The Torah: Is it the perennial winner of "Jewish Idol"

The Torah service has always intrigued me. It's a major highlight of a prayer service. It also has a very high concentration of rituals. What I find interesting is the way that we demonstrate our reverence to the Torah. Don't get me wrong, I believe that the Torah should be revered, but it seems that some of our rituals walk a fine line between reverence and respect and idolatry.

The Torah is dressed in garments befitting of a king or queen. We march it around in a grand processional where people kiss it. We rise in its presence and even have specific rituals to give it a proper "burial" when it no longer can serve its purpose.

Is this reverence to God's word or has the Torah become an idol? Does the average Joe (or Jacob) like me understand those nuances? Could a normal person explain how all of these rituals when done with a Torah are ok but when done with a statue of the Deity of the day becomes idolatry?

If our rituals do not constitute idolatry, what actions relative to the Torah would? Where do we draw the line? What wouldn't be ok?

Should rabbis perform interfaith marriages?

I was married by a judge. Although we were a Reform congregation, our rabbi wouldn't perform interfaith marriages. There were a few mercenary rabbis who would but my mother, in her wise ways said, "At this point, you're going to be married by a stranger, why do you care whether that stranger is a rabbi?" Here comes the judge!

It never sat well with me though. How could the rabbi say he welcomed us to the congregation yet he wouldn't marry us? Was it really just our dues money that he welcomed? (I really thought that!)

I don't think that anymore. I don't think that rabbis should perform interfaith marriages if they don't want to. If the two people haven't fully committed to being Jewish what's the point of having a rabbi? What is it symbolizing? What does it mean? Doesn't the rabbi just become a prop like flowers?

I'm all for interfaith marriage. Frankly, with all of the problems that people have with marriages, we should embrace any two people who love each other and want to make a commitment. But, I don't think that it is reasonable to expect to have a symbol of "Judaism" when you haven't made the commitment.

So, I think my rabbi did the right thing. He didn't want to be a prop, but he accepted us and our choices and welcomed us to the community. I don't think that I could really have asked for more.

To kneel or not to kneel that is the question

Today I am going to my niece's first communion. I've only been to a Catholic Church four or five times in my life. It always seems a bit strange although I'm sure no more so than a synagogue might feel for a non-Jew. Each time I've gone, I've had to confront a set of decisions - in which rituals do I participate and which ones should I pass on.

Some are easy. Certainly I wouldn't take communion and I'm pretty certain they wouldn't want me to. It would be like a non-Jew being called for an Aliyah. Some things are only appropriate for those within the faith. Also, I obviously won't cross myself.

But there are some that are a bit more grey, at least in my mind. In particular, should I kneel? My first reaction is, "No way, Jews don't kneel. Mordechai would roll over in his grave if I were to do such a thing." But, then I thought about it some more. In our congregation we certainly expect people to rise during the Barchu, the Amida, and the Aleinu. So why not kneel?

I don't view it as a religious issue. I don't think that non-Jews who rise during our prayers are doing so in a religious way. I think they are doing it to respect out traditions. So is kneeling the same. Certainly while I am kneeling I won't be praying to Jesus or asking for salvation. I'll probably just quietly contemplate my own thoughts or more likely will space out (which is probably what people at our congregation do during the Aleinu).

Some people argue that asking people to rise or encouraging them to wear a kipah (which is also something done at my congregation) is different because it's not religious its about respect. Maybe, but I doubt the person being asked knows that. Can we think of kneeling the same way or is there something more? How would you explain to a non-Jew that doing Jewish rituals are ok because they aren't religious but doing the rituals of their faith are not ok because they are?

I probably won't decide until the first opportunity comes up. I'll keep you posted.