Temple Shaare Tefilah

The Rabbi's Column

Since time immemorial, or at least, since the start of Judaism, there has been
an ongoing debate about the nature of Judaism. Is it just a religion, parallel to Protestantism or Catholicism? Or is it a lifestyle, replete with all of the lifestyle
rituals of the mitzvot? Is it cultural or ethnic-based, which would explain the link one feels with Jews across the world? Is it tied to a land of origin, so that when one
states that s/he is a Jewish-American, it is similar to those who define themselves
as Italian-Americans or Irish-Americans? For centuries, Judaism was an organic, holistic way of being. However, with the advent of emancipation and our ability to become citizens of the countries within which we reside, the complex issue of how
to define ourselves has given rise to this debate because we now have to struggle
with fitting ourselves into boxes and definitions that don’t truly encompass the
fullness of what being Jewish is all about.

     It is for this reason that, in the early twentieth century, Mordecai M. Kaplan developed the idea that Judaism is a civilization - the totality within which all of the above questions would fit. We are a civilization, bound to each other through our
sense of peoplehood, with our own land and culture, our own language and ethos.
For him, the entry point to a Jewish lifestyle was through any of these perspectives. And yet, he was adamant that the focal point, the aspect of what defines our
civilization and allows it to flourish and be delineated from all the other civilizations
is our religious core. We view the world through a religious lens, through an understanding that there is a sacred and holy mandate to how we live our lives and behave.

     It is this understanding of the world, concomitant with the once-radical idea of a monotheistic foundation, that not only defines us but is also our contribution to the
rest of the world. The Greeks gave us aesthetic value of purpose, the Romans gave
us law, and the United States has taught the world about freedom and choice.
Judaism paved the way for monotheism and living lives based upon religious
precepts that are both ethical and meaning-making.

     And while one can access one’s Jewish identity through the Zionistic path or the cultural path, it can never be fully realized or utilized to it fullest unless one also incorporates the religious sphere into one’s lifestyle. For a Jew, the actualization of
the values and ethics inherent within Judaism is found within the prayers and yearly rhythm of the services and holidays. One feels the deepest sense of community
when praying together, when knowing that your presence at a service is helping another individual say the prayers that provide meaning and purpose to their lives, such as the Amidah, or the Kaddish. One connects to the deep and rich heritage of Judaism and its values when listening to the chanting of the cantor and hearing the words of the prayers resonating in your heart/mind. One feels re-affirmed in one’s identity when exploring the words of the Torah and finding that the narrative is as
fresh and meaningful today as it was when it was written over two thousand years
ago.

     For me, there are times when I read or chant the prayers and I do it by rote; I say them but don’t feel connected to them or feel moved by them. But there is always a point in the service, where a phrase or value jumps out at me and I am struck by the beauty, the wonder or the timeless value of it and I feel spiritually connected to God,
to the community of ages past, to being linked to something greater than myself and
to what is the best within me. And then, I understand why I pray and why it is
something that energizes and nourishes me, even on those days when I wake up feeling tired and don’t feel like I want to go through all of the bother of getting
dressed and coming to synagogue. By the end of the service, I am refreshed and re-enervated. All it takes is that one small connection, even when the rest of the
service does not seem to resonate.

     I know that many of you do not view yourselves as religious Jews and therefore, view services as being less of a priority than other aspects and responsibilities in
your lives. However, I would like to challenge you to come once a month. Open yourselves up to the possibility that it might nourish you in unexpected ways. Feel positive that you are helping others in their religious needs by ensuring that there is
a minyan. There are as many reasons as to why you should come to services as
there are excuses and reasons as to why you don’t. But there is only one way of actually discovering what you have been missing: and that is by coming and coming enough that it does not feel foreign or weird but becomes part of your routine.

     I look forward to seeing you sometime this month.

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