Purely Commentary
The Great Jewish Principle
of Arbitration ... Senatorial
Exclusive Club and Prayer
By Philip
S ► omovitz
Sukkot Quiz
BY RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
(Copyright, 1966, JTA. Inc.)
What does the Sukka symbolize?
Mr. President, that is the story in a nutshell. It cannot be done.
The Bible (Leviticus 23.42.43)
U Thant and the Peace Movements
I think in proportion as we examine some of the mischief that is
When the U Thant report to the United Nations was made public,
taking place in our country today, we had better conclude that what tells us that the Almighty wanted
there was one item in it that could have been considered one of the
we are trying to do is reorder our whole social structure with the people of Israel to dwell in
Sukkot (huts) during the Sukkot
most pressing efforts in the direction of peace. It was the UN
individuals whose hearts have not been changed.
secretary-general's appeal to Israel and the Arab states to talk peace
So that must be the goal. That must be the hope of America week so that "your generations
shall know that I caused the chil-
by meeting each other and negotiating for an end to the unfortunate
in the future.
dren of Israel to dwell in Sukkot
conflict. But his appeal seems to have begun and have ended
He is such a remarkable man, this Senator from Illinois! He when I took them out of Egypt."
as a mere printed sentiment. It does not seem to have caught the
even appealed to Peace of Mind! But, did he really prove that we Rabbi Eliezer (Talmud Bavli, Suk-
imagination of those who preach peace and practice strife.
are all so godless, that the late Rabbi Liebman would have conceded ka 12b) claims that the Bible
If only U Thant could enforce his appeal and get action on it! that we need legislative action in support of prayer? Next we may refers to the protecting clouds of
He would surely deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for it! He speaks for legislate in favor of food and sleep and lodging! Indeed, Senator, the Divine Glory that hovered over
peace in Vietnam and other areas and we pray that he will meet what's the point of creating doubts about prayer?
head while the children of Isr.,
with success in his efforts to end the present wars through the avail-
In the spirit of his sense of horror over restrictions on prayer, traveled through the wildernes.._
able peace-making machinery of the UN.
Senator Dirksen, two days after leaning on the memory of Rabbi on their way out of Egypt. Accord-
Liebman, included in one of his speeches in the Senate this poem from ing to him the sparse roof of the
the Manchester, N.H., Union Leader:
Sukka, then, symbolizes these pro-
The Bask Principle of Arbitration
tecting clouds. Rabbi Akiva (ibid)
What is being overlooked in human relations today is a basic
Now I sit me down in school
claims that the Biblical verse re-
principle, as old, perhaps, as the era when man became a thinking
Where praying is against the rule,
fers to actual huts and thus the
being, of negotiation, of arbitration, of what became known as the
For this great Nation, under God,
Sukkot we use today refer to the
Bet Din in Jewish tradition.
Finds public mention of Him odd.
temporary and sparsely put to-
In "The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion," published by Holt,
gether dwellings which the Israel-
Rinehart and Winston, the two general editors of the monumental
a
class
recites
Any prayer
ites used on their journey out of
work, Dr. R. J. Zwi Werblowsky, dean of the faculty of humanities
Now violates the Bill of Rights.
Egypt. Maimonides (.Guide to the
and professor of comparative religion at the Hebrew University in
Any time my head I bow
Perplexed 3:43) claims that the
the
Hebrew
University's
Jerusalem, and Dr. Geoffrey Wigoder, of
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Sukkot symbolize the hardships
Institute of Contemporary Jewry, incorporated the following essay on
and the miraculous survival from
Teach us of stars or pole and Equator
Arbitration, the Hebrew term for which is Borerut:
these hardships which the people
mention
of
their
Creator.
The determining of a dispute between parties by a mediator
But make no
of Israel endured on their way out
Tell of exports in Denmark and Sweden
chosen or agreed to by them. The Talmud discusses whether in
of Egypt by the mercy of the
But not one word on what Eve did in Eden.
civil disputes the application of the strict letter of the law is prefer-
Almighty.
able to an attempt to reach a compromise between the disputing
One Karaite thinker (Aaron ben
The
law
is
specific,
the
law
is
precise,
parties. Moses is regarded as the protagonist of the former method
Elijah
of the 14th century) ex-
longer
nice.
no
is
Praying
out
loud
and Aaron as the prototype of the latter. Both views are argued
plains that the Sukkot demonstrate
Praying aloud in a public hall
with considerable vigor; the Halakha rejects the view of Rabbi Yose
our trust in the Almighty and in
Upsets believers in nothing at an.
that 'it is forbidden to effect a compromise, and whosoever does so
his natural elements. This is in
is a sinner' and accepts the opposing view that 'to effect a com-
contradistinction to the peoples
In
silence
alone
can
we
meditate
promise is praiseworthy.'
who worship the heavenly bodies
should
get
the
credit,
great.
God
And
if
"The Jewish law of arbitration is a consequence of this ruling,
and who are optimistic in the
This
rule,
however,
has
a
gimmick
in
it;
and is specifically stated to be an instrument of the rule that com-
spring through the summer when
minute.
a
than
be
finished
in
less
You've got to
promise is to be preferred over the letter of the law (Hoshen
nature seems to grow progressive-
a
duly
con-
12:2).
Arbitration
takes
place
either
before
Mishpat
ly and then become pessimistic in
minute
of
quiet
a
I
ask
is
all
So
stituted Bet Din, with the litigants given the right to demand the
the fall when nature seems to
If
I
feel
like
praying,
then
maybe
I'll
try
it.
disqualification of any of the rabbis, or by what is called Zabla
wane and the vegetation seems to
this
plea
I
make:
Lord,
If
not,
0
ve-Zabla (a phrase made up to the initial letters of the sentence
decline. At such a time, the Jew
school,
my
soul
you'll
take.
Should I die in
`One chooses (an arbitrator) to represent him, and the other does
goes out and dwells with nature
likewise') whereby each litigant chooses an arbitrator and these
What amazement this supplication creates! Is it possible that to demonstrate his faith in the
two arbitrators agree on a third, independent of the wishes of the the author of these lines was writing about free America? How Almighty whose prowess and
litigants. The decision of the arbitrators is final. In most western
deluded can people be in their persecution complex? And how could strength indeed never declines.
Batei Din the rabbis hear disputes in accordance with the Arbitration
a United States Senator yield to such panic, actually believing that This writer thus advocated using
Laws of their specific countries, so that their decisions are enforce- some one is preventing him from praying? And how could a majority evergreens for the covering of the
Sukka — to show the ever lasting
able in the civil court."
of the Great Club yield to such a scare?
We became horribly concerned. Imagine what's happening to Providence of the Almighty. One
If arbitration can be assured, on a basis of common understanding
between the parties in dispute, we could have an end to wars, the our nation! Even "a minute of quiet . . . if I feel like praying" is of the Spanish exiles of the 15th
elimination of family strifes, the rejection of any possibility of com- now denied the harassed American people! And suddenly we recalled Century (Abraham Saba, Z'ror
munity groups creating situations that lead to linen-washing in public. the statistics: that religious affiliations have increased in this country! Hamor 45:1,2) explains that the
Our fear vanished—except when we looked again at the Senatorial Sukka symbolizes a feeling of
vote on the Dirksen Amendment: 49 in favor and 37 against—and celebration. The Jewish people,
A Majority for Prayer
having come through the High
that did frighten us!
its
of
majority
a
Senate:
Many cheers for the United States
Holy Days when life and death
members voted in favor of prayer!
hang in the balance, winning an-
And the leader in the battle for worship-on-the-statute-books has
other year of life, celebrate their
managed in a drawling way to incorporate into the Congressional
victory by. "going out into the
Record thousands of pious words.
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Man- available. Even if that increased field and spending the night in
Not that the Illinois Senator doesn't always manage to incorporate power Authority of Israel's labor ratio is maintained next year, the the villages" (Songs of Songs 7:12).
lots of words in his drawling way: but this time he preached and
authority noted, 30,000 more people This is an expression of confidence
cajoled, and he must have injected the fear of God into the hearts ministry estimated that unemploy- will be jobless. According to other and security in contrast to living
ment would probably grow from ministry estimates, employment behind the "city walls." Living in
of a majority in the most exclusive club in the land.
Thus, Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois enrolled 49 Senators in an average of 33,000 jobless last will continue to decline, and no ad- the Sukka, instead of a protective
home, thus demonstrates our faith
support of his proposed Constitutional Amendment that would negate year to 51,000 and possibly to ditional jobs will be available.
the Supreme Court decisions which placed a ban on resort to 65,000 if Israel's current economic
Ministry statistics showed that that the Almighty has blessed us
religious prayers in our public schools. Only 37 were in the opposition, crisis continues.
unemployment had affected first with a year of life and security and
but they were sufficient to deny the sanctimonious Senator the
The authority said it expected skilled workers and professionals, that we have nothing to fear, so
required two-thirds vote necessary for approval of a Constitutional Israel's labor force would increase especially mechanical and chemi- that we can live out in the open
Amendment. Now he warns that the fight has just begun, and he has during the current year by 32,000 cal engineers and workers, as well fearlessly instead of having to seek
enrolled some very prominent names of clergymen who will assist new workers. Last year, the auth- as skilled workers in industry, con- the protection of sturdy walls and
him in carrying on the battle next year for a similar proposal. And ority said, 11,400 new jobs were struction and clerical occupations. locked houses.
one never knows what next year's reactions will be when legislators
will be asked to vote either for or against prayer! Woe unto the
dissenters who indicate that prayer is not denied, but that it is
contrary to American traditions of introducing it either in schools
or in government! When the fear of God plays a role, there is no
telling who will bow to the spiritual threat. That is why the American
Jewish Congress and other jubilant groups may have been a bit
hasty in their acclaim of last week's result in the Senate vote on
United States nuclear desalting two other high AEC officials, ar-
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
school prayers. What needs to be done is to seek to educate Americans
to The Jewish News)
plant to be established in Cali- rived here Saturday night, and
that prayer predominates but that it must be kept within the church
JERUSALEM — The widespread fornia and listened to a summation spent Sunday sightseeing across
and the synagogue, and the home and the heart of men, women and
children. But when differing faiths meet in a single classroom, report that Israel has the capa- of Israel's needs. The United States the border in Jordan, where the
prayer itself is negated when confusions and conflicts become elements bility of producing an atomic bomb had agreed to help finance a Americans visited Christian
in a few months is exaggerated, $200,000,000 pioneer plant in Is- shrines. They went to Israel's
menacing to faith.
Well, there is lots to be said in favor of the pastoral-sounding Dr. Glenn Seaborg, Chairman of rael to test the feasibility of the atomic reactor at Nahal Rubin and
Illinois Senator. For instance: in the course of one of his speeches the United States Atomic Energy use of nuclear energy for desalin- to the Weizmann Institute to see
nuclear research projects under
Commission, asserted Monday ation of seawater.
in his proposal, Senator Dirksen told the Senate:
way there on Monday.
Mr. President, I merely want to tell the Senate and every night. He expressed that view in
The atomic expert said he be-
(In New York, an article in the
Member of it that this issue will not die. This issue will not be reply to a question after a lecture lieved Israel would be using atomic
diverted or subverted. It will not be settled until it is settled right, at the Weizmann Institute at Re- plants to produce much of its New York Times Sunday pointed
out that it is cheaper now for a
hov ot.
for when this session is over, another Congress will convene of the
electricity needs in the 1970s. He
third of January of next year. That will be the 90th Congress. If
Dr. Seaborg left Israel Tuesday indicated that his visit had been non-nuclear power to make an
we fail to act now, this resolution will be up again. I mean to have after a three-day visit during which mainly a private one, adding, in atomic bomb than ever before, and
it back, because it is too important. Involved here is the moral he met Prime Minister Levi Esh- reply to questions, that "of course," cites Israel as an example of a
kol as well as Israeli atomic scien- he had met Israel's atomic scien- state which could start in a mat-
future of America.
Mr. President, when I was a Member of the House of Repre- tists, some of whom he had met tists but that he had stopped in ter of months on nuclear weapon
sentatives, I became acquainted with a young and attractive rabbi at scientific conferences. He also Israel en route home from Vienna production. But Dr. Arthur Larson
from Boston, Jpshua Liebman. I shall never forget him. I learned visited an Israeli nuclear reactor mainly because he wanted to see of Duke University, chairman of
a group of leading citizens includ-
to know him very well. He died at the premature age of 44. Coursing and science laboratories.
the country he had heard so much ing a dozen Nobel laureates, who
down LaSalle Street one day in Chicago, I stopped and gawked in
It was learned that the ques- about.
are opposed to nuclear prolifera-
the window of a book store. I saw a book written by Joshua Lieb-
tion of United States-Israeli co-
Asked if he would report to tion, would not estimate how long
man, whose title was "Peace of Mind." I went in there and procured
operation on desalination was
President Johnson on his findings it would take Israel, India, Sweden
that book. It is a scintillating piece of literature, but one line in it
broached only in very general
I remember so well. He said: "You cannot reconstitute a society terms during Dr. Seaborg's meet- in Israel, Dr. Seaborg replied he and West Germany, who could
start in a matter of months, to
would do so if he was asked.
with unreconstituted individuals."
ing with Premier Eshkol.
produce their first weapon.)
by
Prof.
Seaborg,
accompanied
planned
Dr. Seaborg discussed a
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
-
65,000 Unemployed Seen for Israel
Israel A-Bomb Potential Exaggerated,
AEC's Chairman Dr. Seaborg Says
2 Friday, September 30, 1966
—