Suicidal Empathy and the Birchat HaCohanim

by Audrey Lichter

This past Shabbat, I gave the d’var Torah at our shul on the subject of Birchat HaCohanim, the Priestly Blessing recited in shul, at the Shabbat table, and during the Amidah prayer. This blessing is threefold: “May God bless you and protect you, deal kindly and graciously with you, and bestow favor upon you and grant you peace.” It is the oldest prayer we know, dating back to the sixth century BCE. It is a prayer for physical, moral, and spiritual wellbeing, ending with a call for wholeness and peace.

According to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z’l, the entire parsha of Naso, which includes this prayer, is fundamentally a call for Shalom Bayit—peace in the home and in the community.  Contrary to the stereotypes and accusations we face today, Jewish history is full of calls for peace. Israel makes great efforts to negotiate whenever there is an opportunity for peace.

This morning I received a video from Dr. Gad Saad, an evolutionary social scientist, featuring his new book, Suicidal Empathy. He asserts that Western society has distorted the natural human tendency to empathize and share the feelings of others. This has been replaced by what he calls “suicidal empathy”— a form of empathy that ignores discernment, prudence, and justice. He provides many examples, from Ted Bundy, who lured women to their deaths by feigning injury, to entire civilizations adopting dangerous views such as mass open-door migration, defunding the police, and certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that prioritize racial and ethnic preferences over competence.

Dr. Gad Saad argues that society is engaging in internal suicide
when unrestrained empathy is not tempered.

Social justice is a key theme we see vividly on college campuses and in the media today. It has deep roots in our spiritual traditions, going back to this ancient prayer for peace and goodness. Dr. Gad Saad argues that society is engaging in internal suicide when unrestrained empathy is not tempered. In fact, he claims this is one of the ways civilizations fall.

Audrey Lichter is the founding Executive Director of Chai Mitzvah, which was launched in 2009. She has been a professional Jewish educator for more than 30 years. Audrey is also the founding principal of Yachad, the award-winning community High School of Greater Hartford. As a lay leader, Audrey has been the recipient of many community awards and has been very involved locally and nationally in the Day School movement.