Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Here is Hanukkah. And we retell the stories of the occurrences that took place 2,174years ago. We remember the salvation of a people and their faith that resonates to today. Truth be told, if it were not for Hanukkah there would be no faith to cling to.
The last jar of oil represented the last best hope of humanity to forever enshrine in their memory the beginning of life. The flame that burned enabled countless generations to cling to the possibility of a future filled with greatness and connection to a concept of Holiness and fulfillment. The light that emanated from the Candelabra still brightens our path to the understanding of the uniqueness in each of us.
Hanukkah is also a time to consider the value of life. Each of us is constantly fighting battles of survival. We go through life as though it were some exercise such as weight lifting or jogging or dieting. When will we be able to stop and understand that life is more than self gratification or unnecessary indulgence? When will be able to put aside “I can’t” to ”I can?” When will we begin to defend our lives as though they matter?
I recently watched a movie titled “Defending Your Life” in which humans, upon death, are sent to a staging area to begin the process of explaining their experiences during their lifetime. It was rather amazing to watch the principal players engaged in describing details of their lives from childhood to the time of their death.
As you can imagine, there were scenes of childhood disappointments and adult frustrations. We have all had them in some form or another. Whether it was the neighborhood bully taunting us or the awkwardness of adolescence or the insecurities of dating and seeking acceptance, each of us has traveled that road once or twice.
What would we say in defense of our lives? Who would we call to explain our experiments in growing up, defining them as innocent blips in the test of life’s experiences? Were there so many “I can’t’s” instead of “I cans?” When we are asked to answer for our deeds and misdeeds will we be able to stand defiant and say that what we did we do because we believed in what we were doing? Or will we be forced to admit that we could have done better and perhaps with more time things would have been different.
There is a classic expression (author unknown) that states:
When you die
God and the Angels
Will hold you accountable
For all the pleasures you
Were allowed in life
That you denied yourself.
We were all created in the image of God and yet we are all unique. But we all represent the oneness of creation. Together, as one human family, we are united in our quest for justice and mercy. We search for the light that will guide us in making this world good. Our responsibility lies in being helpful and charitable. More than that, however, we are obligated to enhance our lives by reaching out to not only touch someone but to accept the gifts we sometimes shun aside needlessly.
In the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul” the authors relate a story about “I can” and “I can’t” in which is described a lesson for all of us. We need to learn to bury the “I can’t” so that our lives will have meaning. We bury the “I can’t” so that when the time comes to defend our lives we will have realized that life is to live.
Only then can we appreciate that burying “I can’t” enabled a band of zealots the opportunity to take control of their lives so that we are able to enjoy this season. Hanukkah is filled with “I can” and because of this outlook we will not have to worry about defending ourselves because we didn’t turn our backs on the gift of the burning light of our endurance.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
To Find Meaning In Death
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
At the moment of his death, the Ba’al Shem Tov said, “Now I know why I was created.” The profoundness of this declaration gives us a glimpse into an intense understanding of life.
We know that we are born to die but what we do with the in-between contains the sum total of our worth and significance. The in-between involves so much pain and healing, so much conflict and resolution, so much joy and sorrow. Sometimes we wonder about the value of life itself.
These thoughts and more were part of my experience as I witnessed a loved one melt into another world, another dimension. Losing someone we love and cherish is, to say the least, an episode in anguish and turmoil. Losing someone we love can also be inspirational even when our grief is beyond expression.
There lived a woman named Anita. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. And she was all those things and more in just forty-one years. That is a lot of existence in so short a period of time. But she accomplished this with dignity and grace. And she ended her days in this same state of elegance that was the hallmark of her sojourn here on Earth.
My heart ached watching her suffer and go through endless ordeals in futile attempts to gain time and hopefully to find some magical cure. She travelled great distances in search of that elusive relief.
Her children, siblings and mother, all lived this nightmare with us. Some were able to cope and support, some were tortured by her suffering. I learned a great deal from this experience, not only as a husband, but also as a person of faith. I counseled many people over the years on how to cope with adversity and now, when faced with the same ordeal, found no consolation in my words.
I turned inward. I functioned as a parent and a cleric, but it was as though I were going through these exercises in a state of disconnection. All seemed lost to the point where I even doubted who I was and what I was doing. Despair and depression set in like it found a home to rest and be nurtured.
One day I found myself reaching for a book in my library. The book I touched and began to fondle was Psalms. I opened the page to the twenty-third Psalm as I did for so many others who looked to me for comfort and solace. This time, however, I studied each word and looked for meanings that were not apparent to me before.
I found one particular sentence which reads: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” For the first time I realized what the Psalmist was trying to relate. He talks about walking through the valley of death, not to the valley of death. I read it over and over again and appreciated that even though we suffer tragic losses in our lives, we need to understand that passing through these terrible episodes gives us the ability to continuing living.
She was a noble woman; in fact she was ennobling because of her demeanor and fortitude. She fought the valiant fight and she lost. But she lost with dignity and for that I came to understand an even greater feeling of connection to my Creator. I knew in an instant after reading this Psalm that sometimes we lose someone we love, someone who has an immense impact on our lives, and we wonder about it all, but the we realize that having known this person can make us stronger.
Her legacy may not be written in books but it is imbedded in how I live my life and how I treat others who look to me for understanding and compassion. Her legacy will be written on a little stone in a cemetery that indicates there once was a woman named Anita who lived, loved, laughed, cried and died. Her reward will be that which only God can give, the gift of life everlasting. She deserves no less.
I finally realized that God, in His infinite mercy, reached out to bring her soul to His bosom in eternal gratitude for a life well spent that contained mercy and forgiveness. Those thoughts help me, to this very day, twenty-eight years later, know that faith is dependent on knowing that there are things in life over which we have no control. But we have an obligation to live to the fullest and appreciate those who travel that road of life with us as well.
I now understand what the Ba"al Shem Tov meant and that from Anita's death I learned the profound meaning of her life.
At the moment of his death, the Ba’al Shem Tov said, “Now I know why I was created.” The profoundness of this declaration gives us a glimpse into an intense understanding of life.
We know that we are born to die but what we do with the in-between contains the sum total of our worth and significance. The in-between involves so much pain and healing, so much conflict and resolution, so much joy and sorrow. Sometimes we wonder about the value of life itself.
These thoughts and more were part of my experience as I witnessed a loved one melt into another world, another dimension. Losing someone we love and cherish is, to say the least, an episode in anguish and turmoil. Losing someone we love can also be inspirational even when our grief is beyond expression.
There lived a woman named Anita. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. And she was all those things and more in just forty-one years. That is a lot of existence in so short a period of time. But she accomplished this with dignity and grace. And she ended her days in this same state of elegance that was the hallmark of her sojourn here on Earth.
My heart ached watching her suffer and go through endless ordeals in futile attempts to gain time and hopefully to find some magical cure. She travelled great distances in search of that elusive relief.
Her children, siblings and mother, all lived this nightmare with us. Some were able to cope and support, some were tortured by her suffering. I learned a great deal from this experience, not only as a husband, but also as a person of faith. I counseled many people over the years on how to cope with adversity and now, when faced with the same ordeal, found no consolation in my words.
I turned inward. I functioned as a parent and a cleric, but it was as though I were going through these exercises in a state of disconnection. All seemed lost to the point where I even doubted who I was and what I was doing. Despair and depression set in like it found a home to rest and be nurtured.
One day I found myself reaching for a book in my library. The book I touched and began to fondle was Psalms. I opened the page to the twenty-third Psalm as I did for so many others who looked to me for comfort and solace. This time, however, I studied each word and looked for meanings that were not apparent to me before.
I found one particular sentence which reads: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” For the first time I realized what the Psalmist was trying to relate. He talks about walking through the valley of death, not to the valley of death. I read it over and over again and appreciated that even though we suffer tragic losses in our lives, we need to understand that passing through these terrible episodes gives us the ability to continuing living.
She was a noble woman; in fact she was ennobling because of her demeanor and fortitude. She fought the valiant fight and she lost. But she lost with dignity and for that I came to understand an even greater feeling of connection to my Creator. I knew in an instant after reading this Psalm that sometimes we lose someone we love, someone who has an immense impact on our lives, and we wonder about it all, but the we realize that having known this person can make us stronger.
Her legacy may not be written in books but it is imbedded in how I live my life and how I treat others who look to me for understanding and compassion. Her legacy will be written on a little stone in a cemetery that indicates there once was a woman named Anita who lived, loved, laughed, cried and died. Her reward will be that which only God can give, the gift of life everlasting. She deserves no less.
I finally realized that God, in His infinite mercy, reached out to bring her soul to His bosom in eternal gratitude for a life well spent that contained mercy and forgiveness. Those thoughts help me, to this very day, twenty-eight years later, know that faith is dependent on knowing that there are things in life over which we have no control. But we have an obligation to live to the fullest and appreciate those who travel that road of life with us as well.
I now understand what the Ba"al Shem Tov meant and that from Anita's death I learned the profound meaning of her life.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Reform Vs. Conform
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, reform means to improve or to change something for the better. And thumbing through the pages of this very same dictionary we stop at the word conform, and we learn that its meaning is to make or become similar; to be in agreement. These meanings, to me, indicate the turbulent storm that has erupted in the Judaism’s Reform Movement.
On the one hand Reform Judaism was designed to give meaning to today’s world. And today’s world includes yesterday, today and tomorrow. As the world turns so does our understanding of its purpose and significance. The understandings of yesterday do not fit neatly into the world we live in today.
Yesterday contained no computers or space travel. Yesterday was filled with disasters that boggle the imagination. Yesterday was good for one thing: To bring us to today with all the new discoveries and means to adapt these revelations to life as experienced right now.
Today we accept modernization and experimentation as a way of life not a figment of some dark corner of the mind that has taken us to sinister places. Today we know that the vastness of the universe reminds us that the ability to accomplish things is as endless as time and space.
We have learned through trial and error that we are not committing sins of omission but rather methods by which growth can be maintained. We are not destroying the fabric of human existence but rather enhancing its possibilities. Growth can only be maintained with continuous speculation.
Reform Judaism understood that the past is an essential ingredient in reaching for the future. You cannot assume to know the goodness or proficiencies of human endurance without regard for the past.
I, certainly, am not an expert on Reform Judaism. Nor am I a participant in its deliberations and pronouncements. What I do know of it I learned from experience and from books. But what I extracted from all the research and living as a Reform Jew and Reform rabbi was one vital fact: Reform Judaism was created to bridge the gap between traditionalism and secularism. Having been trained in traditional Judaism enables me to fully appreciate the value of Reform Judaism’s approach to the universal understanding of God.
Reform Judaism’s most potent weapon was a small word, inclusion. It understood that Judaism could not and would not continue to grow and develop if it remained in a vacuum. Telling fellow Jews that if they did not fit into a narrow definition of religious completion that they would forever be isolated was an enigma.
Reform Judaism teaches that there is no value to Judaism if it does not seem relevant or necessary in every day life. Where is the future of the Jewish People if we live only in the past without trying to reach for the present and the future? That is the underlying characteristic that makes Reform Judaism important for the continuity of the generations and the perpetuation of a dream that began with a man called Abraham.
Even the rabbis of the Talmud were forever engaged in making Judaism relevant for their generation. There are constant references to the learning centers of Bait Hillel and Bait Shammai, the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai. Shammai was considered more rigid and inflexible while Hillel was more liberal in the transmission of religious thought and its interpretation. Reform Judaism follows the standard set by Talmudic expression and relates to this definition of relevancy.
On the other hand I have noticed a resurgence of traditional expressions in Reform Judaism. I have always marveled at the somewhat intimidated attitude that can be found among Reform rabbis. It is as though they consider themselves inferior to their more traditional counterparts. They are more deferential to Jews who profess to be true Torah adherents. Perhaps some think that they are not legitimate and therefore must resort to introducing a different kind of Jewish acceptance.
Inclusion, which was the hallmark of Reform Judaism, has been replaced by exclusion. Tampering with traditional attitudes now seems to be a repudiation of religious living. We see Reform congregations building Mikvehs (ritual baths) for conversion or other purposes. We find Reform rabbis refusing to participate in interfaith marriages.
When people reach out and our hand is not there to take theirs, what have we done? Alienation is not the road to acceptance. If Judaism is to remain vibrant and relevant then we need to be as inclusive as we possibly can, not to dilute but to be an example. To teach that even today Shammai is still relegated to the next world as described in the Talmud. To make clear that Hillel is the path to involvement and continuation.
Perhaps when Reform rabbis feel secure in who they are we too will feel comfortable in Reform Jewish fervor. If our people are not afraid to identify, in whatever form, why should we Reform rabbis tell them to change or be sidelined?
Are we reformists or conformists? That is the question. It should be a continuing debate that should be in the forefront of attempting to bring relevance to an ancient faith that deserves better than excluding many of its adherents. I wonder if the Conservative Movement realizes that the Reform Movement is the new you!
There is a classic story about a man coming to the saintly Sage, the Ba’al Shem Tov and remarked that his son had abandoned God. In desperation the man asked, “What shall I do, Rabbi?” And the Ba’al Shem Tov answered, “Love him even more than ever.” Is that not what the founders of Reform Judaism going back to Spinoza had in mind when they sat and determined that the future of Judaism was not only in yesterday but in today which will guarantee tomorrow? Which will it be reform or conform?
According to Webster’s Dictionary, reform means to improve or to change something for the better. And thumbing through the pages of this very same dictionary we stop at the word conform, and we learn that its meaning is to make or become similar; to be in agreement. These meanings, to me, indicate the turbulent storm that has erupted in the Judaism’s Reform Movement.
On the one hand Reform Judaism was designed to give meaning to today’s world. And today’s world includes yesterday, today and tomorrow. As the world turns so does our understanding of its purpose and significance. The understandings of yesterday do not fit neatly into the world we live in today.
Yesterday contained no computers or space travel. Yesterday was filled with disasters that boggle the imagination. Yesterday was good for one thing: To bring us to today with all the new discoveries and means to adapt these revelations to life as experienced right now.
Today we accept modernization and experimentation as a way of life not a figment of some dark corner of the mind that has taken us to sinister places. Today we know that the vastness of the universe reminds us that the ability to accomplish things is as endless as time and space.
We have learned through trial and error that we are not committing sins of omission but rather methods by which growth can be maintained. We are not destroying the fabric of human existence but rather enhancing its possibilities. Growth can only be maintained with continuous speculation.
Reform Judaism understood that the past is an essential ingredient in reaching for the future. You cannot assume to know the goodness or proficiencies of human endurance without regard for the past.
I, certainly, am not an expert on Reform Judaism. Nor am I a participant in its deliberations and pronouncements. What I do know of it I learned from experience and from books. But what I extracted from all the research and living as a Reform Jew and Reform rabbi was one vital fact: Reform Judaism was created to bridge the gap between traditionalism and secularism. Having been trained in traditional Judaism enables me to fully appreciate the value of Reform Judaism’s approach to the universal understanding of God.
Reform Judaism’s most potent weapon was a small word, inclusion. It understood that Judaism could not and would not continue to grow and develop if it remained in a vacuum. Telling fellow Jews that if they did not fit into a narrow definition of religious completion that they would forever be isolated was an enigma.
Reform Judaism teaches that there is no value to Judaism if it does not seem relevant or necessary in every day life. Where is the future of the Jewish People if we live only in the past without trying to reach for the present and the future? That is the underlying characteristic that makes Reform Judaism important for the continuity of the generations and the perpetuation of a dream that began with a man called Abraham.
Even the rabbis of the Talmud were forever engaged in making Judaism relevant for their generation. There are constant references to the learning centers of Bait Hillel and Bait Shammai, the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai. Shammai was considered more rigid and inflexible while Hillel was more liberal in the transmission of religious thought and its interpretation. Reform Judaism follows the standard set by Talmudic expression and relates to this definition of relevancy.
On the other hand I have noticed a resurgence of traditional expressions in Reform Judaism. I have always marveled at the somewhat intimidated attitude that can be found among Reform rabbis. It is as though they consider themselves inferior to their more traditional counterparts. They are more deferential to Jews who profess to be true Torah adherents. Perhaps some think that they are not legitimate and therefore must resort to introducing a different kind of Jewish acceptance.
Inclusion, which was the hallmark of Reform Judaism, has been replaced by exclusion. Tampering with traditional attitudes now seems to be a repudiation of religious living. We see Reform congregations building Mikvehs (ritual baths) for conversion or other purposes. We find Reform rabbis refusing to participate in interfaith marriages.
When people reach out and our hand is not there to take theirs, what have we done? Alienation is not the road to acceptance. If Judaism is to remain vibrant and relevant then we need to be as inclusive as we possibly can, not to dilute but to be an example. To teach that even today Shammai is still relegated to the next world as described in the Talmud. To make clear that Hillel is the path to involvement and continuation.
Perhaps when Reform rabbis feel secure in who they are we too will feel comfortable in Reform Jewish fervor. If our people are not afraid to identify, in whatever form, why should we Reform rabbis tell them to change or be sidelined?
Are we reformists or conformists? That is the question. It should be a continuing debate that should be in the forefront of attempting to bring relevance to an ancient faith that deserves better than excluding many of its adherents. I wonder if the Conservative Movement realizes that the Reform Movement is the new you!
There is a classic story about a man coming to the saintly Sage, the Ba’al Shem Tov and remarked that his son had abandoned God. In desperation the man asked, “What shall I do, Rabbi?” And the Ba’al Shem Tov answered, “Love him even more than ever.” Is that not what the founders of Reform Judaism going back to Spinoza had in mind when they sat and determined that the future of Judaism was not only in yesterday but in today which will guarantee tomorrow? Which will it be reform or conform?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sacrifice
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
In November one of the weekly scriptural readings relates the story of the life and death of our first matriarch – Sarah. Her story is a testament to survival and continuity. It is a story that has significance for us today as it did when it occurred.
In November we commemorate the sacrifice and devotion of men and women who answered the call to duty and draped themselves not only in a uniform but in a feeling of commitment and affection. We honor all our Veterans – whether yesterday or today.
In November we pay tribute to pioneers who left the security of their native lands to journey to a place that offered safe haven and refuge from despots. They too gave up everything for an ideal that spoke to them in ways humanity has longed for since the beginning of time. We pause to give thanks to Almighty God for the success of their journey and the freedom we inherited from them. This is Thanksgiving in the highest sense.
All three are connected because the Torah talks to us about attachments and responsibility and dreams.
Sarah, the matriarch of our people gives birth in the winter of her life, a time when all things sleep and wither and even die. Her vision of continuity was fulfilled with laughter and tears. The portion of scripture we read tonight encompasses a spiritual experience of faith and devotion of a father answering the call of sacrifice. And the chapter deals with her death caused by despair and loss of faith as she attempts to understand the need for such an inhuman act as the death of her son to answer a mysterious voice taking from her the one thing she longed for her whole life.
Then this particular chapter continues with a search for a place in the sun for Isaac and the continuation of a promise made in the wilderness by this same voice no one can identify. And then the reading ends with the death of Abraham.
Think about it – we witness in this reading anguish, birth, despair, a promise for the future and the end of an era. Therein lays the connection.
The detail of a mother’s anguish and pain speaks to the suffering all mothers and fathers feel as they send their children off to war, to answer the call of their country. It wasn’t that long ago when banners with stars hung in practically every window of every home indicating that a loved one was somewhere fighting and dying for the same cause our ancestors fought for.
It wasn’t that long ago when people set sail on a journey that held no promise other than the assurance of freedom from tyranny. And there were mothers and fathers who witnessed the death of their children from disease and starvation, but they carried on with determination and fortitude.
Yes, the lessons of November are rather simple: Sometimes we go through experiences that require us to search for new meanings because of disappointments, tragedies or illness. Sometimes we go through unimaginable sacrifices to ensure that the gifts inherited by us from God can have significance. Sometimes we find it difficult to communicate with a loved one or reach out to help someone in need.
All these efforts can be summed up in a simple Torah reading, or a tribute to a service man or woman, or in the humbleness of a holiday that brings us closer to each other with memories of days and weeks and years of smiles and tears.
Sarah speaks to us in ways that bring our attention to the important things in life. Her story offers us the ability to enter into a spiritual awakening: To love each other and treat each other with dignity and to stand in awe of each other.
When you see a man or woman wearing the uniform of our country, stop and salute them. When you enter a restaurant and see a person in uniform waiting to be served, step right up and pay that bill and say “Thank you” for a job well done. It wasn’t that long ago when we looked at these people with disdain. That was a dark period in our history. We gave them no choice and then turned our backs on them when they returned.
Continuity, service and thanksgiving – what a month – what a history – what a feeling of accomplishment not only as Jews but as Americans; that is what November represents.
May God bless our Veterans, past and present, bless our country and above all bless us all with good health and happiness as we join together to remember our past and forge ahead with thankfulness to the ONE who is with us all the days of our lives.
AMEN
In November one of the weekly scriptural readings relates the story of the life and death of our first matriarch – Sarah. Her story is a testament to survival and continuity. It is a story that has significance for us today as it did when it occurred.
In November we commemorate the sacrifice and devotion of men and women who answered the call to duty and draped themselves not only in a uniform but in a feeling of commitment and affection. We honor all our Veterans – whether yesterday or today.
In November we pay tribute to pioneers who left the security of their native lands to journey to a place that offered safe haven and refuge from despots. They too gave up everything for an ideal that spoke to them in ways humanity has longed for since the beginning of time. We pause to give thanks to Almighty God for the success of their journey and the freedom we inherited from them. This is Thanksgiving in the highest sense.
All three are connected because the Torah talks to us about attachments and responsibility and dreams.
Sarah, the matriarch of our people gives birth in the winter of her life, a time when all things sleep and wither and even die. Her vision of continuity was fulfilled with laughter and tears. The portion of scripture we read tonight encompasses a spiritual experience of faith and devotion of a father answering the call of sacrifice. And the chapter deals with her death caused by despair and loss of faith as she attempts to understand the need for such an inhuman act as the death of her son to answer a mysterious voice taking from her the one thing she longed for her whole life.
Then this particular chapter continues with a search for a place in the sun for Isaac and the continuation of a promise made in the wilderness by this same voice no one can identify. And then the reading ends with the death of Abraham.
Think about it – we witness in this reading anguish, birth, despair, a promise for the future and the end of an era. Therein lays the connection.
The detail of a mother’s anguish and pain speaks to the suffering all mothers and fathers feel as they send their children off to war, to answer the call of their country. It wasn’t that long ago when banners with stars hung in practically every window of every home indicating that a loved one was somewhere fighting and dying for the same cause our ancestors fought for.
It wasn’t that long ago when people set sail on a journey that held no promise other than the assurance of freedom from tyranny. And there were mothers and fathers who witnessed the death of their children from disease and starvation, but they carried on with determination and fortitude.
Yes, the lessons of November are rather simple: Sometimes we go through experiences that require us to search for new meanings because of disappointments, tragedies or illness. Sometimes we go through unimaginable sacrifices to ensure that the gifts inherited by us from God can have significance. Sometimes we find it difficult to communicate with a loved one or reach out to help someone in need.
All these efforts can be summed up in a simple Torah reading, or a tribute to a service man or woman, or in the humbleness of a holiday that brings us closer to each other with memories of days and weeks and years of smiles and tears.
Sarah speaks to us in ways that bring our attention to the important things in life. Her story offers us the ability to enter into a spiritual awakening: To love each other and treat each other with dignity and to stand in awe of each other.
When you see a man or woman wearing the uniform of our country, stop and salute them. When you enter a restaurant and see a person in uniform waiting to be served, step right up and pay that bill and say “Thank you” for a job well done. It wasn’t that long ago when we looked at these people with disdain. That was a dark period in our history. We gave them no choice and then turned our backs on them when they returned.
Continuity, service and thanksgiving – what a month – what a history – what a feeling of accomplishment not only as Jews but as Americans; that is what November represents.
May God bless our Veterans, past and present, bless our country and above all bless us all with good health and happiness as we join together to remember our past and forge ahead with thankfulness to the ONE who is with us all the days of our lives.
AMEN
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Love For All, Hatred For None
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Romans 13:8-9 (Christianity): “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. For all the commandments…are all summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Number 13 of Imam”Al-Nawaawi’s Forty Hadiths (Islam): “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”
Leviticus 19:33 (Judaism): “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself…”
Analects 12:2 (Confucianism): “Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.”
Udana-Varga 5,1 (Buddhism): “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
Mahagharata 5, 1517 (Hinduism): “This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”
Baha’u’llah (Baha’i World Faith): “Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.”
The Great Law of Peace (Native American Spirituality): “Respect for all life is the foundation.”
The common denominator in all of these faith-based writings can simply be put into one word: Love. And yet, when we look at the history of religious fervor and instruction we also see a world of hate. It is ironic that so many people can borrow concepts of God and unity and love and not follow the dictates of what they prescribe.
The history of our world contains descriptions of wars fought because of religious passion to the extent that all of its teachings are meaningless. People are killed; nations threaten each other, all in the name of God. And it is this same God that gave us the understanding of brotherly love as well as the flames of hatred and division. How is that possible? Perhaps it is possible because in our minds, God is considered to be aloof.
Early Biblical writings describe a personal God, concerned and participating in the actions of everyday living. From Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to Jesus, to Mohammed, God is directly involved in the happenings that enabled mankind to flourish and progress.
Today we seem to be all alone, drifting in an endless sea of moral decay. Wars are fought because of hate and it trickles down to our everyday existence. We find neighbor against neighbor, gays and straights fighting for individual acceptance and recognition, black verses white, religious intolerance because some consider themselves the true believers and those that differ are classified as non-believers.
The foundation for living a meaningful life was the foundation of Judaism and started over 3,000 years ago in the “Book” we refer to as the Torah, a document that was the guide for all ethics in the universe.
This text reminds us of the sameness of all human beings, and can be found in Genesis, Chapter One, “And God made humans in God’s image. And no matter what your concept of God is, it is clear that each of us, Jew and non-Jew, woman and man is created in God’s image.
In a world where basic human rights are too frequently violated, our Torah seeks to make this teaching into a sacred mandate. God is in all of us, even those who we appear to be Godless.
And Scripture continues to expand this idea as described in Leviticus commanding us to love each other as we love ourselves. Maimonides, the great physician and philosopher of the middle ages explains it as a matter of human right.
We go to our respective houses of worship expecting to hear words of encouragement and expressions of love and what we find, in some instances, are diatribes of hate and mistrust. We are told that if you don’t believe in a particular way then you cannot be accepted by God. We are led to believe that God only favors those who follow the dictates of one group over another. This certainly is not love for all and hatred for none.
Faith was designed to give us the ability to understand each other. It stands to reason that if we love God, a God whom we have never seen, then we certainly should love one another here in the flesh. To have faith is to believe completely that we were all created in the image of God and as such represent the true essence of Godliness. To have faith is to remain steadfast in our belief that God is the God of all people and that just as we are different so is God in our minds. There is no one concept that incorporates all that God is, nor can we truly comprehend the endlessness of God
Stand with a friend or relative and look in the mirror. What do you see? An individual as different from the next person looking in that same mirror. And if each of us is different, yet created in the image of God, then the answer to love can be found in our understanding of our difference and uniqueness. And then we must continue to search for God as we are forever searching for our place in the universe. And we cannot expect to find God if we can’t even find ourselves. Perhaps that is why God doesn’t seem to be part of everyday expressions.
A saintly sage once wrote that with faith there are no questions but without faith there are no answers. And as we read in Deuteronomy: “You shall find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” And finding God does not require denigrating others who believe differently but rather accepting that there are many paths to God, none more sacred than the other. And knowing that God is the ultimate provider of human existence makes it clear that He chose for us the various paths so that true understanding and belief can be shared to enhance our lives.
There is a classic Yiddish folk saying: “If God gave us teeth, He will give us bread.” Chew on that for a while and you will know that we all don’t have the same appetite or tastes or desires. God is not aloof. We just don’t seem to be able to reach out to grab His hand. Is that a reason to hate? No, it is a reason to learn from each other so that we can all appreciate the goodness of love for all and hatred for none.
:
Romans 13:8-9 (Christianity): “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. For all the commandments…are all summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Number 13 of Imam”Al-Nawaawi’s Forty Hadiths (Islam): “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”
Leviticus 19:33 (Judaism): “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself…”
Analects 12:2 (Confucianism): “Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.”
Udana-Varga 5,1 (Buddhism): “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
Mahagharata 5, 1517 (Hinduism): “This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”
Baha’u’llah (Baha’i World Faith): “Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.”
The Great Law of Peace (Native American Spirituality): “Respect for all life is the foundation.”
The common denominator in all of these faith-based writings can simply be put into one word: Love. And yet, when we look at the history of religious fervor and instruction we also see a world of hate. It is ironic that so many people can borrow concepts of God and unity and love and not follow the dictates of what they prescribe.
The history of our world contains descriptions of wars fought because of religious passion to the extent that all of its teachings are meaningless. People are killed; nations threaten each other, all in the name of God. And it is this same God that gave us the understanding of brotherly love as well as the flames of hatred and division. How is that possible? Perhaps it is possible because in our minds, God is considered to be aloof.
Early Biblical writings describe a personal God, concerned and participating in the actions of everyday living. From Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to Jesus, to Mohammed, God is directly involved in the happenings that enabled mankind to flourish and progress.
Today we seem to be all alone, drifting in an endless sea of moral decay. Wars are fought because of hate and it trickles down to our everyday existence. We find neighbor against neighbor, gays and straights fighting for individual acceptance and recognition, black verses white, religious intolerance because some consider themselves the true believers and those that differ are classified as non-believers.
The foundation for living a meaningful life was the foundation of Judaism and started over 3,000 years ago in the “Book” we refer to as the Torah, a document that was the guide for all ethics in the universe.
This text reminds us of the sameness of all human beings, and can be found in Genesis, Chapter One, “And God made humans in God’s image. And no matter what your concept of God is, it is clear that each of us, Jew and non-Jew, woman and man is created in God’s image.
In a world where basic human rights are too frequently violated, our Torah seeks to make this teaching into a sacred mandate. God is in all of us, even those who we appear to be Godless.
And Scripture continues to expand this idea as described in Leviticus commanding us to love each other as we love ourselves. Maimonides, the great physician and philosopher of the middle ages explains it as a matter of human right.
We go to our respective houses of worship expecting to hear words of encouragement and expressions of love and what we find, in some instances, are diatribes of hate and mistrust. We are told that if you don’t believe in a particular way then you cannot be accepted by God. We are led to believe that God only favors those who follow the dictates of one group over another. This certainly is not love for all and hatred for none.
Faith was designed to give us the ability to understand each other. It stands to reason that if we love God, a God whom we have never seen, then we certainly should love one another here in the flesh. To have faith is to believe completely that we were all created in the image of God and as such represent the true essence of Godliness. To have faith is to remain steadfast in our belief that God is the God of all people and that just as we are different so is God in our minds. There is no one concept that incorporates all that God is, nor can we truly comprehend the endlessness of God
Stand with a friend or relative and look in the mirror. What do you see? An individual as different from the next person looking in that same mirror. And if each of us is different, yet created in the image of God, then the answer to love can be found in our understanding of our difference and uniqueness. And then we must continue to search for God as we are forever searching for our place in the universe. And we cannot expect to find God if we can’t even find ourselves. Perhaps that is why God doesn’t seem to be part of everyday expressions.
A saintly sage once wrote that with faith there are no questions but without faith there are no answers. And as we read in Deuteronomy: “You shall find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” And finding God does not require denigrating others who believe differently but rather accepting that there are many paths to God, none more sacred than the other. And knowing that God is the ultimate provider of human existence makes it clear that He chose for us the various paths so that true understanding and belief can be shared to enhance our lives.
There is a classic Yiddish folk saying: “If God gave us teeth, He will give us bread.” Chew on that for a while and you will know that we all don’t have the same appetite or tastes or desires. God is not aloof. We just don’t seem to be able to reach out to grab His hand. Is that a reason to hate? No, it is a reason to learn from each other so that we can all appreciate the goodness of love for all and hatred for none.
:
The Meaning of Faith
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
I am very fond of old time radio. I listen religiously to satellite radio because one particular channel plays radio programs from the “Golden Age of Radio.”
Naturally they bring back memories of my childhood. For example, I remember the coal truck delivering coal to our apartment building. The coal was burned in huge furnaces and the heat from the burning coal was transferred to each and every apartment through radiators. You could hear the steam escaping through the pipes.
There are many such memories: during the summer the Good Humor man would ride around the neighborhoods to bring relief in the form of ice cream pops or popsicles. Following him would be the ice truck delivering ice to people with no refrigerators. While he was delivering his ice we would sneak up to the truck and chip off a piece to suck in our mouths.
There were street games such as stick ball or curb ball. Some of my friends who had roller skates would get large orange crates and nail their skates to the bottom and create scooters to ride the streets.
It was a time of dreaming and innocence. It was a time of heroes like Joe DiMaggio or Yoggi Berra or Jackie Robinson. It was a time of unmentionable courage as everyone joined together to support the war effort. Rock and Roll was born. The corner candy store was our meeting place and all was well with the world, our little corner of the world, that is.
One particular program on satellite radio that caught my attention was one called Family Theater. It was originally started by a Catholic priest to offer faith and encouragement during the bleak times of the depression and the war. Eventually it became a program for everyone to listen to.
There was one story I heard recently on that program which I think speaks to who we are and what we are capable of being and of faith.
It was a story of a man who spent 35 years on one job and was getting ready to retire. Unfortunately his wife died before they could realize their dream, the dream they saved for over the 35 years, the dream of traveling around the world.
After his wife died he decided to move into a rooming house rather than live alone. The owner of the rooming house was a woman who had a son who desperately needed an operation to fix a back problem that prevented him from walking without pain. He became attached to the boy and would read to him and bring him little treats. And he had a co-worker, a young girl, always wanted to be an artist but could not attend art school because the scholarship she needed was not available.
I think you can guess the end of the story. He took the money he and his wife had saved and paid for the boy’s operation – he put the girl through art school and even donated the balance to the town fund raising effort for a new hospital.
Yes, it’s corny. The end of the story is easy to determine even before it’s told. But as I listened tears swelled in my eyes. I knew it was mushy and sentimental, but I couldn’t help but feel the pain of all concerned. And then I understood why it filled me with such emotion.
My youth returned, my childhood memories and I remembered those days. And as I thought about them I turned my attention to today. Here we are, at this time in our lives always asking for remembrance and kindness from God; asking Him to remember who we are and help us in our attempt at daily living.
Our purpose in life is not only its fulfillment but the opportunities presented to us to make life bearable for others as well. The every day experiences should teach us to realize that we are not alone in this journey of life. There are those less fortunate, those who depend on the charity of others to survive.
How many times have we witnessed poverty and homelessness only to turn our backs and pretend that it doesn’t exist? How many times have we had the ability to extend a helping hand only to withdraw that outstretched effort because of selfishness of indifference?
Memories are mostly fun because they contain only good thoughts. Memories are designed to enhance our faith in our ability to survive. After all we did survive the past and are now seated here in the present knowing full well that we have a future because of our faith in ourselves and in God.
However, there are those who renounce faith like it is some kind of yoke, a burden. There is the story of a man driving his car too fast down a treacherous mountain pass. The car goes over the cliff, and the man barely survives by reaching out and grabbing a clump of bushes growing from the side of the mountain wall.
Dangling in space, the man pleads with God. “Please help me.” God calls out to the man. “You want my help?” “Yes,” says the man, “Anything,” “Anything.” “I’ll help you on one condition” says the voice of God. Again the man repeats, “Anything!” “All right,” says God. “Trust me and let go.” The man hears the message, thinks about it for a minute. And then shouts: “Is there anybody out there who can help me?”
Yes, there is someone out there to help us and be with us and guide us and care for us. All it takes is a little faith and remembrance of those days gone by and the faith in those yet to be.
I am very fond of old time radio. I listen religiously to satellite radio because one particular channel plays radio programs from the “Golden Age of Radio.”
Naturally they bring back memories of my childhood. For example, I remember the coal truck delivering coal to our apartment building. The coal was burned in huge furnaces and the heat from the burning coal was transferred to each and every apartment through radiators. You could hear the steam escaping through the pipes.
There are many such memories: during the summer the Good Humor man would ride around the neighborhoods to bring relief in the form of ice cream pops or popsicles. Following him would be the ice truck delivering ice to people with no refrigerators. While he was delivering his ice we would sneak up to the truck and chip off a piece to suck in our mouths.
There were street games such as stick ball or curb ball. Some of my friends who had roller skates would get large orange crates and nail their skates to the bottom and create scooters to ride the streets.
It was a time of dreaming and innocence. It was a time of heroes like Joe DiMaggio or Yoggi Berra or Jackie Robinson. It was a time of unmentionable courage as everyone joined together to support the war effort. Rock and Roll was born. The corner candy store was our meeting place and all was well with the world, our little corner of the world, that is.
One particular program on satellite radio that caught my attention was one called Family Theater. It was originally started by a Catholic priest to offer faith and encouragement during the bleak times of the depression and the war. Eventually it became a program for everyone to listen to.
There was one story I heard recently on that program which I think speaks to who we are and what we are capable of being and of faith.
It was a story of a man who spent 35 years on one job and was getting ready to retire. Unfortunately his wife died before they could realize their dream, the dream they saved for over the 35 years, the dream of traveling around the world.
After his wife died he decided to move into a rooming house rather than live alone. The owner of the rooming house was a woman who had a son who desperately needed an operation to fix a back problem that prevented him from walking without pain. He became attached to the boy and would read to him and bring him little treats. And he had a co-worker, a young girl, always wanted to be an artist but could not attend art school because the scholarship she needed was not available.
I think you can guess the end of the story. He took the money he and his wife had saved and paid for the boy’s operation – he put the girl through art school and even donated the balance to the town fund raising effort for a new hospital.
Yes, it’s corny. The end of the story is easy to determine even before it’s told. But as I listened tears swelled in my eyes. I knew it was mushy and sentimental, but I couldn’t help but feel the pain of all concerned. And then I understood why it filled me with such emotion.
My youth returned, my childhood memories and I remembered those days. And as I thought about them I turned my attention to today. Here we are, at this time in our lives always asking for remembrance and kindness from God; asking Him to remember who we are and help us in our attempt at daily living.
Our purpose in life is not only its fulfillment but the opportunities presented to us to make life bearable for others as well. The every day experiences should teach us to realize that we are not alone in this journey of life. There are those less fortunate, those who depend on the charity of others to survive.
How many times have we witnessed poverty and homelessness only to turn our backs and pretend that it doesn’t exist? How many times have we had the ability to extend a helping hand only to withdraw that outstretched effort because of selfishness of indifference?
Memories are mostly fun because they contain only good thoughts. Memories are designed to enhance our faith in our ability to survive. After all we did survive the past and are now seated here in the present knowing full well that we have a future because of our faith in ourselves and in God.
However, there are those who renounce faith like it is some kind of yoke, a burden. There is the story of a man driving his car too fast down a treacherous mountain pass. The car goes over the cliff, and the man barely survives by reaching out and grabbing a clump of bushes growing from the side of the mountain wall.
Dangling in space, the man pleads with God. “Please help me.” God calls out to the man. “You want my help?” “Yes,” says the man, “Anything,” “Anything.” “I’ll help you on one condition” says the voice of God. Again the man repeats, “Anything!” “All right,” says God. “Trust me and let go.” The man hears the message, thinks about it for a minute. And then shouts: “Is there anybody out there who can help me?”
Yes, there is someone out there to help us and be with us and guide us and care for us. All it takes is a little faith and remembrance of those days gone by and the faith in those yet to be.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Agony of Life
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
How time flies! It is as if we were standing on this spot at this time just a short time ago. As we get older time seems to pass even quicker. In one instant we were learning to walk and talk and in the next we are finding it difficult to even understand what was let alone anticipate what will be.
The High Holidays will soon be here and with them thoughts of reconciliation and introspection. At this time we begin to understand the need for us to re-evaluate our lives; the deeds and misdeeds of the past year. At this time we begin to understand that fulfillment is achieved by believing that our destiny is determined by our comprehension of the value of life. At this time we begin to understand that loneliness can be overcome with love; that offense is overcome by forgiveness; that the joys we experience should be accompanied by gratitude.
The High Holidays can and should be a time for us to consider that we are not alone in the struggle of life. We have a partner. God is our partner. Sometimes in our despair we think that no one cares, especially God and we question the very existence of our Creator because of our pain. We cry out for answers never truly understanding that God is right here, right by our side, and at times even carrying us in His arms to rest our weary feet from the sad parts of our journey.
Margaret Fishback Powers wrote an essay titled “Footprints.” In it she writes of a dream she had. She was walking along the beach with her God. As she walked scenes of her life flashed in front of her. And with each step she took she saw two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to her and the other belonging to God. Then as the last scene of her life flashed she noticed only one set of footprints. She thought of this as the lowest and saddest time of her life.
She was so troubled and began to question God by reminding Him that He had promised to be with her all the way, all during her journey of life. She continued to question as to whether God had remembered His promise and that during her most troublesome time she noticed there was only one set of footprints in the sand. Her faith seemed to be shattered and she questioned even more by asking why during her moist difficult time was God not beside her, walking with her.
Then she continues her story but explaining what all of us should know but tend to forget: That there is only one set of footprints because at the time of our suffering, the time of great despair, it is then that God carries us. This is why we may see only one set of footprints.
The High Holidays afford us the opportunity to be thankful while we are reliving what was and contemplating what will be. Now we are at a juncture in the road of our journey
that allows us to consider the gratitude we need to speak not only to God but to our family and friends. There are times when we feel that we are alone. There are times when we seem to forget that with an outstretched hand we are able to touch another hand.
So here we are at this time in our lives. A time set aside by design to enable us to reconnoiter, to stop time and remind ourselves that we are part of a sacred undertaking: A pilgrimage in search of completion. Though we cannot fully comprehend the essence of our being we still accept life as a gift from God.
Our lives are filled with so many occasions. There is birth, marriage, sickness, health, weakness, strength, victory and defeat. There is death, but there is also eternal life. All these make up what we refer to as the journey of life. We celebrate and we mourn, we laugh and we cry. And through all of these encounters we should still remember to thank God for allowing us the opportunity to make this journey, to experience the agonies and the ecstasies.
Perhaps the true meaning of the High Holiday season can best be summed up by something a friend of mine wrote, one of many of his writings and is a translation from the Book of Proverbs. His name is Danny Siegel. A man of virtue and understanding, of charity and compassion who I am privileged to know and respect:
If you will always assume
the person sitting next to you is the messiah
waiting for some human kindness.
You will soon learn to weigh your words
and watch your hands.
And if he so chooses not to reveal himself
in your time,
it will not matter.
How time flies! It is as if we were standing on this spot at this time just a short time ago. As we get older time seems to pass even quicker. In one instant we were learning to walk and talk and in the next we are finding it difficult to even understand what was let alone anticipate what will be.
The High Holidays will soon be here and with them thoughts of reconciliation and introspection. At this time we begin to understand the need for us to re-evaluate our lives; the deeds and misdeeds of the past year. At this time we begin to understand that fulfillment is achieved by believing that our destiny is determined by our comprehension of the value of life. At this time we begin to understand that loneliness can be overcome with love; that offense is overcome by forgiveness; that the joys we experience should be accompanied by gratitude.
The High Holidays can and should be a time for us to consider that we are not alone in the struggle of life. We have a partner. God is our partner. Sometimes in our despair we think that no one cares, especially God and we question the very existence of our Creator because of our pain. We cry out for answers never truly understanding that God is right here, right by our side, and at times even carrying us in His arms to rest our weary feet from the sad parts of our journey.
Margaret Fishback Powers wrote an essay titled “Footprints.” In it she writes of a dream she had. She was walking along the beach with her God. As she walked scenes of her life flashed in front of her. And with each step she took she saw two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to her and the other belonging to God. Then as the last scene of her life flashed she noticed only one set of footprints. She thought of this as the lowest and saddest time of her life.
She was so troubled and began to question God by reminding Him that He had promised to be with her all the way, all during her journey of life. She continued to question as to whether God had remembered His promise and that during her most troublesome time she noticed there was only one set of footprints in the sand. Her faith seemed to be shattered and she questioned even more by asking why during her moist difficult time was God not beside her, walking with her.
Then she continues her story but explaining what all of us should know but tend to forget: That there is only one set of footprints because at the time of our suffering, the time of great despair, it is then that God carries us. This is why we may see only one set of footprints.
The High Holidays afford us the opportunity to be thankful while we are reliving what was and contemplating what will be. Now we are at a juncture in the road of our journey
that allows us to consider the gratitude we need to speak not only to God but to our family and friends. There are times when we feel that we are alone. There are times when we seem to forget that with an outstretched hand we are able to touch another hand.
So here we are at this time in our lives. A time set aside by design to enable us to reconnoiter, to stop time and remind ourselves that we are part of a sacred undertaking: A pilgrimage in search of completion. Though we cannot fully comprehend the essence of our being we still accept life as a gift from God.
Our lives are filled with so many occasions. There is birth, marriage, sickness, health, weakness, strength, victory and defeat. There is death, but there is also eternal life. All these make up what we refer to as the journey of life. We celebrate and we mourn, we laugh and we cry. And through all of these encounters we should still remember to thank God for allowing us the opportunity to make this journey, to experience the agonies and the ecstasies.
Perhaps the true meaning of the High Holiday season can best be summed up by something a friend of mine wrote, one of many of his writings and is a translation from the Book of Proverbs. His name is Danny Siegel. A man of virtue and understanding, of charity and compassion who I am privileged to know and respect:
If you will always assume
the person sitting next to you is the messiah
waiting for some human kindness.
You will soon learn to weigh your words
and watch your hands.
And if he so chooses not to reveal himself
in your time,
it will not matter.
Monday, August 10, 2009
A Nation of Cowards
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
There is a story about a member of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), well known for his irascible temper and sharp tongue, who became so incensed one day that he leaped from his chair and shouted, “Half of the Parliament are jackasses!”
There immediately arose angry shouts, catcalls and demands that he apologize forthwith or be ejected from the chamber.
“All right, I take it back, “he grumbled. “Half of this Parliament are not jackasses!”
I was reminded of this story because it speaks to an issue recently described in all the news media about a comment made by the Attorney General of The United States. He was discussing race relations in this country and alluded to the fact that we are not honest in our discussions. In fact he went so far as to state that we are a nation of cowards because we skirt the issue and never face it head-on.
The truth of the matter is that his assessment is correct and not for the reasons that we may believe.
During the presidential debates, primaries and subsequent election this fact was brought to the forefront. The “race issue” was in the background and at times even came forward as we proceeded to find a suitable candidate and eventually a suitable selection to occupy the highest office in the land.
Race relations in this country have gone through a metamorphosis more than once. The moral aspect of our national character was achieved with the advent of the civil rights movement of the early 1950’s and eventually was established as a national priority because of personalities like the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Revs. Abernathy and Jackson, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, President Lyndon Johnson, and the congress. It eventually took on a spiritual significance because everyone associated this moment in time with the Exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. A spiritual song was written depicting that episode in human history and became the national anthem of the civil rights movement.
There were so many people responsible for the enlightenment that was achieved; students, business people, all people of good will were drawn to its banner. People died, were subjected to inhumane treatment and degradation. But when the dust settled there was a commitment supported by the people and their government to ensure that the progress achieved would remain part of our national conscience.
However, now we find that when we really attempt dialogue our intent and sincerity are brought into question. Discussions cannot take place without recriminations. If we really wanted to confront the question of equality we would put aside accusations and not cower at the thought of honest discourse.
Presently we are witnessing white firefighters accusing others of reverse discrimination. We are engaged in determining who will sit on the Supreme Court of the United States to fill the vacancy created with the retirement of Justice Souter. The nominee chosen by the president, who happens to be Latino, appears to be willing to define competency by gender and race.
And if such pronouncements were made by others, not of color there would be screams of racism and bigotry. Is this honest dialogue, honest debate? Is this how we face the issue? We need to be able to speak with clarity and to question that which we find objectionable without fear of recriminations. Maybe we are a nation of cowards because we cower at the thought of accusations which inhibits candor.
Perhaps the Attorney General of the United States should welcome an honest exchange. I challenge the notion that we are a “nation of cowards.” There is intimidation and we are made to feel as though we are bigots because we would really like to clear the air and have honesty as part of our dealings with one another.
Can we ever sit down and really talk? Can we ever face each other and be honest without the fear of being called racist? The ultimate path to complete equality is truthfulness. So yes, like the member of parliament so aptly described, half of us are not sincere but the other half would like to be. No insults, no catcalling, no apologies.
In Midrash Rabbah we learn that God cares for what you do more than for what your ancestors did. The past brought us to this time and place but the present will determine our future. We should not ask that past sins be forgiven but rather that we act with better insight, together with a simplistic understanding of faith, then perhaps we will be able to carry out our mandate as God’s children: To live in peace and harmony as one connected to the other which will bring us the connection to God we so sorely need. This does not breed cowardice, but rather a true meaning of human dignity.
Martin Luther King, Jr. did not get to the promised land but he had a vision and that vision is now a reality. Moses too gazed over the valley to view the ultimate reward but was denied the opportunity to participate in the triumph over adversity. It is time to go forward and continue to search for the meaning of acceptance and forgiveness and entitlement because we, their progeny, did cross over the river into a free and just society, not of cowards but of free men, women and children.
There is a story about a member of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), well known for his irascible temper and sharp tongue, who became so incensed one day that he leaped from his chair and shouted, “Half of the Parliament are jackasses!”
There immediately arose angry shouts, catcalls and demands that he apologize forthwith or be ejected from the chamber.
“All right, I take it back, “he grumbled. “Half of this Parliament are not jackasses!”
I was reminded of this story because it speaks to an issue recently described in all the news media about a comment made by the Attorney General of The United States. He was discussing race relations in this country and alluded to the fact that we are not honest in our discussions. In fact he went so far as to state that we are a nation of cowards because we skirt the issue and never face it head-on.
The truth of the matter is that his assessment is correct and not for the reasons that we may believe.
During the presidential debates, primaries and subsequent election this fact was brought to the forefront. The “race issue” was in the background and at times even came forward as we proceeded to find a suitable candidate and eventually a suitable selection to occupy the highest office in the land.
Race relations in this country have gone through a metamorphosis more than once. The moral aspect of our national character was achieved with the advent of the civil rights movement of the early 1950’s and eventually was established as a national priority because of personalities like the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Revs. Abernathy and Jackson, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, President Lyndon Johnson, and the congress. It eventually took on a spiritual significance because everyone associated this moment in time with the Exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. A spiritual song was written depicting that episode in human history and became the national anthem of the civil rights movement.
There were so many people responsible for the enlightenment that was achieved; students, business people, all people of good will were drawn to its banner. People died, were subjected to inhumane treatment and degradation. But when the dust settled there was a commitment supported by the people and their government to ensure that the progress achieved would remain part of our national conscience.
However, now we find that when we really attempt dialogue our intent and sincerity are brought into question. Discussions cannot take place without recriminations. If we really wanted to confront the question of equality we would put aside accusations and not cower at the thought of honest discourse.
Presently we are witnessing white firefighters accusing others of reverse discrimination. We are engaged in determining who will sit on the Supreme Court of the United States to fill the vacancy created with the retirement of Justice Souter. The nominee chosen by the president, who happens to be Latino, appears to be willing to define competency by gender and race.
And if such pronouncements were made by others, not of color there would be screams of racism and bigotry. Is this honest dialogue, honest debate? Is this how we face the issue? We need to be able to speak with clarity and to question that which we find objectionable without fear of recriminations. Maybe we are a nation of cowards because we cower at the thought of accusations which inhibits candor.
Perhaps the Attorney General of the United States should welcome an honest exchange. I challenge the notion that we are a “nation of cowards.” There is intimidation and we are made to feel as though we are bigots because we would really like to clear the air and have honesty as part of our dealings with one another.
Can we ever sit down and really talk? Can we ever face each other and be honest without the fear of being called racist? The ultimate path to complete equality is truthfulness. So yes, like the member of parliament so aptly described, half of us are not sincere but the other half would like to be. No insults, no catcalling, no apologies.
In Midrash Rabbah we learn that God cares for what you do more than for what your ancestors did. The past brought us to this time and place but the present will determine our future. We should not ask that past sins be forgiven but rather that we act with better insight, together with a simplistic understanding of faith, then perhaps we will be able to carry out our mandate as God’s children: To live in peace and harmony as one connected to the other which will bring us the connection to God we so sorely need. This does not breed cowardice, but rather a true meaning of human dignity.
Martin Luther King, Jr. did not get to the promised land but he had a vision and that vision is now a reality. Moses too gazed over the valley to view the ultimate reward but was denied the opportunity to participate in the triumph over adversity. It is time to go forward and continue to search for the meaning of acceptance and forgiveness and entitlement because we, their progeny, did cross over the river into a free and just society, not of cowards but of free men, women and children.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Let's Not Prejudge-But! Chapter Three
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Review: In my first article ( dated January 7, 2009) I indicated a concern regarding the outreach to the Muslim world: “I am concerned about recent statements coming from the president-elect (he was not sworn in yet) indicating a desire and more than that a commitment to establish close ties to the Muslim countries in general and individual Muslims in particular. The bells are ringing in my ears.” I indicated that while dialogue is essential for people to understand each other, I was concerned that this would lead to further hatred because truth would not be the message received.
In my second article (dated February 18, 2009 I indicated in more explicit terms the stark facts of the far left wing making every attempt to pacify the extremists in order to feel more secure: “…There is a feeling in the left wing liberal community that we owe an apology to the Muslim world for all the so-called missteps made by America.” Where are the apologies from the Muslim world for the attacks on our country? Where is the appreciation for our country coming to the aid of their fellow Muslim countries such as Kuwait who was cowardly attacked by a fellow Muslim country and practically destroyed its infra-structure?
Recent events seem to bear out my concern: The despicable, indiscriminate shooting at the United States Holocaust Museum, the murder of an American soldier buy a Muslim convert, the attempt to bomb synagogues in New York. These are just a few examples of the hate that seems to be permeating our society in more overt ways.
And we have witnessed the President of the United States visiting Muslim countries espousing the same rhetoric of apology and distortion of truth. No where in his speech did we hear about the over 2000 years of striving for the return to the land belonging to our ancestors. No where is his speech did we hear about the 60 years of attempts to destroy the State of Israel and even today the charters of these terrorist organizations clearly state that the ultimate goal is the annihilation of the Jewish people.
I listened and could not understand the message because it was sprinkled with innuendos and untruths as to the historic aspect of Israel’s right to exist. The State of Israel was not only born out of the ashes of the Holocaust. The State of Israel was always a part of the history of our people and acknowledged by the world going back to World War One. Does no one remember the Balfour Declaration? Declaring that the birth of Israel was directly related to the Holocaust is a perversion of true historical fact. Israel existed before the United States, before there was such a thing called Palestine, before most of the countries now settled in the Middle East. That is not fiction – that is truth.
Now we hear conversations from all corners of the Arab world justifying its comparison to the plight of the Palestinians and equating the suffering of the Jewish People to the misery experienced by Arabs and Muslims used as pawns in the never ending policy of destroying Israel and the Jewish People. That is not fiction – that is truth.
On and on our president explained his rational for this historic trip. But a visit to Israel was not part of the agenda because it is abundantly clear that his interests do not include bringing peace to the table in a fair and equitable manner. His speech did not include the murder of women and children or the Muslim world applauding their own innocent children being sent as human bombs to kill other innocent children. His speech did not include the facts that previous Israeli administrations offered total peace with land exchange that was rebuffed on more than one occasion.
No where in his speech did he mention that Israel is the only true democratic country in the entire region and the words of encouragement he gave the women of these Muslim countries in no way resembled the truth of their subjugation. No where in his speech, when attempting to show that Islam is a tolerant and peace loving religion, did he mention that our troops stationed in the region to protect and defend their sovereignty, are not allowed to display the symbols of their faith nor practice it in any place but in the confines of their bases of operation. Even our Chaplains are not permitted to display the symbols that are part of their uniforms for fear of antagonizing the Muslim population. He acknowledged that 1200 Mosques can be found in America but show me one Synagogue or Church in Saudi Arabia.
No where in his remarks did he review the history of Jerusalem and its significance to Israel and the Jewish People. Jerusalem was founded by King David as the capital of a united Israel in the year 990BCE, sixteen hundred years before the advent of Islam. The Temple, which was erected by Solomon stood on Mt. Moriah and was destroyed by the Babylonians in the year 586BCE. Twelve hundred years before the birth of Islam.
The second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70CE, seven hundred years before Islam became a religion. Jerusalem has always been central to Jewish thought and life. To suggest otherwise is to legitimize the myth that the Jewish People have no claim to the land or its capital.
No where in his pronouncements did he bring up the systematic attempt to destroy the State of Israel economically with boycotts and embargos which include threats to companies and countries who are involved in free trade with Israel.
In my follow-up article I wrote: “If I were to write a letter to the President of the United States it would flatly state that the lessons of history are still fresh in our minds. Appeasement is an invitation for disaster. The open hand is an invitation not a declaration. Clenched fists need to be neutralized so that they do not strike a blow that begets another blow. Learn to accept separation as a way of life not a testament to failure.”
I continued: “If I were to write a letter to the President of the United States I would encourage dialogue but with the understanding that talk alone is not the panacea to the completion of a dream. Every country on the face of the Earth has aspirations and not all of them fit neatly into our understanding of life and liberty. You were not elected because you are different but because you shared a vision and that vision gave us hope.”
No time in the history of our relationship with Israel has our country shown such contempt and disregard for the ties that bind us together. These ties were supposed to be eternal because we believed in the same principles of eliminating human suffering through strength of purpose. Our American heritage is connected to the conviction that we are under the guidance of a Creator and would be a beacon for the world. This is what made us the inspiration for all to emulate.
Sacrificing our ideals for the expediency of connectiveness with those who hate us and wish to destroy us will only make their efforts stronger because of our perceived weakness. We have seen this happen time and again. “If we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.” Have we not witnessed this before, in our time? The 20th century contained some of the most darkest moments in our history. Are we to experience the same in the 21st century?
The recent events that have brought the horrors of hate to the forefront are symptomatic of the illness of prejudice that is rampant in our society and around the world. We can’t eradicate distrust by encouraging the repetition of falsehoods or the distortion of history. We can’t bring about peace and harmony by denigrating one people to appease another.
Where is the openness, the honesty, the change in our fight for equality that was promised to us by our president? All I see is arrogance and deceit. All I see is a different kind of disaffection shrouded in the words of a salesman trying to offer us a different kind of utopia that contradicts all that was pledged.
George Washington proclaimed that this land gives no comfort to bigotry. All of our founding fathers had a clear understanding of the value of life, liberty and the conviction to change the course of history, not with lies but with honesty and integrity and a faith in the human spirit as given to us by God.
I don’t know about you but I feel betrayed and confused all at the same time. I feel betrayed because I had visions of a new chapter in the history of humanity designed to bring us together as never before and not separated with such a vengeance. I am confused because I never thought that I would live to see the beginnings of a new wave of hatred and suspicion.
I believe, as Herman Wouk so eloquently wrote: “As for me, I declare my faith that our history is not meaningless, and that nihilism is a hallucination of sick men. God lives and we are His people, chosen to live by His name, and His law until one day when the Lord will be one and His name one.”
Review: In my first article ( dated January 7, 2009) I indicated a concern regarding the outreach to the Muslim world: “I am concerned about recent statements coming from the president-elect (he was not sworn in yet) indicating a desire and more than that a commitment to establish close ties to the Muslim countries in general and individual Muslims in particular. The bells are ringing in my ears.” I indicated that while dialogue is essential for people to understand each other, I was concerned that this would lead to further hatred because truth would not be the message received.
In my second article (dated February 18, 2009 I indicated in more explicit terms the stark facts of the far left wing making every attempt to pacify the extremists in order to feel more secure: “…There is a feeling in the left wing liberal community that we owe an apology to the Muslim world for all the so-called missteps made by America.” Where are the apologies from the Muslim world for the attacks on our country? Where is the appreciation for our country coming to the aid of their fellow Muslim countries such as Kuwait who was cowardly attacked by a fellow Muslim country and practically destroyed its infra-structure?
Recent events seem to bear out my concern: The despicable, indiscriminate shooting at the United States Holocaust Museum, the murder of an American soldier buy a Muslim convert, the attempt to bomb synagogues in New York. These are just a few examples of the hate that seems to be permeating our society in more overt ways.
And we have witnessed the President of the United States visiting Muslim countries espousing the same rhetoric of apology and distortion of truth. No where in his speech did we hear about the over 2000 years of striving for the return to the land belonging to our ancestors. No where is his speech did we hear about the 60 years of attempts to destroy the State of Israel and even today the charters of these terrorist organizations clearly state that the ultimate goal is the annihilation of the Jewish people.
I listened and could not understand the message because it was sprinkled with innuendos and untruths as to the historic aspect of Israel’s right to exist. The State of Israel was not only born out of the ashes of the Holocaust. The State of Israel was always a part of the history of our people and acknowledged by the world going back to World War One. Does no one remember the Balfour Declaration? Declaring that the birth of Israel was directly related to the Holocaust is a perversion of true historical fact. Israel existed before the United States, before there was such a thing called Palestine, before most of the countries now settled in the Middle East. That is not fiction – that is truth.
Now we hear conversations from all corners of the Arab world justifying its comparison to the plight of the Palestinians and equating the suffering of the Jewish People to the misery experienced by Arabs and Muslims used as pawns in the never ending policy of destroying Israel and the Jewish People. That is not fiction – that is truth.
On and on our president explained his rational for this historic trip. But a visit to Israel was not part of the agenda because it is abundantly clear that his interests do not include bringing peace to the table in a fair and equitable manner. His speech did not include the murder of women and children or the Muslim world applauding their own innocent children being sent as human bombs to kill other innocent children. His speech did not include the facts that previous Israeli administrations offered total peace with land exchange that was rebuffed on more than one occasion.
No where in his speech did he mention that Israel is the only true democratic country in the entire region and the words of encouragement he gave the women of these Muslim countries in no way resembled the truth of their subjugation. No where in his speech, when attempting to show that Islam is a tolerant and peace loving religion, did he mention that our troops stationed in the region to protect and defend their sovereignty, are not allowed to display the symbols of their faith nor practice it in any place but in the confines of their bases of operation. Even our Chaplains are not permitted to display the symbols that are part of their uniforms for fear of antagonizing the Muslim population. He acknowledged that 1200 Mosques can be found in America but show me one Synagogue or Church in Saudi Arabia.
No where in his remarks did he review the history of Jerusalem and its significance to Israel and the Jewish People. Jerusalem was founded by King David as the capital of a united Israel in the year 990BCE, sixteen hundred years before the advent of Islam. The Temple, which was erected by Solomon stood on Mt. Moriah and was destroyed by the Babylonians in the year 586BCE. Twelve hundred years before the birth of Islam.
The second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70CE, seven hundred years before Islam became a religion. Jerusalem has always been central to Jewish thought and life. To suggest otherwise is to legitimize the myth that the Jewish People have no claim to the land or its capital.
No where in his pronouncements did he bring up the systematic attempt to destroy the State of Israel economically with boycotts and embargos which include threats to companies and countries who are involved in free trade with Israel.
In my follow-up article I wrote: “If I were to write a letter to the President of the United States it would flatly state that the lessons of history are still fresh in our minds. Appeasement is an invitation for disaster. The open hand is an invitation not a declaration. Clenched fists need to be neutralized so that they do not strike a blow that begets another blow. Learn to accept separation as a way of life not a testament to failure.”
I continued: “If I were to write a letter to the President of the United States I would encourage dialogue but with the understanding that talk alone is not the panacea to the completion of a dream. Every country on the face of the Earth has aspirations and not all of them fit neatly into our understanding of life and liberty. You were not elected because you are different but because you shared a vision and that vision gave us hope.”
No time in the history of our relationship with Israel has our country shown such contempt and disregard for the ties that bind us together. These ties were supposed to be eternal because we believed in the same principles of eliminating human suffering through strength of purpose. Our American heritage is connected to the conviction that we are under the guidance of a Creator and would be a beacon for the world. This is what made us the inspiration for all to emulate.
Sacrificing our ideals for the expediency of connectiveness with those who hate us and wish to destroy us will only make their efforts stronger because of our perceived weakness. We have seen this happen time and again. “If we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.” Have we not witnessed this before, in our time? The 20th century contained some of the most darkest moments in our history. Are we to experience the same in the 21st century?
The recent events that have brought the horrors of hate to the forefront are symptomatic of the illness of prejudice that is rampant in our society and around the world. We can’t eradicate distrust by encouraging the repetition of falsehoods or the distortion of history. We can’t bring about peace and harmony by denigrating one people to appease another.
Where is the openness, the honesty, the change in our fight for equality that was promised to us by our president? All I see is arrogance and deceit. All I see is a different kind of disaffection shrouded in the words of a salesman trying to offer us a different kind of utopia that contradicts all that was pledged.
George Washington proclaimed that this land gives no comfort to bigotry. All of our founding fathers had a clear understanding of the value of life, liberty and the conviction to change the course of history, not with lies but with honesty and integrity and a faith in the human spirit as given to us by God.
I don’t know about you but I feel betrayed and confused all at the same time. I feel betrayed because I had visions of a new chapter in the history of humanity designed to bring us together as never before and not separated with such a vengeance. I am confused because I never thought that I would live to see the beginnings of a new wave of hatred and suspicion.
I believe, as Herman Wouk so eloquently wrote: “As for me, I declare my faith that our history is not meaningless, and that nihilism is a hallucination of sick men. God lives and we are His people, chosen to live by His name, and His law until one day when the Lord will be one and His name one.”
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Science And Religion:The Debate Continues
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein
I was thinking of this expression of faith and exploration when viewing the movie “Angels and Demons.” Putting side the fictional aspect of the movie, and not attempting to be a film critic, I found the message both stimulating and provocative. It illustrates the conflict between faith and understanding.
History is replete with visions of what is right and wrong and how we fit into the concept of good and evil. We are constantly questioning the very existence of God as we witness all kinds of horror both natural and unnatural. The world, we are told, is a ticking time bomb waiting for the ultimate explosion which will send us all to oblivion. And we are left to wonder about our mortality and the next phase in our journey of life.
We are caught up in the quagmire of guilt and superstition because when we don’t understand something our minds begin to imagine all sorts of things that, if you really think about, have no basis in reality. I guess in a way this could be called faith. But I rather think that faith is not some mystical adventure, some unimaginable ride to a destination no one has returned from or is in a hurry to venture to. Rather faith is the expression of longing for answers to complex situations to help us deal with just everyday living without worrying about the “next place.”
Science, on the other hand, is the fulfillment of that expression, that desire to make sense of all that we know and don’t know. Creation is described in terms that boggle the mind because we can’t, and never will, truly understand the Divine. The outline given us is a description of the results not the method. That is where science and religion come together.
Religion is the blueprint of everything we are and have and science is the means that was used to complete the task of bringing us to this point in time. Both are complementary, not in opposition of each other. One explains the purpose and the reasoning for our existence and the other contributes to the knowledge of how that was brought about.
Perhaps this is too simplified. But if you think about it you surely will understand that you can’t complete the work or even continue it without a road map, or plan. The design is there to bring the creation to life and even improve upon it as we search for answers to make life as enhancing as possible.
I watched with amazement at the conflict that religion has with science because it was made very clear that zealousness is dangerous. Open minds are required to absorb the knowledge brought about by the foundation that was created in the original document, the original plans for the universe and all that we are amazed to see continually as we gaze into the sky or reach out our hand to touch another. God didn’t promote connection with the intention of separation. That we were formed in the image of God is an indication that we are all different as is God. Each of us has the ability to reason and think and use this to partner with God in the ever continuing saga called life.
We reach for the stars because we must know that keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground will get us no where. We search for the impossible because we comprehend that progress comes form experimentation. We dream in order to make life more real through imagination.
Science and religion gives us both: The ability to dream and the talent to enhance that dream through knowledge and perception. Can we truly believe that the two are incompatible? Some of the greatest minds in the world were filled with faith in reasoning and the power to overcome mistrust to reach that ever present moment of truth and belief.
Only closed minds, as depicted in the movie, prevents us from reaching for the moon and even beyond. Only closed minds will destroy that which we are building and continue to build as each generation moves forward in its quest for that ultimate connection between God and science.
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” Why? Because they bring the two elements of life together: Faith and reasoning. Instead of looking for ways to continue the separation we should be trying to determine how we can bring them closer together. We must have faith that our reasoning will complete the process of creation. Only then will we get to that place in time which was originally designed in the master plan and completed by our rationality.
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein
I was thinking of this expression of faith and exploration when viewing the movie “Angels and Demons.” Putting side the fictional aspect of the movie, and not attempting to be a film critic, I found the message both stimulating and provocative. It illustrates the conflict between faith and understanding.
History is replete with visions of what is right and wrong and how we fit into the concept of good and evil. We are constantly questioning the very existence of God as we witness all kinds of horror both natural and unnatural. The world, we are told, is a ticking time bomb waiting for the ultimate explosion which will send us all to oblivion. And we are left to wonder about our mortality and the next phase in our journey of life.
We are caught up in the quagmire of guilt and superstition because when we don’t understand something our minds begin to imagine all sorts of things that, if you really think about, have no basis in reality. I guess in a way this could be called faith. But I rather think that faith is not some mystical adventure, some unimaginable ride to a destination no one has returned from or is in a hurry to venture to. Rather faith is the expression of longing for answers to complex situations to help us deal with just everyday living without worrying about the “next place.”
Science, on the other hand, is the fulfillment of that expression, that desire to make sense of all that we know and don’t know. Creation is described in terms that boggle the mind because we can’t, and never will, truly understand the Divine. The outline given us is a description of the results not the method. That is where science and religion come together.
Religion is the blueprint of everything we are and have and science is the means that was used to complete the task of bringing us to this point in time. Both are complementary, not in opposition of each other. One explains the purpose and the reasoning for our existence and the other contributes to the knowledge of how that was brought about.
Perhaps this is too simplified. But if you think about it you surely will understand that you can’t complete the work or even continue it without a road map, or plan. The design is there to bring the creation to life and even improve upon it as we search for answers to make life as enhancing as possible.
I watched with amazement at the conflict that religion has with science because it was made very clear that zealousness is dangerous. Open minds are required to absorb the knowledge brought about by the foundation that was created in the original document, the original plans for the universe and all that we are amazed to see continually as we gaze into the sky or reach out our hand to touch another. God didn’t promote connection with the intention of separation. That we were formed in the image of God is an indication that we are all different as is God. Each of us has the ability to reason and think and use this to partner with God in the ever continuing saga called life.
We reach for the stars because we must know that keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground will get us no where. We search for the impossible because we comprehend that progress comes form experimentation. We dream in order to make life more real through imagination.
Science and religion gives us both: The ability to dream and the talent to enhance that dream through knowledge and perception. Can we truly believe that the two are incompatible? Some of the greatest minds in the world were filled with faith in reasoning and the power to overcome mistrust to reach that ever present moment of truth and belief.
Only closed minds, as depicted in the movie, prevents us from reaching for the moon and even beyond. Only closed minds will destroy that which we are building and continue to build as each generation moves forward in its quest for that ultimate connection between God and science.
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” Why? Because they bring the two elements of life together: Faith and reasoning. Instead of looking for ways to continue the separation we should be trying to determine how we can bring them closer together. We must have faith that our reasoning will complete the process of creation. Only then will we get to that place in time which was originally designed in the master plan and completed by our rationality.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Turn Fright Into Fight
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
“The nations of the world are so preoccupied with their anxieties and ambitions that they do not realize that the very foundation of civilized life is being undermined.”
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
Everything seems so mundane given the experiences of the last year: Death, destruction, hysteria, bravery, patriotism and financial ruin.
There seems to be no one who is able to stand up and offer words of consolation and encouragement to a nation, a family, a person. There is only faith which has been encouraged by the bravery and patriotism of a few.
Faith has sustained us in all sorts of ordeals. Faith is the underlying ability to cope with adversity. Faith allows us to understand without asking why. Faith helps us realize that there is good and there is evil. It is up to us to determine which will prevail.
“Be of strong heart…” the Prophets tell us. Be of strong heart for our own sake and for the sake of all that was needlessly sacrificed. Sometimes we find it difficult to understand everything that is happening so our faith is put to the test. Sometimes we can’t imagine a world so corrupt that our faith is shaken to the core. Sometimes we see death on such a large scale and hatred seething from the mouths of people we thought to be innocent that our faith is driven into hiding.
In our lifetime we have seen the lack of humanity so unimaginable that we shudder to even believe it was possible. The world seems so polarized that we can’t see the light because of all the darkness and somewhere in that darkness is our faith which we fear will never surface.
Our lives are so fragile and so short. I recently began cleaning out old files and old pictures and my life seemed to flash right before me. Where has the time gone? What has happened to all the dreams? People are no longer here that once graced our lives. The ranks are thinning and with it all the laughter and tears of the generations.
Reality stepped back in and I realized that that was then and this is now. But have things really changed? We have aged but the world seems to be in a standstill because the same threats and hurts and disappointments are there. The only difference is that the date has changed. No wonder we lack the spirit, the spark, and the flame of faith that carried us to this moment in time.
Civilization is being undermined by a new order of extinction. Once we faced an enemy and we knew who they were and how to fight to win. Once we rallied around the concept of survival that included all of humanity. Now we don’t know what is happening to us. We look around and we see greed and despair and killing on such a level that it appears that there really is no hope, no expectation of renewal.
And perhaps there are no words other than the silent words found in our hearts and minds that try to make sense of that which is senseless. We need the words found in our souls to emerge to free us from the fear of the past and give us the resoluteness to confront this evil. And those words, as they emerge, should encourage us to act as one to overcome this madness. No imaginary wish of understanding when there is no one to reason with. No extending of a hand of friendship to be grasped by the clutches of madness.
How short our memory: Appeasement in any form encourages insanity. You cannot reason with barbarity or dine with animals. You cannot put a face of decency on those determined to undermine the very fabric of human connectiveness. And yet to not attempt to civilize the uncivilized would be to destroy the very essence of our collective needs.
Mordecai Kaplan understood years ago that civilization would be undermined by concern only for the few with no care for the many. He tried to explain that parochialism is not the road to salvation but a sure path to undermining the very principle of endurance.
The lesson is so simple it escapes us: If we remain hostages to fright we will, in the end, destroy ourselves. If we lose our resolve to remove the “r” and fight then we will have relinquished our obligation to ourselves and to God who gave us the ability to survive the ordeals of every day living with a one syllable word: Faith.
“The nations of the world are so preoccupied with their anxieties and ambitions that they do not realize that the very foundation of civilized life is being undermined.”
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
Everything seems so mundane given the experiences of the last year: Death, destruction, hysteria, bravery, patriotism and financial ruin.
There seems to be no one who is able to stand up and offer words of consolation and encouragement to a nation, a family, a person. There is only faith which has been encouraged by the bravery and patriotism of a few.
Faith has sustained us in all sorts of ordeals. Faith is the underlying ability to cope with adversity. Faith allows us to understand without asking why. Faith helps us realize that there is good and there is evil. It is up to us to determine which will prevail.
“Be of strong heart…” the Prophets tell us. Be of strong heart for our own sake and for the sake of all that was needlessly sacrificed. Sometimes we find it difficult to understand everything that is happening so our faith is put to the test. Sometimes we can’t imagine a world so corrupt that our faith is shaken to the core. Sometimes we see death on such a large scale and hatred seething from the mouths of people we thought to be innocent that our faith is driven into hiding.
In our lifetime we have seen the lack of humanity so unimaginable that we shudder to even believe it was possible. The world seems so polarized that we can’t see the light because of all the darkness and somewhere in that darkness is our faith which we fear will never surface.
Our lives are so fragile and so short. I recently began cleaning out old files and old pictures and my life seemed to flash right before me. Where has the time gone? What has happened to all the dreams? People are no longer here that once graced our lives. The ranks are thinning and with it all the laughter and tears of the generations.
Reality stepped back in and I realized that that was then and this is now. But have things really changed? We have aged but the world seems to be in a standstill because the same threats and hurts and disappointments are there. The only difference is that the date has changed. No wonder we lack the spirit, the spark, and the flame of faith that carried us to this moment in time.
Civilization is being undermined by a new order of extinction. Once we faced an enemy and we knew who they were and how to fight to win. Once we rallied around the concept of survival that included all of humanity. Now we don’t know what is happening to us. We look around and we see greed and despair and killing on such a level that it appears that there really is no hope, no expectation of renewal.
And perhaps there are no words other than the silent words found in our hearts and minds that try to make sense of that which is senseless. We need the words found in our souls to emerge to free us from the fear of the past and give us the resoluteness to confront this evil. And those words, as they emerge, should encourage us to act as one to overcome this madness. No imaginary wish of understanding when there is no one to reason with. No extending of a hand of friendship to be grasped by the clutches of madness.
How short our memory: Appeasement in any form encourages insanity. You cannot reason with barbarity or dine with animals. You cannot put a face of decency on those determined to undermine the very fabric of human connectiveness. And yet to not attempt to civilize the uncivilized would be to destroy the very essence of our collective needs.
Mordecai Kaplan understood years ago that civilization would be undermined by concern only for the few with no care for the many. He tried to explain that parochialism is not the road to salvation but a sure path to undermining the very principle of endurance.
The lesson is so simple it escapes us: If we remain hostages to fright we will, in the end, destroy ourselves. If we lose our resolve to remove the “r” and fight then we will have relinquished our obligation to ourselves and to God who gave us the ability to survive the ordeals of every day living with a one syllable word: Faith.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
"For Everything There Is A Season...."
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
“..a time for every experience under Heaven” (Ecclesiastes). King Solomon exhorts the remembrance of all the frailties of life and in the same breath explains the wonders of fulfillment.
We are at the crossroads of celebrating both completion and continuity. This is a time for learning and realizing the inescapable truth that our future is connected to our past. We commemorate the re-unification of Jerusalem that occurred June 6, 1967 (5 Iyar, 5727). At the same time we rejoice in learning as we stand at the foot of the Mountain and listen to words that have echoed throughout history – Shavuot.
The Ahad HaAm wrote that learning-learning-learning: That is the secret of Jewish survival. When the Romans were destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, the one thing that was asked was that a school of learning be established because it was understood that while the center of Jewish life was in flames, the flame of Jewish survival rested with the continuation of knowledge. That is Shavuot.
And after 2,000 years we have learned that patience and fortitude and petitions allowed us to return to the eternal capital of Israel and we, the eternal people of Israel were once more fastened to the dreams of centuries.
Judah Halevi wrote an essay titled “City of the World” in which he describes the feelings of the generations:
“Oh city of the world, most chastely fair,
In the far west, behold, I sigh for thee...
Oh, had I eagles’ wings I’d fly to thee,
And with my falling tears make moist thine earth…
Oh, that I might embrace thy dust, the sod
Were sweet as honey to my fond desire.”
There are no other people on the face of the Earth who have had and continues to have such a connection to a place. More than that, there is an emotion that transcends time and space and understanding. That is Jerusalem.
And it is no accident that the holiday of Shavuot coincides with this miracle of the ages. It is no accident because we took with us the trappings of Jewish existence and ensured that our survival would be complete.
Shavuot is a time of learning because it is at that precise time in our history that we learned the true meaning of life and developed a sense of understanding of our place in the unending search for connection.
There is a poem written by Ibn Ezra:
“In the mirror of thought,
By the light of his mind,
The wise man perceives all about him
His Creator’s glory.
In his own body-
In the four elements of its substance,
In the design of its structure,
In the concord and symmetry of
its parts –
He beholds God.
Each place we found ourselves we established schools because knowledge is the foundation of moral relationships. We stay up all night on Shavuot to emphasis the grandeur of the written and spoken word. It is through the process of education that we can fully comprehend the moments of truth.
“For everything there is a season, a time for every experience under Heaven.” This is the season of reason and salvation. This is the time to rejoice in the gift of verbal intercourse and the place where the Word took shape and was permeated throughout civilization.
This is Shavuot and Yom Yerushalayim. We have seen this day, the day that God speaks to all of us. This is the day of His word and His place.
“..a time for every experience under Heaven” (Ecclesiastes). King Solomon exhorts the remembrance of all the frailties of life and in the same breath explains the wonders of fulfillment.
We are at the crossroads of celebrating both completion and continuity. This is a time for learning and realizing the inescapable truth that our future is connected to our past. We commemorate the re-unification of Jerusalem that occurred June 6, 1967 (5 Iyar, 5727). At the same time we rejoice in learning as we stand at the foot of the Mountain and listen to words that have echoed throughout history – Shavuot.
The Ahad HaAm wrote that learning-learning-learning: That is the secret of Jewish survival. When the Romans were destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, the one thing that was asked was that a school of learning be established because it was understood that while the center of Jewish life was in flames, the flame of Jewish survival rested with the continuation of knowledge. That is Shavuot.
And after 2,000 years we have learned that patience and fortitude and petitions allowed us to return to the eternal capital of Israel and we, the eternal people of Israel were once more fastened to the dreams of centuries.
Judah Halevi wrote an essay titled “City of the World” in which he describes the feelings of the generations:
“Oh city of the world, most chastely fair,
In the far west, behold, I sigh for thee...
Oh, had I eagles’ wings I’d fly to thee,
And with my falling tears make moist thine earth…
Oh, that I might embrace thy dust, the sod
Were sweet as honey to my fond desire.”
There are no other people on the face of the Earth who have had and continues to have such a connection to a place. More than that, there is an emotion that transcends time and space and understanding. That is Jerusalem.
And it is no accident that the holiday of Shavuot coincides with this miracle of the ages. It is no accident because we took with us the trappings of Jewish existence and ensured that our survival would be complete.
Shavuot is a time of learning because it is at that precise time in our history that we learned the true meaning of life and developed a sense of understanding of our place in the unending search for connection.
There is a poem written by Ibn Ezra:
“In the mirror of thought,
By the light of his mind,
The wise man perceives all about him
His Creator’s glory.
In his own body-
In the four elements of its substance,
In the design of its structure,
In the concord and symmetry of
its parts –
He beholds God.
Each place we found ourselves we established schools because knowledge is the foundation of moral relationships. We stay up all night on Shavuot to emphasis the grandeur of the written and spoken word. It is through the process of education that we can fully comprehend the moments of truth.
“For everything there is a season, a time for every experience under Heaven.” This is the season of reason and salvation. This is the time to rejoice in the gift of verbal intercourse and the place where the Word took shape and was permeated throughout civilization.
This is Shavuot and Yom Yerushalayim. We have seen this day, the day that God speaks to all of us. This is the day of His word and His place.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Parents
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Maimonides wrote: “If the mind of a person’s mother or father becomes diminished or injured, the child should do whatever he can to respond to the demands of the affected parent until God exercises His mercy.
Nevertheless, if the parent’s situation grows even more difficult and the child can no longer bear the burden, the child may leave and assign others to give his parents the concern and rightful proper care.”
Numerous times I witness the guilt that affects all who see their parents fade as their cycle of life nears its end. Have they done enough; have they said enough to really matter. The pain of seeing a parent enter the darkness of diminished ability is more than some can bear. We feel powerless.
Many things run through our minds as we stand by waiting for the inevitable. It has been said that at the time of death a person’s whole life flashes before him. I believe that this is also true for those who watch a parent reach the end of the journey that encompassed love and caring and sharing and even some disappointments.
Our minds start to wander and begin reflecting on childhood dreams and grown-up anticipations. We remember our first bicycle and how Dad taught us how to ride. We recall the first date, the first prom, the first of many things that were part of our growing up. We fondly recollect Mom sitting with us reading to us and helping us take that first step into adulthood.
And then we look down at this frail person whose white hair reminds us of ageless encounters. The skin shows the wear and tear of the times spent worrying about our success. The smile is now strained because the years seemed to have taken their toll and smiling is now a chore more than a joy.
What can we do? What should we do? We now have families who need our attention. We want to reach out and be there for the one’s who gave us life and are now reaching the ebb. Our minds wander and the torment is great because parents deserve all we can do because of all they did. And honoring our parents, the Talmud teaches, is as though God is in our midst and we are honoring Him.
Then I am reminded of what Maimonides wrote centuries ago that it is our responsibility to give dignity at the end but we are also obligated to ensure that the care and concern may be shared with others so that proper vigilance will relieve our worry.
I visit patients and families in situations that require the utmost tenderness. Most often the call I receive involves hospice visits. It is not enough to say that it is God’s hands. It is not enough to offer consolation. Most often I am asked why – why did this happen to my parent? And I encourage everyone to concentrate on the real question – How? How can we come together to relieve the burden, to lighten the load and to ease the pain? Life is a journey and that journey includes great memories but also sad occasions. We start on that journey with birth and we witness all the happenings of life until the time comes for the journey to end. Our responsibility is to eliminate the guilt and focus on the beauty of life and all its rewards and defeats.
Sometimes to accomplish this we must share the responsibility with others because we no longer have the ability to cope and bear that burden alone. God gave us the capacity to reach out and touch a hand or wipe a tear and offer words of endearment. God created us to be connected to one another and that encompasses the bad times as well as the good.
So, no regrets, no guilt, just the understanding that we did the best we could and we were not ashamed or embarrassed to accept a helping hand. And when the end finally arrives we will mourn but we will have memories and those memories will guarantee eternal life. For remembrance is the secret ingredient of immortality.
We can no longer caress or embrace because now it is God’s turn as He brings them to his bosom and takes charge of their journey through eternity.
Maimonides wrote: “If the mind of a person’s mother or father becomes diminished or injured, the child should do whatever he can to respond to the demands of the affected parent until God exercises His mercy.
Nevertheless, if the parent’s situation grows even more difficult and the child can no longer bear the burden, the child may leave and assign others to give his parents the concern and rightful proper care.”
Numerous times I witness the guilt that affects all who see their parents fade as their cycle of life nears its end. Have they done enough; have they said enough to really matter. The pain of seeing a parent enter the darkness of diminished ability is more than some can bear. We feel powerless.
Many things run through our minds as we stand by waiting for the inevitable. It has been said that at the time of death a person’s whole life flashes before him. I believe that this is also true for those who watch a parent reach the end of the journey that encompassed love and caring and sharing and even some disappointments.
Our minds start to wander and begin reflecting on childhood dreams and grown-up anticipations. We remember our first bicycle and how Dad taught us how to ride. We recall the first date, the first prom, the first of many things that were part of our growing up. We fondly recollect Mom sitting with us reading to us and helping us take that first step into adulthood.
And then we look down at this frail person whose white hair reminds us of ageless encounters. The skin shows the wear and tear of the times spent worrying about our success. The smile is now strained because the years seemed to have taken their toll and smiling is now a chore more than a joy.
What can we do? What should we do? We now have families who need our attention. We want to reach out and be there for the one’s who gave us life and are now reaching the ebb. Our minds wander and the torment is great because parents deserve all we can do because of all they did. And honoring our parents, the Talmud teaches, is as though God is in our midst and we are honoring Him.
Then I am reminded of what Maimonides wrote centuries ago that it is our responsibility to give dignity at the end but we are also obligated to ensure that the care and concern may be shared with others so that proper vigilance will relieve our worry.
I visit patients and families in situations that require the utmost tenderness. Most often the call I receive involves hospice visits. It is not enough to say that it is God’s hands. It is not enough to offer consolation. Most often I am asked why – why did this happen to my parent? And I encourage everyone to concentrate on the real question – How? How can we come together to relieve the burden, to lighten the load and to ease the pain? Life is a journey and that journey includes great memories but also sad occasions. We start on that journey with birth and we witness all the happenings of life until the time comes for the journey to end. Our responsibility is to eliminate the guilt and focus on the beauty of life and all its rewards and defeats.
Sometimes to accomplish this we must share the responsibility with others because we no longer have the ability to cope and bear that burden alone. God gave us the capacity to reach out and touch a hand or wipe a tear and offer words of endearment. God created us to be connected to one another and that encompasses the bad times as well as the good.
So, no regrets, no guilt, just the understanding that we did the best we could and we were not ashamed or embarrassed to accept a helping hand. And when the end finally arrives we will mourn but we will have memories and those memories will guarantee eternal life. For remembrance is the secret ingredient of immortality.
We can no longer caress or embrace because now it is God’s turn as He brings them to his bosom and takes charge of their journey through eternity.
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Moment In Time
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Many of us have seen movies or heard stories or read books about the Holocaust. And most of us received some message or meaning from the experience. But through all the telling there is one theme that is the common denominator: Survival. It contributes to the baseness in all of us. It is a powerful and natural impulse. We kill because of it and we scratch survival out of any hopeful sign. It brings out the worst in us as well as the best in us.
All Holocaust depictions have that unmistakable message. Whether it be Schindler’s list or Sophie’s Choice, or more recent films like The Reader or the newest one, Defiance, we see man’s inhumanity to man and we smell the stench of hatred and despair.
So much has been written about the Holocaust. And yet, truth be told, not enough can be written or said or pictured to allow us to fully comprehend the enormity of the dehumanization of people, the degradation of the human spirit.
And we all bear witness to the fact that truth cannot be substituted by madness. Only complacency can hide the truth from us. Even those among us today, who declare that the Holocaust is a figment of someone’s imagination, will one day understand that truth may be manipulated but only because of the willingness of the family of man. Truth is the one weave in the fabric of humanity that is eternal as is the message we bring to keep the memory alive.
We are left to not only be witnesses but also to try to make sense of it all. The survivors of this unimaginable dehumanization of spirit and flesh are the true observers of the two faces of society; the dark side, which never sees light and the light side which hides from the darkness.
We are also left to remember because that is a holy mission. To remember is part of the understanding of the tragic episode it represents. There is no one answer as there is no one explanation that would allow us to have closure.
All too often we hear, “Haven’t we seen enough?” “Haven’t we cried enough?” “Haven’t we repented enough for not lifting our voices and shouting to the world that we are suffering and if we suffer all of humanity suffers with us?” “How many times are we going to be shown the horrors?”
Well, the chapter will never be closed for that would certainly desecrate the memory of those who have no one to say prayers or light candles of tell tales of their lives. Scribbled on a piece of paper one of the lost souls wrote: “I should like someone to remember that there once lived a person named David Berger.” We must never let this chapter end because of all the David Berger’s who are nameless and faceless. We will never finish the story because, in truth, it has no ending. The struggles of life and the tortures of memory will never complete the tragic retelling of the souls that are weeping because they are afraid we will forget them.
The ranks of those who suffered and those who were liberators are thinning. Soon only memory will be the torch that is carried to the next generation. And we cannot allow this chapter to be minimalized or trivialized because then it just becomes a moment in time.
The smoke is still shifting with the wind and it carries the vestige of a generation who were consumed by hate and indifference. We must remember their sacrifice and just as we have survived so to their memories shall remain with us forever. And each time we watch a film, or tell a story of someone we never knew who was lost, or try to imagine the million children who looked at us in disbelief – each time we remember we resurrect a soul, which symbolizes the re-birth of values and benevolence and blessing.
So remember – remember the depths to which we may sink – for survival. For after all – we cry because so many were lost and we stammer to find the words of understanding. We pledge that this will never be just a moment in time.
Now the lifeless skulls add up to millions.
The stars are going out around you.
The memory of you is dimming; your life will soon be over.
Jewish seed and flowers are embers.
The dew cries in the dead grass.
The Jewish dream and reality are ravished,
They die together.
Your witnesses are sleeping:
Infants, women, young men, old.
All have fallen into a dead and everlasting peace.
(Union Prayer Book-The Days of Awe)
Many of us have seen movies or heard stories or read books about the Holocaust. And most of us received some message or meaning from the experience. But through all the telling there is one theme that is the common denominator: Survival. It contributes to the baseness in all of us. It is a powerful and natural impulse. We kill because of it and we scratch survival out of any hopeful sign. It brings out the worst in us as well as the best in us.
All Holocaust depictions have that unmistakable message. Whether it be Schindler’s list or Sophie’s Choice, or more recent films like The Reader or the newest one, Defiance, we see man’s inhumanity to man and we smell the stench of hatred and despair.
So much has been written about the Holocaust. And yet, truth be told, not enough can be written or said or pictured to allow us to fully comprehend the enormity of the dehumanization of people, the degradation of the human spirit.
And we all bear witness to the fact that truth cannot be substituted by madness. Only complacency can hide the truth from us. Even those among us today, who declare that the Holocaust is a figment of someone’s imagination, will one day understand that truth may be manipulated but only because of the willingness of the family of man. Truth is the one weave in the fabric of humanity that is eternal as is the message we bring to keep the memory alive.
We are left to not only be witnesses but also to try to make sense of it all. The survivors of this unimaginable dehumanization of spirit and flesh are the true observers of the two faces of society; the dark side, which never sees light and the light side which hides from the darkness.
We are also left to remember because that is a holy mission. To remember is part of the understanding of the tragic episode it represents. There is no one answer as there is no one explanation that would allow us to have closure.
All too often we hear, “Haven’t we seen enough?” “Haven’t we cried enough?” “Haven’t we repented enough for not lifting our voices and shouting to the world that we are suffering and if we suffer all of humanity suffers with us?” “How many times are we going to be shown the horrors?”
Well, the chapter will never be closed for that would certainly desecrate the memory of those who have no one to say prayers or light candles of tell tales of their lives. Scribbled on a piece of paper one of the lost souls wrote: “I should like someone to remember that there once lived a person named David Berger.” We must never let this chapter end because of all the David Berger’s who are nameless and faceless. We will never finish the story because, in truth, it has no ending. The struggles of life and the tortures of memory will never complete the tragic retelling of the souls that are weeping because they are afraid we will forget them.
The ranks of those who suffered and those who were liberators are thinning. Soon only memory will be the torch that is carried to the next generation. And we cannot allow this chapter to be minimalized or trivialized because then it just becomes a moment in time.
The smoke is still shifting with the wind and it carries the vestige of a generation who were consumed by hate and indifference. We must remember their sacrifice and just as we have survived so to their memories shall remain with us forever. And each time we watch a film, or tell a story of someone we never knew who was lost, or try to imagine the million children who looked at us in disbelief – each time we remember we resurrect a soul, which symbolizes the re-birth of values and benevolence and blessing.
So remember – remember the depths to which we may sink – for survival. For after all – we cry because so many were lost and we stammer to find the words of understanding. We pledge that this will never be just a moment in time.
Now the lifeless skulls add up to millions.
The stars are going out around you.
The memory of you is dimming; your life will soon be over.
Jewish seed and flowers are embers.
The dew cries in the dead grass.
The Jewish dream and reality are ravished,
They die together.
Your witnesses are sleeping:
Infants, women, young men, old.
All have fallen into a dead and everlasting peace.
(Union Prayer Book-The Days of Awe)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Seven Principles of Faith
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
I read a funny story: A lifelong backslider suddenly “saw the light” and approached the local rabbi.
“Rabbi, from now on I will attend synagogue services regularly,” he promised.
“I’m glad to hear that,” smiled the wise old rabbi, “but remember – going to synagogue doesn’t make you a Jew any more than going to a poultry farm makes you a chicken!”
I thought of this joke when I read a letter to the editor in Moment magazine, March/April, 2009 issue. The writer was responding to an article written by Eric Alterman, “What do non-Orthodox Jews believe?” (“The Secular Spirit of Judaism,” January/February 2009)
She proceeds to illustrate her “Principles of Faith” accordingly:
1. Kindness and courtesy are more important than kashruth.
2. Caring for human needs is more important than being frum.
3. Being part a part of a Jewish community and attending services Friday night and Torah study on Saturday are more important than not traveling on the Sabbath.
4. Wearing a sheitel does not make you pious and using Tefillin does not keep you honorable.
5. Mikvot, like Christian Baptism, cannot alone bring spiritual cleanliness.
6. Watch what you say rather than what you eat.
7. Dress with normal modesty rather than with elaborate cultural elements.
In conclusion, she writes, “In short, I choose to be a Jew and believe my creator will know my heart from my deeds rather than from my diet or dress.”
I must confess that part of me wants to applaud this woman for her ability to clarify in her mind the essence of connectivity and completeness in being a person of faith. And there is a part of me that wants to suggest that while some of these trappings are not in themselves the answer to the true understanding of life they are designed to help us create a life of faith.
Trappings were designed to remind us of our obligation to accomplish the ultimate in human relationships. Some of these traditions and customs were put in place to assist us in completing our partnership with the creator. Many of the obligations outlined in the Torah and explained in the Midrash and Talmud were established to enable us to concentrate on our heritage and fulfillment as Jews.
However, sometimes we get trapped by the “trappings” to the extent that they become the end all to our religious experience. We, at times, are more concerned with outward appearance than inward feelings of compassion. And for some the outward appearance is an identifying moment and not a means to establish true brotherhood and fellowship.
The Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement, once wrote that the Talmud informs us that Moses was given the key to forty-nine doors out of fifty. And, of course, the question is asked that since we human beings always want to know more and more, how was it possible for Moses to pass through the fiftieth door?
He continues his story indicating that we wonder what happened when Moses came to fiftieth door and found it locked to the mind of man. And we learn that Moses replaced understanding with faith and began his meditation over again.
The lesson the Ba’al Shem Tov taught was that every one of us should train our minds. We should learn and reflect to the best of our capacity, but when we reach a point where we are unable to make sense of life, we should supplant faith for understanding and reflect again on what we do know.
I can think of no better way to comprehend the meaning of life, our obligations to one another and our responsibility to faith. Perhaps that is what this woman was trying to impart.
Faith has many doors. It is up to us to approach these doors with the hope that behind them are answers we may not understand but we need to learn to be able to perceive the meaning of faith.. Perhaps what she was saying is that to get to the other side of the door does not require a code of dress or a closed mind or rituals that have no significance if they are not accompanied by true intent.
Even our Prophets explained that on Yom Kippur all the fasting in the world will not mean anything if it is not connected to honesty of purpose. God doesn’t need our prayers or our rituals unless it is combined with concern for the dignity of the human spirit and the response to those in need of Tikun Olam, the repair in the tear of human suffering.
Seven principles of faith. They do not supplant anything. They help us realize who we are and our purpose as part of creation.
I read a funny story: A lifelong backslider suddenly “saw the light” and approached the local rabbi.
“Rabbi, from now on I will attend synagogue services regularly,” he promised.
“I’m glad to hear that,” smiled the wise old rabbi, “but remember – going to synagogue doesn’t make you a Jew any more than going to a poultry farm makes you a chicken!”
I thought of this joke when I read a letter to the editor in Moment magazine, March/April, 2009 issue. The writer was responding to an article written by Eric Alterman, “What do non-Orthodox Jews believe?” (“The Secular Spirit of Judaism,” January/February 2009)
She proceeds to illustrate her “Principles of Faith” accordingly:
1. Kindness and courtesy are more important than kashruth.
2. Caring for human needs is more important than being frum.
3. Being part a part of a Jewish community and attending services Friday night and Torah study on Saturday are more important than not traveling on the Sabbath.
4. Wearing a sheitel does not make you pious and using Tefillin does not keep you honorable.
5. Mikvot, like Christian Baptism, cannot alone bring spiritual cleanliness.
6. Watch what you say rather than what you eat.
7. Dress with normal modesty rather than with elaborate cultural elements.
In conclusion, she writes, “In short, I choose to be a Jew and believe my creator will know my heart from my deeds rather than from my diet or dress.”
I must confess that part of me wants to applaud this woman for her ability to clarify in her mind the essence of connectivity and completeness in being a person of faith. And there is a part of me that wants to suggest that while some of these trappings are not in themselves the answer to the true understanding of life they are designed to help us create a life of faith.
Trappings were designed to remind us of our obligation to accomplish the ultimate in human relationships. Some of these traditions and customs were put in place to assist us in completing our partnership with the creator. Many of the obligations outlined in the Torah and explained in the Midrash and Talmud were established to enable us to concentrate on our heritage and fulfillment as Jews.
However, sometimes we get trapped by the “trappings” to the extent that they become the end all to our religious experience. We, at times, are more concerned with outward appearance than inward feelings of compassion. And for some the outward appearance is an identifying moment and not a means to establish true brotherhood and fellowship.
The Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement, once wrote that the Talmud informs us that Moses was given the key to forty-nine doors out of fifty. And, of course, the question is asked that since we human beings always want to know more and more, how was it possible for Moses to pass through the fiftieth door?
He continues his story indicating that we wonder what happened when Moses came to fiftieth door and found it locked to the mind of man. And we learn that Moses replaced understanding with faith and began his meditation over again.
The lesson the Ba’al Shem Tov taught was that every one of us should train our minds. We should learn and reflect to the best of our capacity, but when we reach a point where we are unable to make sense of life, we should supplant faith for understanding and reflect again on what we do know.
I can think of no better way to comprehend the meaning of life, our obligations to one another and our responsibility to faith. Perhaps that is what this woman was trying to impart.
Faith has many doors. It is up to us to approach these doors with the hope that behind them are answers we may not understand but we need to learn to be able to perceive the meaning of faith.. Perhaps what she was saying is that to get to the other side of the door does not require a code of dress or a closed mind or rituals that have no significance if they are not accompanied by true intent.
Even our Prophets explained that on Yom Kippur all the fasting in the world will not mean anything if it is not connected to honesty of purpose. God doesn’t need our prayers or our rituals unless it is combined with concern for the dignity of the human spirit and the response to those in need of Tikun Olam, the repair in the tear of human suffering.
Seven principles of faith. They do not supplant anything. They help us realize who we are and our purpose as part of creation.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Let's Not Prejudge-but! Chapter 2
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Previously I had written about my concerns regarding the attempt by the then president-elect to reach out to the American Muslim community in particular and the Muslim world in general. I prefaced my remarks by stating that I am not in favor of mixing religion and politics but there are times when faith should be the guide by which we live and a means by which we treat each other with respect because we are all God’s children, not black or white, Jew or Gentile or Muslim.
Now that concern has been elevated to fright. There is no rampant anti-Semitism but there is a feeling in the left wing liberal community that we owe an apology to the Muslim world for all the so called missteps made by America. Our president has gone so far as to determine that we need to “restore” the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago.( excerpted from an article written by the renowned columnist Charles Krauthammer).
I would encourage everyone to read his column titled “Overture to Muslims by Obama slights U.S.” It lays out in detail the responsibility borne by this country to save and even salvage many of these countries under the Muslim banner. Have we forgotten the saving of Kuwait when all the other Arab and Muslim countries did not or would not or could not take care of their own? Saudi Arabia which receives billions of dollars of military hardware cannot muster the will or the ability to defend itself let alone a neighbor.
President Obama should rightfully acknowledge his heritage but not at the expense of the country he took an oath to defend and protect. Extending a hand and expecting, as he so masterfully described, an unclenched fist is a noble idea. But extending the hand of this country, that experienced the devastation of 2001, without the respect for our integrity and rightful place in the world as the leader in human rights, is outrageous to say the least.
The president of Israel is insulted at a gathering of world leaders by the delegate from Turkey, a Muslim country with whom Israel has had the most cordial relations appears to be an attempt by the Muslim world to not only insult a sovereign country but to denigrate the concept of world unity as espoused by the president of the United States and may even be motivated by his outreach efforts.
The world is in turmoil. People are starving and homeless. There is hopelessness everywhere. No jobs. No health insurance. No confidence in the future. Most of the people responsible for this chaos are still in charge and get bail-outs while the struggling masses remain at their mercy. The auto industry full of arrogance begs for help while the oil companies rake in billions. Why can’t the oil companies redeem the auto industry?
And yet with all we are going through we still need to find a scapegoat-someone to blame for our misery. We bend the truth to fit the tragedies. I would not be surprised to one day wake up and find that Israel is behind tornadoes and hurricanes and earthquakes. It is amazing that with all that we have been experiencing we still find the time to blame all the ills on Israel for not giving back land it inherited from barbarians who knocked on the door of annihilation and found an answer they will never forget.
Sometimes I wonder of Meir Kahane was not right: That the answer to this continuing bad dream is total and permanent separation. If someone hates you so much and will never turn the other cheek then perhaps it is an impossible dream. And all the wishing and attempts at reconciliation are useless.
All the George Mitchells and Hillary Clintons and Barack Obamas will never change reality they will only perpetuate the myth. Some people are not meant to be connected. Some people need to have distance in order to survive. We see it in everyday relationships. People marry but also divorce. Families celebrate milestones but also have detractors. Countries may have common goals but they are still separated by borders.
Over the centuries wars have been fought to connect one to the other only to discover that differences make for critics and then unity is replaced by detachment. Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon, the list is endless. All saw their responsibility to bring oneness out of many become disastrous and fatal. We are different and yet we are the same. Human beings have struggled with this issue from time immemorial. Even God understood as He created man and woman. Both different but dependent on one another.
Creation was not intended for one kind of this or one kind of that. Look all around – there are different animals, different species of vegetation, different climates, different DNA. And that is the ultimate truth in separation.
If I were to write a letter to the president of the United States it would flatly state that the lessons of history are still fresh in our minds. Appeasement is an invitation for disaster. We need to learn to live together while not forgetting our differences. The open hand is an invitation not a declaration. Clenched fists need to be neutralized so that they do not strike a blow that begets another blow. Learn to accept separation as a way of life not a testament to failure. Send you envoys to affect peace by fulfilling the wishes of the parties involved.
If I were to write a letter to the president of the United States I would encourage dialogue but with the understanding that talk alone is not the panacea to completion of a dream. Every country on the face of the Earth has aspirations and not all of them fit neatly into our understanding of life and liberty. Sanctimony is not a method of encouragement. You were not elected because you are different but because you shared a vision and that vision gave us hope. Be proud of your heritage but remember that this pride gave you the courage to achieve the dream of so many. You reached the mountain top and you were able to see the future. Never forget that you arrived on the backs of many who died and sacrificed for that dream to become reality.
Yes, I am frightened. Yes, I am concerned for our people. Yes, I understand that we cannot allow the past to just become a moment in time because that would dishonor the tragedies.
So I pray each and every day that the vision of God to allow us the opportunity to become one with Him will see the light of day in our time. We are a resilient people. We are survivors. We are here because our dream of freedom became fact not fiction. We will be here long after those who torture and maim and distort will be gone. That is the one truth everyone can rely upon.
Previously I had written about my concerns regarding the attempt by the then president-elect to reach out to the American Muslim community in particular and the Muslim world in general. I prefaced my remarks by stating that I am not in favor of mixing religion and politics but there are times when faith should be the guide by which we live and a means by which we treat each other with respect because we are all God’s children, not black or white, Jew or Gentile or Muslim.
Now that concern has been elevated to fright. There is no rampant anti-Semitism but there is a feeling in the left wing liberal community that we owe an apology to the Muslim world for all the so called missteps made by America. Our president has gone so far as to determine that we need to “restore” the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago.( excerpted from an article written by the renowned columnist Charles Krauthammer).
I would encourage everyone to read his column titled “Overture to Muslims by Obama slights U.S.” It lays out in detail the responsibility borne by this country to save and even salvage many of these countries under the Muslim banner. Have we forgotten the saving of Kuwait when all the other Arab and Muslim countries did not or would not or could not take care of their own? Saudi Arabia which receives billions of dollars of military hardware cannot muster the will or the ability to defend itself let alone a neighbor.
President Obama should rightfully acknowledge his heritage but not at the expense of the country he took an oath to defend and protect. Extending a hand and expecting, as he so masterfully described, an unclenched fist is a noble idea. But extending the hand of this country, that experienced the devastation of 2001, without the respect for our integrity and rightful place in the world as the leader in human rights, is outrageous to say the least.
The president of Israel is insulted at a gathering of world leaders by the delegate from Turkey, a Muslim country with whom Israel has had the most cordial relations appears to be an attempt by the Muslim world to not only insult a sovereign country but to denigrate the concept of world unity as espoused by the president of the United States and may even be motivated by his outreach efforts.
The world is in turmoil. People are starving and homeless. There is hopelessness everywhere. No jobs. No health insurance. No confidence in the future. Most of the people responsible for this chaos are still in charge and get bail-outs while the struggling masses remain at their mercy. The auto industry full of arrogance begs for help while the oil companies rake in billions. Why can’t the oil companies redeem the auto industry?
And yet with all we are going through we still need to find a scapegoat-someone to blame for our misery. We bend the truth to fit the tragedies. I would not be surprised to one day wake up and find that Israel is behind tornadoes and hurricanes and earthquakes. It is amazing that with all that we have been experiencing we still find the time to blame all the ills on Israel for not giving back land it inherited from barbarians who knocked on the door of annihilation and found an answer they will never forget.
Sometimes I wonder of Meir Kahane was not right: That the answer to this continuing bad dream is total and permanent separation. If someone hates you so much and will never turn the other cheek then perhaps it is an impossible dream. And all the wishing and attempts at reconciliation are useless.
All the George Mitchells and Hillary Clintons and Barack Obamas will never change reality they will only perpetuate the myth. Some people are not meant to be connected. Some people need to have distance in order to survive. We see it in everyday relationships. People marry but also divorce. Families celebrate milestones but also have detractors. Countries may have common goals but they are still separated by borders.
Over the centuries wars have been fought to connect one to the other only to discover that differences make for critics and then unity is replaced by detachment. Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon, the list is endless. All saw their responsibility to bring oneness out of many become disastrous and fatal. We are different and yet we are the same. Human beings have struggled with this issue from time immemorial. Even God understood as He created man and woman. Both different but dependent on one another.
Creation was not intended for one kind of this or one kind of that. Look all around – there are different animals, different species of vegetation, different climates, different DNA. And that is the ultimate truth in separation.
If I were to write a letter to the president of the United States it would flatly state that the lessons of history are still fresh in our minds. Appeasement is an invitation for disaster. We need to learn to live together while not forgetting our differences. The open hand is an invitation not a declaration. Clenched fists need to be neutralized so that they do not strike a blow that begets another blow. Learn to accept separation as a way of life not a testament to failure. Send you envoys to affect peace by fulfilling the wishes of the parties involved.
If I were to write a letter to the president of the United States I would encourage dialogue but with the understanding that talk alone is not the panacea to completion of a dream. Every country on the face of the Earth has aspirations and not all of them fit neatly into our understanding of life and liberty. Sanctimony is not a method of encouragement. You were not elected because you are different but because you shared a vision and that vision gave us hope. Be proud of your heritage but remember that this pride gave you the courage to achieve the dream of so many. You reached the mountain top and you were able to see the future. Never forget that you arrived on the backs of many who died and sacrificed for that dream to become reality.
Yes, I am frightened. Yes, I am concerned for our people. Yes, I understand that we cannot allow the past to just become a moment in time because that would dishonor the tragedies.
So I pray each and every day that the vision of God to allow us the opportunity to become one with Him will see the light of day in our time. We are a resilient people. We are survivors. We are here because our dream of freedom became fact not fiction. We will be here long after those who torture and maim and distort will be gone. That is the one truth everyone can rely upon.
Monday, March 9, 2009
BM
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
“He may be called a man who restrains his desire to do evil.” Zohar
Time and again events take place that make us wonder about the goodness of people. We have witnessed over the last several years the ugly face of greed and its affect on society. There was a time when morals and ethics were ingredients in the formula of human success. We are believers in good winning over evil; that light will defeat darkness so that all will know peace and contentment because of the efforts of work and honesty in that work.
Then we read about corruption on such a large scale that we begin to wonder about the goodness and mercy that is part of humanities makeup. Our very beings are threatened because we see no appreciation for Godliness. We seemed to have sunk into an abyss robbing us of life’s meaning- and it is dark and lonely. It is an empty space that has no ending – a black hole that drags even the greatest among us into its center.
It is difficult to judge people because each of us has some dark secret. And when that secret sees the light of day there is no telling what will be the result of that revelation. We are laid bare and vulnerable to possible embarrassment and disgrace. And we are concerned about what others may think of us but give no thought to Gods knowledge of our misdeeds. Perhaps if we thought more about our being answerable to God we would fulfill the essence of the Zohar
When studying the Talmud we learn about “Patur B’Dinei Adom and Hayav B’Dinei Shamayim.” The lessons learned indicate that there are times when we do things that may be considered excusable by man but are deemed inexcusable by God. And the converse, of course, is true as well.
So, while we try not to judge we are taught that to have an effective society there must be judgments as well as reward and punishment. That is the sum total of a disciplined culture.
I am at a loss as to how to react to recent events which have dishonored our people and our God. I am at a loss as to how to display compassion while feeling the hurt of so many who were the victims of such gluttony. “Do justly” Micah commands because it is part of the duty of human beings to walk the path of humility and understanding. What is justice in this instance?
BM (I can’t get myself to write his name), cast a dark shadow on our people. Those who would do us harm have been given a weapon much more deadly than the sword. We are a people known for our veracity. We are a people known as deliverers of the “Word” and keepers of the “Promise.” And now we are a people, who by association, seem to be no better than the worst among us and maybe even more so.
The great Kabbalist, Moses Luzzatto was quoted as saying: “A person who walks his path in life without regard to ethical standards is like a blind man who does not know his journey is along the bank of a river.
The person can at any moment succumb to the dangers of a wrong step and the odds are more certainly toward his being hurt than escaping harm.”
We have now witnessed the unthinkable. We cannot escape the harm that is with us. And like the blind man who does not know his journey is dangerous because of indifference, we too have been led on a journey that will give us anxiousness and despair and unhappiness for a long time to come.
BM – they are initials that will haunt us. He certainly will be judged but perhaps “Hayav B’Dinei Shamayim” will be the ultimate judgment.
“He may be called a man who restrains his desire to do evil.” Zohar
Time and again events take place that make us wonder about the goodness of people. We have witnessed over the last several years the ugly face of greed and its affect on society. There was a time when morals and ethics were ingredients in the formula of human success. We are believers in good winning over evil; that light will defeat darkness so that all will know peace and contentment because of the efforts of work and honesty in that work.
Then we read about corruption on such a large scale that we begin to wonder about the goodness and mercy that is part of humanities makeup. Our very beings are threatened because we see no appreciation for Godliness. We seemed to have sunk into an abyss robbing us of life’s meaning- and it is dark and lonely. It is an empty space that has no ending – a black hole that drags even the greatest among us into its center.
It is difficult to judge people because each of us has some dark secret. And when that secret sees the light of day there is no telling what will be the result of that revelation. We are laid bare and vulnerable to possible embarrassment and disgrace. And we are concerned about what others may think of us but give no thought to Gods knowledge of our misdeeds. Perhaps if we thought more about our being answerable to God we would fulfill the essence of the Zohar
When studying the Talmud we learn about “Patur B’Dinei Adom and Hayav B’Dinei Shamayim.” The lessons learned indicate that there are times when we do things that may be considered excusable by man but are deemed inexcusable by God. And the converse, of course, is true as well.
So, while we try not to judge we are taught that to have an effective society there must be judgments as well as reward and punishment. That is the sum total of a disciplined culture.
I am at a loss as to how to react to recent events which have dishonored our people and our God. I am at a loss as to how to display compassion while feeling the hurt of so many who were the victims of such gluttony. “Do justly” Micah commands because it is part of the duty of human beings to walk the path of humility and understanding. What is justice in this instance?
BM (I can’t get myself to write his name), cast a dark shadow on our people. Those who would do us harm have been given a weapon much more deadly than the sword. We are a people known for our veracity. We are a people known as deliverers of the “Word” and keepers of the “Promise.” And now we are a people, who by association, seem to be no better than the worst among us and maybe even more so.
The great Kabbalist, Moses Luzzatto was quoted as saying: “A person who walks his path in life without regard to ethical standards is like a blind man who does not know his journey is along the bank of a river.
The person can at any moment succumb to the dangers of a wrong step and the odds are more certainly toward his being hurt than escaping harm.”
We have now witnessed the unthinkable. We cannot escape the harm that is with us. And like the blind man who does not know his journey is dangerous because of indifference, we too have been led on a journey that will give us anxiousness and despair and unhappiness for a long time to come.
BM – they are initials that will haunt us. He certainly will be judged but perhaps “Hayav B’Dinei Shamayim” will be the ultimate judgment.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Ho Do I Love Thee
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
With this question Elizabeth Barrett Browning begins her poem of affection and devotion.. It is a beautiful poem filled with an enduring feeling of love and an abiding hope for an eternal liaison.
I think of this poem each year as Spring approaches. I think about brides and grooms feeling this message of endearment and passion. And I guess it is best described as I continue reading the poem: “I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life.”
We wonder what is expected of us as we begin a life together. How do we get close to a thought, an idea of what this time really means? We will learn that forgiveness, mercy and humility will eventually enable us to be one. But the reality is that we can only imagine these things. We will, in time, understand the secrets involved in a relationship that will survive for eternity.
And how does our understanding of God fit into all of this? We try to discern that something, someone, is responsible for all that we see before us – a baby, a tree, a life of dreams. There are bad things as well for we know that the next chapter in the journey of life we are embarking upon is not always what dreams are made of.
So here we are at the Springtime of our lives. It is a beautiful time. There are holidays such as Passover and Easter, both designed to help us understand the message of renewal. And that is exactly what we will endeavor to accomplish as we renew our lives with a commitment of oneness.
Birth is our beginning. And our concentration should be on the span of time called life because that is the journey we embark upon as we wish for better tomorrows. The thrills of life can be found in that experience and we should not dwell on anything else. Life is to live and we should include in our promise of love the pledge to enjoy life as it was intended – with each other and family and friends.
The poet continues: “I love thee with all the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.” The message is quite simple: We need to be thankful for all the tomorrows as we remember the past.
It doesn’t matter whether we understand the meaning of God. We all have different ideas. But we also know that God is faith and hope and strength and calm. These feelings are the same feelings we bring to each other as we begin that journey, that new journey into unchartered waters. And we feel safe because we know that God is there to help and guide and even cheer as we discover each other and the world around us.
How do I love thee is a message of forgiveness because none of us is perfect. It encourages us to pardon each other for human failings. It allows us to excuse our shortcomings because sometimes we forget our pledge to each other.
Spring is in the air and with it a feeling of anticipation. It is a time of preparation. And as the Prophets declared: “It is an opportunity to gain strength so that we will be like a garden wealthy with water, a spring of water, whose waters will not fail.” That is the true essence of love and togetherness and growth as a couple.
With this question Elizabeth Barrett Browning begins her poem of affection and devotion.. It is a beautiful poem filled with an enduring feeling of love and an abiding hope for an eternal liaison.
I think of this poem each year as Spring approaches. I think about brides and grooms feeling this message of endearment and passion. And I guess it is best described as I continue reading the poem: “I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life.”
We wonder what is expected of us as we begin a life together. How do we get close to a thought, an idea of what this time really means? We will learn that forgiveness, mercy and humility will eventually enable us to be one. But the reality is that we can only imagine these things. We will, in time, understand the secrets involved in a relationship that will survive for eternity.
And how does our understanding of God fit into all of this? We try to discern that something, someone, is responsible for all that we see before us – a baby, a tree, a life of dreams. There are bad things as well for we know that the next chapter in the journey of life we are embarking upon is not always what dreams are made of.
So here we are at the Springtime of our lives. It is a beautiful time. There are holidays such as Passover and Easter, both designed to help us understand the message of renewal. And that is exactly what we will endeavor to accomplish as we renew our lives with a commitment of oneness.
Birth is our beginning. And our concentration should be on the span of time called life because that is the journey we embark upon as we wish for better tomorrows. The thrills of life can be found in that experience and we should not dwell on anything else. Life is to live and we should include in our promise of love the pledge to enjoy life as it was intended – with each other and family and friends.
The poet continues: “I love thee with all the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.” The message is quite simple: We need to be thankful for all the tomorrows as we remember the past.
It doesn’t matter whether we understand the meaning of God. We all have different ideas. But we also know that God is faith and hope and strength and calm. These feelings are the same feelings we bring to each other as we begin that journey, that new journey into unchartered waters. And we feel safe because we know that God is there to help and guide and even cheer as we discover each other and the world around us.
How do I love thee is a message of forgiveness because none of us is perfect. It encourages us to pardon each other for human failings. It allows us to excuse our shortcomings because sometimes we forget our pledge to each other.
Spring is in the air and with it a feeling of anticipation. It is a time of preparation. And as the Prophets declared: “It is an opportunity to gain strength so that we will be like a garden wealthy with water, a spring of water, whose waters will not fail.” That is the true essence of love and togetherness and growth as a couple.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Let's Not Prejudge-But!
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
I have refrained from getting involved in politics because I believe that the pulpit and politics do not mix. I am dead set against a bully pulpit as it detracts from the moral aspect of religious life and brings it to a level that prohibits objectivity.
The Prophets of old felt it important to admonish leaders about their societal obligations. And it was very difficult for them to separate religious fervor with governance because they felt that they complemented each other. They argued that you can’t have effective laws without some moral attachment.
But that was a different time and the circumstances surely were different. The Prophets dealt with co-religionists and therefore believed that stewardship and moral imperatives were connected and inseparable.
Having said all that, I still feel that religion and politics do not belong in bed together. We can and should be guided by our convictions but they should never color our attitude toward diversity. And politics require objectivity.
We now have a new president. The election has certainly delivered a strong message of diversity. But I am concerned about recent statements coming from the president-elect indicating a desire and more than that a commitment to establishing close ties to Muslim countries in general and individual Muslims in particular. Alarm bells are ringing in my ears.
I agree wholeheartedly that dialogue is essential for people to understand each other and develop a feeling of connectiveness. And I support the effort espoused. What troubles me is that I have seen efforts in the past that have attempted to open doors but eventually became venues for hatred and vilification. Sometimes people feel that to receive acceptance they must claim it off the backs of other minorities.
We have witnessed scapegoating in our time. Consider the beginning of the civil rights movement. Jews were in the forefront of the liberation and dignity of African Americans. Some of our people lost their lives fighting for the rights of all people as so eloquently described in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident…..” The first time in the history of mankind a document outlined the right of peace, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The early civil rights movement identified with the Exodus as described in the Book of Exodus. It associated its subjugation to that of the Hebrews and expressed their feelings of fulfillment in the freedom march that lead the Israelites from bondage to redemption. A Negro Spiritual was written describing the connection – “Go Down Moses” was a clarion call for all oppressed people. And we were overjoyed in sharing this expression of deliverance.
As time went on the connection become diluted and eventually lost in the rush for acceptance. No longer was it acceptable to partner with other minorities because it was felt it diluted the message. And eventually this separation turned into hatred.
Such a waste and what a shame that to become free meant that others needed to be abandoned. No longer was it fashionable to associate with others who shared the feeling of bigotry and humiliation.
So as I witness the transition taking place in our country I sit back and wonder if the time is approaching when a new wave of distrust and hate is on the horizon. Will it become necessary to climb once more on the backs of the oppressed to gain acceptance and recognition? Is accommodation a euphemism for a new form of bigotry?
This country, our country, has gone through many changes during its two hundred thirty three years of existence as a haven for freedom and justice. But even during the worst of times we never lost our sense of right and wrong. As a nation we have witnessed unimaginable horrors not only on distant shores but right here in our beloved country. We have sacrificed life and limb and resources to ensure that people everywhere can come here and feel the freshness of liberty.
I pray that all who call America their home will dwell in safety and enjoy the fruit of their labors in goodwill and brotherhood. I pray that our nation will be led in safety through the raging storm into the path of peace and security. I pray that evil will be abolished in our time for the sake of all humanity.
Yes, politics and religion don’t mix but there comes a time when faith should and could be the guide by which we live and a means by which we treat each other with respect because we are all God’s children, not black or white, Jew, Christian or Muslim. We all pray to one God – let Him answer us with one voice.
I have refrained from getting involved in politics because I believe that the pulpit and politics do not mix. I am dead set against a bully pulpit as it detracts from the moral aspect of religious life and brings it to a level that prohibits objectivity.
The Prophets of old felt it important to admonish leaders about their societal obligations. And it was very difficult for them to separate religious fervor with governance because they felt that they complemented each other. They argued that you can’t have effective laws without some moral attachment.
But that was a different time and the circumstances surely were different. The Prophets dealt with co-religionists and therefore believed that stewardship and moral imperatives were connected and inseparable.
Having said all that, I still feel that religion and politics do not belong in bed together. We can and should be guided by our convictions but they should never color our attitude toward diversity. And politics require objectivity.
We now have a new president. The election has certainly delivered a strong message of diversity. But I am concerned about recent statements coming from the president-elect indicating a desire and more than that a commitment to establishing close ties to Muslim countries in general and individual Muslims in particular. Alarm bells are ringing in my ears.
I agree wholeheartedly that dialogue is essential for people to understand each other and develop a feeling of connectiveness. And I support the effort espoused. What troubles me is that I have seen efforts in the past that have attempted to open doors but eventually became venues for hatred and vilification. Sometimes people feel that to receive acceptance they must claim it off the backs of other minorities.
We have witnessed scapegoating in our time. Consider the beginning of the civil rights movement. Jews were in the forefront of the liberation and dignity of African Americans. Some of our people lost their lives fighting for the rights of all people as so eloquently described in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident…..” The first time in the history of mankind a document outlined the right of peace, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The early civil rights movement identified with the Exodus as described in the Book of Exodus. It associated its subjugation to that of the Hebrews and expressed their feelings of fulfillment in the freedom march that lead the Israelites from bondage to redemption. A Negro Spiritual was written describing the connection – “Go Down Moses” was a clarion call for all oppressed people. And we were overjoyed in sharing this expression of deliverance.
As time went on the connection become diluted and eventually lost in the rush for acceptance. No longer was it acceptable to partner with other minorities because it was felt it diluted the message. And eventually this separation turned into hatred.
Such a waste and what a shame that to become free meant that others needed to be abandoned. No longer was it fashionable to associate with others who shared the feeling of bigotry and humiliation.
So as I witness the transition taking place in our country I sit back and wonder if the time is approaching when a new wave of distrust and hate is on the horizon. Will it become necessary to climb once more on the backs of the oppressed to gain acceptance and recognition? Is accommodation a euphemism for a new form of bigotry?
This country, our country, has gone through many changes during its two hundred thirty three years of existence as a haven for freedom and justice. But even during the worst of times we never lost our sense of right and wrong. As a nation we have witnessed unimaginable horrors not only on distant shores but right here in our beloved country. We have sacrificed life and limb and resources to ensure that people everywhere can come here and feel the freshness of liberty.
I pray that all who call America their home will dwell in safety and enjoy the fruit of their labors in goodwill and brotherhood. I pray that our nation will be led in safety through the raging storm into the path of peace and security. I pray that evil will be abolished in our time for the sake of all humanity.
Yes, politics and religion don’t mix but there comes a time when faith should and could be the guide by which we live and a means by which we treat each other with respect because we are all God’s children, not black or white, Jew, Christian or Muslim. We all pray to one God – let Him answer us with one voice.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)