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The Board of Rabbis of Southern California brings together more than 300 rabbis representing the Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform and transdenominational streams of Jewish life.

The Board promotes and enriches Jewish learning and living through programming and leadership in the areas of Community Learning, Social Justice, Healing & Spirituality, Professional Growth, Interfaith Activities, and Media Relations.

Humanistic Religiosity

Rabbi Jason Weiner

Torah Reading: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Haftarah Reading: Isaiah 49:14-51:3

It is often lamented that there is not enough focus on God in contemporary Jewish life. However, simply pushing for increased focus on God would not be the solution to our problems. There is a unique teaching which, when properly understood, results in a complete paradigm shift that can radically alter the way a person interacts with others.

There is a classic principle, mentioned as a matter of Jewish law in the first chapter of the Shulchan Aruch, that a person must always place God before them. The Mishnah Berurah comments that one must in fact constantly imagine that they are standing in the Presence of God. Although this is easier said then done, the Torah tells us in this week's Parsha that we are asked, "Merely to fear God." The Talmud (Berachot 33b) raises the obvious question, "Is the fear of God so simple to accomplish?" The answer given is perplexing, "Yes! For Moses [who uttered this verse] it was a simple matter." However, the fact that true fear of Heaven was simple for the one and only Moses to achieve does not make it any easier for the rest of us.

Though a number of possible meanings have been suggested for this statement, I have always found the approach of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, "the Rav" to be particularly inspiring and enlightening. The Rav suggests that we must simply add a comma so that the statement takes on an entirely new meaning. The sentence in the Talmud then becomes, "Yes for Moses [i.e. fear of Moses], was a simple matter." Read this way, the Talmud is telling us that although true fear of God is difficult to achieve, once one can cultivate reverence for their rabbi, teacher, or leader -- only then will they be able to develop true reverence for God.

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A Prayer for Peace by Rabbi Naomi Levy

The BOR Interreligous Action Center is blogging from Israel: Day 1 -- Los Angeles Interfaith Leadership Mission

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