PASSIONATE JEWS FOR JUDAISM!
By Rabbi Michele Brand Medwin
Erev Rosh Hashana - 2011, 5772
(pom poms, T-shirt of civilizations, handout with “I am a Jew” poem.)
I LOVE BEING JEWISH AND I LOVE JUDAISM. For me, it is an amazing, inspiring, creative, insightful, challenging and rewarding way to live. Not convinced? I am going to spend the next ten days, showing you why.
If I asked you why you came this evening, I am sure that there would be many different responses, but there is one answer we have in common. We come to High Holy Day Services because we are Jewish, or are married to someone who is Jewish. There is something about being Jewish that calls us to participate in Jewish holidays and Jewish rituals. There is something about our Jewish teachings and practices that keeps us eternally linked to Judaism and Jews throughout the ages.
In his book, Where Judaism Differs, Abba Hillel Silver says, “Judaism was never merely a moral philosophy. It was always a passionate faith.” We know about Judah Maccabee and his brothers who stood up to the Greeks who wanted to abolish Jewish ritual, and Hannah’s sons who gave their lives for it. Our people have studied Torah at the risk of punishment or death. Rabbi Akiva proudly and bravely recited the V’ahavta as the Romans flayed and burned him.
This passion has kept Judaism alive for 4000 years, which is pretty amazing considering our history. This is one of my favorite t-shirts. It says, “Civilizations, nations and empires that have tried to destroy the Jewish people: Ancient Egypt, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Spanish Empire, Nazi Germany, Soviet Union.” It is a reminder that despite the fact that numerous civilizations have tried to wipe out Judaism, we are still here. So what is it about Judaism that is so compelling, so enticing, so alluring, so special, that we remain committed to being Jewish even though it would have much easier, and much safer, to denounce our Jewish connections.
In today’s world, thank God, we can be Jewish without risking our lives. But there are other obstacles, living in the predominantly Christian culture of America that could lure us away. What is so different about Judaism that we continue to remain connected to the Jewish community, despite all the obstacles that work to disconnect us. It is not so easy to put in words. For most of us, it is a gut level instinctive reaction. I’m Jewish, plain and simple. This evening, and throughout the High Holy Day season, I would like to help you reach beyond the gut level connection to Judaism, so you can put into words what it is about Judaism that keeps you coming back. Why Judaism is so special and worth preserving, at all costs.
(Take out the Pom Poms.)
Two Purims ago I was God's cheer leader. Tonight, and through the High Holy Day season, I am going to be a cheerleader for Judaism. My sermons will cover different areas in which Judaism is unique and different from other religions. My goal is for you to be able to say, not just that you feel Jewish, but why Judaism is so important to you, and to the world. I want you to become, if you are not already, a "Passionate Jew for Judaism."
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that other religions don’t have value. Each person has to find his or her own spiritual path. One religion may work for one person, and the teachings of another religion, more meaningful for another person.
The prophet Isaiah said:
And the many peoples shall go and say: “Come, Let us go up to the Mount of the ETERNAL, To the House of God; That we may be instructed in God’s ways, And that we may walk in God’s paths.” (Is. 2:3)
Based on this verse I imagine a mountain with many different trails leading up to God. To me, these trails represent the different religions of the world. Sometimes the paths parallel for a while, showing that religions have many things in common. Sometimes they diverge, as do the teachings of different religions. But the goal for all is to reach the top of the mountain, to reach God. I believe that God provided humanity with many different religions because as human beings, we each differ in our spiritual needs and this way God can reach as many people as possible.
I personally believe there is one best path to take, at least for me, and that is Judaism. I believe that Judaism is the best approach to life as a way of helping a person to be the best they can be, and as the best way to fix and repair the world.
It began 4000 years ago. Early civilizations were idol worshippers. Abraham Avinu was the first to realize that something just didn’t seem right about praying to statues. He felt there had to be one higher power, greater than any of the gods. But Abraham had a dilemma. His father, Terach, was an idol maker. Abraham was surrounded by idols in his home. One day, when his father went out of town, Abraham took a stick and smashed the idols to pieces except for one. When his father returned he was furious with Abraham. “But it’s not my fault.” Abraham argued. “That big idol over there took the stick and broke all the other idols.” “That’s ridiculous,” cried his father. They are only made of clay and stone.” “Aha,” said Abraham. “That is my point. If they are only clay and stone, how can they be gods?”
What amazing insight! What brilliance! We take it for granted today, the idea of monotheism, of one God. But what great wisdom and courage Abraham had. Abraham, our forefather, changed the world. Wow, what a great beginning for us!
Let’s have a cheer for Abraham.
CHEER - “Abraham you are the man. You taught us ONE God is the plan.”
Idol worshippers prayed to gods who thrived in a world of chaos. They believed in a fateful world pre-determined by the gods. You just had to accept evil as part of the world order. Early on, Judaism saw the world differently; it taught that we not only could, but, were required to play a role in our own destiny.
In Deuteronomy God reminds us:
See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of ADONAI your God … and curse, if you do not……I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—
Imagine the chutzpah, to overturn the current beliefs of the existing civilization. And say that we are not at the mercy of the gods, but that we as human beings, could chose the direction our lives took. Think of how innovative and uplifting this change of the worldview was back then. You didn’t have to just sit and bemoan your fate. You could DO something about it. You could take action to make your life, and the world better in the future. Not only that, but by taking such actions, Judaism taught it brought you closer to God, because these actions, as expressed in the Torah, were what God expected you to do.
But we didn't shun all the teachings of other religions. Sacrifice to the gods was the way of the pagans. We adapted the same way of worship but with a few significant differences. We did not sacrifice human beings because Judaism taught that ALL human life is holy because we are created in the image of God. But the founders of Judaism knew that sacrifice alone was not sufficient. It was only the first step.
Isaiah scolded the people:
“What need have I of all your sacrifices?” Says Adonai. “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams; and I have no delight in lambs and goats. … Wash yourselves clean; Put your evil doings away from My sight. Cease to do evil; Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; Aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; Defend the cause of the widow.
Judaism understood that the purpose of sacrifice was not to appease the gods, but to bring us closer to God so we would know what God expected of us. We take ideas like this for granted today - But to say that worshipping God was not enough - That responsibility towards others was a religious obligation – this approach to life was unheard of in those days.
Judaism often adapted customs of surrounding peoples but modified them to reflect the Jewish view of life. Take sex, for instance. In pagan worship sexual orgies and cult prostitutes were an important part of how they worshiped their gods. To rebel against this, other religions went to the opposite extreme, claiming the best purity is no sex at all. Understanding human needs and desires, Judaism refused to go to either extreme, declaring that sex could be holy when it was between two people in a loving, committed relationship, and that God celebrates that relationship. Score one more for us!
S-E-X – Yay Sex!
Today, in the modern world, we are surrounded not by pagans, not by Greeks, not by Romans, but by Christians. As the summer is over, and the Chasidim have gone home, we are once again reminded that we are a small Jewish community living in a Christian world. While there are many things that we have in common with our Christian neighbors, there are some basic differences in belief.
So where do we differ?
The first has to do with the fundamental goals of each religion. Christianity is about finding personal salvation - Judaism, about performing righteous deeds as part of community. Christianity is a belief system. Christians emphasize individual salvation through repenting for sins and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, who died for all humanity's sins. It is acceptance of these beliefs that makes you Christian. It is a goal of Christianity to help save others by helping them to embrace these beliefs.
The goal of Judaism is to spread an ethical message, not a theological one. While Judaism is called a religion, it goes way beyond belief. We are not told how to believe in God, just to believe that God is. There are as many different Jewish beliefs about God as there are Jewish theologians. This is pretty powerful stuff! How can that be? Because we are more than a religion. Judaism is a way of life. What determines who is a good Jew, is not what one believes, but how one acts.
And how we should act, is delineated in the Torah. Judaism teaches that our ancestors made a covenant with God, over three thousand years ago, that in order to have a relationship with God, we agree to do what God asks us to: mitzvot, commandments, good deeds. It’s all in the Torah. The Torah is the contract we signed with God. And listen to this – this is the best part - it’s not only for scholars, rabbis and holy men. The Torah is for everyone.
In Deuteronomy we read:
Surely, this Torah which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, …” No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
Yes, some of Torah may be hard to interpret. But most of it is very easy and straight-forward. Things like –
· You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.
· If there is a needy person among you… do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs.
· Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; Aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; Defend the cause of the widow.
· Justice, justice shall you pursue.
Maybe that is why there are so many Jewish lawyers; justice is part of our religion. It is not relegated to secular law, but is an integral part of who we are as a people. Justice is a holy pursuit.
These words and teachings are so powerful that by reading from the Torah, week after week, year after year, repeating and repeating these words, we never forget our responsibilities to the world and to God.
What other differences are there between Judaism and Christianity?
Most religions talk about God’s eventual judgment of us, which determines what happens to us after we die. According to Christianity, a person is judged by his acceptance of Jesus as his savior and redeemer, the belief that Jesus died to absolve them of their sins. Without this, you cannot get into Heaven.
In Judaism, the rabbis of the Talmud envision a Heavenly court with God as judge, which reviews the lifetime of the person, comparing their good and bad deeds. What we have done in our lifetimes, not what we believe, is what matters. In the Jewish understanding, Heaven is open to all righteous people, all whose good deeds outweigh their bad.
We also understand the concept of sin differently.
In Christianity, while individuals are personally guilty for the things they have done wrong, Christianity believes all people are born with a corrupted or damaged human nature.
Judaism sees human nature differently. There is a beautiful morning prayer that we will recite tomorrow and Yom Kippur morning - Elohai, n'shama sh'natata bi, t'horah hi. "God, the soul you hae given me is pure." According to Judaism, we are born pure, neither good nor bad, and that it is up to us to choose the correct path. god has an inherent trust in human beings and gave us the Torah as a preventative measure. The ethical teachings it conveys help keep us from taking the path of sinning. If we try to follow these teachings throughout the year, for the most part we will do more good than bad. Yom Kippur is our annual booster shot. Once a year, we come to the synagogue to confess and repent for the things we have done wrong. The Yom Kippur experience, if done properly, is an inoculation, giving us a better chance at doing more good than bad,in the coming year.
Another place where we differ is that of the Messiah, but I won’t go into detail here because I will talk more about the Jewish Messiah on Yom Kippur.
I do want to mention one more key difference. Christianity is based on one individual, Jesus. Without Jesus, there is no Christianity. Christian holidays are based on his life. Christmas is based on Jesus’s birth, Easter, his death and resurrection.
We have had many different personalities as part of Jewish history, who have helped to shape Judaism, but each individual is not the sole reason for Judaism’s existence. Even Moses, who is considered the greatest prophet of all, was not to be worshipped. The Torah tells us that no one knows Moses’ burial place, so we don’t turn his grave into a worship site. Judaism is about the way we lead our life, not about what Moses, or Abraham, or Isaiah did. We learn about them because they were instrumental in passing along the laws of God, not because of who they were as individuals.
Our holidays are about our history as a people and our individual personal connection to that history. One of the most special aspects for many Jews is that sense of belonging to a people. When you are Jewish, you are part of a highly valued Jewish family and a greater Jewish community. Much of what we love about Judaism is that so many of our rituals take place in the home. According to the Rabbis, our homes are a mikdash m’at – a smaller version of the holy Temple.
I could go on and on, but one of the things Jews don't like about Judaism, is then the rabbi's sermon is too long. I do want to share with you, before I conclude, someone else's words on why Judaism is so special. This was written by a young high school student. His family was not Jewish, but somehow he found his way to Judaism. Normally, I would not perform the conversion of a minor. But, after a conversation with his mother, and reading the essay he wrote, I agreed. Listen to his words. Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind us how precious what we have is.
"I asked the only Jewish person I knew if I could attend services with him. He warned me that Yom Kippur was notoriously long and boring, but I cannot imagine anything more beautiful in all my life... For the first time I ignored what I wanted and needed, and fasted all day. I sat and listened to the music that filled my head, saw the sunlight streaming through the windows, and heard the melody of an ancient language that was sung more than spoken and I was moved so deeply, I knew Judaism was for me... I soon found out that being Jewish was not difficult, just different than what I was used to. I looked forward to Shabbat as the greatest joy of the week. Judaism became a driving force in my life. I had meaning and I was no longer afraid... But for everything I lost I experience somthing new in Judaism.
I lit the Menorah for the first time, I drank wine and sang on Shabbat, I ate dinner with a Jewish family on Pesach, I felt things I hadn't for years. I felt full and happy... I taught myself to read Hebrew and looked deeply into all matters of spirituality and grew to love the wise figures of the Talmud and the Bible, as now what I believed in had meaning to me. I learned and came to accept the ultimate highs and lows of mankind, from the renaissance to the holocaust. I saw the world in a new light, as something beautiful but far from perfect, a world that needed all I could give to make it better... Judaism doesn't tell me what to believe, it doesn't have me put my faith in a fountain of delights I will inherit in the afterlife, it just is and I am a part of that. It's about peoplehood, a way of living and learning, and a nearness to God." NS
So are you ready to become cheerleaders for Judaism? As we go through the High Holy Day Liturgy, instead of just reading it the same as you have done for years, take time to really focus on the words, so you can say, “Wow – these words, messages and teachings are truly remarkable and inspirational.“
And if you need a little bit more help to become a cheerleader for Judaism, here is something to help-
(Pass out rest of pom poms) Join me in reciting the most important cheer about Judaism -- the Shema, but this time we will do it as a cheer.
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad – Yay.
Deut. 11:26- 28
READING AFTER SERMON
At the end of the sermon Rabbi Medwin will talk about this poem. Please pay attention and when it comes time for you to read your part, please stand up at your place and read it in a loud, clear and proud voice.
Please read line _______ when it is your turn.
I am a Jew because...by Edmund Fleg
1. I am a Jew because Judaism demands no abdication of the mind.
2. I am a Jew because Judaism asks every possible sacrifice of my life.
3. I am a Jew because wherever there are tears and suffering, the Jew weeps.
4. I am a Jew because whenever the cry of despair is heard, the Jew hopes.
5. I am a Jew because the message of Judaism is the oldest, and the newest.
6. I am a Jew because the promise of Judaism is a universal promise.
7. I am a Jew because for the Jew, the world is not finished; human beings are completing it.
8. I am a Jew because for the Jew, humanity is not finished; we are still creating it.
9. I am a Jew because Judaism places human dignity above all things, even Judaism itself.
10. I am a Jew because Judaism places human dignity within the oneness of God.
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YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BREAK THE RULES – SOMETIMES
Rosh Hashana Morning, 5772 - 2011
By Rabbi Michele Brand Medwin
On a Monday in late June, on a day in which I had no work obligations until the evening, I found myself driving to Albany. I had received an urgent e-mail saying rabbis were needed at the capital building to show that not all religious people were opposed to the bill currently up for consideration. So I hastily printed out a sign, put it in the car, and headed out. (Hold Up Sign – I am a Rabbi and I support the Marriage Equality Bill.) The bill passed and gays and lesbians are now able to get married legally in New York State.
Those opposed to the bill were religious fundamentalists proudly holding up their Bibles and reminding the legislators of Leviticus verse 18:22, that, according to them, clearly states that God says homosexuality is a sin. They were horrified when they saw my sign. Not because I was for the bill. Plenty of people there had signs favoring the legislation at hand; but because I was a RABBI in favor of the bill. An ignorant lay person may not know what is in the Bible, but a rabbi, how could I! How dare I! “Don’t you read your bible!,” they shouted at me in frustration.
Was I just a modern, liberal, rebellious, reform rabbi not caring about what our holy Jewish texts say, because that’s what Reform Jews do? Those of you who come to Shabbat services know that what the Torah says is very important to me as a rabbi, and as a Jew. So what do we do with verses in the Torah that we feel are wrong? In rabbinical school I struggled greatly with the issue of homosexuality in the Torah because many of my classmates were gay. I couldn’t just ignore those verses on homosexuality because Torah is so important to me. So I wrote a research paper that showed a different way to reinterpret those verses. But what made me seek out such a different interpretation? Why didn’t I just accept those verses as Jewish teachings? Was there a stronger Jewish teaching, more important than particular verses in the Torah that was driving me?
I am a regular customer of Amazon.com. And I don’t believe in coincidences. Sometimes I hear about a book that seems interesting but I am not ready to buy it yet. I put it in my shopping cart so I won’t forget about it, but don’t complete the purchase. The day before I went to Albany I needed to buy something on Amazon and noticed that another book that had caught my interest previously was also in my cart, so I ordered both. That book was waiting for me when I got home. The title of the book is: Conscience: The Duty to Obey and the Duty to Disobey, by Rabbi Harold Schulweis, a conservative rabbi.
His book put in writing what I had always felt in my gut. Through history, Jews have instinctively sought out ways to live their lives in a manner that is fair, just, moral and ethical, despite what Jewish law might say. Yes, the great majority of Jewish law is just as I described. But every once in a while we come across a Jewish law, like the one about homosexuality, that just doesn’t seem right, begging us to ask, “What was God thinking?”
In his book Rabbi Schulweis explains with great clarity, what motivates me and other Jews to sometimes go against Jewish law. While the purpose of religion is to help create a better society, strict adherence to religious law has not always been productive. Rabbi Schulweis reminds us, “Far more heinous crimes have been committed in the name of religious obedience than in the name of rebellion against religion.” September 11th comes to mind, along with the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by a fundamentalist Jew.
The problem with religion is that observance and adherence to its laws is preached so strongly, that people can succumb to a cult-like culture of “commandedness.” Religion needs to be able to make room for courageous moral dissent. Rabbi Schulweis says that legislation and obedience have always been essential aspects of Judaism, but they have also been accompanied by a persistent moral conscience.
I see this dating back all the way to the beginning of time, to Eve. While there are many interpretations to the Adam and Eve story, my understanding is that despite orders from God, Eve did what she felt she had to do.
And the Eternal God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of da-at, knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.”
At risk of death, Eve knew she needed to disobey. Because she knew deep down, that obtaining knowledge and wisdom was one of the most important things a human being should do. In Exodus, Bezalel is the one chosen to build the Mishkan, which housed the Ten Commandments, specifically because he had da-at, knowledge and wisdom.
Abraham, the first Jew, is perhaps a more acceptable role model of rebellion against rules. I spoke last night about Abraham and his father the idol maker, about Abraham’s amazing insights into theology. In this context, the story also teaches us a different lesson. In summary, Abraham’s father left the idol shop in Abraham’s keeping while he was away on a trip. Abraham used the opportunity to destroy all the idols because he knew they could not be gods. That only God was God. I am sure there must have been a law back then saying, “Thou shall not smash idols.” But Abraham knew, despite the consequences, that he had to take action, to make people aware of a different idea of God.
God himself, tests Abraham later on, to see if Abraham is worthy of being the father of the Jewish people, by standing up for what is right, even if it goes against God.
In Genesis we read: Now God had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children to keep the way of the ETERNAL by doing what is just and right.”
God decided to tell Abraham that he was going to destroy the towns of Sodom and Gemorrah because of the evil people there. And Abraham passed the test by protesting, saying to God,
“Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? What if there should be fifty innocent within the city… Far be it from You (God) to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty… Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
What Chutzpah Abraham had! No, the correct word is Tzadik, righteousness. Abraham did the difficult but right thing. He was not afraid to challenge God, when God was morally wrong.
This story teaches us that it is our responsibility to question God, and God’s laws. When we do so for good reason, rather than punish us, God welcomes such behavior.
This story is in stark contrast to the Akeyda, which we will read in a little while, where Abraham is ready and willing to sacrifice his beloved son just because God asked him. No arguing, no questioning of God here. Perhaps Abraham became so devoted to God that he became a fundamentalist in a sense, willing to do what God asked, without thinking. That may be the true message of this story. Just because you think God wants you to do something, stop and think - Is it ethical? Is it moral? Is it the right thing to do?
In Jewish tradition, no one is exempt from having their conscience direct them – no patriarch, priest, prophet, rabbi or even God, because conscience is strongly embedded in Jewish tradition. Rabbi Schulweis reminds us - “We Jews must all strive to balance the duties to obey and to disobey, so as to check the extremes of absolutism….”
How do we define conscience? Modern Jewish theologian, Martin Buber, puts it in a spiritual context.
“Conscience is that court within the soul which concerns itself with a distinction between the right and the wrong, and proceeds against that which as been determined as wrong. “
What right do we have, as human beings, to go against God’s laws, to go against God? It’s right there in Genesis -
And God created human beings in God’s image, in the image of God were they created; male and female God created them.
Just as we need to hold ourselves accountable for our behaviors, so do we need to hold God accountable. If we are created in God’s image, then we are obligated to carry out God’s moral message.
Psalm 8 reminds us:
… what is man that You have been mindful of him, mortal man that You have taken note of him. You have made him little less than divine, … You have made him master over Your handiwork, laying the world at his feet,
We were created for the purpose of being guardians to God’s creation, not just physical guardians, but spiritual, moral and ethical guardians.
Isaiah reminds us that God said, “,,,you are My witnesses —declares the ETERNAL— And I am God.”
Midrashic commentary on that verse explains further, the implication of these words.
“When you are my witnesses, I am God, but when you are not my witnesses, I am, as it were, not God.”
God is not fully God, if we do not act in a godlike way, doing our part in ensuring a just and moral world.
There is a beautiful story that shows a re-interpretation of a law in Torah, that when we read it we know it is just not fair.
As part of the Ten Commandments, we are given this edict in Exodus-
You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness thereof. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I the ETERNAL your God am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me…
As Jews, we should hear loud protests. The rabbis of the Talmud did. Why should the children or grandchildren, or great grandchildren be punished for something their relatives did? We were not the only ones who had a concern. In Midrash, they relay a conversation Moses has with God.
Sovereign of the universe – consider the righteousness of Abraham and the idol worship of his father Terach. Does it make moral sense to punish the child for the transgressions of the father?... And God responds; By your life Moses, you have instructed Me. Therefore I will nullify my words and confirm yours. Thus it is said, later on in Deuteronomy (24:16) ‘Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents: a person shall be put to death only for his own crime.’
Throughout his career, Moses places himself in the middle, sometimes defending God to the people, and sometimes defending the people to God. Both with Abraham and with Moses, God was willing to change his rulings when presented with logical and rational explanations based in moral truth.
Here ‘s another verse in Torah that could be upsetting.
If a man has a wayward and defiant son, who does not heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they discipline him, his parents shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town and say, “This son of ours is disloyal and defiant; he does not heed us…” Thereupon the men of his town shall stone him to death.
I know there may have been times that you might have felt like stoning your kids, but hopefully you didn’t act on it. But it’s a commandment in the Torah! The Rabbis were so disturbed by these words they piled up so many legal conditions that the biblical law became unenforceable. They agreed that the biblical law of the wayward and defiant son “has never been and never will be.” Why was the law written at all? They say, “So that you may study it and learn from it.”
According to the Rabbis, the Torah begins with an act of loving kindness and ends with an act of loving kindness. It is the virtue of gemilut hasadim - the practice of kindness, which the Rabbis held above all other virtues. Rabbi Eliezer declared,
“It is higher than justice, it is higher than charity.… Jerusalem was destroyed only because they based their judgments strictly upon Jewish law, and did not go beyond the requirements of the law.
So you see, disobeying Jewish law is not just a Reform or Conservative thing. Jewish leaders throughout the ages have realized the perils of blind faith to the words in the Torah. Abraham Joshua Heschel, a modern theologian, explained it this way. “Judaism talks about the fear of God, fear of heaven and fear of sin, but never do we hear ‘fear of Torah,’ to caution us against setting too close an identity between Torah and God.” This might lead to seeing the Torah itself as a god. Not awe of Torah, but awe of God who gave the Torah, is what we need to strive for.
David Hartman is a modern Orthodox rabbi, who started the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, a house of study for rabbis and serious Jews from all denominations, who study together finding common ground. His new book is called, The God Who Hates Lies: Confronting and Rethinking Jewish Tradition. Rabbi Hartman was raised as a traditional orthodox Jew, ordained as an orthodox rabbi, but started getting frustrated by the blind, unbending following of Halacha, Jewish law, by the Orthodox, who were not willing to look at alternative interpretations, when the law created unjust, or unethical consequences. He felt torn between what Halacha was forcing him to follow, and what he felt, was unethical and unjust.
As an American who made Aliyah, Hartman addresses issues specific to Israel, such as the Israeli soldier who fought and died for his country, but was not allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery because his Russian mother was not halachically Jewish; and the issue of women not being counted in the minyan, specifically as it relates to his daughter. She is very knowledgeable and very much committed to Orthodox Judaism, and started an Orthodox woman’s minyan. When he joins her there, Rabbi Hartman is looked down upon by his colleagues who don’t think he should be praying with women.
He said, “I could not understand a world in which a woman might function as an active, creative person in law or medicine, for example – a person in whom people would place their trust, and their lives – and then the moment she leaves the hospital or courtroom and enters the synagogue, become transformed into a non-person, with many of the same status limitations as a child or a slave.”
So what I did in Albany was not a reform radical thing to do. Following Jewish law at all costs is radical Judaism. I know that Judaism’s inherent teachings of morality and ethics, and the ability to reinterpret the laws is why we have lasted way beyond other civilizations that are no longer around.
Judaism has staying power, lasting for over 4000 years.
But that also means that many of the laws are thousands of years old, and may no longer be relevant, and at times even abhorrent.
This is why I love Judaism so much. The values we teach are so enduring, because we are expected to modify them as societies and civilizations evolve. We have developed an incredibly amazing and sophisticated system - a system of ethical laws and values - with a built-in monitor to ensure this remains our highest priority, as we try to follow the laws which call us to lead an ethical and moral life. And the system is complete with role models, whose stories are written in our holy texts along side the laws, to remind us that sometimes we need to break the laws to do what’s right.
It is our task, to continue in the footsteps of our ancestors. We ask God to give us the strength to stand up for what is right, ethically and morally, regardless of what the law says, even at risk to ourselves, socially or physically, just as our ancestors have done, before us. Amen.
ibid, pg. 54, quote from Eclipse of God by Martin Buber, pg 86
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HELL or NOT?
By Rabbi Michele B. Medwin
Yom Kippur Kol Nidre 5772 / 2011
We all try to be good people, as least most of us do. But, we are, after all, only human. If it was easy to be good all the time, we wouldn’t need police, or jails, or lawyers. But even if we are not the law breaking type, there are other rules, not punishable by law, that we are still expected to follow. And for most of us, even if we consider ourselves good people, these rules are not always so easy to carry out. Yes, we know we should give tzedakah, but what about that vacation we were saving for. Yes, we should volunteer, but our time is so precious. We shouldn’t gossip about other people, but its so much fun to do.
So how do we get people to behave better? That is the question that religious leaders have been asking for millennia. Different religions have addressed this issue in different ways. On Erev Rosh Hashanah I spoke about why Judaism is so special, what is it about Judaism that has kept us connected to it for thousands of years, despite the hardships we have endured. I spoke about some of the differences between Jewish and Christian beliefs. I continue in that vain this evening. While there are many things we have in common with our Christian neighbors, how to get people to behave is one area in which our approach and understanding of human nature differs.
For most Christians, there is the fear of going to Hell for eternity to keep them in line. And it is not a pleasant place. Hell is an existence of horrific suffering - a place of eternal fire and damnation, and unending conscious torment, both physical and spiritual.
Judaism has a different idea for trying to keep us on the straight and narrow, for walking the right path. It is called Mitzvot – which is usually translated as ‘good deeds’ but really means commandments. In Judaism, we do good deeds and mitzvot, not for fear of punishment necessarily, but because it is the right thing to do. It is what God wants and expects us to do.
This is a hard concept to embrace and be guided by if you haven’t been raised with this thinking. When Christians ask me if Judaism believes in Hell, and I say, “No,” their response is: “Then what stops you from doing wrong?” For them, it is the fear of going to Hell.
So, I was intrigued when I saw the cover of the April 25, 2011 issue of Time Magazine, entitled, "What if there's no HELL?"
And I thought to myself, “ Well, that’s interesting. What is the big deal here, making it worthy as a cover story? You’d never see such a cover on a magazine in Israel because, according to Judaism, that’s not news. Judaism has never believed in the concept of Hell and eternal damnation.
The article is about a controversial book written by a popular evangelical minister, Rob Bell. He talks about the Christian understanding of Heaven and Hell, and the fate of people. The standard Christian view is that whoever believes in Jesus as the son of God and their savior, receives eternal life in Heaven. If you don’t believe this, you are not absolved of your sins, and you spend eternity in Hell. When Christians convert to Judaism, this is sometimes a problem for their family members who, if they are a strong believers, are very concerned that they will never be with the Jewish convert in eternity. Without Jesus, their newly Jewish family member will go to Hell.
Reverend Bell questions this assertion because he can’t believe that good people, who are not Christian, will not be allowed into Heaven. He feels that “every person who ever lived could have a place in Heaven, whatever that turns out to be.” Hmmm, that sounds awfully familiar to me.
According to Jewish teaching, Heaven is not reserved only for those who are Jewish. Rabbi Joshua said, “The righteous of all nations have a share in the World to Come.”
You can imagine the uproar from the evangelical Christian community when this book came out. From a traditionalist Christian point of view, to take away Hell is to leave the church without its most powerful sanction.
So that leads us to ask the more important question - Do we need the threat of eternal punishment and Hell to be good? Judaism says, “NO!”
Now don’t get me wrong. We have many strong messages about punishment in the Hebrew Bible. Noah’s ark and the flood, and Sodom and Gemorrah are just a few examples. In fact, the Rabbis’ explanation for the fall of the first and second Temples, is that we were being punished for not following God’s commandments. But as the prophets proved - You can threaten all you want, but there will always be people unimpressed by the fear of punishment. Yes, there needs to be consequences for our actions here on earth but the consequences should also be here on earth. Even so, you don’t get an automatic “Get Out of Jail” free card on your way to Heaven. According to Jewish tradition, after we die our soul first goes to a place called Gehenna. This is where we atone for the unrepentant sins we committed during our stay on earth. If you are really bad, you spend at most 12 months there at which time, Rabbi Akiva says, “even the wicked return to paradise.” (That is where our tradition of saying Kaddish for a year comes from. We offer praises to God in the name of our loved one in Gehenna hoping that this will help their soul reach God a little sooner.) But is that enough to get you to behave? You might think, twelve months isn’t too bad. I can put in my time and then I am home free. At least I’ll eventually get out. Perhaps the threat of eternal damnation is more powerful. If you know it is forever, would that get you to act better now?
If one of the main purposes of religion is to help us be better people, which do you think is the more effective motivator – eternal damnation or doing good because it is the right thing to do?
Think about this. How do we as human beings respond to punishment?
As a child, punishment works pretty well. Even before we can talk, we learn, based on the tone of voice of our parents, when we do things they don’t like. For a child, the fear of punishment is powerful. We don’t want to miss desert, or get yelled at, or be put in the corner, or given a time out, or for some, get spanked. So we think…. I’d better not do that or else………… As we get older, parents try grounding. “ You are grounded for a week for what you just did. And if you do it again, I’ll take away your computer, iPhone, iPad, face book account… your _______- fill the blank." This works sometimes but there are some teens who just don’t respond to parental threats. No matter what you threaten to do to them they will do what they want. The joy or adrenalin rush they get is worth it, even though they know a punishment will follow.
The justice system in our country keeps some people in line because they don’t want to go to jail. But look at the number of people that are imprisoned with the number of incarcerations increasing every year. Punishment alone does not work. For most of us, is it the fear of punishment or something else that keeps us on the right path? As a teen, which is worse. Being grounded so you can’t go to that party, or having a parent say, “I am so disappointed in you.”
That is what Judaism is all about. Doing good because those who care about us, ask us to. Yes, we talk about Heaven and Hell, only because our Christian neighbors do. Judaism’s focus is on how we live our lives here on earth. There is no mention of Heaven or Hell in the Torah. Only a rare mention of Sheol, which is just understood as a place you go after you die. No talk of whether it is good or bad to be there. It is only during the time of Roman Rule that the rabbis of the Talmud took time to spell out in great detail what you need to do to get to the Olam Haba - the world to come, their definition of Heaven. They taught that getting a share in the World to Come has nothing to do with belief. It has to do with how many mitzvot you have performed in your lifetime - the balance of the good deeds vs the bad.
In Talmud we are told: When a man performs a mitzvah in this world it precedes him -- goes ahead of him -- in the world-to-come. And when a man commits a transgression in this world it clings to him and goes before him on the Day of Judgment.[3]
But despite these teachings, the Rabbis warned people not to spend all their time focusing on the rewards and punishments in the future.
"A man should not say: I shall carry out the precepts of the Torah … in order to merit the life of the World to Come and I shall keep away from the sins forbidden by the Torah in order not to be kept from the World to Come. It is not proper to serve God in this fashion. For one who serves thus serves out of fear…Only the unaware… serve God in this way. They serve out of fear until they obtain sufficient knowledge to serve out of love. "
Think of the special relationships in your life. In a true loving relationship, you do things for your loved ones, not because you expect something in return, but because it makes you feel good to do something for someone you care about. The reward is not something tangible. The reward is that you form a closer bond with that person because of your actions. So too, the Rabbis explain, should be the reason for performing mitzvot.
Think of the V’ahavta – a prayer we recite twice a day.
V’ahavta et Adonai elohecha
“Love Adonai your God, with all your heart…”
L’ma’an tiz’-kru v’asitem et kol mitzvotai
“Thus you shall remember to do all of my commandments.”
By loving God, we are inspired to do what God asks us to do which brings us closer to God. But how do we know what God expects of us? In addition to the commandments in the Torah, God also communicates with each of us directly. We heard the thunderous sound of God’s voice at Mt. Sinai when God gave us the Ten Commandments. But the less often heard sound of God’s voice is when he spoke to Elijah in a cave.
There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of God; but God was not in the wind. After the wind -- an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake -- fire, but God was not in the fire. And after the fire -- a soft murmuring sound.[4]
Elijah heard God as a kol d’ma-ma dakah – a soft murmuring sound. Think of how you feel after you have done something very good or very bad. We feel good when we help someone or have done something nice for someone we care about. And we feel bad or guilty when we consciously or unintentionally do something to hurt someone. It may feel good initially to get back at someone for something they did to us, but when it is all done we don’t feel any better. In fact we eventually feel worse.
I believe that the good feeling we get when we have done a mitzvah is the kol d’ma-ma dakah - God quietly patting us on the back saying, “You done good.” And the bad feeling we get - the feeling in the pit of our stomach, the guilt -when we do something wrong, is God saying to us, “What the Hell did you do that for?!”
But you have to listen closely for such messages. It is very easy to ignore the spiritual warnings you get when you have done or are about to do something unkind, mean, uncaring, or selfish. If you keep your mind busy enough, you will be able to block out your own reaction to your actions, so you won’t have to acknowledge the full impact of such acts. If you have trouble hearing that kol d’ma-ma dakah – that soft quiet voice of God, this is where prayer can help. Praying can open your heart up to God, and enable you to be more willing to hear the messages you need to hear. No one likes to feel vulnerable. It is scary to admit to yourself, let alone God, when you have sinned. But that is how we change. That is how we improve our behavior. That is how we learn to be good and to do good – by accepting that what we did was wrong and then by making amends for our actions. Only then can we feel better about who we are, about the people around us, and about our spiritual connection to God.
Kabbalah adds an additional spiritual dimension to doing mitvot. Jewish mysticism teaches us that everything is connected and everything is part of God. Therefore when you do mitzvot, it not only affects you and the person you do it for, but it affects the entire world. In his book, The Thirteen Petalled Rose, Adin Steinsatz explains it this way:
“Man – dwelling as he does in two different worlds – the material world and the spiritual world – is given the chance to rise far beyond the level of our existence and to act on higher worlds. Because the Divine is infinite, everything in the cosmos, whether small or large, is only a small part of infinity... The movement of a man’s finger is as important or unimportant as the most terrible catastrophe, for they are both a small point in the infinity of the Divine.”
So when one does a mitzvah – it affects the entire world. According to Kabbalah, goodness increases in the world for everyone each time one person does one act of goodness, even if the act is for only one person. You do a mitzvah here and the entire world is a better place because of it. So here is another reason to do mitzvot. You have the power to affect the entire world and move it towards goodness.
In Judaism, the reason we do good, is because it enhances our relationship with God and others, not because we fear God’s punishment. Yes, the Torah is filled with instances of God threatening the Israelites to get them to behave. But that is because in our infancy our relationship with God was similar to that of a parent and a young child. As we mature as a people, and our individual relationships with God mature, hopefully we can get to the point that we do mitzvot because we want to please God by doing what God has asked us to do, rather than out of fear of being punished. We do mitzvot because it is the right thing to do. It is the holy thing to do. And we don’t want God to say, “I am so disappointed in you. I expected better of you.”
So I ask you again: What do you think makes a better person? One who lives in fear of punishment, or one who finds pleasure in doing good? What is your motivation to do good? To avoid threats and punishment? Or for the sake of love and doing what is right?
The spiritual feeling we get doing something because it is the right thing to do, rather than to avoid punishment, is what Judaism is all about. I truly believe that this is a more meaningful, longer lasting, and more powerful life changing experience, than doing something, or not doing something just to avoid punishment. The emotional or physical pain of punishment quickly wears off. The holy feeling of doing something because it is the right thing to do, lasts a lifetime, and into the Olam Haba.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks reminds us - Yes, we believe in life after death, but it is in life before death that we truly find human greatness.
May we live our lives in a way to seek out that human greatness within ourselves and within our community. May we be inspired to do mitzvot out of righteousness and love, rather than out of fear and dread.
V’ahavta et Adonai elohecha b’chol l’vavcha
May we love God with all our heart.
L’maan tizcaru vaasitem et kol mitzvotai.
So that through that love, we remember to do all of God’s mitzvot. Amen
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 3b
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in Koren Rosh Hashana Mahzor pg xxix
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