| From Freedom to Responsibility |
|
|
| Written by Rabbi Dow Marmur | |
| Monday, 07 January 2008 | |
|
The story of the Jewish people begins with the Book of Exodus that we recently started to read in the synagogue. So far this “season” we went through week after week the Book of Genesis. It deals with personal stories of the Patriarchs and others. With the Book of Exodus we embark upon the history of the People of Israel,
The weekly reading is usually discussed in different ways in the Israeli media. Journalists often invite significant Israeli thinkers to reflect on the Biblical texts encouraging them to comment on contemporary conditions. The subjects tend to be the stuff out of which traditional sermons are made, but nowadays Jews don’t necessarily have to go to synagogue to hear them; in Israel, at least, the messages are brought home and available at the switch of a TV button. Though I did hear a rabbi in shul this morning, in the evening I used the TV button. That’s how I came across Professor Asa Kasher, one of the country’s most distinguished philosophers. The interviewer asked him if what happened long ago in Egypt is still relevant today. Then our people were slaves but now we’re not. Kasher’s answer helps us to understand what’s happening in Israel today. Yes, he said, the Book of Exodus tells us how we were brought out from slavery to cherut, freedom. But that’s only an initial stage. Being a philosopher of language he played on the similar sounding Hebrew word achrayut, responsibility. We may have been brought out of slavery to live in the age of cherut (freedom), but we haven’t yet reached the age of achrayut (responsibility). After all those years in dispersion we have regained cherut, freedom from oppression. Every Jew can live in the sovereign Jewish state. With the possible exception of the Jews in Iran and Syria, Jews in the rest of the world live today in freedom. But we’re still far away from achrayut, responsibility toward each other and before God. No doubt this can be said about many countries, but let me stay with Israel. I’m among those who believe that the Jewish state is in danger of being so caught up in freedom that it may lose its sense of responsibility. Some individuals who share this sense tend to run to political and religious extremism for protection. I’m not among them. You don’t have to be in Israel very long to sense and celebrate the freedom that prevails here, despite the constant threat of terrorism and the vigilance it imposes on us. But if you stay a little longer you are bound to be aware of the lack of a collective sense of responsibility around you. The absence of achrayut in the midst of cherut is most noticeable in public life. It seems that those in power, especially members of the government, are so afraid of losing their freedom that they refuse to act responsibly. The fact that something similar may be happening in other countries is small consolation. Israel needs responsible government and there isn’t enough of it. Civil society is trying to fill the yawning economic, social and educational gaps whenever possible - often with the help from funds from abroad - but that can only be done on a very small scale and on a local level. The cumulative effect is impressive but inadequate. The Book of Exodus tells us that God heard the cry of the slaves and brought them to freedom. We now must pray that God take us from personal freedom to national responsibility. Without achrayut our cherut may prove to be ominously ephemeral. Jerusalem 29.12.07 (Motzei Shabbat Sh’mot) Trackback(0)
Comments
(0)
You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 January 2008 ) |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|