PURELY COMMENTARY

THE PLEASURE'S
ALL HERS

Jewish Identification

Continued from Page 2

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as well as expanding it in
many ways. After the
Talmudic Period, the
gaonim in their responsa
interpreted and developed
the law.
Halacha and all that relates
to it are so vital in current ap-
proaches to Jewish identity
that every aspect must be
treated to the fullest. Perhaps
there can be a decision on the
treatment of it without ran-
cor. Therefore the additional
learning about Halacha, from
the following explanatory
essay from A Basic Jewish
Encyclopedia edited by Rabbi
Harry A. Cohen, published by
Hartmore House in 1965:
Halachah deals with and
governs every phase of life
and every human relation-
ship — social, political,
domestic, economic, as
well as the specifically
religious. In Judaism there
is no distinction between
secular law and religious
law ... "The laws of mine
and thine, the laws of
safeguarding honest
weights and measures, pro-
fits and wages, the laws
protecting the weak, the
underprivileged, the
stranger in the land ...
It is in their attitude
towards halachah that we
find the basic difference
between Orthodox,
Reform, and Conservative
Judaism. Orthodox
Judaism rigorously follows
the accepted practice; it
resists any significant
change. Reform Judaism
feels itself free to discard
traditional practices.
Conservative Judaism
differs from Reform in
asserting that the Jewish
way of life must be based
on Halachah, on Jewish
law, and it differs from Or-
thodox Judaism by main-
taining that Jewish law is
a living organism,
undergoing change and
subject to change. In mak-
ing any change, however,
Conservative Judaism
follows the traditional
methods for the interpreta-
tion of Jewish law.
Halachah is a unique
Jewish creation. Through
it the great ideals and
teachings of Judaism are
translated into habits and
concrete practices ...
Halachah, through the
ages, has given discipline
and guidance to . Jewish
life; nay more, it has given
Jewish life form and
substance. By means of it
Jews in all countries have
been made a unified peo-
ple and a religious people.
For the aim of Halachah
(and its etymological
origin) is "to walk in the
ways of God:'

These compulsive regula-
tions, and the many inter-
pretations of them in the
ultra-Orthodox demands for
domination in political ex-
istence, pose the question
whether changes could
possibly be introduced. Is it
possible to reach for an agree-
ment by all factions in
Judaism for applicability to
life and its needs today?
There was an era when
changes could be made and
enforced. It was when there
was a Sanhedrin to lean
upon. It was significant in the
Sanhedrin of so many cen-
turies ago when emendations
in legalisms were resorted to.
Let's get a definition for
Sanhedrin. The New Stan-
dard Jewish Encyclopedia
provides it as follows:
Sanhedrin: Hebrew word
of Greek origin denoting in
rabbinic literature the
assembly of 71 ordained
scholars which functioned
both as Supreme Court
and as legislature. At its
head stood the Nasi, who
in its later history was
usually a descendant of
Hillel, and an Av Bet Din.
Before 70 CE, the Sanhe-
drin met in the Temple
chamber called the Hall of
Hewn Stone, which could
be entered from both the
priests' court and the
Israelites' court: later, it
functioned in various
centers successively. Its
duties included the mon-
thly proclamation of the
New Moon, declaration of
leap years, and decisions
on state offenses and
doubtful questions of
Jewish law.
The New Testament and
some passages in
Josephus depict the
Sanhedrin as • a council of
state presided over by the
high priest which also con-
ducted the trials of
political offenders. Some
scholars believe that there
were two different
Sanhedrins, one political
and the other religious.
There is however, no
evidence for the existence
of a political body except
during the troubled
decades which preceded
the destruction of the
Temple.
The Sanhedrin disap-
peared from the Jewish
scene before the end of the
4th century CE. During the
16th century, an unsuc-
cessful attempt was made
by Joseph Caro and Jacob
Berab, applying a sugges-
tion of Maimonides, to
revive ordination in the
land of Israel and so make
possible a new Sanhedrin.
The rebirth of the state of
Israel in 1948 brought a

fresh demand for a revival
of the Sanhedrin but
authoritative opinion con-
siders the legal and con-
stitutional difficulties at
present insuperable.
Now there emerges the
urgency of the frequently ex-
pressed hope that a
Sanhedrin could be assembl-
ed into action again, that our
many scholars and devotedly
dedicated leaders would
codify a way of life fitful for
modern times.
There was a momentary
hope for such an attaiment
when, upon the unification of
the Holy City of Jerusalem in
1967, then Chief Rabbi Goren
hinted that he favored it. It
had a momentary mention
and ended in a continuing
silence about the entire sub-
ject of a Sanhedrin.
At the moment, with the
leading Israeli political par-
ties being tested in the quest
for unity, the great hope is for
a measure of pragmatism
that will prevent calamities
that may develop out of
failure to retain accord and
dignity.
This is a time for honorable
commitment to the "Am
Ehad" principle — one people.
In their totality, the
numerous Jewish identifica-
tions spell a dignity in
peoplehood. On that score the
Law of Return must not be
tampered with.

""•••"11 NEWS

Official Warns
Of Nidal Attack

Rome (JTA) — A serious
possibility exists that the
Palestinian terrorist group
headed by Abu Nidal will at-
tack Israeli or American
targets in Italy, national
Police Chief Vincenzo Parisi
recently told a parliamentary
commission in Rome.
He said the purpose would
be to discredit Palestine Lib-
eration Organization Chair-
man Yassir Arafat by making
it appear the PLO was
responsible for the outrages.
Parisi appeared before a
commission investigating ter-
rorism and massacres.
"The possibility remains
serious that opponents of
Arafat, on their own account
or through other groups, may
carry out terrorist operations
against Israeli or American
objectives, making them ap-
pear under the PLO's
guidance," the police official
said.
He added, "The terrorist
organization of Abu Nidal
has resumed autonomous
operations that could escalate
its mercenary activities."