Angel for Shabbat

Religion has two faces. One face is that of saintliness, idealism, holiness and selflessness. But the other face is one of hatred, cruelty, selfishness and egotism. Within the world of religion, one can find the most exemplary human beings; but one can also find inquisitors and terrorists. In his play, “The Father,” August Strindberg has one of his characters state: “It is strange that as soon as you begin to talk about God and love, your voice becomes hard and your eyes full of hate.”

It’s not that there are two types of people, pious and wicked. Rather, saintliness and ugliness are intermixed within individuals. The righteous struggle to keep the ugliness out; the wicked strive to promote their own evil agendas. Often, the wicked camouflage themselves in the cloak of piety.

The New York Times (July 15, 2012) included an important article by Ross Douthat entitled “Can Liberal Christianity be Saved?” He points out that the liberal denominations of Christianity have increasingly identified themselves with “progressive” causes--and in the process have experienced a drastic drop in membership and church attendance! He writes that “…liberal Christianity has simply collapsed. Practically every denomination…that has tried to adapt itself to contemporary liberal values has seen an Episcopal-style plunge in church attendance.”

In a recent lecture, Rabbi Hayyim Angel alluded to a remarkable passage in the Talmud (Sotah 13b), which seems to cast some criticism on Moses. When Korah and his associates arose against Moses, they argued that "all the congregation is holy, and why do you lord over the congregation of the Lord?" Although their motives were dubious, there was some justice in their claim. They purported to want a more democratic system that did not concentrate all power in the hands of Moses and Aaron. In rebuffing the critics, Moses said: rav lahem b'nai Levi, i.e. you have enough, children of Levi.

Instead of engaging the critics in conversation, Moses cut them off: Enough!

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.

"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.

This week we read of the deaths of Sarah and Abraham--the founding couple of ethical monotheism and of the people of Israel.  Their lives have left a profound imprint on human history; as we ponder their lives and deaths, it would be well to ponder the meaning of life for ourselves. A rabbinic parable offers keen perspective. (The following is drawn from my book, "Losing the Rat Race, Winning at Life," Urim Publications, 2005.)

The Torah begins with a majestic description of God's creation of the
universe. The powerful language is remarkable for its poetic beauty,
evocative imagery, and profound spirituality. When we read these
paragraphs thoughtfully, we feel that we are in the presence of God at
the very moment of creation.

The language of the creation story is religious/poetic, not
scientific. The Torah, in its infinite wisdom, wants us to sense the
wonder and grandeur of God's creation. It does not present a cold
scientific treatise, but a lofty, emotionally compelling account.

Regrettably, the notion has arisen in some religious circles that
the creation story in Genesis is to be taken literally--that God
created the world in six 24-hour days. Proponents of this view have

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.