Faith and Belief . . . Wisdom and Comprehension

(Once again, it’s that time of year when, in addition to twice-weekly medical teleconferences, thrice-weekly college lectures, writing essays and trying to follow as many Dodger games as possible [they are currently in the midst of a nine-game winning streak], preparations for High Holiday services are consuming more and more of my time and grey matter. And again, its that time of the year when, in the hopes of using my waking hours more expeditiously, I double-dip: my weekly blog essays form the main basis for of my Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services . . . and vice-versa. What follows, will likely be delivered on Tuesday morning, September 7, the first day of the Jewish New Year 5782.)Unlike most monotheistic religions, Judaism has always placed a higher value on the deed, rather than the creed. Want proof? Ask ten learned rabbis what Jews believe about X or Y, and chances are, the rabbis will stroke their beards (that is, if they are males) and get a thoughtful look on their faces and then begin with something like “Well, some Jews believe . . . “ Then again, ask the same ten learned rabbis what Jews do in situation X or Y and the answer will be quickly forthcoming if not precisely the same. I have long assumed that the bit with pulling on a beard (or perhaps twirling a curl or a side lock) permits the scholar to look both thoughtful and wise even when he/she doesn’t know the answer.

The vast majority of rabbinic literary works (commentaries on virtually anything and everything under the sun) come mostly in the form of debate and argumentation. Indeed, one terribly wise and long forgotten sage once compared these discursive meanderings as “intellectual arguments across the generations.” Occasionally, when one sage wished to insult a colleague without calling him an uneducated simpleton, he would quote the 12th/13th century Spanish thinker Nahmanides (known as “The Ramban”): והמשכיל יבין (v’ha-maskeel yavin - meaning - “The educated person will understand”).

Let’s take a brief rhetorical respite before returning to The Ramban’s insightful bit of wisdom and how it ties in to this essay/sermon. The past several years have brought unutterable changes to our lives - and not just in terms of our physical health, the state of our economy, or the changes made in the way we live our lives all over the globe. Most of us have, at one time or another, spent days, weeks and even months cordoned off from family and friends. We have learned, due to dire necessity, how to shop on-line, work from home, and even attend school and religious services via Zoom or other cyber platforms. For Anna and I as well as our family, the changes have been relatively easy; we love and get along well with our constant cabin-mates, and are employed in fields (like teaching, law and medical ethics) which can easily be accomplished from home. At the same time, we - like you - miss getting together panim el panim (Hebrew for “face-to-face”) with our friends, “playmates” and people who don’t live in our homes. Everyone should be so lucky! But the changes go well beyond matters of lifestyle and communication. One of the most serious and even frightening changes deals with how many people respond to reality. One of the very worst things to emerge over the past several years is the inability on the part of many to believe others . . . of being mistrustful of professionals, the highly-educated or leaders of the so-called “opposition” or, conversely the poorly educated, stridently fearful or those suffering from any number of noxious phobias. Again, COVID-19 provides a chilling example of this most dangerous new trend . . . mistrustfulness. Here in the United States alonge, nearly 650,000 have lost their lives to COVID-19; many more have had the pants scared off them by the very thought of testing negative and perhaps beginning a wrenching downward spiral. Then too, there are all those who refuse to believe that there is any such thing as a COVID-19 pandemic - that it is a conspiracy on the part of one political party to wrest power from the other party or to take away individual freedom and liberty (think masks). How many times have we heard that the vaccines which nearly 190 million Americans have already willingly taken contain tracking devices - put there by Communists, Socialists and assorted agents of maleficence for various evil purposes?" Or that the real reason for healthcare workers going door-to-door isn’t to get citizens vaccinated, but to ultimately take away their guns and Bibles? (Yes, there are quite a few people who have bought into this bilge). In short, there are many who have lost the ability to trust anyone in a position of knowledge or authority. These are the folks that Ramban (Nachmanides) spoke of so many centuries ago when, tongue in cheek, said oh so many centuries ago והמשכיל יבין - “The enlightened, the educated will understand what is נָכוֹן (true) and what is שְׁטוּיוֹת (uttrt B.S.).”

Of late, we have learned about virulent “anti-vaxxers” who have fallen prey to COVID-19 and its Delta variant and then, shortly before death, have urged people to go out and get vaccinated, be sure to wear masks, wash their hands and keep a reasonable amount of social distance. While it is both good and meritorious for them to warn people before their death of the importance of of these things (masking, social distancing and getting vaccinated), one must wonder what got into their minds prior to falling ill. How could they have ever been so easily convinced that they were somehow immune to the gravest pandemic since 1918? And even more important, how could so many supposedly intelligent, well-educated people convince so many others that they should fall prey to such an obvious hoax?

והמשכיל יבין

As we turn our attention to the New Year (whether Jewish or not), we would do well to recognize that truth comes far more often from the lips of experts (no matter what their fields) than from the mouths of fools. And that those who attempt to convince the masses that it is the fools who are the true experts, generally have an ulterior motive up their sleeve.

מאחלת לך שנה טובה ומתוקה (Hebrew for “Wishing you a and happy, healthy and sweet New Year.”