Somalis are an ethnic group in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area that makes up the largest Somali diaspora in the United States. Approximately 80,000 Somalians live in all of Minnesota.
In a move intended to better reflect the state's modern demographics and generate more interest in the team from the populace, the Minnesota Vikings announced that they were changing their name to the Minnesota Somali Pirates.
Though the franchise had built a proud tradition since joining the NFL in 1961, team ownership reportedly decided that updating the team's name, logo, and mascot could lead to an increase in fan interest among Minnesota's growing Somali migrant population.
"This could be a huge boost in interest and revenue," said Steve Poppen, the team's Executive Vice President and Chief Business Administration Officer. "We're always looking for ways to draw more fans to the team, whether they be native Minnesotans, transplants from other states, or volatile third-world migrants who are slowly overtaking the state. We think they're really going to get excited about the team's new branding. Especially our new mascot, Walid the Pirate, who will take the place of the beloved but outdated Viktor the Viking. Even our new logo conveys the message, ‘Look at me — I am the football team now.'"
The team said it was leaning into the change, including making giant foam machetes and AK-47s available in the team store. "We want the new fans to feel right at home," Poppen explained. "We can already tell that opposing teams and their fans will be terrified to come into the hostile territory of our stadium. Venture here at your own risk. I mean that literally."
President Donald Trump was furious. Lashing out at Somali immigrants in Minnesota, Trump claimed they were “ripping off our country and ripping apart that once-great state.” He described Somalia as a country that has “no laws, no water, no military, no nothing. Now those good for nothings have their own football team. It is all because of the horrible horrible horrible pathetic Sleepy Joe Biden administration.”
At publishing time, the team also announced that the Somali national anthem "Qolobaa Calankeed" would now be played before the start of every home game.
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Speaking of invasions from foreign peoples...
In the English language, we have italics, either to draw attention to or to hint at an otherwise homonymic meaning. Sometimes, a word is placed in bold face or ensconced in quotation marks to achieve the same end. The Torah, on the other hand, seldom has extraneous enhancements of its words. Instead, in rare occasions, it leaves out letters, hinting to the hidden meaning.
On even rarer occasions, the Torah adds symbols, tiny ones, dots placed above the word. They tell us to look deeper, to search beyond the words. And this week, in the narrative detailing the encounter between Yaakov and his brother Esav, the Torah uses those dots.
They appear during an emotional encounter, Yaakov lifting his eyes and seeing “Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. Fear and trepidation seized him as he positioned the women and children in safety. Then he himself went on ahead of them and bowed earthward seven times until he reached his brother” (Genesis 33:2). The Torah tells us that Yaakov’s fears seemed to be tenuous. “Esau ran toward him, embraced him, fell upon his neck, and he kissed him; then they wept.”
The word that means “and he kissed him” has small dots above it. It means that there is some something going on, in this case above the kiss.
Rashi quotes various opinions in the Medrash, each stating its interpretation of the dots. The Medrash tells us a fascinating reason for the dots. Esav’s intent was to bite Yaakov on the neck, miraculously Yaakov’s neck hardened and the pain in Esav’s teeth caused him to cry.
But, if that is the case, why does the Torah highlight the word, “and he kissed him” with dots? Let it just say and he tried to bite him. Just state what happened!
After the Munich Conference had ended on September 30, 1938, English Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Pact with German leader Adolf Hitler. The pact acceded to Hitler’s demands for cession of the Sudetenland, a German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia, to Germany. Chamberlain was excited. He returned to England and on the steps of 10 Downing Street declared, “This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine.” Shouts of excitement erupted from the gathered crowd. To the cheering crowd he read the statement.
“We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe.
“We regard the agreement signed last night, and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.”
Wild cheers broke out, the crowd reiterating the last syllables of the Prime Minister’s statement. Chamberlain continued. “We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.”
He ended his short statement with the following words that would haunt him and his memory until this day. “My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time… Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.”
Eleven months later, England was thrust into its bloodiest war, with the partner that was to bring “peace with honor.”
Perhaps, in its cryptic coding, the Torah is telling us a message for eternity. The kiss, the pact, the embrace and even the handshake of our enemy, must be looked upon with dire caution. Behind the ultimate kiss may lay the desire to bite. And though he ends up kissing you, you may never know what his original intent was and what made him change his mind. Esav kissed Yaakov, but his intent to harm was changed ; all Yaakov felt was a kiss. But the Torah warns us to watch the dots. Because the kiss of dot may just be the kiss of death.
R' Kaminetzky
