December 5, 1958
CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW
f
ir
Lit
and justice. A people committed to immoral principles and eworn to a leader who worships himself and his own power only, is destined to meet defeat. Only "the spirit of the Lord," and no other spirit, is truly invincible.
Lamp Number Two of our Me-
norah stands for the supremacy-' of faith. Many people have faith in the Lord and in His word, for the knowledge of Him is now widespread and many pledge allegiance to the banner of religious doctrine. But not many seem to understand that He is supreme, that His word comes first, that every other consideration must yield before the imperatives of His will. The lights of truth and justice and loving kindness -have been kindled in many hearts and in many lands, only to be extinguished by the gusis-of expediency and self-interest. But Chanukah reminds us that these ideals must be paramount and must determine the policies and conduct of individuals and nations.
Commenting upon the verse, and behold Pharaoh stood on the Nile, Rabbi Johanan said, "The wicked Trtand- above -their- godsj
bution of the bounties of this earth. "If thy brother be waxen poor, then thou shalt uphold him.1' This ia the moral imperative which prompts us to extend a helping hand/ to share our good with the less fortunate, to institute a society that will not make prosperity "f or the^ few~tratrloirtheTnaTiy.~Thi5-light dispels the dark of economic exploitation, breaks down the barrier between master and slave, and guarantees equality of opportunity for all.
Nations today are beginning to kindle this candle of economic help to less favored nations. We hear of many plans, such as the Colombo Plan, and the Eisenhower Plan for the Middle East, and the Krushchev Plan for the Aswan Dam in Egypt, all promising to help raise the standard! of living for people suffering under the plagues of scarcity and want. Would that we could hail such schemes
and give expression to our joy that we are beginning to learn the lessons of economic cooperation. Alas, we have reason to fear such gifts, as did the Trojans of old. Do these gifts come from a sincere heart and a brotherly feeling, or are they the means of political penetration�and a ruse for enslavement? Unless'they are offered in a spirit of genuine brotherhood, without political strings, they fail to mark that advance in civilization which we .so earnestly seeK.
Lamp Number Five is the light of self-understanding. "Know thyself/' said the ancient Greek, and with the light of this knowledge we can banish the darkness of ignorance- and superstition. Modern man suffers from many anxieties, frequently developing into neuroses. The psychiatrist is 'working overtime, though his efforts do not seem to bear much
fruit, for man seems to be more confused than ever. We are devoting more time today to the exploration of outer space, neglecting to probe the inner space of man's psychological mechanism.
Perhaps our dilemma stems from the fact that we have assumed that man ia merely a psychological mechanism, that his behavior can be explained solely in terms of cause and effect, that we deny the spiritual side of his nature. Perhaps psychology can learn a great deal from a more thorough examination of religious literature. We are not tapping the spiritual resources inherent in man, which need development through religious training and orientation. For it is the religious tradition which has seen the internal conflicts which beset every human being and has encouraged man to resolve his conflicts in
(Coirtimiri on P�f� Flffy-Stvu)
the ' righteous, the Lord stands above them, as it is said, and 'behold the Lord stood over him
above ns and takes absolute precedence, when His will outweighs all else, then the Menorab will <be a Ner Tamid, a perpetual lamp.
� r The� Third- Bamp� is - the� light of human Brotherhood. Without its candle power, humanity gropes in the dark. Without the recognition that, despite our differences, we share the same divine breath of life, nation will be poised with s word~against� nation- ttnd � the-menace of war will rear its ugly head. The differences which set apart one individual from another are important, the cultural and creedani visions "which separate one people from another are essential to the richness and variety of life. But these differences should not make us lose sight of the indisputable right of all to foster and cherish their own way of life, without doing harm to their neighbour.
The Bible tells us that Joseph recognized his brothers, but they . did not recognize him. Why did they not recognize their own brother? Because, say our Sages, he had left them as a young man without a beard and now he was a grown man with a beard. The growth of a beard may change a person's external appearance, but it does not change his character or personality. The essence of man, the divine nature of his being, must always be seen beneath feia external characteristics. This is the true light of human brotherhood.
Lamp Number Pour expands the concept of brotherhood from "Live and Let Lire" to "Live and Help Live.1' This is the light of economic justice And the equittble distri-
purchased at H.R.'s
V
will be wrapped in H.R.'s Silver-and-Blue Festive glitter without extra charge
HOLT RENFREW
Sherbrooke at Mountain, MONTREAL 144 Bboc Street West TORONTO
Also in Quebec City, Ottawa. Hamilton, London, Winnipeg. Edmonton, CalgvyJ