Thursday, August 20, 2009

"Which god do we go for?"


"Jewish culture is not just about waving a blue-and-white flag, and it is not even about knowing some Hebrew.


Even this double achievement does not make it very easy to be connected with Jewish culture.

To be connected with Jewish culture is to accept that it is different.

As Elijah the Prophet said on Mt. Carmel (I Kings 18:21):

We cannot 'halt between two opinions.'

We must make a decision once and for all – which god do we go for?

You want the Baal? Fine, enjoy.

But if you do want that, you cannot play with this."

--Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

From "The Paganization of Western Culture" by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz