Lighters and Fighters
The Obama administration may have offended a significant number of Israelis by releasing a photo of the President displaying the soles of his shoes, rested atop the Resolute desk while on a call with the Israeli premier. To Middle Easterners, showing the bottom of ones shoes is considered a low insult. Yet, whether or not the President meant any harm or hint in his casual pose, it is certainly insulting to the office of the President to be captured in that position.
Irrespective of whether your name is Bush, or your admirers believe that you are the modern-day Burning Bush, you don’t get photographed in an irreverent posture in the most respected space on earth.
Jews could be forgiven for their defensive reaction to an offensive pose. After all, we have been given the boot since our first steps onto the world scene. Just yesterday, Jeremiah Wright, a pastor considered by the President to be a man of G-d, railed at G-d’s chosen people. Wright intentionally placed his foot in his mouth as he referred to my treasured nation as “them Jews.” And, words turned to haunting actions as a white supremacist opened fire at our country’s hallowed testament to the Holocaust in our nation’s capital.
I read about the murder at the United States Holocaust Museum while attending the Chupa marriage ceremony of a dear friend on Wednesday. The groom was about to shatter a glass under the sole of his shoe, commemorating the destruction of the soul of our eternal land, Jerusalem. In the completion of their joy, he and his bride paused to consider a fractured world, one that their future home built on the foundations of absolute truth, will help mend. As I anxiously learned of the breaking news out of Washington, the groom broke the glass. Both occurrences disrupted placidity, and encouraged constructive activity.
The museum tells the story of the darkest period in history, thus it was appropriate that I first visited the monument on Chanukah, the festival of lights. Many of the faces and images that I saw will haunt me forever, and demand that I remain steadfast and unwavering to who I am and what G-d expects of me. But the scene which perhaps made the most powerful impression on me was the display of countless pairs of shoes that belonged to murdered and gassed Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
During a discussion on this week’s Torah reading, my friend and I analyzed the Holy Temple’s Menorah candelabrum which served to brighten an unstable world with its flickering flames. We Jews have been empowered to be a light, a menorah if you will, unto the nations. Although we would never decline our mission, we have been rejected by many of the peoples we have been sent to inspire, who persistently aim to stamp out our flames.
In 1984, during his stint as Israeli ambassador to the U.N., Benjamin Netanyahu was cautioned by the Lubavitcher Rebbe about the diplomat’s mission in the hostile environment. Referring to the U.N. as a “house of darkness,” The Rebbe emboldened Netanyahu: “Even in the greatest darkness, if you light a candle, it spreads a great light that can be seen from afar.”
Israel, the land and people, have always been beacons of morality, exponents of virtue, and exporters of ethics. We have been history’s faithful lamplighters, and unarguably her favorite victims.
While some are concerned about the position of the President’s footwear, I have been focused on the piles and rows of shoes that have travelled farther than the martyrs who once wore them, and tell their story. I heard them silently stamping as my friend crushed a glass beneath his shoes. Sometimes, to build the future, you need to put your foot down.
Sam the Internet Troll
What is this, some sort of “stream of consciousness” write whatever comes to mind attention grab? This is what passes for Jewish thought nowadays? Perhaps thought by a person of Jewish ancestry, but nothing more.
I always cringe when I read Mr. Markowitz’s little op-ed Shmuely Boteach style twitterings. Anyone else with me on this?
A-SYD
Dunno if anyone noticed- hes got his feet up on the desk:)
chaya mushka
uh?
thats what the whole article is abou!!!!!!!
Avi Langer
uh it is a warning to the self righteous middle east don’t accept to much assistance or you will be reminded of your debts like mordechei reminded haman of his unpaid loan when they were on the same boat acting as generals
an observation
He’s much more honorable in this picture than if he would be hanging in tree eating a banana!
Also – look closely at the way he holds his right index finger to his right thumb – ABSOLUTELY genius!!!
SOOOOO MUCH SEICHEL!!! SOOOO MUCH MOTOR SKILLS!!!!!
Chaim R.
Getzy,
I don’t want to be a heel, but this is nonsense. You attempt to put your best foot forward, but instead, you constantly shoot yourself in the foot with non-sequitur and flamboyant poppycock. Apparently, you only take your foot out of your mouth to switch feet. The foot fetishism this article displays is enough to make any podiatrist salivate.
Follow in the well trodden path of those who are wiser than you; they understood that a closed mouth collects no feet.
(I am sorry for judging without having walked a mile in your size 13.5 loafers)
-Chaim
its me
obama just rocks hes so cute.!!
i love the way he sits there
OKKKKK
Did you notice his left foot (gevura) over his right (chesed)? Everyone knows Chesed should be over Gevura.
Chaim #2
Chaim, what’s your issue? I didn’t know there were such horrible people around
very well done
This piece though well written like the others has a rhythm that carries the eye like a bouncing ball over lyrics.
Very well done.
Chaim Lchaim
Well Chaim, I clinge from reading comments from “people” like you. Now I enjoy Getzy M’s writing always have. There are writers that I do not enjoy reading and therefore I dont!
About the essay itself: I personally am not the greatest fan of the President and suspect that he had something in mind in his gesture.
About the holocaust shooting. Speechless.
Getzy, please continue to allow your emailing to be online
ss
He wasn’t posing for the picture, was he? He wasn’t even looking at the camera! In that case, we can’t say he was “showing” anyone his feet because no one was supposed to be looking!