VAEYRA 5785

What Buttons Do You Press?

This has been quite an eventful week. It began last Sunday with the release of 3 hostages. The Jewish world couldn’t be more grateful or joyous to welcome Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher home from captivity. Today there were 4 more: Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. Yes, we didn’t yet get all of the hostages, but it was the start of what is being called “The Cease Fire and Hostage Release Deal.” Our joy, however, is severely tempered by the cost of their release and by how many still remain behind.  

Listen to Alan Dershowitz take on the “deal”: The decision by the Israeli government to make significant concessions to the Hamas kidnappers should never be called a “deal.” It was an extortion. Would you call it a deal if somebody kidnapped your child, and you “agreed” to pay ransom to get her back? … If an armed robber puts a gun to your head and says, “your money or your life,” your decision to give him your money would not be described as a deal. Nor should the extorted arrangement agreed to by Israel be considered a deal.

And then last Monday, we had the Presidential Inauguration. Why are we so captivated by a presidential inauguration? After all it happens every 4 years. It’s because this peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy—whether you’re happy or disappointed in the outcome of the election. And there’s some comfort in that.

I admit I was enthralled by it all. I was away with family. Nevertheless, I was glued to the tv most of Monday watching the procession to the Capitol, the swearing-in of the vice-president and the president, the inaugural address, the signing of nominations and executive orders, the luncheon, the presidential parade, the Bidens welcoming the Trumps to the White House, and the Trumps making it their new home with the paintings, furniture and carpets they requested.

All this was most profound, exciting and comforting—at least for me. And within it I found an unexpected lesson. Among the items the Trumps placed in the White House, what intrigued me the most was restoring the legendary “Diet Coke Button.” Personally, I like Coke Zero better. Rabbi Anchelle Perl from Long Island, NY writes: Picture this: a small, innocuous button perched atop the president’s desk in the Oval Office. With the press of a button, Trump could summon—not military might or a crack team of advisors—but an ice-cold Diet Coke, delivered with the precision and timeliness that puts Uber Eats to shame.

As quirky as this presidential habit might sound, Rabbi Perl sees a profound life lesson in the Diet Coke button. “After all,” he writes, “isn’t life just a series of buttons—both literal and metaphorical—that we press or that others press in us?”

In today’s Torah reading, during the 4^th plague of Arov (wild animals), Pharoah summons Moses and Aaron and tells them they should now go worship their Gd—but in Egypt. Moses replies (Ex. 8:22): Lo nachon (This is not right), ki to-avat Mitzrayim (because it’s an abomination to the Egyptians) if we sacrifice their god—a lamb—to our Gd, and when they see it, they will stone us. In other words, we will be pushing their most sensitive button, causing them to react violently against us.        

My friends, some buttons quench our thirst for refreshment; others—like the one during this plague—can unleash a torrent of anger and frustration. Let’s explore the Coke Button’s wisdom, both in summoning beverages and in maintaining our sanity when someone pushes our buttons.

The 1^st takeaway from the Diet Coke button is its embodiment of instant gratification. In a busy and chaotic job, the president’s ability to press a button and get exactly what he wants—a Diet Coke—is efficiency at its peak. It’s the American dream distilled into fizz and carbonation.

But isn’t that what we all secretly crave? Think of Amazon’s “Buy Now” button or the dopamine hit of likes on Instagram. The Diet Coke button simply takes this concept to Presidential levels. However, it also underscores a cautionary point: pressing a button too often might condition us to expect instant results in all areas of life, including relationships, success in our careers, and personal growth—things that often take more than the 30 seconds it takes to fetch a diet Coke.

But what about the darker side—when someone pushes your button? Most of us don’t have a button to summon fizzy relief, but we all have those metaphorical “buttons” others just love to press: the coworker who’s always pointing out your mistakes, the relative who constantly criticizes your parenting, or the friend who insists pineapple belongs on pizza when it doesn’t!

Here’s the crucial life question: when someone pushes one of your buttons, will you be delivering Diet Coke—or chaos? In life, our “buttons” often lead to emotional reactions. Someone presses them, and suddenly, instead of producing a refreshing response, we explode like a shaken can of Coke.

The lesson from the Diet Coke button is that we should strive to be more like the button itself—cool, consistent, and predictable. Let those who push our buttons know they’re getting a calm, steady refreshment rather than a meltdown. After all, no one wants their button-pressing antics to be met with emotional Coke spraying everywhere.

The brilliance of Trump’s Diet Coke button is in its simplicity: it had one purpose. Press it, and a Diet Coke appears. Life’s buttons, however, aren’t always so straightforward. Pressing the wrong one—be it a risky text to an ex or signing up for a 3-year gym membership during a January surge of optimism—can yield unexpected consequences.

We don’t always think before pressing other’s buttons—whether literal or figurative—and that can lead to regret. Perhaps before we act impulsively, we should pause and ask ourselves: “Will this button I’m about to press give me the best result. Will it deliver what I want—like a Diet Coke—or something I’ll regret later?”

Trump’s Diet Coke button isn’t a one-man show—it depends on a reliable team. No Diet Coke appears without someone behind the scenes ready to deliver. Likewise, in life, expecting the best results from the buttons we press depend on systems we build. Let me explain. Whether it’s cultivating a supportive family, reliable friends, or workplace allies, our ability to “press buttons” depends on people who’ll respond in kind. Build those systems thoughtfully. After all, what good is pressing a button if no one’s coming with the soda?

Finally, consider the joy of pressing the Diet-Coke button for someone else. Have you ever surprised a coworker with their favorite coffee, or helped a friend out of the blue? There’s an unmatched joy in being the one who shows up with the metaphorical Diet Coke of love and kindness. Life, at its best, is a 2-way system of giving and receiving, and some of the most joyous times are when we’re delivering the fizz.

The story of Trump’s Diet Coke button may seem like a humorous aside, but there’s a deep lesson. It reminds us of the power of efficiency, the importance of maintaining our emotional cool, and the need for thoughtful systems of support. It challenges us to really think before we press a button and to decide how we’ll react when our buttons are pressed.

And perhaps, most of all, it reminds us to keep things in perspective. At the end of the day, a button is just a button—but how you respond defines whether life delivers something refreshing or something flat. So, the next time someone pushes your buttons, think before you react, and then aim to deliver with love, kindness, calm, and yes, maybe even a little fizz. Amen!