How would you depict the character of a quintessential Jew?

For many, Tevye the Milkman from Fiddler on the Roof reflected the typical shtetl Jew, a man who held on to tradition as the world moved inexorably forward. Tevye was played masterfully by the actor,  Chaim Topol, who passed away in Israel today. 

This actor was famously known just by his last name - Topol, and he “breathed life into Tevye”, according to his director Norman Jewison. 

When I was a little girl, I actually had the opportunity to meet Topol during a visit to Israel. 

My Father, of blessed memory, recognized him at our hotel, and encouraged me to go over and say hello. We had just seen “Fiddler on the Roof” and I did approach Topol, after much prodding, and got his autograph. 

I remember looking at him and trying to see the character Tevye in the man who stood before me. 

This week’s Torah portion is called Ki Tisa and it chronicles one of the biggest Jewish tragedies, the Sin of the Golden Calf. 

The plot goes as follows:

The Jews receive the Ten Commandments after the Ten Plagues and The Exodus, all blockbuster movies in their own right. Then Moses is commanded to go up to Mount Sinai to receive the Tablets. He will be gone for 40 days and 40 nights. 

But the Jewish people make a terrible miscalculation and the plot goes terribly wrong. 

They are off by a day, and when Moses does not reappear on time, they quickly come to the dramatic conclusion that Moses is dead. Without taking even a pause for effect, they immediately commit the cardinal sin of idol worship by constructing and worshipping a golden image in the shape of a calf. 

Moses, received the Ten Commandments and descends from the mountain to come upon a horrific scene. 

What are the characteristics of our protagonist as he faces the downfall of his People?

First of all, despite the fact that Gd is his source, Moses does not believe what he hears. 

Gd informs Moses that the Jewish people are sinning in this egregious manner and Moses doesn’t accept that information. He had so much faith in his people that he would not accept Gd’s word, he had to see for himself to understand that the Jewish people had veered so drastically from the script. 

When he sees with his own eyes that the Jewish people have fallen, he continues to believe in them and their potential. For it is at that very low point that Moses delivers his most iconic line. Gd has decided that he will destroy the Jewish people and begin again with Moses as the leader of a new people. And Moses replies, I will not be the lead actor in a cast of one, if that is your plan, “Erase me from your Book”. 

In other words, Moses was casting his lot with the Jewish people, begging for them to be forgiven. He did not want a lead role for himself, but rather asks Gd to find a way to redeem and forgive His people. 

Moses was the humblest of all men, he did not require the spotlight, but was always looking to shine the light on others to discover the nugget of goodness, the point of redemption, the possibilities of reconciliation, that would ensure the future of the Jewish people. 

Who is the quintessential Jew?

While Tevye might have been a beloved character, it is ultimately the traits of Moses we seek to emulate. 

Moses led with compassion and understanding. He was never willing to give up on anyone, even if Gd was ready to rip up the script. 

The epilogue to this story is to follow Moses lead to have faith in people. Even if things look bad, even if people are behaving badly to us, we need to remind ourselves that we are meeting them in Act 2, we don’t know what has happened to them earlier in the play of their life. So if we react with kindness and compassion we may be surprised to see that there is so much more to the person we see standing before us. We shouldn’t be fooled by the act, the facade or the pain that may be presented, but try to look beyond to see the essence within. This will allow us to read between the lines to see the inherent goodness before us, and let our compassion and empathy be the background on which the story of our life is played. 

Shabbat Shalom and so much love!