| Subject: Re: Interfaith Encounter Association Report |
Author:
Giovanna
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Date Posted: 20:55:38 12/09/02 Mon
In reply to:
Giovanna
's message, "Interfaith Encounter Association Report" on 23:06:48 11/23/02 Sat
forwarded message
Dear friends,
In order not to overload you mailboxes we tried this time to put together
the three reports from the study-session series that the Interfaith
Encounter Association organized for young adults in cooperation with Beit
Hillel and that took place in the campus of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem. The series attracted fifty participants to each of its sessions
and we are now working to create an on-going young-adult group, based on
the participants of this series.
Yours,
Yehuda
TALKS WITH GOD (2) - A Baha'i View
**************************************
The second session took place on November 19th, 2002. We were privileged
to host Dr. Albert Lincoln, Secretary General of the International Baha'i
Community. Unfortunately, due to an organizational mistake no one took
detailed notes from this session but we can indeed report that it
attracted more than the regular fifty participants and that their special
interest in that religion - which is very present in Israel but in very
small numbers - was manifested in the vivid discussion.
* * * * *
TALKS WITH GOD (3) - A Muslim View
**************************************
The third meeting of the series took place on November 26th, on
Mt. Scopus. A Muslim view was presented by Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, a Sufi
author and journalist.
Sheikh Manasra greeted the participants with "Happy Chanukah" and
explained that on the same day, Muslims brake their fast from the "Little
Festivity" of Ramadan.
Following a short introduction on the Islamic religion and its origins in
the Arabic Peninsula, Sheikh Manasra explained the meaning of Prophecy
according to the Islamic belief. He made a distinction between the Prophet
and God's messenger and concluded that God's messengers can be Prophets
but the Prophet can not be a God's messenger.
Islam believes in six "strong prophets": Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David,
Salomon, Jesus and Muhammad. Their mission was known better than any
others.
Sheikh Manasra said that the Sufis were influenced by Maimonides' words
and thoughts concerning the belief in one God, and concluded that Judaism
and Islam are the religions that believe in the oneness of God.
Towards the end, Sheikh Manasra disserted on Judgment's Day and said that
all the monotheistic religions are expecting for the Messias to come. He
concluded that a very thin line separates between those religions and that
politics usually spoils everything.
(Written by Daniela Cohen)
* * * * * *
TALKS WITH GOD (4) - A Jewish View
**************************************
The fourth and concluding study-session took place on December 3rd with
Rabbi DOv Maimon, presenting a Jewish view. Here are some of the
highlights:
We will try today to distinguish between two types of human ideals: the
Jewish prophet and the Greek philosopher. The Greek occupants in Hanukkah
times forbade Brit Mila (circumcision) on the eighth day, Shabbat the
seventh day that breaks the continuous world structure and Rosh
Chodesh: three ways to celebrate the concrete time. For Greeks, the
mythical time is of interest, their time model is cyclical not linear
without creation nor Messiah. The man can not be more than human, The Jew
aims to be supernatural. That's true that generally he doesn't succeed and
then becomes worst than the good secular person but this is another
story. The natural cycle includes seven days, Eight is the additional
dimension, the religion that connects human-being to holiness, the
opportunity to be a prophet, a superman.
As was mentioned by Fr. David Neuhaus, Abraham was the first prophet
called in the Bible. In the tradition, Adam had an esoteric tradition that
was transmitted to Noah, then to Shem - he is the one that brings the word
of G-d on earth. He tries to be perfect in his interpersonal relationship
and to be a servant of G-d. The "navi-shaliach" (prophet-messanger) will
be Moses, he is not only a prophet for himself but has also a collective
historical mission.
In biblical times, there were thousands of prophets but only 48 men and 7
women have been mentioned in the 24 books of the Bible. They are those
that their prophecy was relevant for the future generations. But there
were schools of prophets in the Judean desert, outside the
society. Preparation to prophecy is a discipline than can be learned in
groups, first personal ethical perfection (anger is not compatible with
prophecy, psychological dependence, egoism, etc.), interpersonal
perfection (freedom from wealth, from possession, etc), confidence in G-d,
rituals, meditation in the desert, teaching of a master (like Elijah to
Elisha). In Judaism every one can be a prophet and has the duty to be
one. But it is NOT magic: God is free to grant the special power to his
servants, or not.
Moses is different, he has a different ontology, not every one can be as
Moses - he achieved the highest level that a human being can achieve, he
attained higher levels than angels and reached the highest level a
creature can theoretically reach.
After the destruction of the temple, Rabbis were reticent to encourage
solitary meditation. They aimed to keep spiritual experience to moral and
intellectual elites. Exile is a deep-frozen state, where we have to
practice rituals and hibernate until we come back to the land. After the
destruction of the temple, ethics is the way to God.
The year 1240 was the Jewish millennium: year 5000 of the biblical
calendar. In his epistle to Yemen, Maimonides claims that we have to renew
prophecy toward the return of Messiah. In the Guide to the perplexed, he
describes the state of the prophet. His son Abraham will write a practical
guide to prophecy. His grandson will write a 12-step path to prophecy.
The prophet is more than a philosopher. The philosopher is the first floor
- purifying faith from mundane senses and false beliefs. The human ideal
is "dvekut" - being connected to G-d permanently. The goal is not to get
special powers to control own and others life but search of truth for the
sake of truth.
Today we see charlatans and real healers, holy persons and impostors. We
can see what happen in the room next door but why do we need it? For
personal benefits or for others? The ideal is again to build a better
world. The prophet is here to lead others to make truth and connection to
the divine for all human beings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Interfaith Encounter Association
P.O.Box 3814, Jerusalem 91037, Israel
Phone: +972-2-6510520
Fax: +972-2-6510557
Website: www.interfaith-encounter.org
Yehuda Stolov, Director
E-mail: msyuda@mscc.huji.ac.il
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