On Yom Kippur morning, many Reform
synagogues read the words of Deuteronomy 29-30 in lieu of the traditional Torah
reading from Leviticus, which focus on the ancient Yom Kippur sacrifices. Regarding the Torah, Deuteronomy 30:12
teaches, “Lo bashamayim hi – It is
not in Heaven,” meaning that it isn’t too far away from us that we cannot grasp
it. In a beautiful Talmudic legend known as the story of the Oven of Akhnai (Bava
Metzia 59b)[1],
the Rabbis use this quote as justification for their authority to interpret
Torah according to their own understanding.
Judaism teaches that every Jewish soul, in one way or another, stood at
Mount Sinai and received the Torah. This
beautiful gift is ours to learn, ours to interpret, and ours to pass on. How will we use this gift in the year to
come?
(DNT)
[1] An
excerpted version of the story may be found at http://www.jhom.com/topics/voice/bat_kol_bab.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment