As a Sephardic Jew representing a heritage of tolerance, intellectual honesty and tradition, my perspective on the recent \”Exodus controversy\” — which is not rooted in anger, name-calling or popular \”marketplace theologies\” which have characterized certain responses in this city — is that of the classical Sephardic Bible commentators, whose method has been described as \”the persistent demand for logic.\”
Honesty, morality and ethical behavior — these are the calling cards of Leviticus, and they are the centerpieces of Jewish behavior and identity. Amongst the mitzvot enumerated in Leviticus 19 (known by some scholars as the \”Holiness Code\”) are respect for parents, charity for the poor, prohibitions against stealing and lying, a reminder to pay an employee\’s wages on time, the moral obligation not to take advantage of the deaf or blind, honesty and fairness in justice, prohibitions against holding grudges or exacting revenge, and the famous mitzvah to \”love your neighbor as yourself.\”
There are two different ways of reminding us that Purim is around the corner. One is the PR method, involving newspaper ads, thousands of fliers and large street banners, usually advertising the upcoming Purim carnivals. The other involves no media or marketing but has existed for more than 2000 years. It\’s called Shabbat Zachor (the Sabbath of Remembering).
No, I am not demanding a recount, nor am I calling on the Supreme Court to hear the case one more time.
Zionism. Remember that term? We don\’t hear it too often anymore. Many Jews seem uncomfortable with the term Zionism, saying it\’s \”too strong\” or it \”breeds nationalism.\” Some of Israel\’s leading historians have gone as far as declaring this current period in Israel\’s history as the \”post-Zionist era\” – whatever that means. The virtual silencing of the word Zionism in our educational, religious or political vocabularies make the days when we enthusiastically took to the streets to fervently protest the United Nation\’s infamous \”Zionism is Racism\” resolution seem like ancient history.
Dr. Norman Lamm, the president of New York\’s Yeshiva University, once told me of a professor he knows in Israel who does not consider himself an observant Jew but who insists that his children maintain one halachic practice at home: \”Birkat HaMazon\” (the grace after meals). Lamm explained this peculiarity as the professor\’s belief that the Torah\’s commandment that we should give thanks for our food is an ethic that every child should be taught, so that at every meal they will never forget to appreciate the food on the table.
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