"The Mitzvot are the dictates of God, and we are bound to obey them as a servant obeys his master."  This is the topic of a paper assigned to a cousin of mine, who is taking a class in Jewish studies. The class is studying various religious movements within Judaism, and the above statement was meant to characterize the Orthodox view. Obviously, the way the statement is phrased paints a narrow picture of Orthodoxy-- implying that we are compelled to do mitzvot unthinkingly, and we function essentially as  mindless, mechanical slaves.

The Torah describes Noah in glowing terms, as "tsaddik tamim", righteous and pure. Of all the people in his generation, only Noah is singled out for being a good, upright person who walked in the ways of God. The rest of society had become horribly corrupt, evil beyond salvation.

How did Noah feel living in such a society? How did others relate to him?

I imagine that Noah was universally despised by the members of his society. They must have been irked by Noah's refusal to follow in the idolatrous and sinful behaviors that were the norms for everyone else. Noah must have been ostracized as a self-righteous, arrogant man who thought himself too good to mingle with others. People don't like a "goody goody" who shuns their way of life.

In reviewing the history of the Israelites since the Exodus, Moses reminded them of the two sets of Tablets of the Law. The first set was given with much fanfare at Mount Sinai. Yet, when Moses found the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, he threw down the stone Tablet and shattered it into pieces. He then ascended the mountain a second time, after which he brought down the second set of Tablets of the Law.

The Torah portion opens with a discussion about going to war. Many of our rabbinic commentators have expanded the meaning of the text to refer not to wars against external enemies, but to wars against our own evil inclinations. These internal wars are battles for self-definition. Either we can win and live meaningfully and happily; or we can lose by succumbing to pressures that lead us to abandon our own values and ideals.

A criminal justice Professor at the University of Alabama, Dr. Adam Lankford, recently spoke to a group of sociologists. He attempted to understand the all-too frequent mass shootings that take place in the United States. Although the U.S. represents only 5% of the world’s population, it accounts for 31% of public mass shooters. Between 1966 and 2012, 62% of all school and workplace shooters were American.

Shalom uvrakha, and best wishes for the New Year. As the academic year gets underway, please let us know if you've changed your mailing address since last year. We want to be sure that you are receiving our journal, Conversations, as well as other periodic mailings/publications that we send to members of the Universityl Network.

SPECIAL OFFER: The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals offers members of the University Network the following publications, at no cost to you. Please email [email protected] and let me know which title/s you'd like, as well as the address to which the package should be mailed.
1. The Koren Pirkei Avot, with commentary by Rabbi Marc D. Angel

Rabbi Harold Kushner told a story of a man who stopped attending his usual synagogue and was now frequenting another minyan. One day he happened to meet the rabbi of his previous synagogue, and the rabbi asked him where he was praying these days. The man answered: “I am praying at a small minyan led by Rabbi Cohen.”

The rabbi was stunned. “Why would you want to pray there with that rabbi. I am a much better orator, I am more famous, I have a much larger following.”
The man replied: “Yes, but in my new synagogue the rabbi has taught me to read minds.”

The rabbi was surprised. “Alright, then, read my mind.”

The man said: “You are thinking of the verse in Psalms, ‘I have set the Lord before me at all times.’”

Shalom uvrakha, Rabbi Daniel Braune-Friedman heads our Campus Fellows program, and has prepared this short report:

The Jewish Ideas Campus Fellowship Spring Semester has begun! We are happy to welcome three new fellows joining us this month. From New York University fellow Danielle Panitch, from University of Texas Elan Kogutt and from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, Eli Yoggev. Each brings a unique brand of Modern Orthodoxy and we wish them success in their important work.

Shalom uvrakha, there's been a lot of discussion about how Jewish college students are dealing with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activism. Prof. Howard Wettstein of the University of California, Riverside, has written an article on the topic. You can access it by going to the homepage at jewishideas.org   The direct link is  https://www.jewishideas.org/articles/being-jewish-campus.

The essence of authentic religion is developing a deep spirituality, a feeling of God’s presence in one’s life. This spiritual sense not only imbues the individual with personal meaning, but also leads to living a moral, righteous life.

Our Bible presents the words and prophetic experiences of ancient Israelites, providing examples of religion at its highest spiritual moments. Yet, the Bible understands that our daily lives cannot maintain the highest level of spirituality at all times. We need rituals and rites that can serve to bring us into relationship with God on a daily basis, not only at moments of spiritual insight.