COMMENTARY
July/August 2021
Federation Star
21
Let’s talk about hate Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD
T
he Book of Isaiah was probably not written by Isaiah himself. To this day, scholars ponder exactly how and by whom the magnitude of wisdom in this book of the Bible was actually compiled. But contained in the chapters are some truly awesome ideas. For example, in Chapter 11, we are taught, “The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid; calf and lion will eat from the same trough and a little child will lead them.” Earlier, in Isaiah Chapter 2, we learn, “And God will judge between nations and shall decide for many peoples … nation will not lift up sword against nation and they shall not learn war anymore.”
The author, or authors, of Isaiah must have been dealing with the same venomous ideas we deal with today. So, let’s talk about hate. In our current world climate, I do not think there is a more relevant or germane topic that requires our immediate attention and reflection. Whether we are talking about racism, Israel/Palestinian relations, antisemitism, political divisions, LGBTQ rights, the attack on the United States Capitol or a dozen other topics, the unifying cord that ties it all together seems to be hatred. We, the world, seem to be at a conflagration point of abject hate. Hate as defined by Webster is “to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward and detest.” To feel hatred is a pretty ordinary human emotion and yet, what we do with hatred nowadays is to not talk about it or even contemplate how we might approach it. Instead, we act on it in some of the most abhorrent and vile ways.
Judaism teaches us first and foremost not to hate. Judaism never condones hatred, as it speaks to us in Leviticus about not hating, not holding grudges, but to love. Our relationships with each other are considered more important than our relationship with God. We see this time and time again in the Talmud and in other Jewish texts. We are not only commanded not to hate, we’re not permitted to use hateful speech, as using it is equated to murder. We are not even supposed to embarrass someone, as this “shaming,” too, is akin to murder. The Mishna in Sanhedrin teaches that we are all descended from Adam and Eve, so no person can say that their ancestry is better than any other. The Torah’s approach to hatred, and hate crimes for that matter, is to rub it out of the world, starting with ourselves. But how do we do that? If you remember “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tevye argues that all the adage, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” does is to leave the world blind
and toothless. We need to stop being so self-righteous, believing we are always right. We need to open conversations with others and find out where they are coming from. I am not naïve enough to believe that everyone will be engaged enough to have a rational discussion, but I think it is incumbent on us to at least try. We need to understand mitigating circumstances. Even judges before sentencing look at mitigating circumstances and sentence within a range of options. Dialogue fleshes these other options out for us to consider. Perhaps we will find that hatred is cloaked in misunderstanding or misperception, or maybe even in misconception. Very rarely in life do we have the right to conclude that a person is truly evil. Without dialogue and ongoing communication, we will never reach a plateau of any meaningful stand where we may still disagree, but “hatred” is removed from the equation. Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD serves at Naples Jewish Congregation.
as the lessons and values we lived by and instilled in the hearts of others. Underneath it all, we shine like gold. Embrace that glow within, and let the world see all you have to
offer — beauty that is present inside and out. Rabbi Adam F. Miller serves at Temple Shalom.
Embrace the glow within Rabbi Adam F. Miller
S
ummer is near its peak and before we know it, the High Holy Days will arrive. Always on time according to our Hebrew calendar, this year feels particularly early with Rosh Hashanah coming the first week in September. That means that August marks the arrival of Elul, the month of selfreflection that precedes the arrival of a New Year. With that theme in mind, I want to share a Buddhist story about a young boy with a clay statue. The boy loved the statue and wanted to make it look special. So, he went about earning money, for he wanted to have the statue covered in gold. Day after day he worked, until finally he had saved up enough. When the statue was returned, it looked beautiful, covered in gold plate. However, as time passed, the boy noticed that the gold didn’t remain. Slowly, but surely, it was flaking off, unable to adhere permanently to the clay. Determined to keep his statue beautiful, the boy continued to work and save, until he could have it covered again in gold. One day, the boy’s grandfather returned from a long journey. The boy proudly shared his now golden statue. The grandfather turned it over and over in his hands, noticing the places where the gold already flecked away, revealing the clay beneath. Smiling, the grandfather said, “You know, this has been in our family for many, many years. So long, in fact, that
there is something about this statue that you may not know.” As he talked, he began to knock off a little more gold in one area. “At one time,” the grandfather continued, “This statue must have fallen into a large mud puddle. Because, before it looked like clay, it was already beautiful.” The grandfather picked at the clay, until a chunk of clay fell off, revealing a shiny gold underneath the clay. That story highlights our natural instinct to judge by what we see. Judging ourselves based on our physical appearance is not new. Recall the story of Moses sending spies into Israel. Ten spies come back to report that the land was bountiful, but full of giants, much larger than the Israelites. They would have no chance of defeating them, and so the people should find another place to call home. Two spies come back with a different report. Yes, they say, the land is bountiful, and it is inhabited by giants. But we are defined by more than our size. We have intelligence, skills, heart and God on our side. Surely, they argue, we can prevail and return to the Promised Land. As we prepare for the year ahead, let us find a new perspective. Instead of thinking of ourselves as dull clay in need of some extra beautification or letting ourselves be defined by our exterior physical traits, let us start a more positive mindset. All we need to do is to look beneath the surface to see that every one of us is beautiful to begin with. We are all created in the image of God. It is not our exterior that defines who we are or the legacy we leave behind. One day, that exterior will vanish. What will remain is the beauty beneath — the way that we touched those with whom we interacted, the memory of the compassion we showed toward those in need, as well
“Stand Up For Justice”
Application Deadline: February 11, 2022 For the 12th year a grant has been established by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. The 2022 STAND UP FOR JUSTICE Educator Grant recognizes High School, Middle School and Elementary school educators who are innovative in bringing respect for others’ differences into their activities with students in a transformative, impactful, and caring way. The goal is to create a resource for educators of any discipline to incorporate strategies that promote understanding and respect among students, countering bigotry and bullying. This grant recognizes teachers, guidance counselors, school librarians, media specialists, school psychologists, administrators etc.
Go to:
jewishnaples.org/outreach/educator-award For additional information please contact:
Grant Coordinator, Beth Povlow 239-363-6306 marcopovlow@icloud.com
OF GREATER NAPLES
