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Where Was God?February 2005From the Desk of Rabbi CohonI've been asked a number of times in the past few weeks how God could allow the tsunamis that wrought such havoc in Southeast Asia and Africa to take place. If God cares about us, how could he allow such a terrible event to happen? The earthquake and tidal waves seem to prove that our doubts about God's essential fairness are well-rooted. As Harold Kushner's well-known book title put, why do bad things happen to good people? Or, more tellingly, the message might be that God simply doesn't care. As the Yiddish expression goes, "mensch tracht und Gott lacht"-we work and plan-and God laughs. While those feelings are completely understandable-the images of the carnage in Indonesia alone cause pain for any caring human being-our struggles here are based in an understanding of God's role in our world that I think is inaccurate. Judaism believes in the fundamental principle of free will. We are each given the ability to choose, in our own lives, to act either for good or for evil. When we act to create holiness, kedusha, we bring blessing into our world, whether or not the end result is what we expect. God could predetermine our course for us, but then we wouldn't be truly created btzelem Elohim, in God's own image. That means, of course, that some will choose evil. In a similar way, our universe was created by God, in a system that follows certain natural laws, also of divine origin. Once set in motion, these varying forces are, in a sense, interacting with a certain freedom. Volcanoes erupt and create new land masses; rain, wind, and waves wear that land away. In a sense, just as we are free to choose between good and evil in our lives free of God's direct overrule, these forces are free to act without being subject to Divine intervention. God has created a complex world, a kind of system, filled with balancing forces and elements. We are a part of that system, but only a part. Our role in responding to such a world, and such epic natural and human disaster, is to act for good. It is our responsibility to try to ameliorate the suffering, and to aid the stricken, as directly and powerfully and rapidly as possible. In doing this, we can, in the face of great loss, exercise our own human capacity to create good. Please give to the charities listed on the flier in this bulletin, or others that are directly bringing help to those in need. Growth
and Transitions One of the great pleasures of serving as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El comes from seeing our congregational life establish traditions that are meaningful and enduring. In our rapid growth from 350 families to 800 families over the past 5 1/2 years we have created many new programs and customs that bring meaning and excitement to Jewish life here in Southern Arizona, and both broaden and deepen the appeal of Judaism for Tucsonans. One of the wonderful new traditions we have brought to Temple has been the position of an Assistant and now Associate Rabbi. As you know, our Associate Rabbi, David Freelund will be assuming his own pulpit in Hyannis, Massachusetts next summer, and will complete his service here at Temple Emanu-El at the end of May 2005. We are grateful for his talent, warmth, humor, and energy and all he has helped accomplish here at Temple, and we are proud that he has developed the confidence and knowledge to grow into his own congregation. Our talented and diverse Assistant/Associate Rabbi Search Committee, under the extraordinarily able Donna Beyer, is hard at work evaluating a number of rabbinic resumes we have received already. We are looking forward to bringing in a talented, caring rabbi who will help us continue the remarkable development of our outstanding congregation. The need and importance of this position has now become well-established, and that is an important step for our Temple. If you have input for us as we work through this important process, please contact Donna directly by telephone at 624-2531 or 444-3797, or by e-mail at donna@postcraft.com. Every transition is both a challenge and an opportunity—and the hiring of a new Assistant/Associate Rabbi is just such a positive transition. L’shalom v’rei’ut, in peace and friendship, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon
L'shalom v'rei'ut, in peace and friendship, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon
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