Page 41 - Jewish News_October-2020

COMMENTARY October 2020 41

Change of mind

By Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, Community Chaplain
n my younger rabbinic days, I’d re- with the dawn of the industrial age from other lands to join us as fellow seeking equal rights for their African
coil reading Torah verses regarding when violations against nature were citizens should assume this duty de- American countrymen.
IGod visiting the iniquity of the fa- commonplace. In a real sense, their spite seeming to be even farther re- Perhaps, from reading the Second
thers on children and grandchildren to health situation is being requited for moved from offenses not of their own Commandment over and over and ap-
the third and fourth generations (Exo- the malfeasance of previous genera- making. Why? Because citizenship not preciating their own historical expe-
dus 34:6-7). I thought the unfairness of tions. As prominent writer and social only includes a nation’s gifts, but also rience, these Jews were keenly aware
innocent future generations paying for critic Elbert Hubbard once put it, “We its burdens. of the way evils of one generation can
sins committed are punished by our sins, not for them.” I am struck by how quickly Jews be visited on other ones long after they
by their forebear- There is a long list of examples of stepped off boats from Eastern Europe were first perpetrated.
ers didn’t make how contemporary life is affected by and elsewhere and immersed them- Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz serves as a
moral sense and regrettable decisions made many years selves in American life, though know- Community Chaplain and Director of
wasn’t reflective ago. Look at slavery. Blacks continue ing little English, if any at all. So much JFCS’s Jewish Healing Program. His
of an equitable to endure discrimination and a host so, that while fighting antisemitism, position is underwritten by The Jewish
Jewish perspec- of disparities while society at large is they also stood at the vanguard of those Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
tive. plagued by reactionary nativism due
We are re- Founding Fathers and nine presidents The tweaking of our
to America’s original sin which many
Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz sponsible for our
own transgressions, not those of oth- sustained in turning a blind eye to traf- religion has fascinated me
ers. Just as there shouldn’t be vicari- ficking in human chattel.
ous atonement for sins, neither should We do not live in a vacuum. While By Joel Kreiss
there be vicarious punishment for them many positive aspects of contemporary
like being Jewish! It’s not the
as well. existence are informed by consequen- I debate, we have established tacit ap-
While it is true that elsewhere in tial achievements over the centuries, god thing that gets to me, it’s the proval to question the “why,” leading
the Bible we find texts indicating that so too a great deal of previous human uniqueness of the religion. Firstly, to potential changes in ritual and social
children would not, indeed, suffer the misconduct has precipitated prejudices as I’ve stated in my last piece, it was behavior while still being Jews. The
penalty for their antecedents’ trespass- that continue to mar societal virtue. the “invention” of a religion that intro- understanding of our core beliefs, our
es, the notion is, nonetheless, retained Those who claim to be divorced duced the concept of universal fairness. social contract, our constant search for
in the second of the Ten Command- from the deleterious conduct of those It laid down guidelines that would help “what is good,” as Micah so eloquently
ments (look it up). Why give such a in previous eras and, therefore, unac- to make society a better place. It em- stated in 6:6-6:9, or Amos in 5:21-5:24,
high profile to a belief that does not countable for their repercussions are phasized fidelity to a universal God is the real message in all our studies.
hold up logically or ethically? misguided since the issue is not a ques- that stressed codes of behavior hitherto And when we study and debate,
Well, I’ve now changed my views tion of guilt, but responsibility. All of unheard of. we are creating, in our daily or weekly
on the matter. We are, ultimately, not us have the obligation to try to right A new nation was in the process of gathering, a Living Talmud. All those
spared from the consequences brought wrongs even if we had nothing to do developing and the laws were designed rabbis of old added a tile to the mosa-
about by the pernicious actions of with their commission. In fact, that is to recognize fairness and equitability. ic of our Jewish understanding. We are
those who came before us. Take, for how we prevent the impact of prior Caring for the widow and child, paying encouraging others to give their inter-
example, pollution. Many today suffer injustice from continuing to beleaguer wages fairly and promptly, and adjudi- pretations, their tile, to the Torah pas-
from the consequences of the despoli- future generations. cation of disputes was codified so as to sage under study. We are unknowingly
ation of our water and air that began Even individuals who’ve come reduce the possibility of chaos within being helped by someone else’s view-
the society. And since its inception, point to see, to feel, the world as never
Judaism has taken this original model, before. How exciting! What potential
forced study and introspection, result- beauty awaits us if we only stop to see
ing in a constant refinement of itself. and listen. It reminds me of a poem I
The obvious instructions of study wrote a while back, inspired by a little
and discussion have led to our people flower:
being among the most learned through- In the style of Marcel Proust
out history. Having the foresight to re- JACARANDA TREE
define itself as a Torah-based religion, It was early spring,
as opposed to its original form, a tem- I was passing by as usual, Not
FREE
ple based/sacrificial religion, prevented noticing you.
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To view SHALOMSRQ, go to is a “reform” religion. It’s this tweak- Joel Kreiss is a past president of the
SHALOMSRQ.org ing of our religion that has fascinated Jewish Congregation of Venice.
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