October 19: We're not robots...

Our moral values don't change with the times, or adjust according to the latest trend.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
letters 88 (photo credit: )
letters 88
(photo credit: )
We're not robots... Sir, - I feel sad for Yaron Yadan ("Religion and secularism - a moral accounting," October 8). Though he claims to be an expert in Jewish law, there is something severely lacking in his Jewish education. He seems to have gotten the impression that we are to be robots, blindly following the Halacha. Yes, morality is determined by Torah. That means it is objective, and solid. Our moral values don't change with the times, or adjust according to the latest trend. The humanism Mr. Yadan describes sounds like "whatever makes sense to me today is what I'll follow; whatever makes me happy is what's important." A person accountable only to himself can be critical of his actions, but can dismiss wrongdoing easily, too. When one recognizes that there is a Big Boss who will demand an accounting of your doings, one may be a bit more careful. The second half of the Ten Commandments, from "Thou shall not kill" on, is seemingly less about obedience to God and more about the proper functioning of society. It forms the basis for our moral standards, which are elaborated on in many of the 613 Laws and many rabbinical works. The mishna's Ethics of the Fathers is filled with advice on how to live a moral and ethical life. Mr. Yadan should study the festival prayerbook in depth. Although it was composed 1,000 years ago, the prayers can speak to our times - if given the chance. BATYA BERLINGER Jerusalem Sir, - To pass off an immature, stunted perception of the depth and range of Jewish thought and practice - including the reasons for obedience to God, the existential, psychological, philosophical goals and purpose of it all - as a serious discussion of secular vs religious moral accounting was an embarrassment. DAVID ROTENBERG Jerusalem Sir, - Some people have a long way to go before they understand the essence of Judaism, religion, moral philosophy and even secularism - even when they have studied these disciplines for many years. Not everyone is able to grasp them. As Spinoza wrote: All noble things are as difficult as they are rare. NATHAN LOPES CARDOZO Jerusalem ...on the face of it Sir, - Obviously, the best thing to have come out of Yaron Yadan's move to secularism is that he has taken a close shave. He's one good-looking bloke. SARA ROTH Jerusalem Tradition, tradition Sir, - Re "Third Temple blues" (Letters, October 7): Eliezer Whartman, generally a very nice guy, disparages much of Jewish tradition, found in the Torah itself as well as in halachic treatises such as the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch, throughout the ages: the restoration of the Temple and sacrifices; Providential response to human, especially Jewish, behavior; the mitzva to wipe out Amalek and other Nazi prototypes; eating kosher, and God's heeding our prayers. A general Jewish theme, especially on the High Holydays, is God's involvement in every realm of life - from Eliezer's breakfast to the fate of his descendants. Our very claim to Israel, to a great extent, rests on our biblical tradition, much respected by our Christian friends. YAAKOV FOGELMAN, Editor A Jerusalem Jewish Voice Jerusalem Let the idiots be Sir, - Although the other leading Israeli papers routinely engage in sensationalist reporting, I was disappointed at your headline "PFLP threatens to assassinate Lieberman" (October 15). I am in favor of a free press and against censorship, but why print the idiotic rantings of every enemy of Israel? Why aid the enemy's propaganda against us? JEFF SHAMES Rehovot Golda kept her nerve Sir, - Abraham Rabinovich is to be lauded for his gripping and informative account of Golda Meir's leadership in the 1973 war ("Golda's meltdown," Yom Kippur supplement, October 8). One key fact, however, seemed significantly underemphasized. Meir's highly controversial decision to resist authorizing an Israel preemptive action in the early hours of October 6 proved, in hindsight, to be a truly wise decision. Nixon's willingness to send Israel vast, desperately needed military supplies in "everything that (could) fly" was predicated on the fact that Israel was clearly not the aggressor. The individuals mentioned in the narrative - Elazar, Dayan, Sharon and others - are, along with Meir, all heroes, whatever errors and poor judgments mark their complex records. Still, the title of the piece was misleading. Far from being a "meltdown," in choosing at grave risk to reject a preemptive strike, Meir kept her nerve in an hour of maximum peril. And for that we should all be thankful. RORY SCHACTER Cambridge, Massachusetts Old blood is OK blood Sir, - Devorah Green complains about Magen David Adom's extremely stringent rules for blood donors, referencing "Mad Cow Disease" (Letters, October 13). I have a parallel complaint: the maximum age limit for blood donors. In Canada, the rules were changed a few years ago. There, with a letter from a doctor, one can donate blood without any limit on age; in the US as well I was able to donate blood well past the age of 70, without any ill-effects. Today's seniors are in good health and there is absolutely no reason to deny them the mitzva of donating blood if they so desire and are able. I was sorely disappointed that in spite of producing a doctor's letter, I was rejected here in Israel because I am over 70. This, too, is a policy that needs serious rethinking. DOLLY TIGER-CHINITZ Jerusalem