The Hebrew name for the United States is Artzot HaBrit, literally, “the States of the Covenant.”
It is a remarkable name. Fifty states and the District of Columbia are bound together by a covenantal agreement that joins us as one nation. Despite our political, religious, ethnic, cultural, geographic, and economic differences, we are united by ideals that are greater than any one of us.
Tomorrow our nation marks a truly extraordinary milestone: the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. A quarter of a millennium is an auspicious moment, not only to celebrate our country’s achievements, but also to reflect upon the covenant that continues to bind us together and to recommit ourselves to the ideals that have inspired generations of Americans.
We are reminded of that covenant every time we recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Those closing words are not merely aspirational. They are a promise. They remind us that our democratic republic strives to be a nation of “liberty and justice for all.”
As Americans, we are bound by the Constitution of the United States and its Amendments. The ideals proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776 continue to challenge and inspire us today. They endure because they call every generation to renew its commitment to freedom, justice, equality, and human dignity.
These are not only American values. They are profoundly Jewish values.
I find myself reflecting on this since the 4th of July falls on Shabbat this year. Shabbat has often been described as an “island in time,” a weekly glimpse of the world as it could be: a world of wholeness, harmony, justice, and peace. Each week we are invited to imagine creation restored and humanity living together in dignity.
Our closing prayer, Aleinu, expresses that same vision of hope, anticipating the day when all people recognize our shared humanity and the world is united in peace. (A poetic interpretation:)
MAY WE GAIN WISDOM in our lives,
overflowing like a river with understanding.
Loved, each of us, for the peace we bring to others.
May our deeds exceed our speech,
and may we never lift up our hand
but to conquer fear and doubt and despair.
Rise up like the sun, O God, over all humanity.
Cause light to go forth over all the lands between the seas.
And light up the universe with the joy of wholeness,
of freedom, and of peace.
(Frishman, Elyse. Mishkan T’filah: A Reform Siddur: Complete: Shabbat, Weekdays, and Festivals. New York: CCAR Press, p. 591.)
For centuries, people have come to the United States seeking freedom, opportunity, safety, and peace. They came believing in the possibility of a society grounded in liberty and justice.
As Jews, we understand that dream deeply. Our tradition teaches that every human being is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. We stand alongside people of many faiths who affirm the sacred worth of every person, calling the Divine by many names: God, Allah, Spirit, and others. When we fail to recognize the Divine image in one another, we diminish not only another person’s humanity, but our own.
The Torah commands us, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am Adonai.” (Leviticus 19:18.) This sacred obligation recognizes no political party, religious tradition, nationality, or border. Our own security is strengthened, not weakened, when we uphold the dignity of others. Fear cannot be allowed to dismantle the very principles upon which our democracy rests.
When we fail to see one another’s humanity, we deny both the highest ideals of America and the deepest values of Judaism.
As we celebrate this historic Independence Day, we also know that our nation remains unfinished. Antisemitism continues to rise. Racism, prejudice, hatred, misogyny, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, xenophobia, poverty, hunger, and economic injustice continue to wound our society.
The work of the covenant is not yet complete.
So how do we honor both our Jewish values and America’s promise of “liberty and justice for all” as we celebrate this remarkable 250th anniversary?
The answer is found within you and me.
Each of us carries within us a spark of the Divine. When we truly see one another, look into each other’s eyes, listen to each other’s stories, and extend a hand instead of turning away, our own Divine spark kindles the spark within another. In that sacred exchange, hope, justice, compassion, and peace begin to spread.
The Koran teaches, “We have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another.” (Koran 49:13.)
And in our Reform Movement siddur (prayerbook), Mishkan T’filah, (pg. 157) we pray: “There is no way to get from here to there except by joining hands and marching together.”
May we join hands and march together, strengthening our nation through acts of kindness, compassion, justice, and hope. As our nation begins its next 250 years, may we renew the covenant that binds us to one another, with liberty and justice for all.
Shabbat Shalom, and Happy Independence Day!