There is a famous story you have all heard about a couple who goes to a rabbi for counseling during a difficult time in their marriage. The rabbi decided to meet with them each individually so they could be open and honest about their conflict. First he met with the husband. After the husband had told the rabbi all about their problems and constant bickering with each other, the rabbi paused and thought, and then simply said, “You are right.” It was then the wife’s turn. She came in and sat down and shared her side of the story with the wise rabbi. After she was finished, the rabbi paused and again, after a great deal of thought…he turned back to her and said, “You are right.” After the couple left to return home, both of them vindicated, the rabbi’s wife, having overheard the whole session exclaimed, “How could they both be right?” The rabbi turned to his wife, scratched his beard and said, “You are right.”

Is it far fetched to believe that two opposing sides in an argument can both be right? It certainly is when you are on one side and you can’t come to grips with your opponent, but we as Jews have a long-standing tradition of letting arguments end in a bit of ambiguity. We know from our Talmud that Hillel and Shammai were constantly bickering with one another over who had the greatest authority in Jewish law. They were often opposed to one another, such as in the case of whether on Chanukah we should start with one candle on the first night and add a candle on each subsequent night…or should we start with eight and take one away each day. Of course we know how that argument ended. But in one heated debate, a Bat Kol…a voice from heaven shouted out…Eilu v’ Eilu, ”These and those are both the words of the Living God.” (Eruvin 13b). Wouldn’t our world be in a better place if we could just find the eilu v’eilu…if we could agree that not every argument has to end in absolute black or white? Is it possible that two opponents can both be right on some level and then just move on to more important things?

It is hard to imagine that we can solve the great issues in our world…those issues that keep people and ideas in conflict with each other…if simple arguments at home between family members can’t be settled on such simple terms. How many of us in the last year drew a line in the sand and refused to budge? Again, the notion of Talmud Torah is so compelling in this regard…it is so rare that the arguments in our Talmud end with a precise solution. Rather we have images of the Great Sages arguing with every proof they could muster…but in the end…eilu v’eilu…these and those are the words of the living God. It is difficult to admit that just maybe…our opponents might have a glimmer of truth to their ideas. And if this task is great when the subject of argument is whose turn it was to take out the garbage, or mail the mortgage payment, or pick up milk…then all the more so it is when it comes to religion or politics.

I stand here just a few feet from our sacred scroll. It sits here in our sanctuary which is at the center of all we do as a congregation. We call ourselves the People of the Book, but even so…we allow ourselves to argue with its words. As progressive Jews we invite discussion…and sometimes we get angry and push back from the table thinking, “How can our Torah say that???” or “Do we really believe that???” Those arguments and discussions are how we keep our sacred scroll alive. We can on some level then accept the notion of more than one side of an argument actually being correct. Eilu v’eilu…these and those are the words of the living God. But so often we are faced with fundamentalist and extremist views that force us to entrench. We are forced to draw a line in the sand and to stand on one side…like in the following quote.
Hurricane Katrina was the fault of George Bush. "It was God's retribution. God does not shortchange anyone…" Knowing the political, ideological, and theological landscape in our world today…it is not hard to believe that someone actually said this. That some people actually believe this. If I told you this was a statement by some Muslim extremist, you would probably roll your eyes imagining the enflamed speech of a right wing nut. If I told you that these were the words of a rebuking Christian Fundamentalist…you would be a bit more surprised, but not totally shocked. In actuality, these are the words of Ovadia Yosef, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi in Israel. He claims that the natural disasters of these past few weeks were caused by Bush supporting Ariel Sharon in Israel’s disengagement from Gaza and because of the African Americans in New Orleans who, in his words, have no god and don’t study Torah. The Jewish world has its share of extremists and fundamentalists too.
All of the major religions have them. We have seen Jews other than Ovadia Yosef…take up arms in trying to keep Israel from evacuating the so called “God Given Land” surrounding the modern state. Every day we pick up the newspaper to see that once again, Islamic extremist suicide bombers have killed and maimed all over Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of God. Here in the United States we see Christian fundamentalists garnering greater and greater influence over domestic and foreign policy. They claim authority from their scripture in their fight against homosexuality and a woman’s right to choose. They demand that we put up religious depictions of the 10 Commandments, not our 10 commandments, in our public places - places where religion and the state have been separate for a long time…and hopefully will be for time immemoral.

Fundamentalism is like a disease that spreads. It has taken hold in so many parts of the world. Fundamentalists have arisen out of the tension between science and religion. It is a black and white world view. It is a view that allows for no ambiguity. It is a view that contains absolutely no “eilu v’eilu,” only these (what we believe) can be true; certainly not those (that which they believe). Fundamentalism rises out of a fear of change. They refuse to allow for the fact that progress can make the world a better place. They fear that politics without religion will lead to a world without religion.

Fundamentalists have three things in common no matter if they are Christians, Muslims or Jews. They believe first and foremost that every word of their scripture is true and divine. Second, they oppose any possibility of modern theology. They allow for absolutely no critical understanding of the bible. Finally, they believe that anyone who does not believe what they believe, is in line for divine retribution. Like the comment by Ovadia Yosef about President Bush and the hurricanes – The infidel will be punished by God for believing what they believe.

It is not easy to define the opposite of fundamentalism. I know there are no fundamentalists here. We as Reform Jews understand the world to be in constant motion. Nothing stands still. To fight change is to attempt to keep the world from turning. We don’t quote chapter and verse from our Torah in order to make a point about truth or action. Yet, if we turn down the rhetoric for just a moment, we do draw lines in the sand all the time. Think about the words many of use to describe ourselves. They are no longer relevant because they are so loaded. Liberal has become a bad word to many people…yet conservative is no better. In so many areas of our lives, we dig in…we draw a line in some defensible way and we stand guard. We do it with our politics, our religious beliefs, our feelings, and our ideas.

But, again we find a great source of answers in our tradition. In Pirke Avot, we learn that Torah, or truth, is acquired through study, attentive listening, humility, joyousness, painstaking examination of a subject, fine argument and moderation in all things from sleep to one’s sense of humor. Isn’t this the opposite of fundamentalism? The ability to stop and consider that an opponent may possess some sense of truth even if we can’t agree with it - does not come easily.
If we can generally be good people without religion…yet religion creates so much friction in the world…what is the point of it all? I believe our lives are better for our being part of a community. It is through this community that so many of us do find the answers to life’s questions and challenges. When a baby is born we sanctify his or her entrance into the world with rituals. And like bookends…we sanctify the end of one’s life too. What is the point of believing in a religion if its purpose isn’t to make the world a better place? That is its purpose…to make the world a better place. Judaism helps us celebrate life’s great moments while making the difficult times a bit easier. Judaism ought to make us take notice of those around us and want to help make their lives better. Religion isn’t about being right…it isn’t about being judgmental…it is about trying to understand our place in the world…it is about finding our place and helping others to do the same. It is about taking responsibility as we work to achieve Tikkun Olam…the repairing of our broken world.

We are not fundamentalists, but we do believe we possess truth. As Reform Jews we understand that the truth surrounding the nature of existence is comprised of many things. We don’t understand our Judaism to have come directly from the Torah. The Torah is sacred and it connects us to all the generations of Jews who have come before us, but the bible was canonized 2000 years ago. Judaism is based on our Tanakh, but we have evolved over time. There are wonderful truths in our Torah…but they are often like jewels hidden away that we have to search for them. We don’t quote chapter and verse when trying to prove a fact, because that ignores science, nature, and experience and the light they each shed on truth and knowledge. We don’t take an entirely religious stand, but neither do we stand on secularism alone.
I am not trying to suggest that when we take an absolute position on an issue we then become extremists or fundamentalists. But we do lose a bit of who we are when we draw lines in the sand. We disengage from the world just a little bit when we refuse to look at the other side of a discussion. We learn about ourselves when we are confronted by someone else’s truth. When we open ourselves up for discussion, we force ourselves to really understand our own personal truths. I believe we are better people when we can stop just for a moment and think eilu v’eilu…I am right…but you may be to. I am not suggesting that we always take the middle road. If we water down our beliefs at every juncture to make peace…then we’ll end up standing for nothing. It is OK to argue and discuss. I am just suggesting that we open our minds to the possibility of what others think.

As we move through this Day of Atonement…let us think about our responsibility in the world…to ourselves…to our loved ones…to those who live around us. Our Mishnah reminds us to that in order to take a stand…we must find a balance…a balance between all aspects of our lives. This is a balance that can only be found through determination and respect. May we each have the strength to find that balance in the coming year.

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