As proud of most Jews are of being Jewish –
they find it hard to understand how someone seemingly “normal” would be foolish
enough to convert to Judaism.
One outstanding example of a convert (by
default) is Dr. Micah Goodman. His mother came from a wealthy Catholic family
from Oklahoma, and converted to Judaism in an Orthodox ceremony. She married a
secular Jew and made Aliya with her husband, in 1969.
Dr. Goodman is a very successful researcher and
lecturer on Jewish philosopher, and has written several books on the subject,
apart from heading an Academy of Jewish Thought. His latest book, Moses Final
Speech, made its way to the top of the bestseller list very quickly. He has
dedicated a few years of his life to Moses because the last of the five books
of the Pentateuch (Torah) Deuteronomy, is the first book in the Torah
that doesn’t profess to be of divine creation, but is a repository of Moses’s
insights and thoughts.
In his speech, Moses is trying to warn the
Jewish people against the hubris of becoming a strong, but corrupt, nation. Dr.
Goodman writes; “Moses knows that the time he has left with his People is
limited, and yet he doesn’t spend these last moments trying to convince the
people the land belongs to them. He knows they will win the wars – that’s not
what worries him. What he is concerned about is whether the future generations
of his people will remain moral. About
whether a nation can be strong, successful and rich, and still retain a high
level of morality.
People believed that the religious rituals and
the Holy Temple would protect them. They thought that all they had to do was
bring sacrifices, and they would be pardoned for all their sins. But Moses said
to them, ‘My people, your protection is not secured by carrying out religious
ceremonies or coming to the Temple. You will only be safe if you properly treat
the three groups of unprotected people in our community: stranger, orphans and
widows.’”
Perhaps the prophet Micah sums up the essence
of Judaism best of all. He repudiates the mind-set of those who regard the cult
as the pinnacle of religion. To quote the Bible text:
With what shall I approach the Lord,
Do homage to God on high?
Shall I approach Him with burnt offerings, et
al…..
Man has told you what is good
But what does the Lord require of you?
Only to do justice, And to love goodness, And
walk humbly with your God [6:6-8]
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