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Area rabbis answer tough questions in wake of disaster
By: CJN STAFF
As the death toll continues to climb from the tsunamis in southeast Asia, many of us wonder how a compassionate God could allow a tragedy of such monumental proportions to occur.
The CJN asked local rabbis how they are responding to their congregants' fears and questions, as well as concerns about how to make a difference. In most cases, the rabbis agree, the answer lies in the traditions of tikkun olam (repair of the world) and tsedakah.
When faced with a calamity like the tsunami, Judaism does not attempt to address the issue theologically, says Rabbi Richard Block of The Temple-Tifereth Israel (Reform). Rather, helping those in need is central to the partnership between God and humanity and God and the Jewish people.
"We don't have a theological explanation for why bad things happen to good people."
The Torah portion at this Friday's Shabbat service deals with the Ten Plagues, and Block intends to integrate the tsunami into his sermon.
"There's an awful lot of the universe we don't understand, can't explain and can't control," he says. "We do what we can do, which is to be as generous and compassionate as possible, and in a small way, to ameliorate human suffering."
The tsunami was yet another reminder of how humankind is not in control, says Rabbi Naphtali Burnstein of Young Israel of Greater Cleveland (Orthodox). "We are clearly in the hands of God."
He talked about the response to the tsunamis' devastation at last Friday's Shabbat service. "Even if we feel helpless, it's important to have compassion, to feel their (the survivors') pain," he said. He directed congregants to contribute to those agencies providing disaster relief.
Rabbi Matthew Eisenberg of Temple Israel Ner Tamid (Reform) likewise urges congregants to give to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee or other Jewish organizations' disaster relief funds (see below).
Eisenberg has discussed the tsunami both on the bima (pulpit) and in his most recent temple bulletin.
He references the first Book of Kings, chapter 19. "There is a great and strong wind, but Elijah doesn't find God in the wind. There is an earthquake and then a fire, but God is not in the earthquake or the fire.
"In the end, Elijah finds God in a still, small voice. This means that God is not nature, not fire, nor earthquakes, but God can set these things in motion. We can't control these events, so what can we do? We can control how we respond."
Rabbi Sharon Marcus of Park Synagogue (Conservative) said a special mi sheberach (prayer for welfare) at Shabbat services last week in honor of the tsunami victims. "In all my books, it was hard to find a fitting prayer," she admits.
"I don't think there is any good explanation, a way to make sense of the disaster," Marcus adds. "Jews believe in a compassionate God, but not one who intervenes in the world in such a way that He would prevent a natural disaster. We are the instruments of God's compassion. He works through us as we reach out to help the victims."
Rabbi Susan Stone of Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson (Reform) admits, "I don't know that we can make sense out of (the devastating earthquake and tsunamis). It is a stark reminder that we don't control the world, that we are subject to forces greater than ourselves. And the humility that comes with that is vitally important to spirituality. Perhaps this will inspire us to think about how we live in the natural world."
When a someone asks how a compassionate God can allow this disaster to happen, Stone cites the midrash Ishmael, a commentary on the Book of Exodus. It talks about how the shechina (divine presence) went into exile with the Jews and wept with them. "We don't know why God doesn't make the world a safe place; we only know that He weeps with us," Stone says.
This Friday night at services, she has invited a member of the Indian community, a woman who has worked with Beth Shalom on diversity, to speak to the congregation about relief efforts. In addition, on Jan. 9, the Beth Shalom high school social action committee is coming to the Sunday school to talk to the younger students about the disaster.
Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria of B'nai Jeshurun (Conservative) finds it difficult to talk about theology in times of crisis and tragedy, but thinks the teachings of Maimonides say it best.
"My belief, from him, is that God created the natural world, and that it follows its own natural laws. When you read the creation story, God says the world is very good - tov m'od - but not perfect." Rudin-Luria prefers to think of God as a "Divine watchmaker," one who does not actually instigate natural disasters, but merely sets the parameters within which they can happen.
It's also important to remember that there is no morality involved in a tragedy of this magnitude, he says. "They do hurt people, but there's no good or bad, just victims."
Some insurance companies refer to incidents like the tsunami disaster as an "act of God." Rabbi Edward Bernstein of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah did not come to that conclusion when he discussed the tragedy with members of his Conservative shul during last week's Shabbat service, he says.
Bernstein believes in the theology that "God limits His own ability to intervene in world affairs." God, he adds, cannot be found in the disaster itself, but in the "heroic deeds and courageous acts" of those providing aid to the stricken areas.
"In some oceans we have warning systems" for natural disasters, notes Rabbi Steven Denker, interim rabbi of Temple Emanu El (Reform). "God gave us the ability to protect ourselves, but in some parts of the world we have yet to make it available to everyone. Death comes from a lack of tsedakah and equitable resources. We had no way of warning people there; therefore, it was a human failure."
When congregants need to "make sense" of the tragedy, Denker explains that in Jewish tradition, floods represent chaos. The tsunamis, he believes, are "a message on some level that there is still some chaos in the world. To a certain extent we are still responsible to partner with God to remove the chaos in the universe."
"This is the ancient problem of dealing with evil," says Rabbi Melvin Granatstein of Green Road Synagogue (Orthodox). This is not the first catastrophe and won't be the last. God does not exist to serve us; we exist to serve God. We simply have to recognize that there are many things we don't know. Instead of asking futile questions of 'why,' we need to respond humanely."
Marilyn H. Karfeld, Jennifer Slate Grischkan, Susan H. Kahn, Douglas J. Guth, Ted S. Stratton, Carol M. Splaver and Margi Herwald contributed to this article.
How to help tsunami victims
The following Jewish organizations are collecting money for the relief effort:
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc.
JDC-South Asia Tsunami Relief
P.O. Box 321
847A Second Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017
212-885-0832
www.jdc.org
American Jewish World Service
45 W. 36th Street, 10th Fl.
New York, N.Y. 10018
212-736-2597
www.ajws.org
B'nai B'rith International
B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund
2020 K Street, NW; 7th Fl.
Washington, D.C. 20006
212-490-3290
Chabad of Thailand
96 Thanon Rambuttri
Bangkok, Thailand 10200
www.chabadthailand.com
(for U.S. tax deductibility, checks should be made out to American Friends of Chabad of Thailand)
Tsunami Relief Fund
c/o Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland
1750 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Union for Reform Judaism
Attn: Asian Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund
633 Third Ave., 7th Fl.
New York, N.Y. 10017
For a more complete list, check www.usaid.gov/locations/asianeareast/tsunami/ngolist.html. Check back at this site for updates.
The CJN asked local rabbis how they are responding to their congregants' fears and questions, as well as concerns about how to make a difference. In most cases, the rabbis agree, the answer lies in the traditions of tikkun olam (repair of the world) and tsedakah.
When faced with a calamity like the tsunami, Judaism does not attempt to address the issue theologically, says Rabbi Richard Block of The Temple-Tifereth Israel (Reform). Rather, helping those in need is central to the partnership between God and humanity and God and the Jewish people.
"We don't have a theological explanation for why bad things happen to good people."
The Torah portion at this Friday's Shabbat service deals with the Ten Plagues, and Block intends to integrate the tsunami into his sermon.
"There's an awful lot of the universe we don't understand, can't explain and can't control," he says. "We do what we can do, which is to be as generous and compassionate as possible, and in a small way, to ameliorate human suffering."
The tsunami was yet another reminder of how humankind is not in control, says Rabbi Naphtali Burnstein of Young Israel of Greater Cleveland (Orthodox). "We are clearly in the hands of God."
He talked about the response to the tsunamis' devastation at last Friday's Shabbat service. "Even if we feel helpless, it's important to have compassion, to feel their (the survivors') pain," he said. He directed congregants to contribute to those agencies providing disaster relief.
Rabbi Matthew Eisenberg of Temple Israel Ner Tamid (Reform) likewise urges congregants to give to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee or other Jewish organizations' disaster relief funds (see below).
Eisenberg has discussed the tsunami both on the bima (pulpit) and in his most recent temple bulletin.
He references the first Book of Kings, chapter 19. "There is a great and strong wind, but Elijah doesn't find God in the wind. There is an earthquake and then a fire, but God is not in the earthquake or the fire.
"In the end, Elijah finds God in a still, small voice. This means that God is not nature, not fire, nor earthquakes, but God can set these things in motion. We can't control these events, so what can we do? We can control how we respond."
Rabbi Sharon Marcus of Park Synagogue (Conservative) said a special mi sheberach (prayer for welfare) at Shabbat services last week in honor of the tsunami victims. "In all my books, it was hard to find a fitting prayer," she admits.
"I don't think there is any good explanation, a way to make sense of the disaster," Marcus adds. "Jews believe in a compassionate God, but not one who intervenes in the world in such a way that He would prevent a natural disaster. We are the instruments of God's compassion. He works through us as we reach out to help the victims."
Rabbi Susan Stone of Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson (Reform) admits, "I don't know that we can make sense out of (the devastating earthquake and tsunamis). It is a stark reminder that we don't control the world, that we are subject to forces greater than ourselves. And the humility that comes with that is vitally important to spirituality. Perhaps this will inspire us to think about how we live in the natural world."
When a someone asks how a compassionate God can allow this disaster to happen, Stone cites the midrash Ishmael, a commentary on the Book of Exodus. It talks about how the shechina (divine presence) went into exile with the Jews and wept with them. "We don't know why God doesn't make the world a safe place; we only know that He weeps with us," Stone says.
This Friday night at services, she has invited a member of the Indian community, a woman who has worked with Beth Shalom on diversity, to speak to the congregation about relief efforts. In addition, on Jan. 9, the Beth Shalom high school social action committee is coming to the Sunday school to talk to the younger students about the disaster.
Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria of B'nai Jeshurun (Conservative) finds it difficult to talk about theology in times of crisis and tragedy, but thinks the teachings of Maimonides say it best.
"My belief, from him, is that God created the natural world, and that it follows its own natural laws. When you read the creation story, God says the world is very good - tov m'od - but not perfect." Rudin-Luria prefers to think of God as a "Divine watchmaker," one who does not actually instigate natural disasters, but merely sets the parameters within which they can happen.
It's also important to remember that there is no morality involved in a tragedy of this magnitude, he says. "They do hurt people, but there's no good or bad, just victims."
Some insurance companies refer to incidents like the tsunami disaster as an "act of God." Rabbi Edward Bernstein of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah did not come to that conclusion when he discussed the tragedy with members of his Conservative shul during last week's Shabbat service, he says.
Bernstein believes in the theology that "God limits His own ability to intervene in world affairs." God, he adds, cannot be found in the disaster itself, but in the "heroic deeds and courageous acts" of those providing aid to the stricken areas.
"In some oceans we have warning systems" for natural disasters, notes Rabbi Steven Denker, interim rabbi of Temple Emanu El (Reform). "God gave us the ability to protect ourselves, but in some parts of the world we have yet to make it available to everyone. Death comes from a lack of tsedakah and equitable resources. We had no way of warning people there; therefore, it was a human failure."
When congregants need to "make sense" of the tragedy, Denker explains that in Jewish tradition, floods represent chaos. The tsunamis, he believes, are "a message on some level that there is still some chaos in the world. To a certain extent we are still responsible to partner with God to remove the chaos in the universe."
"This is the ancient problem of dealing with evil," says Rabbi Melvin Granatstein of Green Road Synagogue (Orthodox). This is not the first catastrophe and won't be the last. God does not exist to serve us; we exist to serve God. We simply have to recognize that there are many things we don't know. Instead of asking futile questions of 'why,' we need to respond humanely."
Marilyn H. Karfeld, Jennifer Slate Grischkan, Susan H. Kahn, Douglas J. Guth, Ted S. Stratton, Carol M. Splaver and Margi Herwald contributed to this article.
How to help tsunami victims
The following Jewish organizations are collecting money for the relief effort:
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc.
JDC-South Asia Tsunami Relief
P.O. Box 321
847A Second Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017
212-885-0832
www.jdc.org
American Jewish World Service
45 W. 36th Street, 10th Fl.
New York, N.Y. 10018
212-736-2597
www.ajws.org
B'nai B'rith International
B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund
2020 K Street, NW; 7th Fl.
Washington, D.C. 20006
212-490-3290
Chabad of Thailand
96 Thanon Rambuttri
Bangkok, Thailand 10200
www.chabadthailand.com
(for U.S. tax deductibility, checks should be made out to American Friends of Chabad of Thailand)
Tsunami Relief Fund
c/o Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland
1750 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Union for Reform Judaism
Attn: Asian Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund
633 Third Ave., 7th Fl.
New York, N.Y. 10017
For a more complete list, check www.usaid.gov/locations/asianeareast/tsunami/ngolist.html. Check back at this site for updates.
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