A Jewish Perspective: Blind Obedience Is Not Freedom

I happen to be a member of a small, privileged group with whom Rabbi Rick Sherwin periodically shares some of his perspectives on life. The group is made up of Tracie, Terri, Sherie, Rob & Jean, Nathan, Jim, Denise, Dale, Andy. 

I don’t know for sure the identity of any of the members of the group except Jim. I see him looking back at me from my mirror every morning. And I know for sure that he feels honored and edified every time he reads the observations Rabbi Rick has shared. My guess is that the others on the list feel similarly.

On May 21, Rabbi Rick noted in his email that Sherie had asked him to “facilitate a 90-minute class at her church, focusing on what non-Jews should know about the Hebrew Bible.” Even though I don’t know who Sherie is, I don’t think she would have made such a request if she didn’t think her fellow church members would be benefited by hearing Rabbi Rick’s comments. 

Following is the balance of what the rabbi said in his May 21 email. What follows are his words, unabridged:

I know that somewhere in those 90 minutes I will present the perspective that Jews do not take the Hebrew Bible literally. As I have shared with your communities through the years, the question is not “Did it really happen?” or “Did God really say it?” but rather “What can we learn?” In essence, the Rabbinic Sages teach that Torah itself is a midrash to enhance life with meaning.

I cringe when any fundamentalist quotes a verse from the Torah and demands that we blindly obey the Word of God. Equally disappointing is when secularists use the wording to “prove” religion [is] passe.

Jewish Tradition assigns us the responsibility to examine the values behind the words, to study the words in context, and to measure them against the two basic tenets of Judaism:

Inclusivity – Every human being reflects the Divine Image and therefore must be granted dignity.

Responsibility – Humanity and God are equal partners in the process of transforming the world from the way it is to the way it ought to be. 

God does not need sycophants; God does not demand blind obedience. God – however God is to be defined – demands questioning, free-thinking, creativity in applying Torah to the mitzva of caring about people and the earth.

This evening [May 21] marks the beginning of Shavuot, the major Festival concluding the Passover season. On Passover we were liberated from slavery in Egypt. Shavuot (the “Festival of Weeks”, Pentecost), coming 49 days (7 x 7 weeks) after Passover, offers us the story of the Jewish People receiving Torah, the ultimate “Declaration of Independence” enhanced by narrative, guidance, and midrash.  

In the spirit of Shavuot and the message of Torah, I am appending my thoughts on blind obedience. I think it’s a message that sheds light on Jewish Tradition’s evolving application of Torah in every age.

Rick

BLIND OBEDIENCE IS NOT FREEDOM

Rabbi Rick Sherwin

Passover, remembering the Exodus from Egypt, is only the beginning of the story. Shavuot, commemorating the acceptance of Torah at Sinai, completes the story. True freedom comes not only with being free FROM slavery. One must be free TO fulfill destiny and purpose. 

The setting at Sinai is fascinating. The Children of Israel have been liberated from Egypt. They now stand at the foot of the mountain listening to the commanding Voice of God. Each Jew individually hears a different Voice, yet all together respond as one: “Na’aseh v’Nishma” — generally [mis]translated as “we will do it and we will obey”.

The root meaning of “nishma” (נשמע) is not “obey”: it is to listen, to understand, to internalize.

There are those who believe that God wants blind obedience, that we “do” even if we do not “understand.” Blind, unquestioning obedience is not within Jewish Tradition. Pointedly, there is no Hebrew word explicitly meaning “obedience” in the Torah! 

The two words uttered by the Israelites standing at the foot of Mount Sinai – we will “do” and we will “understand” – are balancing halves of the same thought. It is the two-fold promise to grow, to become more mature in action and to deepen understanding.  

The commitment to “do” and “understand” that began at Sinai sets the foundation for Rabbinic Sages’ priorities of 

Asking questions, even when there are no apparent answers, even when there are several answers, and 

Applying action and understanding to the context of history. It is a forever-evolving process.

In Jewish Tradition, freedom is not blind obedience to the Word of God. The ultimate freedom is in the responsibility to understand and to apply the message of Torah to the needs of community in every generation!