Learning from The Faith and Reason : Key Takeaways - Book Report/Review Example

Learning from The Book Faith and Reason : Key Takeaways A rabbi is one of the most important persons in Jewish communities since they are responsible for the religious beliefs and rituals of Jews. The role of a rabbi extends beyond scriptural studies and centers around helping people understand the meaning of life and situations they face in daily life. Examples of ideal living are not only found in scriptures, but also in the stories related by these rabbis when they relate how a person in distress understands the situation and handles it to overcome the pain through the help of an accomplished rabbi who cites scriptures and practical examples at the right time and the right place. A rabbi is a messenger of God and all good things and to be able to deliver the right solution or suggestion at the right time, a rabbi needs to have the required knowledge of scriptures and reality of life. When gearing up for my role as a rabbi in the Rabbinical school, I found deep insights and understanding related to my role after going through the book “Faith and Reason” by Samuel H Bergman. The book is a unique combination of thought lines related to different forms of controversial issues that we see crop up around us in relation to spiritualistic endeavors. There are five ai focuses that I found really well discussed in the book and I share my thoughts related to each, as I developed them while reading the book here. Five Main Focuses: Faith in the Voice of God: Starting with the story of Samuel and moving onto other eminent thinkers, the writer brings in a thesis of faith in existence of God even before actually hearing it often showcased by friends of people who heard celestial voices. The author of the book says, “Gandhi defined faith as encounter in the same way when he spoke of the small voice within which had accompanied him through life and to which he had trained himself to listen through mental and physical exercises” (Bergman, 1961, 17). What I understand from this is that the voice of the conscience that we have inside us, is verily the voice of God that comes around till our ears as the feeblest voice that we tend to miss noticing. When a person uses a self-conscious effort, then he or she can easily go closer to that voice and remain correct in all decisions he or she takes in life, owing to the fact that it is indeed the voice of God. Judaism is monotheistic: Jewish beliefs rely a lot on Messianic manifestations. With the thoughts on faith and the fact that science indirectly supports faith in God warms up in my mind, I find the words of Hermann Cohen who believed in “the essence and uniqueness of Jewish monotheism by its emphasis on the spirituality of God and its Messianic expectation” (Bergman, 1961, 30). He firmly believes that to be able to understand and experience the Messianic age one must not only announce and accept his faith in God publicly, but also endeavor to relate Gods messages to mankind and his own personal life to people around him. The power of a Messiah reveals when this ready tendency to share and care for fellow men is present. This is a very important aspect of a rabbis role in which not only does he exercise mentally and physically to stay close and listen to Gods voice, but also shares his wisdom to uplift fellow human beings and take them Godwards through his own conviction. Cohen’s Marburg trial was totally convincing to me and I am convinced that the monotheistic approach is the ideal Jewish lifestyle. Liberalism is Important: The third chapter of the book develops a balanced thesis of how to look beyond liberalism and orthodoxy and realize that right and wrong cannot be defined, detected or followed by the two approaches, basing on the teachings of Franz Rosenzweig. Although I am not convinced by the fact that Rozenzweig treats Judaism and Christianity as religions that have different protocols, the fact that he showed the world the reason they should look beyond the protocols and accept that God exists and try to reach him following either of the two religions is praiseworthy and shows how a rabbi needs to find a middle path for every argument to stop and be convinced that the solution is viable. He had successfully reduced the “traditional tension between Judaism and Christianity” (Bergman, 1961, 69) with his thought. Buber’s Theology: A person who solely believed in highlighting the relationship between man and people or things around him to define the dialogue in which man lives all along, Buber brings in a sense of peace through his teachings. A rabbi can function greatly if he understands that while communicating with God, a man also must be able to do justice to his relationships with different people and things around him and grow strong as a representative of God. This is a unique approach not discussed elsewhere in the book wherein Buber brings in spirituality through human relations. He believes that all beings around us are “spiritual beings” and our dialogue with them takes both of us closer to realizing “the Other” (Bergman, 1961, 86). Cosmic Unity: That every part of creation unites in the cosmic reality of time is greatly justified in the fifth main chapter of the book and inspires a rabbi to develop a neutral approach to all things around him. A rabbi sees many aspects of pain and pleasure around him and must be able to tell right from wrong and not indulge in any other bias in thoughts since everything in the end becomes one. Conclusion: This Book Inspires One to Be A Good Rabbi The five main aspects of rabbinical thinking which I find in this book inspire me to lead a balanced and extremely wise life, in which I realize God’s presence and creation’s unity with Him in all aspects of life I see, address and revel in around me, all of which are features of a better rabbi. References: Bergman, S.H. (1961) Faith and Reason: Modern Jewish Thought. Schocken Books: New York Read More