Veterans Day: Not a time to waver

Meet the fanciest Torah trop – the Shalshelet.

This week we encounter the most elaborate cantillation mark (trop in Yiddish) which appears only 4 times in the Torah. In Ashkenazi leyning, it sounds like a threefold arpeggio – drawing the melody up and down three times, almost leaving the Torah reader out of breath. It has the shape of a squiggly vertical line, and in those rare times we find it, the Shalshelet  is placed on the first word of the verse followed by a mafsik, a pause.

We’ll hear it in this week’s Torah reading—Parashat Vayera—in the story of the Lot’s rescue from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah facing destruction.What idea were the masoretes trying to impart when placing the Shalshelet in this story?

The Sound of Wavering

Anonymous messengers (מלאכים) arrive at Lot’s residence to warn him that the city is about to be destroyed as a punishment for the residents’ evil behavior. The messengers urge him to leave the city ASAP but he procrastinates:

וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ

.וַיַּחֲזִקוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים בְּיָדוֹ וּבְיַד אִשְׁתּוֹ וּבְיַד שְׁתֵּי בְנֹתָיו בְּחֶמְלַת יְהוָה עָלָיו, וַיֹּצִאֻהוּ וַיַּנִּחֻהוּ מִחוּץ לָעִיר.

 When he lingered, the men seized his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hand of his two daughters—because God’s pity was upon him—and, bringhing him out, they left him outside the city.  (Genesis 19:16, Schocken Bible translation)

On the Hebrew word וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ, meaning  “when he lingered” we find the shalshelet, perfectly capturing Lot’s wavering and hesitation.

Why did he waver?

Rashi, echoing the Midrash, supplies an answer: “in order to save his property.” Lot was so attached to his possessions that he wanted to stay in Sodom. Because his priorities were skewed, the messengers had to grab him and forcefully take him out of the city. The sound of the shalshelet brings to life Lot’s procrastination, giving dramatic flare to the rescue of a man who valued his wealth more than his life.

* * *

While in many situations in life it is meritorious to waver and contemplate, in others – we need to be steadfast and determined. Our veterans who joined the Armed Forces—did not waver; they did not hesitate to protect our country, and if called to, make the ultimate sacrifice.

Most of the World War II veterans have died, including the ones we prayed with at Congregation Har Tzeon-Agudath Achim – such as Bernie Kipperman, Ed Morgenstern, and Gil Waganheim z”l. But their legacies live on (in a future blogpost, I’ll recount some of their stories).

As we celebrate Veterans Day on Monday November 11, we remember and honor the veterans who died, and thank all our living veterans for their courage and bravery. There was no shalshelet in their mindset; no wavering as they bravely fought our enemies, knowing they may never come back to their families.

Our veterans fought to protect and sustain a democracy which is now under threat from a man who lied, cheated, bullied, threatened violence, and 4 years ago, encouraged a mob to violently overthrow our democracy, resulting in deaths and injuries. By opposing  with unwavering dedication the Trump team’s fascist plans, and any attempt to curtail our freedoms and liberties, we will continue to honor our veterans and their legacy.