Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

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MASMID will 1h ' iii.iikcci liy ihls (.|iiii,il |, ili ' isiiiii (jI lli. soil, ' riif Drvinc laws pci l.miini. ' n. jiKjixily .in to be cnfornJ, iiisminn i.kIi l.iinily iln pi ijii lu.il owiK-rsliip ol ' l.iihl. ' lliriHii li ihc in.uiiinni ol the Jiiliilee ' e.lr wlieiiUy .ill l.iii.l .u |iiiic.| .luring the pretcilini; lilly yt ' .ns is Ki n til lo lis forinv.t owners, Miiyoiie hiKt-d tliri]iii;li .uKerst- (irdiin- stances to sell or lo ir.insler his Lsi.ite will even- tually regain ii. I ' oo, .inyone selling his property exercises an option on its repiiirhase. The im- portance of this Icatiirr ol (he- |e ish si.ik i.intiot be overemph.isizeil. h ' oi, .is the prt pon ' kr.uit majority ol ' ihe people boili ,il iIk iimc ol ilu promulgation of the UcKtrines of the I ' orah as well as in the age of Maimonides were engagevi in agriculture, it was essential that each house- hold possess landed inheritance, thus assuring it- self of the primary requisites of life. Its signi- ficance should not be lost on us even to-day in our own highly industrialized civilization for the backbone of any nation must continue to be its agrarian populace. Through the reversion of all propcrt)- in tlic fiftieth y ear to original owners, the prohibition of usury, and the limitation of the legal rate of profit to one-sixth, accumulation of wealth is rendered practically impossible. Economic exploitation is reduced to a minimum. That destroyer of peace .Mill (iiliiiu, ihc struggle for economic supremacy, IS lioiiMilid ciiii of our midst. While (oiiiitless volumes of commentary have been written in explanation of every other phase of Maimonides ' thought, scholars have been con- spicuously silent on his doctrine of poliiiial phil- osophy. Centuries before Maiinonidcs ' birth the Jews had been exiled from their homeland Problems of national organization and political science were alien to the Jewish mind. On (hose aspects of Judaism which played the most im- poriani role in Jewish life, such as religion and law, Maimonides ' works became a second Bible. His political philosophy, being a negligible entity in Jewish consideraton, was relegated to the limbo of oblivion. It has remained even to our day enshrouded in darkness and ignorance. The increasing interest being manifested every- where in the political and national life of the Jewish people makes this subject a most vital one. ■With the establishment of a national state insti- tuted along traditional Jewish lines in Palestine no longer the fantastic dream of a prophetic idealist but converging steadily on reality, the im- portance of discovering and clarifying Maimonides ' views on the State and its functions cannot be overemphasized. C( AJ Astru m )) I pinned my hopes upon a star — A tiny, soulful creature. With not an artful cloud to mar A single gemlike feature. I watched her glimmer in the dark. With maiden wiles alluring. As though she wished that I embark For realms more reassuring. Too high above the world she dwelt Where no one dared aspire, But as I looked at her I felt Trust kindle my desire . . . But when I thought: How pin one ' s hope So high above fruition? Did she not rest b eyond the scope Of any man ' s ambition? Yet in me I could hear a voice That bade me to persever — It said to me, Rejoice, rejoice — Such hope sustains forever. B. D. MILIANS

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MASMID and the acknowledged ruler in whose name author- ity is recognized. It must be realized that for Maimonides no conflict between Church and State such as that predominant in the Christian world could exist. The struggle for power between these two groups, long a tremendous force in the molding of history, has always been occasioned by the attempt of one to dominate the other. In medieval Europe, the Church, though rightfully having dominion only over ecclesiastical matters, was convinced that the needs of the soul, tc which it ministered, were of far vaster importance than concerns of the body, and attempted to clothe itself in the garb of temporal authority. Our modern day has witnessed many presumptions on the part of the State who, feeling that spiritual regards have been relegated to the background, has sought to extend its sphere of dominance into the religious life of its in- habitants. But to Maimonides, State and Church in the narrower c onnotations of these terms did not exist. There could be no basis for conflict over the question of priority for every aspect of Judaism — economic, religious, and moral — is an equally important and integral factor in ths Divine system of life. Judaism is a totality, a system of life, an harmonious blending of all aspects of man ' s personality. Each streamlet con- tributes to swell the river of life as it flows majestically onwards. Man is the pinnacle of Creadon. He is com- posed of a multiplicity of complex elements. As a result, the variety of individuals among the human species is tremendous, for the element of chance and accident has a very great sphere for its operation. In any society we are certain to find the widest extremes in character and human nature. But the well-being of society demands that there be a leader able to regulate the actions of man; he must complete every shortcoming, re- move every excess and prescribe for the conduct of all so that the natural variety should be counter- balanced by the uniformity of legislation and the order of society be well established. The existence of society is essential for the attainment by each individual of his perfect form — the perfection of his intellect ; and without the leadership of one gifted with this faculty of government, the machinery of society cannot function smoothly. Some persons therefore possess the power of enforcing the dictates of lawgivers and of com- pelling people to obey them and to act accordingly. Such are kings. The civil jurisdiction of the State is therefore to be entrusted to a monarch. At various epochs of Jewish history this ruler bore the title of Nasi, Shofet, or King. The kingship is to be hereditary, the royal family is the House of David. Nevertheless, the failure of the lineal descendant of David to execute his duties wisely and justly constitutes good cause for the selection of another king in his stead. The appointment of a king comprises one of the functions of thj Sanhedrin of Seventy-one. Alongside of the king is the High Priest in control of the ecclesiastical establishment. The religious life of the nation is to be directed by the Priests and the Levites. Both are to dedicate their lives to the service of G — d. Strikingly reminis- cent of the philosophers and auxiliaries of Plato s Republic, ' they are to live under a system of strict communism of landed property deriving their sustenance from the tithes of their communities. Judicial authority is vested in a number of courts, supreme among which is the Sanhedrin of Seventy-one to be established in Jerusalem. Two inferior courts, each to be composed of twenty- three members, complete the national judiciary. It is beyond the scope and purpose of this thesis to enter into any comprehensive discussion of the organization and duties of the civii, ecclesiastical, and judicial branches of the govern- ment, all of this being explained in meticulous detail by Maimonides in his Mishne Torah. Though it is not our intention to treat at length the economic policy of the Maimonide.m State, several factors must be noted. Private property is the inalienable right of each individual. Every Jew received a parcel of land after the first entry into Palestine. Similarly, the return of the Jews to their national homeland Eighteen

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MASMID Judaism and Jewish Youth By Rabbi Dr. Lr.o Jung The Jews are described in three terms: as Itiim they are in the words of our sages, different ; as Israelites - they are to fight for God; as feus professing monotheism ■ ' , they are to carry the message of Judaism into all climes and ages. Judaism is a revealed religion. It is based on the Torah: a direction to life. In the Torah we are given both the way and the goal. The way is the Jewish life with its ideas and ideals, its symbols and ceremonies; the goal — to set the world right through the Kingdom of heaven, — the humani- zation, through God-consciousness, of humanity. (a) We Jews are the historical minority. A minority comes into being whenever a few in a group become conscious of their being different from the rest and find this difference to be worth while. A minority remains alive only as long js a sense of this difference and of its worthwhile- ness prevails among them. Hence, to continue to live as Jews we must continue to be aware of, and to prize, our own values; that depends upon an atmosphere in which Jewish values are articu- lated, encouraged, developed. Hence, for our survival, we must maintain a strong Jewish en- vironment as a normal background of our life. To survive as Jews we need intelligence, courage, and perseverance. The Jewish environment, through institutions, ceremonies, customs, supplies the raw-material of Jewish personalities. The Jew who lives the Jewish life receives from early youth a thousand-and-one radiations of Jewish spirit which in their totality endow him with an intel- lectual and emotional appreciation of the Jewish revelation ; with a determination to carry on the work of Israel and to shoulder, as self-evident privilege, the burdens of Jewish life. (b) We struggle for God in our effort to sow the seeds of God-consciousness into the furrows of humanity. The Jewish life, propelled by God-con- sciousness, produces all Jewish work. The assets which result from a life in the Torah are to benefit through us the hearts and minds of mankind. Our contributions to the general good of man are the fruits of the tree of Jewish life. (c) But Judaism is a universal religion as well. Hence, we must remain in contact with the culture around us, with the supernational purpose of hu- manity. The ultimate purpose of Jewish history is the penetration of every living race with the ideals of ethical monotheism. To continue bringing a message to the world, the Jew must cultivate his own assets, his own spirit, so that he may receive dynamically and full-bloodedly the message from his past. From the colorless abode of ignorance and assimiliation we have no message for the world. The American Jewish youth avowing its interest in Judaism spells a hopeful indication of an awak- ening Jewish consciousness and is to be greeted in the twilight of the American Jewish scene as a sign of an approaching dawn. The Old and the Young The men and women whom we call the older generation have borne the brunt of pioneering experience: the plight of immigrants, the dis- advantages derived from the necessity of rapid readjustment. They are bearing the additional burden of the war and the thousand evil spirits it has let loose. They are bewildered in a world which is continually and basically changing. .nnx lajjo Nim nns ins o ' ? 2 D iyn f-a i Twenty