Page 13 - HaShofar 5709 1948
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contaminated with the mundane phases of li:fe or of happiness and a new era of Utopia made real.
they are considered· too visionary and impractical
to be applied to the problems of this ptactkaI The following parable is applicable to our ~.eme.
world. When ,will humanity learn that only when ·A soap ·maker who was not a religionist said to a
the religious ideals -and moral codes of ;ethics will
actually be employed in the• life-situations of in- preacher with whom he was walking: "All the
dividuals and nations, and not merely preached
in the House of worship, will the better world religion that you preachers have been preaching
be 'established?· The "Kingdom of God" which has not done much good in the world. -I see so
is the theological term for the better world is so
frequently repeated ,as the hoped-for goal of hu- · much wickedness and so many sinful people." The ·
manity in our High-Holiday and daily liturgy. In
Christian Ho.uses of worship a similar goal is also preacher remained silent until they saw some chil-
sought in prayer. But how far We are, after all
the centuries that have passed, from the attainment dren who made mud-pies. Then the preacher said
of that goal! If only religious ethical principles
Would be in control instead of . being ruled out lo the_ soap-maker, "Soap hasn't done rriuch good
from the affairs of men and nations with faint
praise; there would be less greediness and more in th~ world for I see th(lte's much dirt and dirty
godliness, less selfishness and more co-operative-
ness, less brutality and more mercy in human re- people." To this the soap-maker replied: "Soap
lationships. If only the goldbn mle of Hillel "What
is.· hateful unto thee,. do not _unto thy neighbor" is useful and helpful only when it is applied."
would miraculously and suddenly be actually
made the universal rule of life for individuals and The preacher then said: "Exactly; .so it is with
nations what a transformed happy .world this would
become!· Human life would then be held·· sacred, religion, it must be tried and applied to our life-
human rights inalienable. People and groups
wou_ld not be dealt with as pawns .of diplomatic situations to obtain .the desired results." ·
exploitations, duplicity and chicanery. When life
will not be shorn of religious consecration as is "The stone which the buil_ders rejected may be-
a sheep shorn of its wool, when people will be come the chief cornerstone." Small in size, Israel
treated with dignity and in turn conduct themselves
with the spirit of sacredness, justice and love which m~y become the chief cornerstone of a new world .
religion requires, the four freedoms would be more
than a paper charter, there would be a new deal that will be established in which religious morality
will be not only preached, but also applied to daily
living and practiced. Already we have seen the
idealism, the spirit of co-operativeness and altru-
ism, the model conduct of the Yishuv which has
evoked the admiration of observers. The practical
idealism, the religion in action of Israel, is marvel-
ous in our eyes. Indeed we have reason to hope
that "from Zion shall go forth the Torah" of sanc-
tified living, of personal integrity and social
righteousness. The nations may turn in the course
of time to "the house of Jacob" to learn the ways
of mercy coupled with justice and how to conse-
crate the mundane activities of personal,- national
and international affairs.
Thus the land of Israel will be a blessing not
only for Israel but also for humanity,
.
