As I like to say, “I earned my stripes this morning”.  While in Minyan davening Birkhot Ha-Shachar we get to the section of Rabbinic Texts to study.  I usually pick one to meditate on, or I ready something from another of my sources prior to the Kaddish DeRabbanon.  I read the Section from II Genesis Rabbah 38.6

גָּדוֹל הַֹשָלוֹם, ….. הָא לָמַֽדְתָּ: גָּדוֹל הַֹשָּלוֹם וּשְנוּאַה הַמַּחֲלֹֽקֶת.

This is just the opening two words and the end – “Great is Peace….” and ending with “Learn, therefore, that peace is great and strife is hateful.”  I began to ruminate on this small section and started thinking about things going on in the world, things going on in our government.

When we begin looking at what is going on in our government, at least to me it is disgusting.  We vote our “leaders” into office, regardless of party affiliation, to do a job.  And the hope for this is that there is a bipartisan government where all parties will work together for the benefit of the people, their constituents who voted them into office – we the people whom through our voice in the ballots gave them their jobs, gave them their power.  Instead the political process has once again reared it’s head with the current “shutdown”.

You can-not blame one party or the other – this is a situation where no-one from either side is willing to come to the table.  Oh yes… they will “spin” it that the other party is to blame, but when it comes down to it – all of them, every one of the politicians, regardless of party affiliation – are to blame.  From the President on down to the first year Congressman.

But thanks to our Media, and thanks to the “spin tanks” of both parties they do their usual manipulation of the public, thinking that the entire public are unintelligent and will believe everything they “spin”.

For many years my son Nathan has stated that it is time for another party, that the current politicians are all corrupt.  Maybe Nathan has a point – and it can-not be a party that is already around with the same old leaders with the same old partisan beliefs and only interested in their positions and their power.

There are good politicians out there – people like Ted Deutch from Florida is one who comes to mind.  But they are few and far between.  Daily we see our country, not as an example to the world, but as a Reality TV show – what is the big United States Government going to do next?

So what does all this have to do with the Rabbinic Text I ruminated on this morning?

גָּדוֹל הַֹשָלוֹם, ….. הָא לָמַֽדְתָּ: גָּדוֹל הַֹשָּלוֹם וּשְנוּאַה הַמַּחֲלֹֽקֶת.

“Great is Peace…. Learn, therefore, that peace is great and strife is hateful.”

By playing partisan politics and not being willing to listen and compromise with other leaders – our government leaders – whom we the people have voted in – regardless of party affiliation – are doing what is hateful.  It does not matter even your religious views – I am not speaking about a purely Jewish concept here – peace is a part of all Religions (this is not a religious debate here and I am not speaking on fanaticism).

Our leaders need to learn to respect each other.  Our leaders need to learn that there are many ways towards solutions.  To all of our leaders – from the President down to the first year Congressman – you all should be ashamed of yourselves.  “Great is Peace…. Learn, therefore, that peace is great and strife is hateful.”  End the strife and come together in peace and do your jobs.

Great Is Peace