Stories as Teachers of Morality

In our previous posts we have explored the moral value of stories as complement to the law. While the law may tell you how to act in a given situation, a story will instruct what situation you should place yourself. Thus, for example, the law may not have required the Maccabees to rebel against the Seleucids. Rather, they could have just followed the laws prescribed when one is forced to violate the Torah's prohibitions: for which prohibitions one must give up their life rather than violate and for which ones not. However, the Maccabees did rebel, spurred on by stories of Abraham, for example, who rescued his kinsman from the four kings despite the law not requiring him to do so. 

Another lesson one may learn from stories is what to do when the law does not cover a given situation. Now, of course, there are plenty of situations where the law, ethics, and morality do not play a role. But there are also a myriad number of scenarios in which there is a moral or ethical stake but are not covered by the law. The Torah addresses this in two ways: using catch-all type laws and telling stories. 

The Torah has several catch-all laws such as, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18), and "You should do what is straight and good" (Deuteronomy 6:18). The challenge with these types of laws is that they are by definition not exact and instead teach ethics and values that undergird the law. What does one do when these values clash? 

And so we turn to stories. The biblical stories and accompanying aggadic works, the Narnian stories, and the host of fables, legends, myths, and fairytales employed by every culture teach the values of that culture. Of course, Jewish stories respect the law, but they go further and teach us the values to apply when the law does not. 

Let's look at an example we mentioned above. Abraham's nephew, Lot, was captured and held hostage by the armies of four kings from the east. Abraham has to make a choice, to fight for the release of his kinsman or to leave him be. If he chooses the first option, it is highly likely he will have to kill numerous enemies, and also sustain losses of his own people. If he chooses the second, Lot is likely to become a slave or perhaps he will be killed. It would have been easier to Abraham to just forget about his nephew and live in peace. After all, he and his nephew parted not on such great terms. However, Abraham places the moral value of protecting ones family even higher. He girds his men and is miraculously victorious. 

History repeats itself and such stories of great men and women continue to guide us to this day.   

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

Holiday Gifts: Tools Not Toys

These are your presents, and they are tools not toys

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

This Monday morning, millions of children and adults will wake up to presents given to them from relatives, friends, and, of course, Santa Claus. In the Jewish world, we've also adopted the custom of giving presents and have attached it to Chanukkah. I in no way am decrying this adaptation. Quite the opposite, I think this is one reason so many Jews continue to celebrate Chanukkah despite, perhaps, not always being engaged in religious practice. 

The topic for this post is on what is given as presents or what we want as presents. The media, of course, happily informs us what are the most popular toys and the "must haves" for the season. In "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," however, Lewis presents a nuanced and dual approach towards Christmas presents. 

Only in Narnia is one able to meet Father Christmas himself, and three Pevensie children were fortunate enough to receive presents directly from him. He warns them, however, that the presents are "tools, not toys," and the time to use them may be near at hand. In other words, Father Christmas, no doubt as a messenger of Aslan, provides the children what they need to face an uncertain and trying future. Peter is given the tool of war and eventually leads his troops to in battle against the White Witch. Lucy is given the tool of medicine and provides healing to those wounded in the battle against evil. Susan is given the tool of prayer, calling out to Aslan, and uses it when attacked by the wolf. War, prayer, and the ability to heal are the tools needed to face difficult times in Narnia and in our world as well.  

And perhaps those are the types of presents we should hope for ourselves and to give to others. What do our children, our relatives, and our friends need in a world set against our morals and values? What tools can we give that will strengthen their stand for truth and their independence from the crowd dragging them down to the lowest common denominator? Those are presents worth giving! 

At least, those are one type of present worth giving. For Father Christmas presents something else to the children, "A large tray containing five cups and saucers, a bowl of lump sugar, a jug of cream, and a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot." To some extent this present too helps them along their journey to greet Aslan. But mainly this present is so that they can enjoy the holiday, and that's also OK. 

In "Reflections on the Psalms," Lewis speaks of the role of chocolate eggs on Easter, noting that, "If he [the young boy who for the time has conflated the chocolate eggs with the spiritual aspects of the holiday] puts the spiritual first he can still taste something of Easter in the chocolate eggs. The command of Gods holiday comes first, but its holiness can spread to the mundane if recognized as such. 

Similarly here, the invitation to give presents is a means to teach our children, and even other relatives and friends, the importance of the holidays: that God rules the world, and that values such as kindness and charity flow from Him. But once those are established, the holiness of the holiday can extend to the presents that are toys as well.  

The sword, horn, and cordial given to the Pevensie children were indeed tools. But because they were given first, the spiritual celebration of Aslan's return extended to the tea as well.  

Never the Same Way Twice: The Chanukkah Story and the Story of Chanukkah

But things never happen the same way twice 

(Aslan, Prince Caspian)

In our last post we spoke about the role of stories in the bible We suggested while law may instruct us how to act in a certain situation, stories will guide us as to what type of situations we should put ourselves. 

However, there is related role for stories: to inspire us to go beyond the law. 

Over the last few days Jews throughout the world have told the story of Chanukkah which goes something like this: 

During the Second Temple period Judea was ruled by the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus IV. Though Judea had generally been granted a great deal of self-autonomy and were not restricted from practicing their religion, Antiochus eventually changed the status quo and decreed that the Jews must violate certain dictates of their religion including the dietary laws, the Shabbat, and circumcision. The Maccabees revolted and, on their way to winning Jewish political independence, captured Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple to the One God. 

As is well known, the Maccabees scoured the Temple for olive oil that was ritually pure in order to light the menorah (candelabra). However, all of the oil and most everything else in the Temple, had been profaned by the Seleucids and they were only able to find one small jug of pure olive oil, enough for one day. Famously the oil burned for eight days providing ample time to procure additional ritually pure oil. 

Was the Maccabean revolt required by Jewish law? A priori the answer would be no. Jewish law provides for circumstances when one is forced against compliance. Specifically, the law outlines when one must give up their life and when not. And while giving up one's life is necessary rather than worship idols, one can violate the above-mentioned laws without risking one's life. So why did they choose to revolt?

Presumably, they learned from other stories. Abraham risked his life to save his nephew Lot from the clutches of the four invading kings. Simeon and Levi risked their lives to free their sister from the rapist Sh'chem. The Maccabees, faced with rampant assimilation and the risk of devastating losses of Jews to their religion, followed their lead and fought for independence. 

However, as Aslan says in the quote above, salvation does not happen the same way twice, and in the United States the evolution of Chanukkah became a story in and of itself. 

Two thousand years after the Chanukkah story, in the late 1870s, a group of young Jewish men from New York and Philadelphia gathered to form Kiyam Deshmaya, a group dedicated to revitalizing Jewish life in America. I'll leave the details to others, but, faced with rampant assimilation the likes of which may not have been seen since Hellenism, they chose an exact opposite method for salvation. Yet, perhaps ironically, it was the Chanukkah story that was a cornerstone for their plans. 

Of course, Kiyam Deshmaya had no intention of following the Maccabees to arms. Quite the opposite, they exhibited nothing but gratitude to the "kingdom of kindness" that is the United States, rather they strove to make Chanukkah as American as any other holiday. They told their fellow citizens a story of Jews that reflected their own history and origin: to stand for what is right, that a small army can overcome a superpower if only God is on their side, and that even one spark of light can banish immense darkness. 

And it worked! 

All over the United States people graciously wish their Jewish fellow-citizens a Happy Chanukkah.   

Happy Chanukkah to all!