I'm not what anyone would call an observant Jew, or even a particularly
religious one, but I went to temple today, just had to go. It was really
weird, the portion of the torah which was read today was so totally relevant
to what was going on it was scary. One of the commentaries really struck me
which I would like to share.
This is from Deuteronomy 29:18 which is dealing with idol worship. The
verse reads.
"And it will be that when he hears the words of this imprecation, he will
bless himself in his heart, saying, 'Peace will be with me, though I walk as
my heart sees fit' - thereby adding the watered upon the thirsty."
The commentary for this verse regarding the words Peace will be with me,
reads as follows:
"This is the source of disaster; the delusion that "peace will be with me,
so I can do as I wish without fear; calamities can only befall other
people." One commentator used to say that many seem to base their lives on
the foolish notion that certain kinds of people are prone to die, but not
them, they are immune from physical or spiritual death."
This really struck me, Actually it struck me in two ways. The first way is
how complacent we in America have become. Never really worrying about what
is going on in the world at large, because it is always happening to someone
else. To Israel, to the IRA, anywhere but here. When this happens on our
shores, what a wakeup call it is. We are not immune, we cannot live without
a vacuum. I think we have lost a lot of focus of this as a people since
World War II.
The second way it struck me was that the terrorists themselves have become
complacent about us. Because of our relative inaction with the USS Cole,
the Embassy bombings and other terrorist actions against us that did not
happen on American soil, they have come to believe we are an easy target.
That we will just sit back and like the small child being overcome by the
school bully, will hope that it will just go away. I don't think they
remember their history either. When someone hits us directly, as this did,
America will not sit back and wait for it to go away, We will make sure we
have the last word. I think the Terrorists made a huge mistake, I think
this is their death knell. Not ours.
The other part of the service today, the drash, which is the sermon which
explains part of the Torah reading dealt with another portion, Deuteronomy
30:19-20
"I call heaven and earth today to bear witness against you: I have placed
life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life, so
that you will live, you and your offspring - go love HASHEM, your G-d, to
listen to His voice and to cleave to Him, for He is your life and the length
of your days, to dwell upon the land that Hashem swore to your forefathers,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
The person giving the message cited several examples of what has happened in
terms of choosing life: The firefighters who rushed to the World Trade
Center, to help those in need, who ended up giving up their lives because
they chose life, to help others in need. The Rescue Workers around the
country and around the world, spending days and possibly weeks going through
the rubble in the hopes of rescuing someone still alive. They have also
chosen life. The New Yorkers gathering on the streets, applauding and
cheering the heavy equipment and the people who were giving of themselves to
help in this terrible tragedy. They also were choosing life.
There were also unfortunately, some examples of choosing death as well.
Those pictures of the Palestinians dancing and cheering upon the news of
this tragedy. They have chosen a spiritual death. Those Americans who have
decided to take their rage out on Arab Americans and Muslims who have
nothing to do with this horrible event save sharing a nationality and the
name of a religion with these fanatics. Jerry Falwell as well chose death
when he spoke today his message of hate regarding people whose lifestyles he
did not agree with.
Sorry for the proselytizing. I'm hurting and need to share.
Sandy
-----Original Message-----
From: Paris Lundis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 6:29 PM
To: CF-Community
Subject: RE: Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell
Their comments are disturbing.
They are as radical as the Islamic fundamentalist alleged to have done
all this crap.
Intolerance stands in the way of democracy.
Our leaders are responding to terrorism by monitoring us... installing
carnivore systems and such... Some politicos are talking about a
national identification card for us...
So how about a solution instead.. We keep our rights... INS keeps
people out and we ID foreigners.
[finding the future in the past, passing the future in the present]
[connecting people, places and things]
-----Original Message-----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 14:26:22 -0700
Subject: RE: Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell
> I hope everybody remembers that just like the terrorists don't speak
> for all
> Muslims, Falwell and Robertson don't speak for all Christians.
> Personally, I
> find often that their views are downright unbiblical. Like all
> fanatics,
> they pick and choose what they want from the Bible and ignore the
> passages
> that contradict their narrow, bigoted views.
>
> H.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jennifer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 1:23 PM
> To: CF-Community
> Subject: RE: Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell
>
>
> Guess again. Here's a quote from Falwell's website:
> "I sincerely regret that comments I made during a long theological
> discussion on a Christian television program yesterday were taken out
> of
> their context and reported, and that my thoughts--reduced to sound
> bites--have detracted from the spirit of this day of mourning."
>
> Even he doesn't deny that he said this:
> "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this, because God
> will
> not be mocked, and when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies,
> we
> make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists,
> and
> the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying
> to
> make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American
> Way -
> all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger
> in
> their face and say 'you helped this happen.' "
>
> He just says that it was taken out of context.
>
> At 04:12 PM 9/15/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >Don't believe this article.... It's not true.
> >
> >---
> >Don Bellamy
> >SiteObjects, Inc.
> >http://www.siteobjects.com/
> >Tel (517) 324-4227 ext 100
> >Fax (517) 324-4267
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Howie Hamlin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 1:55 PM
> > > To: CF-Community
> > > Subject: Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell
> > >
> > >
> > > Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell just never stop, do they?
> > >
> > > http://prochoice.about.com/library/weekly/aa0901falwella.htm?P
> > > M=n209150
> > > 1a
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
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