Comments Delivered Yom Kippur Morning 2006

This I Believe.

Some years ago I was asked to teach an Introduction to Judaism course for Jews and non-Jews who wish to learn more about Judaism, and for people who were considering conversion to Judaism. 

Rather than use an existing curriculum, I decided to create my own:  a twelve-week course that included Shabbat, the yearly holidays, Jewish history, Torah and other texts, life-cycle events, ethics and Jewish peoplehood.  It was definitely an overview, with a lot of material to cover.  Nevertheless I felt it important and necessary to spend the first two sessions on Jewish theology, since religion for most Americans is so often connected with a belief in God.  I felt this was what non-Jews (and perhaps Jews as well) wanted to know first about Judaism:  what did Jews believe?

So often religion is connected with a system of beliefs.  In the Intro to Judaism class, I began by asserting that Judaism is not a belief system.  In fact, when I looked in the Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion under “belief,” there was no entry; it just said “see under ‘creed.’ ”  A creed is the authoritative statement of a religious community’s beliefs.  A creed often comes in the form of dogmatic statements:  This is true; this is what we believe in.  To belong to many religious communities, one must accept and follow the creed, the doctrine, of that religion.

Judaism does not have creeds.  Judaism is not a belief system.  Judaism is more concerned with our deeds, our acts, our words, how we behave in the world, rather than with theological statements of belief.

I must say, there is one exception.  Judaism does have one underlying belief, one specific doctrine:  we assert that God is singular, that God is one.  If we had a creed it would simply be Shema Yisrael, Adonai Elohainu, Adonai Echad:  Hear O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.

But as we discussed last night, anything beyond that--how we imagine God, how we relate to God, even what we refer to as “God”--is personal and not a requirement for being Jewish.

As a result of all this, I shy away from the word “belief,” because it feels dogmatic and not particularly Jewish.   

However, when we move out of the world of religious thought and into the secular world, the word “belief” can take on a different meaning.  This different meaning is what I would like to explore with you now.  I am thinking in particular about the NPR series “This I believe,” presented on Mondays as part of Morning Edition.  This series was originally created in 1951 by Edward R. Murrow.  Here is how he introduced it:

“This I Believe. By that name, we present the personal philosophies of thoughtful men and women in all walks of life. In this brief space…people of all kinds…will write about the rules they live by, the things they have found to be the basic values in their lives.”

He goes on to say:

“We hardly need to be reminded that we are living in an age of confusion—a lot of us have traded in our beliefs for bitterness and cynicism or for a heavy package of despair, or even a quivering portion of hysteria. Opinions can be picked up cheap in the market place while such commodities as courage and fortitude and faith are in alarmingly short supply.” (from the NPR web site)

Murrow was speaking 55 years ago, but his words are clearly still relevant in the 21st century. 

NPR revived this series last year, and I find myself perking up when it comes on the air.  Even though I have never heard of any of the people who share their beliefs, it is so interesting--and sometimes quite moving--to hear what values or beliefs motivate and drive different people.  Last month one woman (Vickie Milazzo, 9/4/06) spoke about living in fear of everything:  fear of physical risk, emotional risk, financial risk.  But the thought of “end[ing] up at [her] 90th birthday with nothing more than stale white cake and regrets” propelled her to begin taking risks.  Her bottom line:  “I believe in stepping out, and not living in fear.”

A person in California (Cynthia Sommer, 7/10/06) who employs people with disabilities says, “I believe in intuition -- that feeling you have about something or someone, without knowing quite why.” 

A woman from Dallas-Ft Worth (Phyllis Allen (7/11/06) says “I believe in being a good friend, lover and parent so that I can have good friends, lovers and children.” 

A man who is a singer-songwriter (Loudon Wainwright III (6/19/06) says, “I believe in the power of inspiration, in the mysterious gift of creation.”

You know, I share these with you not because these are earth-shattering, overwhelming statements.  Rather, because they are down-to-earth; they are very real values or beliefs that help shape the lives and choices of the speakers.

Let me share one more with you.  This is from the original series, and was aired on the radio in 1952.  The speaker was Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in major league baseball.  He said, “I believe in the human race.  I believe in the warm heart.  I believe in man's integrity.  I believe in the goodness of a free society.”

Today is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the day when we reflect on our lives and take a moral inventory.  I propose that today is also a time to think about our individual beliefs, the basic bottom-lines that guide our lives.  Hopefully these beliefs are influenced by Judaism and Jewish values, but they are uniquely, personally our own. 

I am proposing that we each ask ourselves:  What is my own personal moral compass?  What belief guides my acts, my deeds, my words?  What basic value guides my life? 

One way to uncover this for ourselves is to think of a challenging situation that we found ourselves in, and recall what guided us in the most positive way.  Perhaps, for some, it is personal integrity, or honesty, or empathy for other people, or the healing power of love. 

We all have within us this motivating truth, this motivating belief, but we rarely express it to others, or even to ourselves.  Today is a day to raise it to consciousness, even to share it with others. 

In this spirit, I’ll share with you what I believe.  I believe that making a difference in other people’s lives brings meaning and fulfillment to our own life.  I believe there are always at least two sides to every conflict.  I believe in the power of compassion.  I believe in Judaism as a deep and meaningful spiritual path.

And so I now ask each of you:  What do you believe?  There is no better day to ask this question, and no better day to answer it.  I invite you to look inward, deeply and thoughtfully.  What values guide your life?  Perhaps you will write it down; even better, talk with a loved one or a friend.  This is what we yearn to know about one another.  What do you believe?  What values guide your life?