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The Zionist Conspiracy

A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006
 
Rosh Hashanah Sermons: Green Bay Packers and G-d's Role In The World

The rabbi at the shul I attended on Rosh Hashanah spoke during services on both days.

On the first day, the rabbi opened by mentioning that while he does not follow professional football and therefore does not known whether this team still exists, there was at one time a team called the Green Bay Packers.

The essence of that sermon was criticism of Packers coach Vince Lombardi's "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" philosophy. As the rabbi explained, this approach has permeated the observant Jewish community, resulting in those without a lot of money often being deemed failures, and diligence and community service being ignored and undervalued, in sharp contrast to the approach of Judaism.

On the second day, the rabbi spoke about the challenges relating to faith that people face during times of adversity. He noted that there are some who believe that G-d is involved in every aspect of their lives, while others believe that G-d is not necessarily interested in them or their particular problems.

The rabbi stated strongly that those who believe that G-d is actively involved in their lives deal far better with life's challenges that those who do not. This view, he noted, is in accord with the Ramban (Nahmanides).

While my knowledge of Jewish thought is rather limited (in yeshiva, we never studied the text, and were offered at best a superficial education in this area), my understanding is that Ramban holds that while G-d operates the world so that it seemingly runs b'derech hateva (in a natural manner), G-d is directly responsible for everything that occurs in the world.

In contrast, the Rambam (Maimonides) sets forth a more rationalist view of the world than the Ramban. While the Rambam of course recognizes that G-d can and sometimes does intervene in the world and perform miracles, my understanding is that he holds that the world does generally run in a natural manner, and reward and punishment are received in the "next world."

Admittedly, the Rambam does at times appear to contradict the strictly rationalist approach, such as - if my memory is accurate - when he criticizes those who believe that calamities are natural disasters, explaining that while a disaster itself may be a natural event, its victims are not random. Ultimately, it is probably fair to say that the Rambam's approach is that those who are close to G-d will benefit from relatively more hashgacha pratis (divine providence), and others less. It is not clear where the masses fit under this approach.

As for whether those who believe that G-d is actively involved in their lives deal far better with life's challenges that those who do not, while I accept the rabbi's representation that this is generally the case, I think this remains somewhat dependent both on the particular person and on the extent of the adversity the person faces. In the event of a terrible tragedy, a person who believes that G-d is actively involved in his life might accept that the tragedy occurred for reasons he cannot understand but which are understood by G-d and be comforted by that approach, but he also might become angry with G-d and become disenchanted with, and ultimately rebel against, Judaism.

At the same time, some who believe that the world operates b'derech hateva might feel despair and hopeless during times of adversity, but others might accept that the pain of illness, death, and financial challenges can (and usually do) occur at some point to most people, and that suffering is not necessarily indicative of being punished for sin or forsaken by G-d.

Ultimately, though, more than these particulars, what struck me about the rabbi's speech is how ignorant most religiously observant Jews are about these issues. Since, as the rabbi noted, most people will sustain challenges to their religious faith, it is vital that observant Jews be provided an opportunity to understand the different approaches in the traditional Jewish sources about G-d's role in the world.