I was reminded in an email today that Jews are about community. We must stick together in pain, success, loss, religion, even politics, be they right or left, right or wrong for the health of Israel. It’s about doing what we do together or, as I call it, going along to get along. But that seems rather lame. Especially in the light of so many Jews who do not support Zion at all. And in the light of those who have never read the Tanakh but swear that they are keeping the commandments given by God to Moses, when really what they call Torah is that which has been handed down by “holy men” and sages, perhaps modernized to fit the needs of society today. But that seems rather woke, and pardon me for saying so!
I mean, how can I enjoy a Shabbat meal keeping my mouth shut at the table with 10 other people who believe the government of Israel needs to be done away with and don’t mind saying so? When I hear friends spouting socialist ideas that they think are best for Israel, shall I keep quiet and let them carry on with their dangerous ideals? Shall I pretend to agree? So is this what it means to be a good Jew? So inside I am boiling over and I daren’t do anything about it! And I ask myself, since when was keeping peace with people who declare war against everything you believe in, the right thing to do? I say let there be a flaming argument, let there be war amongst friends before we head off as a mixed multitude to fight a real war!
I took a short class in Gemara about 15 years ago. It was definitely interesting, but I remember Tuesday night discussions at our synagogue in Tacoma, Washington where we looked at topics like stealing, lying, etc. The night we read about finding an item of value, lost by its owner, we read several rabbinic opinions. One stated that if the item was found on a beach with sand, there was no need to return it, even if you saw it fall from the hand of the one who lost it. There were at least two other opinions, but, this stuck in my mind as finding a loophole to be dishonest. The explanation was that since the person would never return to look for it, knowing full well that the tide would bury it, then it was right to keep it. Finders keepers, even if you knew who lost it! And that didn’t set well with me.
Many of us believe that we came into this world with a sense of right and wrong instilled in our souls! Innocence often disappears when we justify things. And yet there is a promise that the Eternal will place His Covenant in our hearts someday.
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith YHVH: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – Jer 31:33
What I said in my introduction about going along to get along, about people becoming more and more woke in this generation…how can this work out for a holy life? I think not!–unless if we all have the laws of the Torah written in our hearts? And clearly humanity is not there yet.
Can going along to get along ever lead to righteousness? It doesn’t, not when the heart is full of self-justification. Today’s world is full of this.
How about the narcissistic birthday party where a Jewish woman works all day Shabbat preparing the house and getting things ready for a several course meal with 30 + guests to come in the evening to celebrate her birthday? Where did the blessing of the Sabbath go? How can anyone know what is right, and what is wrong if self is in the center of the picture? If what is important is what is good for me?
The prophet Jeremiah is pointing to a time after a nationwide repentance when hearts are filled with the love of the Eternal and love for mankind. It may have to start on an individual basis.
But how do we get there? Some say: “that is why we have rabbis.” “To keep us on the derech.” Yes, that is what has been and will be for humanity until something happens to make it otherwise. In Bible times, there were priests and Levites who had officials who decided on cases and later there was a Sanhedrin set up to judge the people. Today there are rabbis for Jews and ministers for Christians, and of course, other religions have their methods for keeping their congregants in line.
But frankly, Jeremiah, we are not on course yet! And I wonder if we will ever be. How many years of trying to fit in are we going to see before the world self-detonates or something happens so that we will get it right? When will we seek our Creator with all our hearts, admitting that we have been off the derech for too long? As a people, we have followed many things that seem to be traditions at best. What is the will of the Almighty God of the Universe? How do we find it? Will we all die thinking that we are serving Him when we don’t even know His name nor what He originally said? What a surprise it would be to wake up in the hereafter and find that most of what we were taught stemmed from the sick imagination of mystics and self-proclaimed leaders!
Can we know YHVH for ourselves? I believe with all my heart that when we seek Him, we will find Him, and we will be attuned to His desires for us.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith YHVH, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end. 12 And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith YHVH, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith YHVH; and I will bring you again unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” – Jer 29:11-14
But the first step? Maybe go read the Bible through for the first time. Without commentaries.
Ariella Golani
