Friday, March 14, 2014

Parshat Tzav, (Leviticus 7:11-7:38), 3/11/14

There are two issues here. One is feeling grateful when something good happens. That is why we do a thanksgiving peace offering. But the second is more difficult for me. Why do we make the offering to G_d, who, for me, is a construct or a name for that which we don't understand? Why is this offering to him? How confusing this must be to a child.

Rabbi says that it isn't necessary to believe to be a Jew...it is just necessary to practice. Seems that not everyone agrees with this.

I went to the kids’ Purim service today. As delightful and well-managed as it was, my wife was disturbed by a couple of things. I had to agree. One was the idea that Jews don't bow to anyone but G_d. She said, “That's isn't just Jews ... many people don't bow to anyone but G_d." And then she said, “Why is it emphasized that this is about Jews. Isn't it really about human beings.” Sometimes I get the impression that Jews are a super race beyond being human. This is just the idea that Hitler had of his super race (though different humans). Would I like my children to say, “I am a Jew,” or “I am a human being”? I think it would be the latter.


1 comment:

  1. I think you have to place many religious constructs in historical context. When other cultures bowed to kings, etc (like Jews never bowed to a ruler). But mostly I think there is a lot of 'my people are better than your people' going on in every culture. Don't ask your inherited culture to be above that.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting. One cannot study the Torah alone.