Rosh Hashanah

2008
5769

Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

Without Kings
Or Coercion

May the New Year bring to all
our friends and family health, joy,
prosperity and everything good in life.

HEIDI AND JEFF B UDAJ

Shabbat Nitzavim: Deuteronomy
29:9-30:20; Isaiah 61:10-63:9.

NICOLE AND MICHELLE
B UDAJ

MICHELLE, MARCY AND
MARK FISCHGRUND

I

n this week's Torah portion, we
the rabbis, the system, safeguards and
are presented with the utopian
technical requirements make such a
vision of the "ultimate redemp-
thing almost impossible. Furthermore,
tion" (Deuteronomy 30:1 14).
some of the greatest rabbis would not
We will "return to the Lord ... listen
have imposed such a thing in any case--
to His voice ... with full heart and
(see Mishna, Makos 1:10).
entire self" (Deuteronomy 30:2).
As the Torah portion tells us (30:11-
This renewal of Torah observance
14): "This commandment ... is not a
will also bring a return to our land:
wonder to you nor far ... for it is very
"God will gather (us) ... and
close to you, in your mouth
bring (us) to the land that
and in your heart to do it."
our fathers possessed ...
When the Jewish people
and be good to (us) and
understand and appreciate
increase (us):'
the wisdom and benefit of
This vision of the Jewish
keeping the Torah, their
people returning to God
own minds and hearts will
and His Torah and to our
bring them to God, without
homeland is the fulfillment
coercion or even threat of •
of the prophecies of the
penalty.
Torah and the prophets and
Surely "freedom of reli-
is characterized in Jewish
gion" and "separation of
Rabbi Eliezer
tradition as "the days of the
church and state" — ide-
Cohen
Messiah."
als of democracy, per-
Special to the
The anticipated abso-
sonal freedom an advanced
Jewish News
lute monarch (messiah
civilization — will be the
means the anointed one
guiding principles because
in Hebrew) and the reestablishment
all will voluntarily want to opt in.
of the Jewish court system to impose
Otherwise, tyranny and corruption
capital and corporal punishment upon would reign — not the absolute
"sinners" has for millennia been the
justice, loving community and real
vision of this messianic future. Similar sanctity that are the priorities, ide-
institutions and practices had been
als and goals of a true Torah life and
the norm in almost every society for
community.
thousands of years. Therefore, it is no
wonder that such a future was expect- Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation Or
Chadash in Oak Park.
ed; mankind knew of nothing else.
But we know from history — and
from books of the Bible itself — that
powerful kings and forced religious
conformity don't work and would be
evil. Authentic Judaism has always
been "reality based" — except for
aberrations of various mystical move-
ments — and, therefore, we can see in
our Torah portion the true description
Conversations
of the eventual redemption without
Why is it so easy for people to
kings or coercion.
abandon reality in their search
The Torah tells us that the Jewish
for religious meaning? Have civi-
people will voluntarily renew their
lization and the Jewish people
faith in God and His Torah. Thus,
made progress toward the ulti-
there will be no need to impose reli-
mate redemption? What can we
gious observance. In spite of myriad
do to move ourselves closer to
references in the Torah to execution
this goal?
for "religious crimes:' according to

May the coming year be filled with
health and happiness for all our family and friends.
L'Shanah Tovah!

-

❑

Allir

Sic

May the coming year be filled with
health and happiness for all our family and friends.
L'Shanah Tovah!

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B20

September 25 • 2008

MI

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