by Rabbi Dr. Moshe P. Weisblum
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Independence Day Weekend!
This weekend America celebrates her 233rd year of freedom. Since 1776, we have been blessed in this wonderful country to enjoy a life where there is no ceiling or restriction on opportunities.
While most of the nation will usher in the holiday with beautiful and exciting fireworks, Jews around the country will usher it in by lighting their Shabbat candles, also beautiful and exciting, and many of us will be able to enjoy the fireworks booming above us in a fantastic display of patriotism and fanfare.
The colorful and noisy excitement got me wondering about the connection between the American Founding Fathers on the one hand, whose primary basis for building this strong and independent country centered around the ethics of freedom, and Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, from the writings of the Mishnah, on the other. Can we draw parallels between the two? I think so.
The Ethics of the Fathers offers great advice for living a clean, moral, and fulfilling life, just like the one guaranteed by our Declaration of Independence: the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I noticed that the Declaration of Independence refers to God, the Creator, and to Divine Providence. The Declaration takes the Almighty to be its ultimate Source of truth and validity.
Similarly, the history of this country has also provided us with many wise and virtuous leaders who formed a country and established a government based on the same moral and ethical grounds. By studying this period of time, we can learn much about our own Jewish history and the history we share with our neighbors.
While doing a bit of historical research, both at the library and on the computer, I came across some interesting connections between the Founding Fathers and the Jewish people.
The first American President, George Washington, depended greatly on a Jewish man named Haym Salomon for financial advice and assistance.
John Adams, the second American president, wrote a letter in 1808 criticizing the depiction of Jews by the French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. Adams expressed his respect for ancient Jewry, stating: “How is it possible [that he] should represent the Hebrews in such a contemptible light? They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth.” He continued: “They have given religion to three quarters of the Globe and have influenced the affairs of Mankind more than any other Nation, ancient or modern.”
The third American president and drafter of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson. Some scholars ask whether Thomas Jefferson was the first Jewish president. Researchers studying Jefferson’s Y chromosome have found that it belongs to a lineage that is rare in Europe but common in the Middle East, raising the possibility that the third president of the United States may have had a Jewish ancestor many generations ago.
Michael Hammer, a geneticist at the University of Arizona, said he had compared the Jefferson Y chromosome with the Y chromosomes in his database and found close matches with four other individuals. There was a perfect match to the Y chromosome of a Moroccan Jew, and matches that differed by two mutations from another Moroccan Jew, a Kurdish Jew, and an Egyptian.
James Madison, the fourth American president, is known as the Father of the Constitution. As one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, he helped persuade the states to ratify the new Constitution and was instrumental in making the Bill of Rights part of the Constitution. Madison worked with his mentor Thomas Jefferson to ensure freedom of religion in the state of Virginia in the years between the Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution. Some say that the Bill of Rights was modeled after the Biblical Ten Commandments. The first of those amendments guarantees the separation of church and state. Madison was the first president to appoint a Jew to a U.S. diplomatic post.
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin once pledged five pounds (worth approximately $800 in today’s dollars) in support of a synagogue for “the people of the Hebrew society in the city of Philadelphia.” The building was the first home of what is now known as historic Congregation Mikveh Israel.
Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the Treasury, was born on the British island of Nevis, in the British West Indies, on January 11, 1755. His mother Rachel, who was possibly Jewish, was married to Michael Lavine, a Jew most probably of German or Danish extraction. On the island of St. Croix, as a teenager, Alexander even learned Hebrew. One of Hamilton’s grandsons acknowledged his Jewish roots in a biography of his grandfather.
Another interesting Jewish patriot was Francis Salvador, originally from London and of Sephardic heritage. He was the first Jew to hold elective office in the colonies, and was the first Jew to be killed in the Revolution, when, as head of a force of frontiersmen, he was captured and scalped.
Some other Jewish Revolutionary War notables were Abraham Levy, Joseph Simon and Phillip Russell, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At Valley Forge, they supplied the army with the famous Henry Rifles. In addition, Jewish trading merchants became privateers and fought the British at sea.
Time and again, we see the Jewish contribution to American society—to its very existence. We should feel proud to be connected to these great Americans and patriots. Enjoy your holiday weekend.
Shabbat Shalom!
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Born in Sde Ya’akov, Israel, Rabbi Moshe Pinchas Weisblum, PhD is a 14th generation rabbi in his family's dynasty of rabbinical leaders. His great grandfather was the famous Tzadik Rabbi Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk, Poland, one of the great founding Rebbes of the Chasidic movement and author of the brilliant book of commentary on the Torah: Noam Elimelech. His grandfather (from his father's side) was the well known Zidichov Rebbe - Rabbi Ya’akov Yitzchak Weisblum. He is the son of renowned scholar, former Rosh Yeshiva of Sde Ya’akov and the Rabbi of Neve Sha'anan neighborhood in Haifa for over 50 years - Rabbi Chaim Naftali Weisblum, and the grandson (from his mother's side) of the famous Kabbalistic master and author, Rabbi Yehuda Zvi Brandwein.
Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum studied at Yeshivat Torat Emet, Haifa, from 1968 to 1976, at Yeshivat Itri from 1976 to 1978, and was a student at Yeshivat Ohr Etzion from 1978 to 1980.
In early 1981, he volunteered for the elite paratrooper unit in the Israeli Defense Forces. He completed extensive courses and received a medal and commendation at the end of the Israeli-Lebanese War. He finished his military career as a commissioned officer in the army with the rank of Major.
Rabbi Weisblum earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey, and earned a PhD in Philosophy from Baltimore Hebrew University. He also had an aptitude for computer skills, in networking, earning an A+ certification. Further, he was awarded the Sidney Breitbart Prize in Jewish philosophy from Baltimore Hebrew University in 2005.
Rabbi Weisblum was also a consultant to the media, since 1991.He was on a TV interview, channel 12-talk show, cable TV channel 54 –commentator on social and political issues. He was interviewed on the radio many times, regarding political and religious analysis and consulted on Middle Eastern affairs to Washington D.C.
He is a member of the New York Board of Rabbis, New Jersey Board of Rabbis, Union of Traditional Judaism, and Morasha Rabbinic fellowship.
Rabbi Weisblum has published a number of books including "Table Talk Biblical Questions and Answers" and "Ruth Talk", which is loaded with questions and answers on the Book of Ruth. In 2007, his book "The Hermeneutics of Medieval Jewish Thoughts Understanding the Linguistic Codes of Rashi and Nachmanides" was published by the Edwin Mellen Press. A review of this book can be found on the Mellen Press Web site.
Rabbi Weisblum is an accomplished musician as well. His album Heartfelt Melodies is available on Amazon and his popular YouTube channel features close to 3000 videos including Daf Yomi, Torah and Haftarah cantillation, lectures, music videos, and more.
Rabbi Weisblum is blessed with five children and eleven grandchildren and serves as a spiritual leader, lecturer and University Professor.