|
One rule that graduate student Zev Kronenberg lives his life by comes from the Talmud, the collection of rabbinical discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. The rule says, “That which is hateful unto thee do not to your neighbor. This is the whole of the Torah. The rest is commentary.”
Kronenberg has been Jewish all his life and has another name he sometimes goes by. When called to read prayers at his temple, Ahavath Beth Israel in Boise, they call him by his Jewish name, Zev Nachman Ben Hananya Va Shira. Translated from Hebrew, a primary component of Judaism, the name also includes the names of his parents. Kronenberg’s first name translated means “wolf.”
“My sister’s name, Arielle, means ‘lioness of G-d’ — two predators. Maybe that’s why we fight so much,” Kronenberg said.
Kronenberg said he tries to follow the 613 Mitzvot in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The Mitzvot are commandments to either perform or abstain from an action. Examples include being charitable and not oppressing the weak. One that Kronenberg does everyday is saying the Shema — a specific prayer — twice a day.
“Ideally I try to follow all the Mitzvot, but a lot of them are outdated and I would never do (them),” Kronenberg said. “I’m a pretty practical guy and some of that stuff I think is just silly, like not shaving. I don’t know most, so I think I do many without even knowing it.”
Kronenberg said another belief he holds is not putting his beliefs on others.
“I think in the public setting, like the Idaho Commons, there shouldn’t be people or Christian groups praying over me or my family,” Kronenberg said. “I don’t try to convert strangers nor should they.”
Kronenberg said he enjoys the traditions he celebrates in Judaism.
“It is very traditional to have a Shabbat dinner with your extended family. You light Shabbat candles, say a few prayers over the food and enjoy each other’s company,” Kronenberg said. “It’s really relaxed and I have fond memories of this.”
Shabbat is the Hebrew word for the Jewish Sabbath, the day of rest. It occurs from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Resting on Shabbat is one Mitzvah Kronenberg said he has trouble with.
Another Jewish rite that Kronenberg follows occurs on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
“During the High Holy Days, there is a practice called Tashlikh. What you do is cast small pieces of bread into a river that will make it to the ocean. These represent your sins and bad deeds being cast away,” Kronenberg said. “I like it because I spend a fair amount of time reflecting on my last year and trying to set a better course for next year.”
The seventh Mitzvah, not profaning God’s name, is a commandment Kronenberg devoutly follows. When writing about God, Kronenberg said he replaces the letter ‘o’ with a hyphen.
“Jews take the holy one’s name very seriously. Thou shall not use the L-rd’s name in vain,” Kronenberg said. “If I (write) G-d’s name, there is some chance it might end up in the trash. The trash is no place for the L-rd’s name.”
Kronenberg said religious texts such as the Torah are not thrown away. They are buried in a similar manner to that of a human Jewish burial.
“When I drop a prayer book, I pick it up and give it a little kiss, it’s a sign of respect. I also try not to put things on top of my Torah book,” Kronenberg said.
Kronenberg said he sometimes has difficulty believing in the Jewish god.
“I struggle with the idea of there being an ultimate force and sometimes I do (believe) and sometimes I don’t (believe),” Kronenberg said. “I think that many Jews wrestle with this idea and if you look through the Old Testament, even Moses didn’t believe in G-d’s power at times, like when he struck the rock for water.”
There are many terrible things that happen in this world that Kronenberg said justifies divine intervention.
“During the Holocaust, millions of innocent people died and many were Jews,” Kronenberg said. “If the Jewish people followed the laws of G-d, then why should they die just for believing?”
Kronenberg said that if there is a God, he thinks it cares more about groups of people than just individuals.
“I have a strong aversion to praying to G-d for personal favors. Too many people today use G-d as a crutch instead of accepting personal responsibility,” Kronenberg said. “I hate it when people say they will pray for me, because I believe my religious faith doesn’t rely on me thinking I will get a reward at some point.”
Kronenberg said he wants to live by the rules God gave to the Jewish people because they have a positive influence on him and society.
“In a lot of ways, that is the equation that makes a person good: willing to believe and help another without getting anything in return. I’m ok with the idea that I’m there for G-d even if it’s not there for me.”
 Add as favorites (24) | Views: 366
|
