Sandy,
Thank you for that bit of Torah. I actually found some of it comforting.
Judith
> 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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