Unity and Peace
I was asked to speak to you about unity and peace from the perspective of Judaism. That’s difficult to do. You have heard about the two Jews on a desert island who had three synagogues – one for each and one neither would attend. It is a truism that when you have two Jews, you get three opinions. So what I have to say is only reflective of my own thinking.
I am truly delighted that we have come back to an interfaith dialogue. I believe it is important not only to educate each other about our religions and cultures, but also to develop friendships that cross our communities. Only when the other becomes a friend, can we stop seeing him as a stereotype.
A famous Pharisee, Hillel, once said: If I am not for myself, who am I? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? In every generation, a person is required to see himself as though he had left Egypt. This is not such a bad model for approaching interfaith relations. First, we need to understand ourselves. If we are not comfortable in our own skins, both with the good and bad, it is too easy to become defensive in our dealings with others. All religions have their fanatics and extremists and I know both the Jews and Muslims here cringe whenever a name is mentioned in the news that is easily identifiable with their community. We need to understand and forgive our own weaknesses as well as celebrate our strengths. Only then can we reach out to support others.
As a start, let me list some of the ways in which I think that Muslims and Jews are similar.
Both our religions were founded by human beings (Muhammed for the Muslims and Abraham and Moses for the Jews – if one is good, two must be better.)
We both have a text that must be studied in a language spoken fluently by relatively few of its adherents in order to be understood.
Even if you speak that language fluently, you still can’t understand the text properly unless you spend years studying rules and precedents.
Even if you have spent those years studying, you will still get into huge fights with others who have spent just as many years learning, so you have to pick your imam/rabbi carefully in order to get the kind of answers that you prefer.
On a more sober note, we also both understand the painful longing of exile, the sting of subjugation, and the dangers of dominance.
There is more than enough blame to go around and keep us arguing for centuries. We are both masters at this craft. Once we acknowledge the causes of our own pain, including our own shame, we can begin to find ways to avoid having that pain inflicted on ourselves in the future as well as preventing ourselves from inflicting it on our neighbours. That same Hillel the Pharisee also said, that the most basic rule of Torah was “Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you. All the rest is commentary. Now go and study.” And if not now, when?
I am truly delighted that we have come back to an interfaith dialogue. I believe it is important not only to educate each other about our religions and cultures, but also to develop friendships that cross our communities. Only when the other becomes a friend, can we stop seeing him as a stereotype.
A famous Pharisee, Hillel, once said: If I am not for myself, who am I? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? In every generation, a person is required to see himself as though he had left Egypt. This is not such a bad model for approaching interfaith relations. First, we need to understand ourselves. If we are not comfortable in our own skins, both with the good and bad, it is too easy to become defensive in our dealings with others. All religions have their fanatics and extremists and I know both the Jews and Muslims here cringe whenever a name is mentioned in the news that is easily identifiable with their community. We need to understand and forgive our own weaknesses as well as celebrate our strengths. Only then can we reach out to support others.
As a start, let me list some of the ways in which I think that Muslims and Jews are similar.
Both our religions were founded by human beings (Muhammed for the Muslims and Abraham and Moses for the Jews – if one is good, two must be better.)
We both have a text that must be studied in a language spoken fluently by relatively few of its adherents in order to be understood.
Even if you speak that language fluently, you still can’t understand the text properly unless you spend years studying rules and precedents.
Even if you have spent those years studying, you will still get into huge fights with others who have spent just as many years learning, so you have to pick your imam/rabbi carefully in order to get the kind of answers that you prefer.
On a more sober note, we also both understand the painful longing of exile, the sting of subjugation, and the dangers of dominance.
There is more than enough blame to go around and keep us arguing for centuries. We are both masters at this craft. Once we acknowledge the causes of our own pain, including our own shame, we can begin to find ways to avoid having that pain inflicted on ourselves in the future as well as preventing ourselves from inflicting it on our neighbours. That same Hillel the Pharisee also said, that the most basic rule of Torah was “Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you. All the rest is commentary. Now go and study.” And if not now, when?