Friday, 15 June 2007
A Question of Integrity

A recent article in the JC by Rabbi Pete Tobias, the rabbi of The Liberal Synagogue, Elstree, was titled "Angels have no place at dinner". It was an interesting rant about the way that traditional elements are creeping back into Liberal liturgy and practice - mainly, the good rabbi posits, because we Jews like a good tune. However, near the beginning of his article, he quotes from the late Rabbi John D Rayner who said, "We may not say with our lips what we do not believe in our hearts." In the context of Reform and Liberal Judaism, this covers a whole range of subjects such as angels, the Messiah, Elijah and so on. Rabbi Tobias' particular trigger seemed to be the assurance at the end of Birkat Hamazon, the Grace After Meals, that "we have never seen a righteous man abandoned nor his offspring beg for bread," those words themselves being a quote from the Psalms.

Viewing Rabbi Rayner's prohibition as a logical extension of the commandment not to bear false witness, and the patent conflict between that and real life as we know it, it raises an interesting question - at the heart of the Liberal/Orthodox divide - as to how we look at the promises and commands in Scripture and relate them to the very tangible and contrary world in which we live. Where does Tikkun Olam stop and wishful thinking begin ?

It seems to be a matter of basic integrity to admit that our world is not (now/yet - delete as applicable) perfect and that many people who have faith in G-d are starving on a daily basis, being martyred for their faith, or simply having a pretty miserable physical existence. Many who profess to be atheists or agnostics trumpet this fact and ask the not unreasonable question: what sort of a G-d is there who would allow this to happen? Believers often have difficulty providing a satisfactory answer.

Our religion and faith must challenge us to take active responsibility - not for the abuses of the past, which we cannot change, or for the future which has not yet arrived - but for the day in which we live and do something about the manifold injustices and malpractises which are taking place every day. Individually, we can do little, but the little that we can each do, when added up, can and should make a significant difference to the lifes of our fellow men - believers and non-believers alike - around the world and even in our own back yards. How else are we to be a light to the world and fulfill our calling?

As a matter of integrity, we should admit that we're not doing enough and be prepared to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in to working with the senior partner of the business to get some changes made around here. As Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, G-d has limited Himself to working through us, to using us as His hands, feet and even heart in these days. We are letting the Boss down when we fail to come up with our part of the deal.