Rosh Hashanah, Jews & Racism

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, Chabad @ Flamingo

The Arab bloc and their allies have soiled the upcoming anti-racism conference in Durban beyond repair. The hateful anti-Israel/Jewish rhetoric they have propagated has unfortunately derailed what could, and should have been tremendous opportunity to advance the cause of peace and tolerance in our strife-stricken world.

However, rather than focus on the tragedy of the lost chance to further this supremely urgent cause, I would like to focus on the accusations themselves. After all, we do call ourselves ‘Chosen’ and ‘special.

On Rosh Hashanah we proclaim; “Today the world was born” (Musaf prayer). According to our Sages however, the world was actually created on the 25^th of Elul. Rosh Hashanah (technically the sixth day of creation) is really the day G‑d’s created Humankind.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe of righteous memory, would explain this anomaly in the following manner: “Unlike every other created being, humankind alone was given the free choice of acquiescing to G‑d’s dominion or rebelling against it. Only we, via the powers of our intellect and thought processes, were gifted with the ability to acknowledge, and relate to G‑d as the Sovereign of the universe. 

This uniquely human perception of G‑d’s omnipotence makes Rosh Hashanah, the day of our creation, eclipse the 25^th of Elul, because with it comes the potential of imbuing this world with G‑dliness. Consequently, this new plateau overshadowed all previous levels of creation”.

Adam and Eve were not Jewish. Noah wasn’t Jewish. In fact, the first Jew didn’t enter the arena until nearly one thousand years after creation. Yet, the grand entrance of Humankind into the specter of genesis is marked, and celebrated - by us Jewish people - as the beginning of creation.

In the words of British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (The Jerusalem Post, 8.24.01) “ When Thomas Jefferson sat down to write the immortal words of the American Declaration of Independence – “we hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” – he was not drawing on the philosophy of ancient Greece. Neither Plato nor Aristotle would have understood them, convinced, as they were that some people were born slaves.

Those truths were self-evident to only a mind steeped in the book of Genesis, with its revolutionary statement that all human beings are made in the image of G‑d.”  

While this is true, the Bible also unequivocally states that the Jewish people are G‑d’s special chosen nation. It is the universally recognized credo of the Bible itself, which introduces the inherent and majestic dignity of the right to be different. 

Although every human has the ability to serve G‑d, and cultivate a personal relationship with the Divine, Judaism believes that different peoples are given different opportunities and responsibilities. A Gentile has seven mitzvoth, while a Jew has 613. The families of nations that populate the globe, can enjoy civil justice anywhere, while G‑d has legislated to us that the Land of Israel is holy, and given to us for eternity.

Are we racist? We, whose homeland Israel is filled with Jews of every colour, shape and size imaginable, all of whom are regarded in the same exact fashion. Does Israel’s ‘law of return’ discriminate on the basis of any racial features? Of course not, instead it simply states that all members of the international Jewish family – notwithstanding their race, creed or colour - have the right to ‘come home.’  

Perhaps the time has come for us to remember what does make us different. It has nothing to do with our colour or nationality, and everything to do with our spiritual responsibilities and obligations. If we choose to renew our commitment to Torah and the Jewish way of life, we will have answered the nefarious accusations emanating from Durban with dignity.

Action always speaks louder than words. By unabashedly continuing to upgrade our observance of Judaism, we will ultimately succeed in fulfilling our divine mandate of “being a light onto the nations,” and usher in the blessed Messianic era of peace and prosperity for all of humankind in this New Year, amen.