I recently read something that gave me a bit of indigestion.
Writing in the Forward, two Israeli thought leaders offered the following argument:
They were addressing Jewish liberals in the US who are upset with how Israeli political leadership is treating non-Orthodox Jews and said, in effect, listen up. If you want allies in Israel, you need to seek out people like us who are not religious.
People who are religious in Israel tend not to care about women’s rights and minority rights; people who care about those things tend not to be religious.
So, goes the argument, in Israel it’s one or the other - if you care about human rights, you’re probably not religious; if you’re religious, you likely don't get so worked up when it comes to other people’s rights.
I hear a version of this about American Jews. The Jews who are “keeping Judaism alive” are those who may not care so much about preserving democracy and minority rights unless that minority is the Jews. As for the Jews who value feminism, minority rights, and are worked up over what’s happening to American democracy? Well, let’s see how many of those kind will be left after a few generations.
Let’s focus on the United States. Is there a growing correlation between commitment to Jewish tradition and disregard for "justice for all"? Is there a growing correlation between concern for justice and lax commitment to Jewish tradition?
Or - to be more blunt - will there, in a generation or two, be Jews who care about justice and democracy to the point where they are willing to fight for it and who also care about Shabbat and kashrut and the value of prayer and synagogue life to the point where they are willing to fight for it?
Spoiler alert: That’s us. That’s what we’re trying to achieve here at Temple Israel. Passion for justice. And also commitment to Jewish tradition.
But are they mutually exclusive?
I mean, is there something about the liberal impulse that makes us say, I don’t need to worry about Shabbat every single week, and I don’t want to be told what to eat?
Are people who are less committed to seeking justice for those who are different more drawn to Jewish ritual because it separates Jews from other people?
I think, I believe, I have faith, in the following: Not only is it possible to pursue the ritual and the ethical, to commit to tradition and also to pursue justice in the world - it is the IDEAL.
As expressed by Abraham being told that through him and Sarah and their descendants, the world will be blessed.
As expressed in this morning’s Torah portion in words that ring out across time and space and are hard to ignore:
צדק צדק תרדוף Tzedek tzedek tirdof - you shall surely pursue justice.
But the second part is what I want to focus on. למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ l’ma’an teeh-yeh ve’yarashta et ha’aretz - in order that you will live and inherit the land.
What does doing justice have to do with living and inheriting the land?
Many explanations are given but I want to share one that speaks to me powerfully. Nachmanides brings a midrash in the name of Rav Nechunia bar hakaneh. If we do what is right, if we pursue justice, then we become authors of our history and we live; if not, then justice rules over us and we stop being the authors of our history.
It isn’t, I care about justice OR I care about the strength and the integrity of the Jewish people. It isn’t, I help you OR I preserve myself. According to these ancient sources, pursuing justice, righteousness - tzedek, din - helps US. Makes us stronger. Makes our society stronger.
It works the other way, too. Committing to what is distinctively Jewish - how we mark time, how we eat, how we speak, how we pray - strengthens us so that we can have an impact on others.
So this dichotomy that we’re seeing - where people either say, I’m really focused on Jewish rituals but let’s not worry so much about justice, especially when it comes to others - I mean, how often do they help us? OR - I care about justice but I’m not so committed to Jewish ritual observance - this dichotomy is a false dichotomy.
Justice and ritual should reinforce one another. Commitment to one should lead to commitment to the other. Strengthening us gives us the influence to strengthen others; strengthening others creates the kind of society that ultimately is good for us.
So we here at Temple Israel are always in the process of building a community that welcomes everyone to be part of what we do and that reaches out to help people who are in need - within the Jewish community for sure, but also beyond the Jewish community.
And we are always strengthening our commitment to Shabbat, widening the number of people who can participate meaningfully in prayer and can lead us in prayer and so on.
One effort helps the other.
I am sorry that some Israeli leaders see a trend in Israel where pursuit of justice and commitment to Jewish tradition do not go hand in hand. There are exceptions in Israel, many exceptions. And we must do what we can to support our Israeli brothers and sisters who are fighting for justice in multiple realms while maintaining commitment to Jewish tradition.
Moreover, here in the United States, here at Temple Israel of Great Neck, we need to say, with our words and our deeds:
It is not just possible, but imperative, for concern for gender equality and concern for the rights of all human beings and concern for the environment and concern for American democracy to go hand and hand with commitment to Shabbat and Kashrut and prayer. That’s true for us, it’s true for our children and grandchildren.
Justice for all, commitment to our tradition, hand in hand, one strengthening the other. We can have it all. We must have it all.
למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ
L’ma’an teeh-yeh v’yarashta et ha’aretz.
So that we, following Abraham and Sarah’s legacy, can create and sustain communities, societies, nations, that bring blessing to us and to all humankind.
Originally shared with the Temple Israel of Great Neck community on August 18, 2018
Writing in the Forward, two Israeli thought leaders offered the following argument:
They were addressing Jewish liberals in the US who are upset with how Israeli political leadership is treating non-Orthodox Jews and said, in effect, listen up. If you want allies in Israel, you need to seek out people like us who are not religious.
People who are religious in Israel tend not to care about women’s rights and minority rights; people who care about those things tend not to be religious.
So, goes the argument, in Israel it’s one or the other - if you care about human rights, you’re probably not religious; if you’re religious, you likely don't get so worked up when it comes to other people’s rights.
I hear a version of this about American Jews. The Jews who are “keeping Judaism alive” are those who may not care so much about preserving democracy and minority rights unless that minority is the Jews. As for the Jews who value feminism, minority rights, and are worked up over what’s happening to American democracy? Well, let’s see how many of those kind will be left after a few generations.
Let’s focus on the United States. Is there a growing correlation between commitment to Jewish tradition and disregard for "justice for all"? Is there a growing correlation between concern for justice and lax commitment to Jewish tradition?
Or - to be more blunt - will there, in a generation or two, be Jews who care about justice and democracy to the point where they are willing to fight for it and who also care about Shabbat and kashrut and the value of prayer and synagogue life to the point where they are willing to fight for it?
Spoiler alert: That’s us. That’s what we’re trying to achieve here at Temple Israel. Passion for justice. And also commitment to Jewish tradition.
But are they mutually exclusive?
I mean, is there something about the liberal impulse that makes us say, I don’t need to worry about Shabbat every single week, and I don’t want to be told what to eat?
Are people who are less committed to seeking justice for those who are different more drawn to Jewish ritual because it separates Jews from other people?
I think, I believe, I have faith, in the following: Not only is it possible to pursue the ritual and the ethical, to commit to tradition and also to pursue justice in the world - it is the IDEAL.
As expressed by Abraham being told that through him and Sarah and their descendants, the world will be blessed.
As expressed in this morning’s Torah portion in words that ring out across time and space and are hard to ignore:
צדק צדק תרדוף Tzedek tzedek tirdof - you shall surely pursue justice.
But the second part is what I want to focus on. למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ l’ma’an teeh-yeh ve’yarashta et ha’aretz - in order that you will live and inherit the land.
What does doing justice have to do with living and inheriting the land?
Many explanations are given but I want to share one that speaks to me powerfully. Nachmanides brings a midrash in the name of Rav Nechunia bar hakaneh. If we do what is right, if we pursue justice, then we become authors of our history and we live; if not, then justice rules over us and we stop being the authors of our history.
It isn’t, I care about justice OR I care about the strength and the integrity of the Jewish people. It isn’t, I help you OR I preserve myself. According to these ancient sources, pursuing justice, righteousness - tzedek, din - helps US. Makes us stronger. Makes our society stronger.
It works the other way, too. Committing to what is distinctively Jewish - how we mark time, how we eat, how we speak, how we pray - strengthens us so that we can have an impact on others.
So this dichotomy that we’re seeing - where people either say, I’m really focused on Jewish rituals but let’s not worry so much about justice, especially when it comes to others - I mean, how often do they help us? OR - I care about justice but I’m not so committed to Jewish ritual observance - this dichotomy is a false dichotomy.
Justice and ritual should reinforce one another. Commitment to one should lead to commitment to the other. Strengthening us gives us the influence to strengthen others; strengthening others creates the kind of society that ultimately is good for us.
So we here at Temple Israel are always in the process of building a community that welcomes everyone to be part of what we do and that reaches out to help people who are in need - within the Jewish community for sure, but also beyond the Jewish community.
And we are always strengthening our commitment to Shabbat, widening the number of people who can participate meaningfully in prayer and can lead us in prayer and so on.
One effort helps the other.
I am sorry that some Israeli leaders see a trend in Israel where pursuit of justice and commitment to Jewish tradition do not go hand in hand. There are exceptions in Israel, many exceptions. And we must do what we can to support our Israeli brothers and sisters who are fighting for justice in multiple realms while maintaining commitment to Jewish tradition.
Moreover, here in the United States, here at Temple Israel of Great Neck, we need to say, with our words and our deeds:
It is not just possible, but imperative, for concern for gender equality and concern for the rights of all human beings and concern for the environment and concern for American democracy to go hand and hand with commitment to Shabbat and Kashrut and prayer. That’s true for us, it’s true for our children and grandchildren.
Justice for all, commitment to our tradition, hand in hand, one strengthening the other. We can have it all. We must have it all.
למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ
L’ma’an teeh-yeh v’yarashta et ha’aretz.
So that we, following Abraham and Sarah’s legacy, can create and sustain communities, societies, nations, that bring blessing to us and to all humankind.
Originally shared with the Temple Israel of Great Neck community on August 18, 2018
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