Al Tiphrosh Min HaTzibur

"don't separate yourself from the community" Pirke Avot 2:4 הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר.

This season we find ourselves part of a lot of communities.  I am not particularly happy with my synagogue but I am part of it. Even if blackballed from its decision tree, which seems to be the case, and a bit resentful of this impression, which also seems to be the case, I am their most astute observer and therefore assume a useful role of chronicaller or challenger, whether valued or not.

We have a political season.  A lot of people wanted my vote in the primaries, where I felt free to select my best option.  But when we select office holders, I find myself part of the Democratic community, though I was once more inclined to look at the candidates independently, even when the Republican candidate seems more capable.  And we learned when the Republicans took Hillel's guidance and refused to remove a President who shouldn't be there or approved judges who fall well short of the

Torah's description of what we should aspire to in appointing judges.  Hillel's wisdom has its dark side, as much as Federations promote it when they want donations.

I root for the Iggles and for Mizzou.  When I turn on a game, I sort of want to watch the talent.  As an easterner sitting in the low rent district at Busch Stadium, I always cheered for the late Lou Brock and Bob Gibson whose talent excelled, even though I was usually partial to the Mets or Phils when they came to town.  I like talent.  I go to the football games at West Chester University where watching the progress of the game overrides any partiality to one team or another.  But not the Iggles or Mizzou.  I am partial irrespective of performance, in large part because I see myself as belonging to the region or to imprinted affiliation. The stadium stands have enabled community.  People of all ethnicities, backgrounds, aspirations, and creeds assemble without antagonism for the unified purpose of watching our city prevail over the other city or university.

We have the right kind of communities and some deficient communities.  We also have the option of defecting, which may be best option with more frequency than Hillel would have liked.  But defections bring us to a new community with a new place to worship, a new city with new neighbors, or a new ideology with a different set of partners.  Shuffle yes, sever sometimes, go it alone rarely.