By Rabbi Sara Rich
Boom! Crackle, crackle, crackle. There is nothing like the sound of fireworks, exploding in the air and fizzling out as their light fades into the summertime sky. The tradition of fireworks on the 4th of July fulfills the historic wish of John Adams, our nation’s 2nd President. In July of 1776 he wrote about Independence Day to his wife Abigail, remarking “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” [1]
In addition to our joyful celebrations of the 4th of July, what other lesson might we takeaway this year? I would love to share one possibility that I read in a resource called “Value Sparks” from M² The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education.[2] They pose the question: how do we gain our independence in the first place? Here is a teaching from the Talmud, Kiddushin 29a, that explores the path to independence:
A father is obligated with regard to his son to circumcise him, and to redeem him if he is a firstborn son who must be redeemed by payment to a priest, and to teach him Torah, and to marry him to a woman, and to teach him a trade. And some say: A father is also obligated to teach his son to swim. Rabbi Yehuda says: Any father who does not teach his son a trade teaches him banditry. Can it enter your mind that he actually teaches him banditry? Rather, the teaching means that it is as though he teaches him banditry. Since the son has no profession with which to support himself, he is likely to turn to theft for a livelihood.
The lesson that this teaching is offering is that parents are responsible for setting their children onto a path of independence. The mitzvot (commandments) of circumcision and redemption help to bring the sons into their place in the covenantal Jewish community. In today’s times we extend a version of this commandment to girls, offering them a Simchat Bat (girl’s Jewish baby naming ceremony) that welcomes them into the community. Fast forwarding a few years, the responsibility of the parents to help their children to marry and to learn a trade are steps that take years of nurturing and guiding, with the goal that the children will become self-supporting and able to sustain homes of their own. The possible obligation that parents must also teach their children to swim suggests that they must impart life-saving skills, and/or give them the means to enjoy a dip in the Mediterranean Sea, or in our case, in Lake Erie.
Ironically, in turns out that one way to achieve independence is through receiving a lot of help and guidance from others. We certainly must show initiative and commit to the process of learning, but we cannot achieve independence alone.
What does this idea mean when we apply it to our national celebration? We must remember that the freedom we have today was built on generations of norms and values that are essential to what it means to be American. Like in Judaism, as Americans, we are recipients of a chain of tradition, of defining stories, and of lessons that teach us how to stand on our own. Independence means that we change with the times, but we never let go of the contributions that the past has made to our lives and to our country.
May we be students of our past, in order to gain the wisdom to guide us through this present moment and into the future. Wishing you a Happy 4th of July and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Sara Rich serves as Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Tzedek and Senior Jewish Educator for the Buffalo Jewish Federation. Born on the 4th of July, her father proudly told her each year that he ordered the fireworks for the entire country for her birthday. Thanks, Dad!
[1] Massachusetts Historical Society https://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=102&pid=17
[2] So cool – check out these interactive sparks! https://ieje.org/resources/educational-resources/value-sparks-ignite-learning-and-fun/
