President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, recently announced his desire to be the first Iranian astronaut sent into Outer Space. Hours later Senator John McCain tweeted, “So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space - wasn't he just there last week?”
The message, which referred to a monkey Iran reportedly sent into space last week, was quickly retweeted more than 2,000 times, generating widespread criticism and claims of racism.
Was McCain out of line?
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In this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, we read 53 of the 613 commandments – one of the highest concentrations in the entire Torah. The purpose of the commandments is to connect us with G-d, and also to create a civilized society.
According to chassidic teachings, there are two aspects to our inner personality. One is our Divine Soul, a spiritual "spark" within us—a portion of G-dliness. The second is the Animal Soul which desires instant gratification. It says, whatever is good for me right now, that is what I want to do. If I need to steal, I will steal. If I need to murder or to destroy property, I’ll do that too. In fact, it’s the Animal Soul which can sometimes lead otherwise good people astray.
Our goal is to purify and refine the Animal Soul. Realistically, this means trying to control and transform our most basic human instincts. Observing the Torah’s directives helps us achieve that goal.
Adam was created on the sixth day of creation, 5774 years ago. Why was he created last? Even the animals were created before him! According to kabbalah, only human beings were given the gift of free choice. As such, when a person does what he or she is supposed to do, and chooses to spread kindness and holiness, we tell the person that the reason humans were created last is because they are likened to guests who come to a feast after the table is fully set and ready. On the other hand, when humans spread evil and hatred, we remind them that even the tiny mosquito—one of the lowest creatures—was created before them. When humans use their free choice in the wrong way, they are considered the lowest of the low!
Ahmadinejad is notorious for his anti-Israel tirades. Just this week he declared that Iran is ready wipe out Israel. He has previously said that, “Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury. He’s accused the West of using the Holocaust to excuse oppressing the Palestinians. And his holocaust denial conferences are legendary. And that’s only scratching the surface.
Clearly, Ahmadinejad is not using his free will to spread goodness, kindness and peace in the world. This is the kind of person who is considered lower than an animal. Far lower.
So do I think McCain was out of line? Absolutely. Likening Ahmadinejad to a monkey was off base and insulting. A monkey is actually on a much higher level!
So let’s read this week’s Torah portion, embrace the commandments, and use them to refine ourselves and our environment, elevating our G-dly souls and the world around us.