AboutRabbi Barry Dov Lerner Expertise Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history,
philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.
Experience I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)
I have heard or read recently that our children, grandchildren, and maybe posterity even longer down the line are going to be helping pay for the billions of taxpayer dollars,(879 billion?), preparing to be pumped into our economy.
In the Bible, I have read in the past something to the effect that the children, grandchildren, and possibly several,(maybe 7th?),generation down the line can or would be responsible for the sins of a preceeding generation. I never could understand why God would want to punish people who haven't been born yet, but if one looks at the present economic crises, it appears that even our posterity are going to be saddled with this burden for these billions of dollars to be paid out. Could this be an example of God punishing succesive generations for the sins of their fathers or ancestors?
Thank you for any clarification.
Best regards,
Mike Eidson
Answer Dear Mike,
Thanks for writing.
I wish that I could frame our current economic situation as you put it, but I do have a different perspective.
To answer your question directly first, I don't read the Bible in a literal or fundamentalist fashion. The Biblical speakers were addressing the societies of their day, not necessarily ours in spite of some being called prophets. Prophets from my point of view were teachers for the present and immediate future, not for hundreds and thousands of years later.
Secondly, Judaism today is Rabbinic, not Biblical, both in terms of law, homiletics and most importantly in theology. Our God-concepts have changed, evolved and become more diverse in modern Judaism and all the way through the past 2000 years.
Rabbinic theology does not necessarily agree with a divine hand or punishment in the economy, when we ourselves as intelligent, capable "partners with God" could have done better - and many of our leaders knew it. That's where we have to begin in being part of the solution rather than the problem.
First of all, in my education I recall Solomon Schechter being quoted: First we are obliged to do all that we can, and then leave the rest to God. Clearly we have a lot to do and a lot that can be done before we leave the rest to God.
Secondly, we've allowed our national economy to operate as if we can rely upon honesty and integrity of the marketplace and capitalism. In our tradition, there were always regulations placed upon capitalism - ones that no longer functioned through errors of commission or by legislators who legislated those regulations out of existence.
We live in a topsy-turvey financial world, in a society where those who can hit a ball with a stick or throw a pigskin accurately for 4 quarters earn gazillions of dollars while those who teach our children, those who protect our lives and property in police and fire service and many more who truly provide for the next generations can't dream on such incomes.
Even our leaders don't pay their taxes and meet their obligations!
Therefore, is it a sinful society that is paying for its failures or is our current financial circumstance the result of our failures to educate ourselves, to restrain our wants to our real needs, etc.?
Our children and descendants are inheriting an economy that can be rescued with a great deal of effort and hard work, a great deal resolve and extraordinary leadership. I'm hopeful and don't expect any form of divine punishment - except one that we can still bring upon ourselves.
