Keeping hope amid mourning

By RABBI FRANKLIN W. MULLER
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
Today is Sept. 11. Three years ago, our nation was attacked by terrorists. Buildings fell, thousands of lives were lost. It was a day that will live in infamy, a day that has been seared into the American psyche that we can never forget. Yes, today is a national day of mourning and remembrance.
As American citizens who love our country, we Jews share in the grief of the loss that this tragedy has inflicted upon us all. For Judaism, which values human life above all else, nothing could be more abhorrent than what took place on that morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Sadly, we Jews are all too familiar with the scourge of terrorism, where countless enemies have inflicted death and destruction on our people for centuries. For example, among the enemies of ancient Israel, the Amalakites were the first to attack the Israelites departing Egypt, and the most cowardly. According to the Torah they preyed on the weary and infirm at the rear of the line, innocent civilians, avoiding any engagement with the soldiers marching in defense.
Throughout our history many have sought to destroy us. Each summer, a day of mourning is observed to recall the tragedies that have befallen our people, most notably the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. In the fall, we observe Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which is also called the Day of Remembrance.
Looking back, looking ahead
Next week, Jews the world over will gather in their synagogues to usher in a new year, and to remember. We will remember all of our deeds, both good and bad, of the past year. More importantly, we will remember and resolve to better follow God's eternal precepts of morality, truth, wisdom and salvation. We will listen to the blasts of the ram's horn to arouse us from our complacency and move us to action. We will eat apples and honey to symbolize our hope for a year of sweetness in our lives and at the same time an amelioration of the bitterness in the world at large. We will read in the Torah the story of the creation of man, which teaches us that God has created a single human being to drive home the point that a person who extinguishes the life of another has in effect threatened the continuity of all human life. For at the very beginning, the fate of humanity rested on the survival of Adam, our one ancestor.
The same humble origins also underline the equality of all members of the human race. No one can claim to come from better stock. We are inextricably united in our common ancestry. Against the backdrop of such a lofty view of human worth, equality and individuality, no human is to be treated as a mere means to a greater end. Everyone of us constitutes an end, the embodiment of supreme significance. I know of no theology that provides a firmer foundation for a political doctrine of inalienable human rights.
Acknowledging need for God'shelp
On Rosh Hashanah, Jews gather in their synagogues to rededicate themselves to the realization of this vision of humanity. We seek God's help because we are acutely aware that the human heart is devious and perverse. We need divine assistance to tame our passions. In our prayers we ask God to imbue humanity with a sense of God's awesome grandeur so that it might be moved to unite in serving God with a full heart. Only then will righteousness prevail permanently as iniquity will be silenced and wickedness go up like smoke and tyranny pass from the earth. In the long run, the radical evil of contemporary terrorism can be banished only by sharing widely the blessings of the good.
Today is Sept. 11. It is a national day of sadness and mourning. At the same time, however, we hope and pray for a better day when all humanity will recognize the kingship of God and all will be united in peace and harmony. This is our prayer for the New Year 5,765.