Shabbat Pinchas 5768
Dear Friends,
Here is an overview of our studies this Shabbat.
Morning Study Session
For the past few weeks, I have been discussing faith and skepticism. One of the inheritances of the Enlightenment, and therefore a foundation of the liberal state, is a skeptical attitude toward claims of authority and knowledge. As citizens of a liberal state, we inherit both the skeptical attitude, on one hand, but also the duty to live civic lives of virtue. To live a committed life of virtue, however, we have to transcend skepticism to some degree and establish a moral starting point — for example, that people are endowed by their creator with rights.
One of the issues that we who inherit the skeptical attitude face constantly is the issue of belief. Much of what the rational Enlightenment mind rejects is irrational religious dogma. When we take the pruning hook of rationality, however, and start trimming at religious dogma, we can end up with a mere stump of a religion, perhaps a gilded stump, but a stump nonetheless.
For tomorrow's study session, I would to discuss how, in a rational, thinking person's religion (specifically, a rational, thinking person's Judaism), we navigate the waters between the Scylla of nihilistic skepticism and Charybdis of irrational dogma.
Torah Study
I'll be forthright and tell you that I have been trying to think of a way not to discuss the profound implications of the story of the daughters of Tzelophechad found in this week's Torah portion, since the speaker on this portion last year treated the topic so exhaustively (that would be our daughter, Shuli, at her Bat Mitzvah). I find myself drawn in nonetheless.
To remind you: the daughters of Tzelophechad critique the Torah of God as being morally wrong on a certain point of law. Moses takes their claim to God, who says to Moses: they are right. The whole idea of a "Torah temimah" (a perfect Torah) suddenly becomes complex: what do we mean by "perfection" of something that admits to its flaws?
Tomorrow's topic: the daughters of Tzelophechad — a father's perspective.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Finley