It Is Our Duty To Celebrate The Beginning Of Mankind, Even Though Many Of Its Descendants Can Be So Angry And Violent (September 2006)

With all of the turmoil in the Middle East, as Israel fights for her very existence, it is difficult to turn our attention to these upcoming High Holidays and think only of ourselves. Israel needs us so badly. How can we even think of celebrating the birth of the first man and woman when we are aware that our sons and daughters are giving their very lives to defend our homeland?

The answer is that we need to go back to the beginning of man's existence to find what we as humans have in common. Despite the differences between nations and religions—which have been responsible for so many wars—all of us share an underlying humanity.

We came into this world flying under the one banner of Adam and Eve, the first set of parents the world has ever known. Our Rabbis say that the world stems from one progenitor so that no one who follows would be able to say he/she is better than anyone else. World history has taught us that whenever a nation or religion declares itself to be superior to another, whenever it seeks to annihilate another, wars ensue. Man's natural propensity is to claim others weaker and inferior and therefore subservient. Room is thus made for tyranny and subjugation, for barbarism and for deification of violence.

The Jewish way of thinking, expressed in the High Holidays, is that we are all children of the first man and woman whom G-d created directly. Therefore, we are the first grandchildren of G-d's efforts, linked inextricably to G-d as grandparents are to grandchildren. And just as grandparents see the beauty in their grandchildren that sometimes even parents miss. G-d sees the beauty in each of us. G-d knows the heights to which we are capable.

If there ever was such a time in human history, then it is certainly possible that such a period can recur. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the possibility of return and renewal. In fact, the Hebrew word for repentance is tshuva, which has its root in the word return. To return to an understanding that we have a common parentage might help us see how similar we really are. Yom Kippur mutually reinforces Rosh Hashanah by declaring that whatever oui differences and whatever harm we might have caused another. We can seek forgiveness from them on Yom Kippur.

These are the values that surely underlie statements made by many Israelis, even under the most trying of times when enemy rockets are raining on Israel's northern borders, that "we don't hate our enemies; we just wish to see them disappear so that we can live in peace. When they kill us, they stand on rooftops and gloat. When we kill them, we shed a tear for the families behind which they left."

If Israel, in her most trying hour, can see the potential for good in others—even enemies—than I dare not rely on my own anger which would have us shoot first and ask questions later. Israelis have taught us a valuable lesson: life can be very hard when there are people who hate us. But we don't have to gloat when our enemies are being destroyed because we carry the message of Rosh Hashanah in us every day. Fight strongly for what you believe; bu hope that the world will come to its senses and go back to a time when Adam loved Eve and when we will love our fellow human beings, regardless of our differences.

May this day come soon and speedily in our day. May you all be inscribed in the book of life for a good and gesunt year.

Other messages from Rabbi Stern