Wow! On a day when I will be absorbed in the beauty of the machzor, this is likely the most thought-provoking reading I will do all day, May I never subject my offspring to another platitude.
A wonderfully expressed set of tensions, Joshua. It's true that the Day of Atonement is a Day of Contradiction but I don't think it's *the* day of contradiction since to anyone reasonably observant, not of Judaism per se, but of the world around them and what is inside their own thoughts and feelings, it should be transparent that most if not all days are days of contradiction. Therefore, Yom Kippur would not be special if it were merely what one encounters daily. It would be an unmarked day. Anyway, here is another seeming contradiction: it's customary to wish others an easy fast, but if the act of fasting is to take us out of our local minima of daily life, shouldn't the fast be challenging? To wish that it be easy seems to me to defeat the purpose of temporarily escaping from daily comfort seeking. To that end, I wish all of you fasting today a meaningful fast and a successful escape from your local minima of everyday life. May you resettle on a more favorable point, on a better local minimum for the new year.
I think originally the forgiveness was meant to be amongst Jews, and the "neighbour" to be loved was also a Jew or a friendly stranger, not enemies. It was Jesus who brought about the idea of loving enemies rather than neighbours. Meant well, but a bad idea, in my opinion
A very difficult idea, sometimes impossible. The rabbi of the Manchester shul in UK that suffered the murderous attack said when asked, that he saw evil in the man's eyes and he would rather concentrate on helping those attacked.
Loving one's neighbour does not mean condoning everything he does. It may mean preventing him from doing harm to you or to others. Jesus set the example by loving His enemies, but if you read the Gospels, you'll find that He frequently called them out, and some of the things He said to them were not at all pleasant to hear! God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us and atone for our sins, but He does not overlook our wicked behaviour. If we do not repent, we face His wrath and His just judgement. Loving our neighbour, in my opinion, means doing him no harm, but looking out for his good - even if that "good" might not seem good to him at the time. It is the same with our children. Loving your child does not mean that you condone or overlook his bad behaviour. It may mean that you punish him by spanking him, or depriving him of privileges (depending on his age), but all that is for his good, not his harm. When a country is at war, as Israel is at the moment, loving our enemies does not mean lying down and letting them kill us all! But it does mean showing mercy when appropriate, as Israel does, as far as I can see, by doing their absolute best to target the real terrorists and not to harm civilians wherever possible. I am quite sure that the prisoners taken by Israel are far better treated than those taken by Hamas. That is a way of showing love, even to enemies. Incidentally, Jesus Christ never said anything foolish or wrong. He never made any mistakes. We can be sure that if He told us to love our neighbour, it must be not only possible, but absolutely the very best way to live.
I agree with some of your points. However, as I am not a Christian but a Hindu [https://ruthvanita452091.substack.com/p/how-i-returned-to-my-ancestral-religion], I see different degrees of divinity in all that exists, and I do not have to agree with everything Jesus said. Gandhi tried to implement the idea of loving even one's murderous enemies (he interpreted it literally rather than as you do), for example, Muslims who were killing Hindus. Some of the results were disastrous.
You will never find anyone wiser than Jesus Christ. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And He is the only Way to the Father. I hope you will come to know Him for yourself.
It’s a matter of thought and of feeling. I have found several as wise and wiser in the Upanishads, the Gita, and among the Greek philosophers. As Schopenhauer wrote of the Upanishads, “they have been the solace of my life and will be the solace of my death.”
No, it isn't. It's a matter of truth. Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." He backed up His words by rising from the dead. No other human teacher has ever done that.
I would rather concentrate on the Golden Rule that is in all decent forms of thought and religion ie Do not do to others that is hateful to you/ Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
No man come unto the Father is unfortunate and divisive and I would like to think that he never said it - millions/billions will not even have the chance to hear the Gospel - but there are many other sayings that are wise which we can agree on. Shalom.
Actually in Greek religious narrative, Adonis did that every year at the same time that became Easter as did Persephone. That’s where the idea comes from just as does the idea of a human woman having a child with a God. These are not Jewish ideas. Never mind. We’re not going to agree.
To stand up for something is to support it. The phrase should have read "we are told to stand against all injustices."
"Maimonides deepens this, explaining that teshuvah requires four steps — regret, confession, resolve, and change."
New, improved version of Maimonides: Teshuvah requires three steps — remorse, admission of wrongdoing, making one of the four possible amends, Restore what is taken, Repair what is broken, Replace what cannot be returned or repaired, Remunerate for the loss at equal or greater value of the loss.
Wow! On a day when I will be absorbed in the beauty of the machzor, this is likely the most thought-provoking reading I will do all day, May I never subject my offspring to another platitude.
A wonderfully expressed set of tensions, Joshua. It's true that the Day of Atonement is a Day of Contradiction but I don't think it's *the* day of contradiction since to anyone reasonably observant, not of Judaism per se, but of the world around them and what is inside their own thoughts and feelings, it should be transparent that most if not all days are days of contradiction. Therefore, Yom Kippur would not be special if it were merely what one encounters daily. It would be an unmarked day. Anyway, here is another seeming contradiction: it's customary to wish others an easy fast, but if the act of fasting is to take us out of our local minima of daily life, shouldn't the fast be challenging? To wish that it be easy seems to me to defeat the purpose of temporarily escaping from daily comfort seeking. To that end, I wish all of you fasting today a meaningful fast and a successful escape from your local minima of everyday life. May you resettle on a more favorable point, on a better local minimum for the new year.
Joshua, These words are amazing ! Wow ! I felt I was reading from the machzor. In fact, I think this should be in our liturgy. Thank you !
We have a saying: We shall never forget!
That's not enough today. We need to add:
We shall not forgive those who are bent on annihilation of our people.
I think originally the forgiveness was meant to be amongst Jews, and the "neighbour" to be loved was also a Jew or a friendly stranger, not enemies. It was Jesus who brought about the idea of loving enemies rather than neighbours. Meant well, but a bad idea, in my opinion
A very difficult idea, sometimes impossible. The rabbi of the Manchester shul in UK that suffered the murderous attack said when asked, that he saw evil in the man's eyes and he would rather concentrate on helping those attacked.
Loving one's neighbour does not mean condoning everything he does. It may mean preventing him from doing harm to you or to others. Jesus set the example by loving His enemies, but if you read the Gospels, you'll find that He frequently called them out, and some of the things He said to them were not at all pleasant to hear! God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us and atone for our sins, but He does not overlook our wicked behaviour. If we do not repent, we face His wrath and His just judgement. Loving our neighbour, in my opinion, means doing him no harm, but looking out for his good - even if that "good" might not seem good to him at the time. It is the same with our children. Loving your child does not mean that you condone or overlook his bad behaviour. It may mean that you punish him by spanking him, or depriving him of privileges (depending on his age), but all that is for his good, not his harm. When a country is at war, as Israel is at the moment, loving our enemies does not mean lying down and letting them kill us all! But it does mean showing mercy when appropriate, as Israel does, as far as I can see, by doing their absolute best to target the real terrorists and not to harm civilians wherever possible. I am quite sure that the prisoners taken by Israel are far better treated than those taken by Hamas. That is a way of showing love, even to enemies. Incidentally, Jesus Christ never said anything foolish or wrong. He never made any mistakes. We can be sure that if He told us to love our neighbour, it must be not only possible, but absolutely the very best way to live.
I agree with some of your points. However, as I am not a Christian but a Hindu [https://ruthvanita452091.substack.com/p/how-i-returned-to-my-ancestral-religion], I see different degrees of divinity in all that exists, and I do not have to agree with everything Jesus said. Gandhi tried to implement the idea of loving even one's murderous enemies (he interpreted it literally rather than as you do), for example, Muslims who were killing Hindus. Some of the results were disastrous.
You will never find anyone wiser than Jesus Christ. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And He is the only Way to the Father. I hope you will come to know Him for yourself.
It’s a matter of thought and of feeling. I have found several as wise and wiser in the Upanishads, the Gita, and among the Greek philosophers. As Schopenhauer wrote of the Upanishads, “they have been the solace of my life and will be the solace of my death.”
No, it isn't. It's a matter of truth. Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." He backed up His words by rising from the dead. No other human teacher has ever done that.
I would rather concentrate on the Golden Rule that is in all decent forms of thought and religion ie Do not do to others that is hateful to you/ Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
No man come unto the Father is unfortunate and divisive and I would like to think that he never said it - millions/billions will not even have the chance to hear the Gospel - but there are many other sayings that are wise which we can agree on. Shalom.
Actually in Greek religious narrative, Adonis did that every year at the same time that became Easter as did Persephone. That’s where the idea comes from just as does the idea of a human woman having a child with a God. These are not Jewish ideas. Never mind. We’re not going to agree.
Great post, thank you.
"We are told to turn the other cheek."
You are quoting from the New Testament.
"We are told to stand up for all injustices."
To stand up for something is to support it. The phrase should have read "we are told to stand against all injustices."
"Maimonides deepens this, explaining that teshuvah requires four steps — regret, confession, resolve, and change."
New, improved version of Maimonides: Teshuvah requires three steps — remorse, admission of wrongdoing, making one of the four possible amends, Restore what is taken, Repair what is broken, Replace what cannot be returned or repaired, Remunerate for the loss at equal or greater value of the loss.