September 2006 Rejoice With Trembling By Rabbi Alvin Kass In the Haftorah that Jews recite prior to Rosh Hashanah we read the words of the prophet Isaiah: Sos asis bashem, "I shall surely rejoice in the Lord." It is striking that at this penitential season when Jews most strongly manifest sobriety, somberness, and seriousness, our Tradition chose a prophetic selection which emphasizes joy. Judaism sees no contradiction between the two. Although we believe that our fate is decided at this juncture of the year we have confidence in the future and believe that God's compassion and love for each of us will prevail over all other considerations. For similar reasons, we usually cover our heads with a white yarmulka and the Cantor wears a white robe on the High Holy Days. The color white symbolizes purity, hope, and optimism, and it is these positive emotions which dominate our consciousness. We need that state of mind to sustain us this year more than ever before. As of this writing, Israel is still involved in a bloody conflict with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon as well as Hamas in Gaza. Even when the fighting stops, there will undoubtedly be a long period of instability before any solid peace arrangements are arrived at. Notwithstanding these very ominous and dangerous developments, we Jews still approach the future with confidence about our capacity to survive and prevail against our enemies. After all, that is what Jewish history is all about. The Hebrew poet Yehudah Halevi once referred to the Jews as "prisoners of hope." If we weren't, Jewish survival would have been impossible. How could we have stayed alive despite two millennia of exile? How could we have made it through incessant persecution and oppression? Surely the indomitable hope and faith that permeate the Jewish psyche enabled us, not only to survive, but to flourish as a vital and vibrant people, devoted to our own civilization and committed to furthering the welfare of all mankind. Fortunately, there are solid reasons, rooted in history, for the hope that there might be some resolution of Arab-Israeli hostility. First of all, Jews and Arabs are cousins, descendants respectively of Isaac and Ishmael. The Hebrew and Arabic languages are closely related. The Koran, the Muslim holy book, gives more attention to Judaism than Christianity. Thus, while Jesus is cited in the text four times, Moses is mentioned over a hundred times. What's more, Jews historically fared better in countries under Arab control than they did in countries controlled by Christian rulers. The greatest outpouring of Jewish culture and creativity was stimulated by the Muslim environment of Spain from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries. Prospects for the future are further complicated by Iran's nuclear ambitions. The proliferation of atomic weapons, which is a problem in itself, becomes especially fearful when the would-be wielder of such weaponry declares its intention to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. How is it possible to rejoice when one ponders such frightening potentialities? But that is what Jews have always done. No matter how rough the external circumstances of our life, we Jews, nevertheless, always maintained confidence in ourselves, faith in God's goodness, and optimism toward the future. "Rejoice with trembling" - that is our specialty and our destiny. Miryom, Sarah, Lewis and Sarah, Danny and Debby, Judah, and Bennett join me in wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year. L'shanah tovah tikatevu - may you be inscribed and sealed for a good and auspicious 5767.