For What it’s Worth: Warren Hecht

Sunday was the 100^th day since Hamas massacred 1,400 Jews and took about 240 hostages. Most of the hostages are still in captivity, and the war rages on.

By the time this column is published, I will be finished with shloshim for my mother. I would like to thank those who learned Mishnayos in her memory. Of the 23 days from shivah to the end of shloshim, I had Covid for 12 of them. Instead of complaining, I will follow my mother’s tradition of maintaining a positive attitude. At first glance, in our times it does not seem possible. I expect the usual suspects will mock or ridicule some of my comments. 

Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard who was forced to resign, decided that she was not going away quietly. She wrote a column in the January 2 edition of The New York Times titled “What Just Happened at Harvard is Bigger Than Me.” She took a page out of the Donald Trump playbook: (a) play the victim, (b) do not admit that you did anything wrong or excuse your conduct, (c) attack the motives of those who accuse you of misconduct, and (d) claim that what is being done to you is part of a greater strategy to attack those who agree with you. Trump’s repeated claims are meritless and so are Professor Gay’s.

I am writing this column after having tested positive for Covid almost a week ago. Last week was the yahrzeit for my father and at the same time it was the shloshim for my mother. I felt tired the night after the yahrzeit. I thought it was due to the psychological effect of having to deal with both the yahrzeit and the shloshim and a particularly stressful workday. Then the next morning, I had similar symptoms to when I had Covid in the past. I tested and sure enough, was positive.

There are two significant issues that are anticipated to be decided by the Supreme Court this year. The first is Trump’s claim of absolute presidential immunity. I will not spend that much time on that claim since I would not be surprised if it is rejected by a unanimous Supreme Court.  As the special counsel argued, Trump’s argument, if accepted, would allow a President who orders the National Guard to murder his most prominent critics to be immune from criminal prosecution.

My paternal grandparents died nine years, and two days apart, based on the Jewish calendar. It continued to the next generation. My mother died eight days short of thirteen years after my father passed away, based on the secular calendar, and two weeks before based on the Jewish calendar. This is not so uncommon. It makes sense. I remember dreading the days leading up to Chanukah because it reminded me that my father’s Yahrzeit was coming; how much more would the spouse of the deceased be suffering.