Day two of an otherwise quiet Passover and I'm happy to report all is well. I think the time away has allowed me to regain some sense of equilibrium. I rather like the idea of not being around relatives and rituals so much. I can take it in small doses but too much and I start to feel claustrophobic. One thing that did amuse me was a phone call I got from mom early Monday evening saying she was worried about me. Well isn't that touching? She must of called about three times before I got around to picking up the phone, I was doing something else and didn't want to be bothered. Anyway, I think mom was expecting me to have some big emotional break down and come flying over to sis's house or demand she return. Like that was going to happen. Mom is supposed to return sometime today. I still intend to make myself as scarce as possible, although I will need to do some grocery shopping tomorrow so I'll probably be checking a little later than usual. Otherwise all is well.
One of the highlights of the Seder service is "The Four Sons." The wise one, the angry one, the simple, and the one that cannot ask. Each is supposed to represent one type of Jewish person. The wise one is the scholar who fully dedicates himself to learning. He is considered the ideal Jewish person because of his dedication. The angry one represents the apostate, the one who has turned his back on the community. The simple one is the one who has a basic understanding of Judaism. Finally, the one that cannot ask is one who has been bereft of a Jewish education. It is the duty of the parent to instruct this son in the ways of the Torah, its laws, and values. I want to focus on the angry son first. He is commonly referred as "the wicked one." Why is that so? "The wicked one" is always asking why is this and why should I care. The immediate response is "this is what G-d did for me not you." However, I think there is real value in the questions "the wicked one" asks because it's not from a point of ignorance or as a means of rejection but rather from a point of wanting to learn more. To simply dismiss it by saying "this is what the holy one blessed be he did for me not you" is to dismiss a teaching moment. He is not turning his back on Judaism by asking why rather, he wants to know more. I think this part of the problem with contemporary Judaism. There people asking questions of faith and being written off.
I, too have many questions of faith. To be told go ask a rabbi or just accept it because it says so in the Torah is simply not good enough. To be fair, Judaism is a religion that encourages intellectual inquiry. It's what helps shape it. Rigorous intellectual inquiry is something that is vital to any faith because without it you have something that is so fossilized that it cannot grow and take form. Also, without religious inquiry and debate, canonical law can be used to subjugate its adherents. This, does, unfortunately happen within the Ultra orthodox sects. Religious law, Halacha, is used to cow members of the community into submission. Sometimes it can even be used to cover up the most heinous actions under the guise of not wanting to spread malicious stories or keep matters private. This to me is what is wrong with organized religion in general. I don't have a problem with the concept of a Higher Power because I know it exists and I see it in the magnificent works art. The problem I have, is like "the wicked one," I have questions that go unanswered because they are considered somewhat heretical. I guess it's not so much of a problem as it is wanting to know more. I see nothing wrong with that. I look at religion as this organic thing that grows and accommodate all manner of intellectual thought. Blind faith is not the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment