The Danger of Intolerance

Re’eh

Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17

Précis: Moses begins by quoting God, saying “Behold (re’eh), I set before you a blessing and a curse this day.” The blessing flows from observance of the laws and the curses result from violations. A concern with idolatry permeates the following verses. The parasha explains that there will be a single site for sacrifices. A test for a false prophet and the punishment of an idolatrous city are included. The parasha then shifts to other subjects: a prohibition against self-mutilation, the biblical basis of the laws of kashrut, tithing so that the needs are met for the  Levites, the "stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.” Remission of debts, freeing of Hebrew slaves, and the dedication of firstborn cattle are discussed, as are the commandments for the observance of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

Deut. 14:1 “You are the children of Adonai your God. Do not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads on account of the dead.”

            Rabbi Joseph Heller has taught an interesting lesson about the verses in this part of the parasha (Distance Learning Project 8/23/03). He notes that this the prohibition from Jews “gashing” themselves has an alternative rabbinic interpretation, based on the same Hebrew root:  that Jews are not to divide themselves by adopting different subgroups with different understandings of the law.  

            Verses almost immediately following delve into the laws of kashrut. As I’ve pointed out before, while the attributes of  kosher land and sea creatures are carefully laid out, the “kosher characteristics” of birds is missing. Instead, we get a list of permissible birds to eat. This became an important issue for European Jews of the 16^th century, when turkey from the New World was introduced, and rapidly became popular. Was turkey kosher? Some authorities, citing Mishnaic sources, found it to be kosher; others, citing Rashi and his school of thought, declared it treif (non-kosher). Eventually, a majority of authorities came to recognize that turkey was indeed kosher.

            This story of the great turkey debate is more than a historical footnote. It is a great example of how Jews deal with the commandment of this verse: "Lo titgodedu" (do not divide into rival groups).

            In every era, there have been major disagreements in practice among and between different Jewish groups, and these disagreements run from the trivial to the fundamental. In recent times in Israel, and in parts of other Jewish communities as well, we see that differences become intolerable to some Jews: they demand separate seating on airplanes and buses, they state that Reform Jews are not really Jews. Intolerance and hatred fuels not only religious differences, but seeps into political action as well, as some Jewish extremists find a religious basis for their heinous attacks on gays and Arabs.

            Rabbi Heller notes, “Jews need to retain the ability to ‘talk turkey’ with those who observe differently, so that we remain one people, more than the sum of our parts, rather than disconnected sects.” On the other hand, with the most extreme elements of self-proclaimed “believers” we must stand and condemn, as has the vast majority of Israeli government and rabbinic authorities.