Vampire Weekend's Surprising Jewish Stories
6 min read
And Passover is the perfect time to start.
Public discourse has a serious problem today. Politicians we don’t agree with are described as “liars,” “terrorists,” “fascists,” “anarchists,” or worse. They “hate” their country or their people. Anyone who dares to object to this sort of vicious discourse is attacked in the same terms. Our capacity for measured speech has eroded to the point where people can’t even articulate exactly what it is about an idea or a policy to which they object.
People are complex, but when it comes to politics, somehow this obvious point gets thrown out the window; people are reduced to caricatures who are either entirely negative or entirely good.
A 2019 Pew Report noted that “Large majorities say the tone and nature of political debate in the United States has become more negative in recent years - as well as less respectful, less fact-based and less substantive.” Increasingly, Americans characterize political debates as “offensive and aggressive.” It’s a similar story in other countries where deep social and political differences aren’t being helped by an angry, hysterical rhetoric.
The words we use matter a great deal.
In his masterful novel 1984, George Orwell describes a world where new versions of the dictionary are constantly being published, each shorter than the last. In one of the novel’s early passages, a government worker describes doing away with the word “bad,” changing it to the simpler “ungood” instead. Other variations of positivity were already changed to “plusgood” or - to express extreme joy - “doubleplusgood.”. The character concludes: “In the end the whole notion of goodness and badness will be covered by only six words - in reality, only one word. Don’t you see the beauty of that….?”
That suited the dystopian, repressive government in 1984, which wanted to strip its citizens of their words, and thereby their ability to describe exactly what was wrong with their world. It’s a chilling, prescient literary device that we see happening today in real life. Every time we carelessly throw out incendiary words, describing those we disagree with in simplistic terms - “stupid,” “bad,” and the like - like Orwell’s characters we’re robbing ourselves of the ability to think deeply about what it is we are objecting to, limiting ourselves to a few overly-used, simplistic terms that don’t truly capture what it is that’s bothering us.
Passover is a unique time to understand the connection between what we say and feel. The Jews were so crushed during their bondage in Egypt that even when Moses came to inform them that God would rescue them, they couldn’t listen to his hopeful message. “But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9).
#Speech is the portal to one’s essential self. We diminish our sense of self when we use coarse, simplistic, or lazy speech.
The Jewish slaves were so beaten down that they lost their ability to speak. The Zohar says that speech itself went into exile. Being slave means the loss of one’s autonomy; there is no self-expression, no freedom. Speech is the portal to one’s essential self. We diminish our sense of self when we use coarse, simplistic, or lazy speech.
Rabbi Ahron Soloveitchik captured what happened once the Jews finally broke free from slavery in his book Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind (1991):
Upon delivery from the Egyptian bondage, the Israelites regained their self-expression. As long as they were subjected to Egyptian bondage, their self-expression was stifled and suppressed. But at the moment of Exodus, the Israelites regained their speech. Slaves cannot express or assert themselves properly. They cannot realize their potential. Only the free man is capable of doing so.
It’s fitting that Passover is celebrated through the commandment to talk, to convey the Jewish story to the next generation. The ability to speak is an expression of our freedom. That’s why Passover in Hebrew literally means “the talking mouth” – “peh – sach”. It’s the antithesis of the narrow speech and blinkered thinking that slavery once forced upon us.
Relying on the blunt cudgels of broad insults not only desensitizes us, it can also radicalize us, making us more prone to hatred and more tolerant of violence.
According to the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, “a range of research suggests the incendiary rhetoric of political leaders can make political violence more likely (and) gives violence direction….” When it becomes normal to accuse those we disagree with of terrible things, instead of thoughtfully spelling out exactly where we differ, then we open the door to acting on some pretty dangerous assumptions. In recent months, politicians around the world have been accused by their opponents and critics of being “threats,” “enemies,” and worse. These words are potentially explosive.
This Passover, try performing this simple experiment.
First, take a moment to think of a politician with whom you most disagree, the one you absolutely loathe. What adjectives come to mind?
Now, ask yourself: what exactly do you dislike about this figure? Be as specific as you can. Do you disagree with his or her policies? Which ones? Why? How does your worldview differ from theirs? Can you identify any values you share? How would you do things differently if you were in their shoes?
Now take a look at the words you thought of during that second scenario. Chances are the words you used to answer the second question were a lot more nuanced, perhaps even a little less negative. Forcing ourselves to stop and consider exactly what it is we’re thinking helps us clarify and discover our true thoughts and feelings. It prevents us from slipping into lazy thinking, and can prevent us from confusing other people’s actions and ideas from their essences as our fellow human beings.
The Passover Seder begins with degradation as it describes the Jews’ pain in Egypt, and it ends with praise and uplift. As you celebrate freedom, watch how you use your words and break free of the bonds of heedless speech and lazy assumptions. Use your power of speech with dignity, sensitivity and appreciation that every person is complex and deserving of respect.
