TheYachadRevolution

AsermondeliveredonYachadShabbatFebruary27th,2016.

1. YachadShabbatisaRevolution

YouhavejustheardawonderfuldvarTorahfromNaftali,oneofourYachadparticipants.

Pleaseunderstandthisdvartorahrepresentsarevolution.Fiftyyearsago,adevelopmentally
disabledmanwouldnothavespokenfromthepulpit,andnocongregationwouldhave
welcomedaYachadshabbaton,sowhathashappenedhereinKJduringthelast25yearsis
nothingshortofarevolution.Buttoappreciatewhythisrevolutionissosignificant,weneedto
understandthatourownattitudesondisabilitiesarefarmorecomplicatedthanwedliketo
believe.

2.AColdLookatDisabilities

Ayearandahalfago,acontroversyeruptedoveracommentonTwitterbythefamedbiologist
RichardDawkins.WhenaskedbyafollowerabouttheethicaldilemmaofabortingaDowns
syndromepregnancy,Dawkinswrote:
Abortitandtryagain.Itwouldbeimmoraltobringitinto
theworldifyouhavethechoice.

Undoubtedly,suchapregnancypresentsaseriousethicaldilemma,andhalachicopinionson
thissubjectarenotwhollymonolithic.ButDawkinsblitheresponseshockedmany.Howcould
hecoldlypronounceabortit,asifthelifeofadisabledpersonisworthless?

HoweveritwouldbeamistaketoseeDawkinspointofviewasneworunique.Themost
immediateanalogywouldbetheNaziT4program,whichmurderedover70,000Germanswith
disabilitiesandpsychiatricdisorders.Butthisanalogyisdeceptive,becausetheexceptionalevil
oftheNaziregimemakesusthinkthatanypolicytheyadoptedisoutlierthehandiworkof
immoralbarbarians.Butinactuality,theideaofmurderingthedisabledisquiteold,andnotat
alluncommon.InSparta,babiesdeemeddeformedweretossedintoaplacecalledthe
apothetae,achasmnearMountTaygetus.(AristotleacceptsthisideaaswellinPolitics7:17).
InancientRome,itwasnotuncommontoabandondisabledchildren.MartinLutherbelieved
childrenwithseveredisabilitieswereactuallychangelings,demonicbeingsthattookonthe
formofahumanchild,andthattheyshouldbekilled.Heisquotedassaying:
Isaidtothe
PrincesofAnhalt:"IfIweretheprinceortherulerhere,Iwouldthrowthischildintothe
waterintotheMoldathatflowsbyDessau.Iwoulddarecommithomicidiumonhim!

Thiscoldviewofdisabilitieshasalwaysfoundfollowersbecauseitisnotunreasonable.Infact,
itcanbeseenasthepracticalwayofdealingwithadifficultsituation.WhenDawkinsdefended
himselfhewrotethat
ifyourmoralityisbased,asmineis,onadesiretoincreasethesumof
happinessandreducesuffering,thedecisiontodeliberatelygivebirthtoaDownbaby,when

youhavethechoicetoabortitearlyinthepregnancy,mightactuallybeimmoralfromthepoint
ofviewofthechildsownwelfare.

Thisviewmayseemcold,butitislogical.Andifwearehonestwithourselves,thisvisionisnot
atallforeigntous.IntheCharediworld,aDownsSyndromechildaffectstheshidduch
possibilitiesofthesiblings,becauseofconcernsaboutgeneticsandfrequently,the
developmentallydisabledchildishiddenaway,toprotectthesiblingsandthefamily.

ThisviewisnotlimitedtotheCharedicommunity.Shockingly,RavShlomoAviner,aleaderof
theDatiLeumicommunityinIsraelruledthatyoumaketheblessingofBaruchDayanHaemet
(ablessinggenerallysaidwheninformedofthedeathofarelative)onthebirthofaDowns
Syndromechild.

LikeDawkins,Avinerseesthedevelopmentallydisabledasaliability,peoplewhoundermine
thehappinessofthosearoundthem.BothDawkinsandAvinerrecognizethatweliveinaworld
wherecapabilitiesmatterintellectual,physical,financial.Ineverysphereoflife,thereis
constantcompetitionforgreatnessandachievementandthesedisabledchildrenwillachieve
lessandrequiremuchmorefromtheirfamiliesandtheircommunity.DawkinsandAviner
approachdisabilitiesfromautilitarianperspective,andseedisabledchildrenasatragedy.

ToborrowthelanguageofRavSoloveitchiks
LonelyManofFaith
,theseutilitariansbelievethat
themajesticnatureofmanisallthatmatters.Soloveitchikwritesthattheinbornaspirationof
manistoachievemajestybycontrollingandsubduingtheworldaroundhim.Anditisthrough
achievementandtriumphthatmanachievesdignityandhonor.

Whenmajestyistheonlyparameterbywhichlifeisjudged,anyonewithdiminishedcapabilities
islessworthy,andtheutilitarianethicofAvinerandDawkinsseemsjustifiable.
Andbecauseit
isareasonableperspective,thiscoldutilitarianviewoflifecanalwaysfindadvocates
throughouthistory,canalwaysfindafollowersinourcommunity,andmanytimes,can
findaplaceinourhearts.

Butwhatiswrongwiththisperspectiveisthatitfartoonarrow,andmissesthemostcritical
dimensionoflife.

3.AJewishvision

Therehasalwaysbeenanothervisionoflife.

TheJewishvisionisrooted(toborrowtheRavsterminologyagain)inthecovenantal.Rav
Soloveitchiktalksaboutthesearchforredemption,mansneedtocreatecommunitysimply
becausethatiswhathissoulthirstsfor.ToSoloveitchik,maninstinctivelypursues
accomplishmentandgreatness,butalsoembarksonamoreimportantquest,forinspirationand

insight.Andonthisspiritualjourney,wegainatrueappreciationforthemiracleoflife,anda
differentmoralvisionemerges:

Lifeissacred.

Communityisinclusive.

Loveisredemptive.

Jewsbelievethat
maniscreatedintheimageofGod
,webelievethat
KolYisraelEreivim
zehlazeh
,thatweareallresponsibleforandintertwinedwitheachother,andmaintain
thatthe
mostimportantruleintheTorahistoloveyourneighborasyourself.

Themitzvahatthebeginningoftheparshaofthehalfshekelteachesustheseverysame
lessons:
thatweallcount,butthatnoonepersonismorevaluablethantheother.

Throughtheagesitisthismoralvisionthathaschallengedtheutilitarianview.Itrefusesto
reducehumanexistenceintoaseriesofmetricsandnumber,andseeslifeasagiftand
privilege.Anditfollowsthatthedevelopmentallydisabled,likeeveryoneelse,havelivesof
infinitevalue.

5.EvenByUtilitarianStandardsthisisWrong

Buttheutilitarianthesisfailsinanotherway.Joyisnotjustmeasuredinachievementsand
pleasures.Sometimes,joycomesfromthedevotionanddifficulty.

Inmyprevioussynagogue,therewasayoungwomannamedPamelawhohadPervasive
DevelopmentalDisorder.(Iwillneverforgettheconversationwhenherfamilyjoinedthe
synagogue.Pamelawas11,andIsuggestedthatsheshouldhaveaBatMitzvah.Herparents
wereextremelymoved,becausetheyneverimaginedthatshecouldreceiveaBatMitzvah.)
Pamelasparentsarebothaccomplishedprofessionals,whoworkeddiligentlytohelphergrow.
Asachild,Pamelalearnedhowtowritemostofthelettersinthealphabet,butthelettere
eludedher.ForyearsshetriedandfinallyonedayPamelabroughthomeherschoolwork,with
hernamespelledinfull,includingthelettere.Thatevening,theentirefamilydancedaround
thehouseoverjoyedoverPamelaslettere.Ofcourse,hertwohighlyeducatedparentswere
notcelebratingthewritingofthelettererathertheywerecelebratingatriumphofloveand
nurturing.

Thisisanotherreasonwhytheutilitarianargumentfails.Itassumesthathappinessfollowsease
andcomfort,whileinactualityotherfactorsplayamuchlargerroleincreatinghappiness.Take
loveforexample.Weallwanttobeloved.Yettheexperienceofloveisnotatallapassiveone,
ofbeingaluckyrecipient.RavEliyahuDesslerpointsoutthatwithlove,themoreyougive,the
moreloveyouexperience,anditisactuallytheactofsacrificethatallowstofeellovemost

profoundly.Andbecauseofthispoint,theutilitariancalculationthatoneishappierwithoutthe
difficultyandburdenofadevelopmentallydelayedchildiswrong.Andthishasbeenconfirmed
bystudies,citedbyJamieEdginintheNewYorkTimes,indicatingthatsiblingsgrowingupwith
aDownsSyndromesiblingfeltitmadethemintobetterpeople,andthattheparents
experiencedfewregrets.Ratherthanbeinganemptyburden,selflessdevotioncanbringonea
greatdealofhappiness.

Ofcourse,howeverrewardingtheexperience,thereareenormousstruggles.Pamelasmother
Marcywrotemelastsummeraboutthis.ShewascritiquingasermonIhadgivenaboutMoshes
lastmoments,onamountainoverlookingIsrael.MarcyfeltIwasmistakentoportrayMosheas
disappointedoverthefacthecouldnotgetintotheholyland,andsentmethefollowingemail:

ThispastJune,ourfamilywasincrediblyprivilegedtoattendaveryspecialgraduationfrom
SummitSchool.Tobeentirelyhonestwithyou,IthoughtthatIwasgoingtositthroughitin
anger.IthoughtthatallIwouldbeabletothinkofwas:"WhycoulditnotbeHerzliah,
MarianopolisorMcGill?"Inasense,IguessIthoughtthatIwouldbelikeyourMosheonthe
mountain.IthoughtthatallIwouldbeabletofocusonwhatwastheunfilled:myunfulfilled
hopesanddreamsandallofthedoorsthatLawrenceandIhavesoquietlyclosedoverthe
years.Instead,themostamazingthinghappened.Pamelawalkedininhercapandgownwith
asmileonherfacethatcouldhavelittheroomandIimmediatelystartedtocry.Icriedthrough
theentireceremony.
Icantellyouthatnotoneofthosetearswasaboutwhatwasnot,but
insteadwhatwasandhowfarPamelahascomeinthe17yearssinceherdiagnosis.
LawrenceandIhavebeenveryfortunate,werarelythinkofwhatcouldhavebeen.We
nevercomparePamelatoothers,wearecontenttomovewithheronherroadandto
watchhergrowandchange.HersmileisasigntousfromGodthatweareindeedonthe
righttrackandfulfillingourallimportantmissionofnurturingourveryspecialneshama.

Thisletterremindsusthattherearejoysthathavenothingtodowithconventional
achievements.HappinessisnotalwaysabouthavingachildgraduateHarvard,andsometimes,
evenwritingthelettereisamomentofintensejoy.

6.WeveComeaLongWay.But..

Theworldhaschangedinthelast50years.ItwasconsidereddramaticwhenVicePresident
HubertHumphreywroteabouthisgranddaughterhavingDownssyndromeinMcCalls
magazinein1967,andmanylookbackatthatasaturningpointinAmericanattitudestowards
thedevelopmentallydisabled.Sincethen,therehasbeengreatersensitivityandgreater
inclusion,andatKJwecanbeproudof25yearsofYachadshabbatonim.Butwestillhavea
longwaytogo.Asonepersonsaidtomethisweek,YachadShabbatcannotbejustonedaya
year,andsheisabsolutelyright.Parentscrywhentheirchildrenhavenoonetoplaywithon
Shabbat,weekafterweek,andtheycrywhenthereisnogoodJewisheducationfortheir
children.Inclusionneedstobeadailyexercise,andthereisalongwaytogo.Wemustdomore
inourcommunity,inoursynagogues,andinourschools.


Butevenso,wemustrememberMarcyspoint.Wemaynotbewherewouldliketobe,butlike
Mosheonthemountain,wecantakesatisfactioninhowfarhavecome,andknowthatthe
progresswillcontinueinthefuture.

ShabbatShalom