Q:
Does the matter of the flag burning that’s going on, does that have any bearing for American Jews?
A:
Yes. American Jews up until now were too busy to think about patriotism, but today flag burning has become one of the symptoms of the vandals who want to break down all principles of morality to demonstrate disloyalty of the country.
Now we have to appreciate America. America is a very big bracha. America is like a big ice cream pie. It’s a luxury we have here. Such freedom. Such opportunity to make a living. And therefore a person is being given a very big birthday cake, let’s say a Yom Tov cake, with a lot of dressing and ice cream on top of it and as he’s putting his face into it and getting smeared with the ice cream. He says, “What a bother this is! Oh, how messy it is.” He’s complaining, so Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “What can I do for you, my friend?” America is such a big cake of happiness; we should appreciate America.
And therefore, we have to be very displeased with those people that go so low as to burn the flag. The flag is a symbol of all the privileges that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us in this country. And therefore, it’s not a bad idea, even though you never did it before, on the fourth of July just to hang out a flag, l’hachis the reshaim. It’s not a goyishe thing. L’hachis, to show the goyim, no; we do appreciate what Hashem gave us.
June 1990
