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l. "Judaism mare than a religion". fly: so, but the Jews more
than a religious conflunity: a religious comnunity with a
histsry
2.
.
rassover, more than any other season, reminds us a: that
histéry. it makes us feel gart of it. It does not merely
oe.ubrste the birthday of the JewiSh People. It maies us
rc-livc the exgeriencc of our ancestors. Eh: Daéer estecially
re—enacts it, unfolds it like a pageant. It aggeals to all
our senses. 1: brings it to life. Until we can truthjuli;
‘identify ourselvas, saJing "that the Lord did far we when
I cane farth sat a: orn".
o. It calls to nine also the Whole subsequent course of veWish
hiatory, all 21;: it has neant in terms 02 sujidring and
achivvant. "Bron Eoygt even unto this day". #unce gride,
gratitude, lqjalty. keno; the solidaritJ which mamas the
J.hs luck to others and fesl bhaxselves ts be nore than a
rajigious cogfiunity.
4. but 3 wish historj extends into the Zuture as well as the
gest. Eh¢ story is not get com:lete, the final chagtcr not
yet written. kassover reminds us fihat we are a link between
thu past and the :ubure. Without that link there will be no
future. Re are that link. waat a res§onsibility. and it
dcvclves on every one of us. Eh; resyonsibility cannot be
iischarved vicariqusly. It cannot be left to the Jews in
another country, nor to the rabbis. Each 3: us flust regard
himself as the indispensable link.
0. what 50 we have to do to fulfil our obligation? Eirst,
we must aciuaint ourselves with thc past. Jemish history
ie not inherited like some biological ch4ra3teristic.
he can live and die without 909:9ssing it. 53 must make
an effort to take possession of it. fie must be able to
ecnvcrse with the lawgivars, priests, peophets, rabbis,
acholar:, phi] roghert, pogts, rezormers. Io Just bring
them to life.
6. But that not enough. 3e nus: discern the gettern, comprehend
the meaming of it 311. Gal, than shall we know how to live
tc~day Lnd he? to share the :uture. Ihat tfiing is expressed
in th» Simgla phrase: 2h: miskion of israul.
1.
rLy cvvlation of the iaea went bdrsadh several phases.
(1) $h¢ covqnant. (2) Ethical service. (b) Syeuihl rvsgonsibfility.
'i nss~es: to bring all men to
a) Denture—lsaibn: is
he éad of Israel, and
lsLLgl to a
men.
"Cm; shall saj, i am the acrd's, and at.e: sham; call
hinsel: by the name of facob, and anuther shell subscribe
with his hand unto the flora, and surnane hinself 0y the name
sf XXKXEKKK Israel."
Ls‘this just a yretentiou: phrase? A vain boast? an idle hogg?
fio, the nission has been SaLrillad yesteraay, it can be fulfillked
to—day and to—Jorxov.
(1) In ;very 86d non—Jews have adopted the vewish faith.
after vhrlstibflitJ beet“: a seyerate religion, aiiering
q3
salvation in return for a single ialth, wwthhdu the burden of
the Mosaic Law, Judaism attracted large nu_bers by the purity
and logtiness of its conceytions. 20—day the nuflbers of converts
are increasing, anfi to-morrow may see a lar59 influx.
(2) The mere survival of the Jews as 8 960910 of religion has
filled the world with wonder, and posed a riddle t; which only
one answer can be found. Qhe Jews have lived by and for their
religion. Religious truth is the most potent factor in history.
Quote Baskin's poemZ fiertz 59.
(5) Ehe existence of the Jews greSGnts a challenge to humality
and religion which, in Dr dattuck's words, humanity c n meet
only by beconins religious, and religion can meet only by
becoming humane.
(4) Jews hav: individually acted as witnesses. EhGJ have set an
examyle. whanever they have understood and lived up to the
nabbinic ideal of kiddush hashem. By so éonaucting themselves
as to bring honour uponhthe God whom thcy serve.
(5) Judaisn has given rise to two daughter-réligions, which have
spread to the xemotest corner. of the world, like some liiuid
guurinb :orth into a vacuum.
(6) Judaism has exerted a constant yressure on its dauohter—
rqligiona, esreciully ChristianitJ, urging it to become more
faithful to its fiebra;c origin. Jhe cioser thd mare unhindered
the contact between 5&GEL\J and uhriutianit!, the more has
Chxiscianity stressed the unity of God, ;ustice and not only
lbve, the co&munity and not only the individual, the life on
earth and not only the life to come.
All chase are facts and realitiqs or t e 388$ and present.
ghey can become — and increasinglg — facts and roalitie: in
t 6 future.
Jewish histqry has demonstrated its gurgose: to bring many
unto God. "The histary of Israel is the great living proof
of the warking of DiViLO Providence “n the affairs of the world.
alone “man; the nations Israel has shared in all great movements
since mankind bec:me conséious-of their destinies. If t are is
no Divine puzyose in the lang travail 03 Israel, it is vain
to seek for any subh purJose in man's life." (Jacobs)
‘
#9 must then ac;uaint ourselves with israel's history and
comprehend its -urposa. :hat pur_ose consists in a sacred
mission which has been a concrete fact in the past, and is
a concrete possibility to—day. “hen weyunaerstand this we
shall knov how to condu>t ourselves in 0*r own lives, and
we shall understand the future destiny of Israel“
8939 Jews view that destiny in n.tional terms. They can~
thin; of nothing butt I ta hEJpen to the Jewu thn that
they should become again a nation like other nations.
éha: L conclusion to “h t a history! Ix th¢ idea were not
so tragic, and pathetic, it would be comical — like a shaggy
dog story, the essence of which is that it raises faése
expectations. She future destiny of the Jews can be understood
onl; in terms of a religious mission.
ll. fihst does all this mean? Wh hav» tn stud; Judaiba and to live
Juaaism — endeavour to live up to thv moral standards of Juauism,
Maintain ins observ.nces, parti ipbte actively in synagogue life.
but there is a v:ry pecial oblidation: to Earpetuate Judaism
'thr_ugh our children. Constantly stressed in bible. “Ana thou
shalt tall thy son" "and thou shalt tee h them diligently to
thy children" etc.
12. Tjib oblisation cannot be-strassed enough. and the all—iuyoxtsnt
key is the Jewishaess 0: :ha home, and the exemyla set by the
rarents. rarduts oft.n bla;: thcir children when they marry
out of the faith. Easy era digoustaa and ofLGnded. out “he.
asked what they did to 2,revemt it, the xzuax anowsr is nearly
always nothing. yut t,3rcnts have failed not only if choir
'hildren abandon the Jewish 00a¢unity. Ike; have failed
uquélly 1f their cildren grow ug indifzerent t: Jaaa-sm,
and are flees pas:enyere, deaa weight. To gravent tnis it is
not su§Jicient to send them to religion schosl. Que home must
oe uewish: it must have a uewish etnospperc, vanish study,
uewish yra‘er Jew1Sh observancas. Rex is it sufzicient to
sand the c iléren to the ERKXEXKhX§fifit synagogue. Parents
.nust attend wit them. Otherwise they are racomuendiné to
tn: choldren pomething :0 which they do not care themselves.
Sometimes it i~ necessary for the children to aSK ana urge
their garents to make their home JSWish.
15. inese are the ways in mhich we ran fulfil our mission.
She bare minimum, half—measures, are not enough. Unless
thuIC is a whole—hearted devotion to Juaaisn, Judéism will
not survive.
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