How to Overcome the Tyranny of the Majority

Numbers 13:30

Kalev hushed the people before Moshe and aid, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by THE truth; Your word is truth”

Have you ever stood alone, finding yourself in the minority, uncomfortable with the positions and beliefs of those around you? For most of the Jewish people’s history, this has been the status quo. Guided by the Torah, they usually found themselves in the minority, forced to resist the passions of the majority. And it’s a challenge that continues today, in our own time. In the wake of George Floyd’s horrific murder in May of 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement took to the streets and took over the public consciousness. An estimated 15 million to 26 million people participated in the BLM protests in the United States, making it one of the largest movements in the country's history. Historically, the Jewish community was at the forefront of the civil rights movement, with prominent Rabbis marching arm in arm with Martin Luther King. But BLM was tainted with a strong anti-Israel and antisemitic bias. ON May 30, 2020, during the Shavuot festival, members of BLM vandalized five synagogues and three Jewish schools and looted Jewish businesses. The BLM charter also accuses Israel of being an "apartheid state" and believes US military aid to Israel is the foundation of America's problems. All of this posed a moral dilemma for many Jews. While popular support and corporate endorsements lined up behind BLM, many Jews felt torn. They wanted to support the black community, but were also disturbed by BLM’s antisemitism. Choosing to stand up for Israel - and against BLM - would mean taking a glaringly unpopular stand against the majority. Fortunately, the Bible is a beacon of truth, showing us how to make the right decisions and make a stand - no matter how hard it might be.