Thanksgiving Class (Part 1)

The following is Part 1 of a class I gave this past Thanksgiving. The central theme of the class is religious pluralism. How far is any religion (though I am talking mainly of Judaism here) willing to acknowledge the legitimacy of other religions? Certainly, this is a complex topic and I do not pretend to adequately address it here. Rather, I speak here only through a particular sermon given on Thanksgiving Day 163 years ago.

While neither the class that I gave nor this post are centered on The Chronicles of Narnia, I do reference the meeting of Emeth and Peter in The Last Battle and, since my recording didn’t work, I figured I may as well write up the class somewhere. The style and themes here are a bit different than what I usually write on this blog, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

New York Governor John A. King declared November 18, 1858, as a day of, “general Thanksgiving and praise to an Almighty God," and invited all, "to unite in so just an acknowledgement of His power and goodness and of our dependence on His mercy and forbearance.” On that day, the Reverend Dr. Morris J. Raphall ascended the podium at New York’s B’nai Jeshurun (Greene Street) Synagogue and gave a Thanksgiving sermon published by The Occident. R’ Raphall, originally from Stockholm, first served as Rabbi in Birmingham, England, and assisted British Chief Rabbi Solomon Hirshcell. Though later to be known perhaps infamously for his attack on Abolitionists who were using the bible to condemn slavery (though he too condemned the slavery of the Southern States), R’ Raphall was central in bolstering a modern Orthodoxy. In the words of Prof. Jonathan Sarna, R’ Raphall demonstrated that, “a rabbi could combine Jewish and general learning, matchless oratory, and a thoroughly modern demeanor while still adhering scrupulously to the strict demands of Jewish law.”

R’ Raphall began his Thanksgiving sermon invoking the governor and expressing his gratification that this year’s Thanksgiving Proclamation was not limited to a specific denomination (religion or sect):

Standing where I do - calling to mind how often in my thanksgiving discourses I have been compelled to take exception to the wording of proclamations, and how some of the daily papers were pleased to take me to task on that score - it is to me, and I am sure to you likewise, a source of sincere gratification, that for the last two or three years the Governor’s invitation, with equal good taste and justice, has been so worded, that our rights, our feelings, and even our prejudices, have no cause to take umbrage; but that, whilst Catholic and Protestant, Trinitarian and Unitarian, flock to their places of worship, and each denomination, according to its forms and tenets, pours forth thanks to the Universal Father, we of the House of Israel can likewise repair to our sanctuary and take part in the solemnity of the day, thus verifying the words of the Psalmist (133:1), “How good, how delightful it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

While certainly the ultimate vision of Judaism is that all humanity should “form one gathering to do His will,” (as stated in the High Holiday prayers), R’ Raphall’s quotation of the Psalmist in this context is questionable. After all, usually the term "brethren" is reserved for fellow Jews. Nonetheless, a German contemporary of R’ Raphall, R’ Samson Rafael Hirsch uses the same verse in differentiating between God’s declaration “good” and “very good” in the Creation story. Good, says R’ Hirsch, is each individual thing that God created. However, after six days of creation when God saw the entirety of creation as “brethren dwelling together in unity” and the unity and harmony of each creation in the whole, He declared it, “very good.”

R’ Raphall continues along these lines:

Yes, it is good! We acknowledge it! It is delightful! We feel it! “Brethren,” even as the prophet declares, “have we not one Father?” (Malachi 2:10) Called into being by His will - formed in His image, we and our fellow-citizens are brethren; and though our creeds may differ, and our modes of worship be dissimilar, yet we all confess “One God hath created us.” “Dwell together in unity!” “Together;” not separated by fanaticism. “In unity;” not arrayed against each other by inequality of rights. No one tolerated; for here no one can arrogate to himself the right to grant toleration. And no sect dominant; since there is none so daring as to usurp domination. But, really and fully, according to the true intent and meaning of the worlds, “together and in unity.”

This section of R’ Raphall’s sermon is understandable. R’ Raphall rejoices in the fact that Jewish citizens of the United States are like everyone else and, thus, true unity can be achieved. However, he now starts to tread on some thin theological ice.

Every religious body adopts practically the same rendering of the words of the prophet. (Micah iv.5) “Each denomination may follow its own ideas of divine worship and we will adhere to our idea!” Such is the liberty of conscience granted by Revelation, the Law of God; such is the liberty of conscience proclaimed in the Constitution, the law of these United States.

First, the quoted verse from Micah sounds wrong. Micah speaks harshly against the idol worship of Samaria and prophesied God’s retribution against the nations who will continue to bow to the “works of their hands.” Second, does the Law of God really grant such “liberty of conscience?” Is Judaism really just fine with other ideas of divine worship?

We’ll try to figure this out in our next post.