The latest criticism of the President reminds me of something I witnessed in a synagogue years ago.

My friend took me.  To be present when the Rabbi offered special prayers. For his daughter’s upcoming Bat Mitzvah.

Two things surprised me.  One was that attendees talked during the ceremony.  They waved to each other.  They moved from pew to pew. To catch up with each other’s news.  This was so different from attending the Roman Catholic Mass. As I had as a kid.  (I understand this varies from one synagogue to another.)

The other surprise was the exchange between rabbi and congregation. Clearly they regarded him as a teacher.  But not as an untouchable representative of God.  Which is how we regarded priests.

The rabbi goofed.  In this ceremony he and others at the altar were supposed to deliver some prayers for the daughter.  Supposed to.  They forgot.  Very late in the service my friend stomped to the altar. To remind them.  Maybe in Yiddish, English and Hebrew – I don’t know.  In a Catholic church this behavior would have got him ex-communicated. In Latin.

Red-faced, they apologized.  And then delivered a few prayers for her. Then they looked at him for guidance.  “More!” he motioned them.  They sang out a few more prayers.  “More!  More!”

In his eyes they had screwed up.  He was furious.  Humiliated.  No matter what they did to remedy this, he felt they could do no right.  At one point the Rabbi flung his hands in the air and looked exasperated. His expression sent a message like “What more do you want from me? Blood?”

I think of him these days when Trump’s critics attack him for petty stuff.

For instance, some declared that when he flew to Houston after the hurricane he did not look sad enough.  Or concerned enough. He lacked gravitas.  I guess they know how folks are supposed to look in different situations. He and his looks did not measure up.

To some, he did not sound upset. CNN reckoned he did not show enough empathy. They evidently use an empathy meter to measure such stuff.  One CNN reporter said Trump did not offer hugs or hope to flood victims.

Some critics said it was too early for him to go to Texas.  And that the resources used to fly him should have been used to help flood victims.  Can you imagine the furor if he had not gone?

(Big Media even went bananas over his wife wearing stiletto heels when she left the White House.  On her way to Houston.  She arrived in Houston in sneakers.)

We heard the same blather over what he said and did not say over the riots in Charlottesville.  Well, he didn’t specify this group.  And he only mentioned this group after the press chided him.  And he didn’t seem to mean what he said. There was no emotion in his voice.  One side was more evil than the other and he did not say so.

To me this was like my friend pushing the rabbi for “More! More!”

It also reminds me of a woman who used to complain to my brother about her husband.  She complained about everything he said, wore, ate or did.  So he divorced her.  She then complained even more.  About everything he said, etc.

My brother’s form of diplomacy was as smooth as sandpaper. “You hated him married to you. You hate him divorced from you.  You seem to enjoy the hate.”

Whole lotta that going around these days.

From Tom…as in Morgan

You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com. You can read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com.