An Act for God

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, great sage of his generation, was walking with his disciple, Rabbi Joshua, in Jerusalem after the destruction of the Holy Temple. Rabbi Joshua looked at the Temple ruins and said, "Woe! The place which atoned for the sins of the people is in ruins." Then Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai comforted him, saying, "Do not grieve. There is another way of gaining atonement even though the temple is destroyed. We must now gain atonement through deeds of lovingkindness." As it is written by the prophet Hosea, "lovingkindness I desire, not sacrifice (6:6)."

Avot de Rebbe Natan 11a

The Temple was reduced to ruin in 70 C.E..  We live some seventy years after the great Destruction of our time.  Like Rabbi Joshua, we shook our heads afterward in a blank fog of silence.  Only when we began to recover our senses after this mass PTSD did we attempt to put words and meaning into the Holocaust.  

And like Rabban Yochanan we need to seek a new kind of atonement, one that effectively builds on the rubble of an obliterated continent.  The decades following the Destruction saw a vast rebuilding of Judaism in Israel.  At the same time, American Jewry found itself in a quiet downturn, which until now, has been largely ignored.

Where does the fault lie?  In Orthodoxy that grew progressively to the right, effectively cutting out those who disagreed?  In Conservatism that tried too hard to accommodate the masses?  Was it Reform, which was too eager to make Judaism agreeable with the zeitgeist? 

Perhaps all or none are correct.  But, what difference does it make?  The real question is as God posed to Adam and Eve long ago, “Where are you?”

If this is true, then atonement is not called for but we need a reassessment of where we are.

With the High Holy Days approaching I suggest that we open our hearts and minds to new possibilities.  Here are three.

Belief.  It is invaluable and a core tenet of Judaism to have a belief in God.  Isn’t this the essential meaning of our most holy prayer, Shma?  Yet, it is essential to think as an adult about what we believe.  A teacher in rabbinic school taught us, “A real intimate relationship is where you can freely talk about your beliefs in God.”  That is a good place to start.  Without any characterization, ask what others believe.  Ask questions about what they think about God in their lives.  And of course, you share your ideas.  But there is more.  Find readings about the Jewish ideas of God and expand your thought processes.

Belong.  It is vital that we belong to a caring community and weave ourselves into that fabric.  And reach out to others to not remain apart of the Jewish community.   An axiom stated millennia ago warned, “Do not separate yourselves from the community.”  The cost of separation is massive, eventual atrophy and death.  We must lose no one. 

We are builders.   Together, we strive to craft new doorways for entry into Beth Shalom.  Through music, song, creative programming, social action we seek to build the kind of congregation where everyone feels they can enter.  More opportunities are coming.  Be a part of it.

Behave Jewishly.  The traditions and laws of our people are binding.  They are binding because they cement us to God and people.  It can be overwhelming to make changes that dramatically disrupt our lives.  Anyway, makeovers don’t have longevity.  So, for the long run choose three new mitzvot, Jewish behaviors, (one for each of the three High Holy Days) and incorporate them into your life. 

The options are virtually endless.  A tzedaka box at the table, Shabbat candles on Friday night, helping voter registration, volunteering at the synagogue or help underwrite someone’s dues, reading to our children on Shabbat or Holy Days, devoting yourself to regular learning, learning lead a service, coming to services, visiting the infirmed…..

The question by God remains, “Where are you?”  Maybe God already knows where we are.  If that is so, the question means, “Do you know where you are?”

In incorporating “Belief,” “Belong,” and “Behave” into our lives “where we are” will no longer be in question.