By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin
PIKESVILLE, Maryland — Many words associated with religion have lost their meaning, and when synagogue and church leaders use them to inspire their people, they frequently lead them astray. The following are some examples.
Religious — What do people mean when they say, “I want to be religious”? When we see someone and say he is a religious person, what behavior are we talking about? We want to know the behavior and the acts, but the word does not reveal them. A better word is “to be observant” or “practicing.” Better yet, in Judaism, “I would like to practice the laws that the rabbis tell me are indicated in the Torah.”
Spiritual — The term spiritual is similar to religious. If you attended a Shabbat meal at a rabbi’s home and left saying, “I enjoyed the evening immensely. It was so spiritual,” what did you tell your host about what impacted you? Was it the menu? Was it the way he conducted the Shabbat meal? What was it that impressed you?
If you could tell your host what act or observance affected you and why it did, it would inform him what you are talking about and make him feel complimented. Even more than that, if you could identify what you mean by spiritual, it would affect you. You would understand yourself better. It could also lead you to similar or even better acts.
Faith — Most Christians and many Jews think that people need to have faith to please God. If faith means anything, it accepts an idea as accurate even though it contradicts common sense, logic, our five senses, and science. Does this make sense? Do people with such ideas know what they are thinking or talking about? Of course not. Faith is the acceptance of an idea that does exist.
Faith also means that if people need help, God will help them.
Don’t the clerics and Bible teachers mislead them?
Maimonides tells us in his Guide for the Perplexed that when the Bible states in Genesis 1 that God created humans in His image, it is saying He placed the intellect in them. He adds that God does not come to help people. People are helped by using their intellect, and individuals who develop their minds and use what they learn are helped the most. Thus, reliance on God is wrong, and faith is meaningless.
Belief — Belief is similar to faith. When individuals say, “I believe I saw a black cat,” they are saying, “I think I saw a black cat.” They are not sure. So, does it make sense to say, “I believe in God”? They think they are saying, “I am convinced that God exists,” but this is not what they say. They are only saying they think it is possible.
People should not believe. They should learn as much as possible about God, know what they can, and act upon that knowledge. They should study what God produced, for this is all we can know about God. We should use our learning to improve ourselves and all that God produced. This is what God wants, not passive thinking about Him.
Accept God as your savior — Many TV preachers tell their audience to “accept God as their savior.” No sensible person would aspire to accept their spouse. What is necessary is action. But the preacher is telling the audience to be passive, and this is reinforced by using the phrase savior, asserting that while the audience is passively accepting, God is like a puppeteer manipulating them and all that relates to them.
Do we want to think of ourselves as a Pinocchio made with flesh?
The Jewish concept — Judaism demands the opposite.
The Jewish word for “law” is halacha. The root of this Hebrew word means “step forward,” which is the opposite of passivity. It requires action.
I will suggest a new interpretation to make the point more straightforward.
The number seven in Judaism denotes completion, as God finished creation in seven days. Eight is often used to symbolize a new beginning, as when a newborn male child finishes seven days of life, shows signs he is healthy, is circumcised, and begins life with a sign that he is a Jew.
Why is circumcision considered a sign that the boy is a Jew?
Many answers are given.
I will add another.
Genesis 1 tells us that God implanted intelligence in humans that they should use to help themselves. But God wanted to make it crystal clear that humans have a duty to use it, to act with it. God did so with circumcision. It is as if God is saying, do not rely on Me. Do not even rely on what I created without doing something about it. Yes, I made a penis with a foreskin. Now, you must act. Show yourself and Me that you can act. Circumcise!
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Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin is a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps and the author of more than 50 books.