The Book of Deuteronomy is unique; they say there are FOUR Books of Moses and then there’s Deuteronomy. Believed to be written by King Josiah, but definitely edited by people who had nothing to do with Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus or Numbers, it is strong on social justice, strong on identity-maintenance, strong on accentuating the role of Moses – Moshe Rabbeinu - as rabbeinu, here truly translating “our rabbi” as “our teacher.” We read
You shall utterly destroy from all the places where the nations, that you shall possess, worshipped their deities, upon the lofty mountains and upon the hills, and under every lush tree. And you shall tear down their altars, smash their pillars…cut down the graven images of their deities, and destroy their name from that place.
That we know to be the essence of monotheism…eliminate the false gods. That, too, is the essence of our Judaism centuries upon centuries later. But if they had their idols and pillars and altars, what do we have to symbolize our relationship to the One God? I found this from an unidentified author:
Candlesticks and kiddish cups
Shofar and seder plate
Babushke and pushke
Talit and tefillin
Kipot and challah covers
Yad and mezuzah
Siddur and Chumash
Candles for Chanukah, Havdalah and Yahrzeit
May they offer us comfort in times of tears
May they offer us beauty in times of joy
May we see them as part of who we are,
Linked to generations passed,
Offering security and strength for the world tomorrow.
I was tempted to write how in the midst of anti-Jewish feelings and deeds we have to turn to elements of our tradition so they “may (they) offer us comfort in times of tears.” But at any time, especially when our concerns are few, these should be in our lives. I’ve written how we pay too much attention to the sorrowful moments on our communal calendar, not enough to our joyous holidays. These symbols of who we are – have been and will be, God willing – must be more than symbolic items on our shelves. if they are merely museum items, as it were, what does that say about our “living” Judaism?
Will our children and grandchildren “see them as part of who we are, linked to generations passed…”? If they jump off the shelves at the appropriate times…and are used… they will never be empty vessels of our identity, irrelevant as the pillars and altars of the idolaters of old. And hopefully they will “offer(ing) security and strength for the world tomorrow.”
(Speaking of security for tomorrow…Schleplowitz walks into work one day at 9 am. He is very late. His employer is furious. “You should have been here at 8:30!” he shouts. “Why,” asks Schleplowitz, “What happened at 8:30?”)