An Open Letter to Eric Cantor

Eric Cantor is a shondeh

Shondeh of the Week is here.

Mr. Cantor: Judaism revolves around three tenets:

- Judaism holds that to save one life, is to save the entire world.

- Judaism believes our duty is תיקון עולם, tikkun olam - literally "world repair."

- "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn." Rabbi Hillel (c.110BCE-10CE)

So what did Mr. Cantor say? Cantor is the only Jewish Republican in Congress. He believes the American-Jewish community is overwhelmingly Democratic because Jews “are prone to want to help the underdog.” He says it as if that is basically a character defect.

Now Cantor is threatening to repeat Gingrich's government shutdown, if he and his cronies don't get their way. Here is the real Judaism, from the New York Times:

Kindness of a Stranger That Still Resonates

"A donor using the pseudonym B. Virdot offered modest cash gifts to families in need. His only request: Letters from the struggling people describing their financial troubles and how they hoped to spend the money.

B. Virdot was...Samuel J. Stone, who escaped poverty and persecution as a Jew in Romania to build a successful chain of clothing stores in the United States.

Days before Christmas 1933, with Mr. Stone’s gift in hand, Edith May took her 4-year-old daughter Felice to a five-and-dime store and bought her a wooden horse. Seventy-seven years later, Felice May Dunn owns two farms and 17 Welsh ponies. “In my life it made a big difference,” Ms. Dunn, 80, recalled. “It was my favorite toy.”                                                     __________

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Several years ago, I drove a tractor-trailer long haul. While on the Interstate at night in Connecticut, it started bucketing rain; I slowed to 40mph. Just then, the car in front of me began fishtailing, turned perpendicular and stopped. I was able to stop the truck, which had ABS, literally three feet from the driver's door. All I could think was, 'I saved a life.'

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I suggest Mr. Cantor learn compassion, and learn to make the World a better place.