I am a little distressed that I am the only one listed for
Texas and Oklahoma, who will officiate for any family! After all, as Dr. Reiss
explains, “Not all the celebrants listed are opposed to Brit Milah. However,
they are all committed to providing service to families unwilling to circumcise
their sons, by officiating at Brit Shalom ceremonies.” I, personally, am not
opposed to circumcision, nor am I a supporter of this ancient practice. I find
each side’s arguments quite legitimate. As all three of my boys were born while
we were still Orthodox, I have the luxury of not having to decide, as a
non-Orthodox Jew, in practice, what I would do. I just
ask myself, if I were opposed to circumcision, would I not want a rabbi
to welcome the opportunity to celebrate my child’s birth with me? Therefore, I
sincerely hope other rabbis will join me, eventually.
The term Brit Shalom is an interesting one. The Book of
Ezekiel, written from the point of view of the 6th Century B.C.E. in
Babylon, references the historical covenantal relationship between the Yahweh
and the Judahites, which other prophets and authors had spoken about at length.
As monolatrists[2],
the destruction of Judah and the exile of the Judahites to Babylon, implied to
many that the covenant had been broken. Ezekiel counters this, and reassures
the Judahites that the covenant will be renewed in the future, as a covenant of
peace, literally Brit Shalom.
Here are the remarks I shared Sunday night with Melinda,
Chris and their extended family, which all gathered at their home in Allen,
Texas:
One of the most fascinating things about the Jewish
tradition is that a Jewish scholar, be he the greatest scholar of his
generation, is referred to as a wise student. That is because Judaism so values
the idea of life long learning. So, whatever like-cycle event I officiate, I
try to see it as a teachable moment.
Actually, it is this very point that stands out about
Melinda and Chris. Most people just go with the flow. Most people's answer to
why they do or don't do something is I don't know, or whatever, or because
other people do. The liberal Jewish tradition does not view this type of
approach favorably. It embraces the idea of learning that traditional Judaism
does. It calls upon the individual, through this learning process, to seek out
those traditions that enhance one's life, and practice those. Equally as
important, it calls upon the individual, through the very same learning
process, to figure out which traditions do not enhance one's life and discard
those. Finally, it calls upon the individual, through this learning process to
find traditions that with modification, can enhance one's life, and embrace
those in their new form. This is exactly what Melinda and Chris have done in
seeking out the rituals we practice today.
Now, note that I refer to the individual on purpose. Liberal
Judaism calls upon every individual to work through this process. It recognizes
that different people will come to different conclusions, and sees that as a
good thing. So what is right for Melinda and Chris may not be right for the
next couple. How wonderful this diversity is!
Finally, Liberal Judaism calls upon us to engage in
dialogue, to argue our cases, and stand by our convictions, allowing the facts
to guide us towards the conclusions that are right for us. It also calls upon
us to use only the truth, as our guiding light. This means that one needs to
listen to the other person's position, carefully evaluate it, be willing to
accept that it could be right, and if it is, discard one's own position. This
approach is the very approach that Melinda and Chris took in arriving at the
conclusion that the type of celebration we observe here today is the right one
for them.
So, Melinda and Chris, young Tzvi, is ahead if the pack
already, since you will raise him in the very environment that brought about
his first life cycle celebration. May you continue to inculcate him with this
tremendously healthy approach.
[1]
This is the Hebrew name mom and dad gave him Sunday night. In any type of baby
naming ceremony, I always reference the English name too. It is omitted here to
protect the young man’s privacy.
[2]
This is the concept of believing in the existence of many gods, but swearing
allegiance to only one. This is quite different from monotheism, where one
believes in the existence of only one god. Most scholars today agree that the
Yahweh Alone party, the small group of priests in the 7th Century B.C.E., who
wrote the core parts of the Torah and Prophets, were monolatrists, not
monotheists, and the straightforward reading of the Hebrew Bible really always
pointed in that direction.
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