are enough issues with modern marriages that they do not need this extra tension. To be clear, I think it’s a really really terrible idea. Do not follow her advice, please.
But I have to give credit to Adina. Compared to Schumer and Glazer, she is a nobody. She is just a young woman without any professional role in the community who saw a problem that others were not addressing, and she stepped up. She, not a rabbi, not a major organization, an Instagram influencer is making waves and making a difference. Is this not an upside-down world?
Let’s take this Gemara one step further. If we indeed do live in an upside-down world, those who are deemed important are not, and those who are deemed to be unimportant are, what does that say about us? And by us, I mean all of us, regular people, not well-known beyond our little circles. In an upside-down world, you and I are most important of all. And yet, we are sitting here, enjoying these stories of the villains and heroes of the Jewish people, eating our proverbial popcorn. It’s not relevant to me. What can I do? Who am I?
The sin of the Golden Calf, according to most commentaries, was not idolatry. They were not looking to replace Hashem. They were looking to replace Moshe. Without him, they believed, without a leader, they were lost. It was not a lack of belief in G-d. It was a lack of belief in oneself.
You know how G-d responded to the sin of the Golden Calf? He asked every single Jew to come forward and contribute to the building of the Mishkan. The Mishkan could not be built without each of them doing something to make it complete. More important than believing in G-d, Hashem wanted to make sure we believe in ourselves.
On Monday, (through my work with the OU,) I plan on spending the day in Albany with the parents of Oren Neutra. Oren has been held captive since October 7th and Oren’s parents will be at the New York State capitol to plead their case in front of politicians. I plan on telling them how our congregation has a picture of their son up on the wall of our sanctuary. I plan on telling them that every Shabbos we pray for his return and every day, twice a day, we add special chapters of Tehillim in their son’s merit. So tell me, who’s going to make a bigger difference to these distraught and broken parents? Some politicians who have to meet them or the knowledge that two hundred people they never met, on their own volition, are thinking about their son? I would not underestimate the power, both emotional and spiritual, that we possess.
You and I, us small people – we may not be able to get Malki freed. But imagine if every parent in this room commits to ensuring that your child will only get married with a Halachic prenup- a mechanism created and endorsed by leading rabbis that ensure that men give their wives a get, or if you are single that you will only get married with a Halachic prenup, imagine what a difference we could make. Imagine if every married couple goes ahead and gets a Halachic postnup – the same document but meant for couples like me and my wife who did not have a prenup. And yes, it’s an awkward conversation to have once you’re married. “Hey honey, in case we ever get divorced, you want to sign this document to make sure you don’t like a jerk?” Just blame it on me.
The Schumer’s and the Glazer’s of the world may have a bigger pulpit than you and me. The Ron Hassner’s and the Adina Sash’s of the world may be in the news. But in the real world, real change takes place right here, with me and you. The small actions we take to free the hostages, the pre and post-nups we sign to ensure that there will never be more agunos. We don’t have to wait until we go to heaven to see things clearly. V’n’hapich’hu, we could turn things over today. We just need to open our eyes and appreciate our worth, roll up our sleeves and get to work.