THOUGHTS FROM RABBI ROB: I am sixty-eight years old, and I have never lived in a time where there was genuine peace. In fact, no one alive today has lived in a time of true peace. I cannot think of anything that is more sad than that. There have been times when there were no all out wars, but we must understand that the absence of was does not constitute peace. We must ask ourselves, what is peace? Peace, says the Bible, is a state of harmony, tranquility, and prosperity. It is a blessing from God. Rabbinic texts tell us that peace takes on a larger meaning, vis-a-vis ethics. It suggests that peace means overcoming strife on many level....familial, communal, and national. Peace, the rabbis say, is the highest purpose of Torah. Indeed, it is at the very heart of the idea of redemption, and the idea of redemption suggests that in order to find redemption we must seek and become peaceful. The teaching of Isaac Arama teach us that the more that the laws of and political order become closer to the ideals of universal justice, the more peace will tend to overcome war. Thus, it is humankinds role in the world to adjust society in order to make a better world and to approach the ideal of true peacefulness. In Jewish liturgy, we see that the major prayers which we recite every day...Amidah, Kaddish, grace after meals, and the Priestly Benediction.....all conclude with a prayer for peace. Sadly, we know that winning a war does not bring peace; it merely deprives the loser of the ability to continue fighting. That is not peace. It does not bring harmony and tranquility. It merely reduces violence. There is only one place from which peace can spring. Peace....true and genuine peace....can only come from within ourselves. God has given us all the ability to choose either peace or strife. Thus, it is not God who can bring peace, but humankind. Let us pray, therefore, that each of us seeks to not only refrain from violence as much as possible, but to understand and strive for the ideal of heartfelt peace within ourselves. Shavua Tov!
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 13:15:02 +0000
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