Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis Sermons

March 3, 2000

by Harold M. Schulweis

Pity the children. Rabbi Simeon Bar Yochai declared. "Throw yourself into a blazing furnace rather than shame a neighbor in public." (Talmud Berachoth 43b)

In the light of these passages, the Statement of Religious Qualifications for Children which declares that Ramah Conservative Camps may admit only halachically Jewish children disturbed me. This is the first such public written proclamation of policy in Camp Ramah's fifty-three year history of extraordinarily successful summer camping.

Why now? Avowedly because of the fear of intermarriage and the Reform Movement's adoption of patrilineal descent.

I am troubled by that decision. Consider Lucy Cohen who attends a Hebrew school, became a Bat Mitzvah, is involved in her Jewish Youth Movement and has planned a summer of learning and fellowship at Camp Ramah with her synagogue friends. Her decision itself is significant. Lucy's father is Jewish and the home clearly has encouraged her Jewishness. But her mother is not Jewish. Lucy therefore will be barred from the Camp Ramah experience.

Leaving the issue of patriliniality aside, and the wisdom of turning such children into outcasts, what of the shame of Lucy and her family experiences by that rejection? What is the ethical implication of such a ruling? How do we as a community stand on visiting the alleged transgressions of parents upon children?

We have an important precedence. In one of our major rabbinic sources (Numbers Rabbah, chapter 33) we read of Moses himself who challenged the morality of visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children. Moses rose before God and, echoing Abraham's dissent over the decision to indiscriminately destroy the innocent along with the guilty of Sodom, cried out "Ribbono shel olam — shall the righteous bear the iniquities of their fathers?" Moses pursued his argument with historic illustrations. "Terach worshiped idols, but Abraham was a righteous man; Ahaz was a wicked king, but his son Hezekiah was a righteous man; King Amon was wicked but his son King Josiah was righteous. Is it proper that the righteous should be punished for the iniquity of the fathers?"

How does God answer Moses' protest? Does God chastise him for his dissent? To the contrary. The Holy One responds "By your life Moses, you have instructed Me. I shall correct My own words and confirm yours." Therefore it is written in Deuteronomy 24:16 "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers." Here a biblical law promulgated by God is superseded on the grounds of moral justice. Such is the way of compassionate Halachah.

From one halachic point of view, Lucy's father has transgressed. He has married out of his faith. But the question before us is as well what has this to do with Lucy? Why should she be shamed, penalized and made an outcast? Why should the child Lucy be publicly de-legitimized for the action of her parents?

Is her lot not reminiscent of a rabbinic discussion of law in Deuteronomy 23:3 "No one misbegotten, no mamzer, shall be admitted into the congregation of the Lord. None of his descendants, either in the tenth generation shall be admitted into the congregation of the Lord." The rabbis did not let this ruling go unchallenged. In a remarkable passage in Leviticus Rabbah, chapter 32 they cite the protest of Daniel, the tailor. "If the parents of these poor misbegotten committed transgression, what concern is it of these poor suffering children?" Daniel insists that this ruling is unjust and that left standing the Halachic Court supports the oppressor and ignores the innocent progeny. So powerful is Daniel's protest that the Midrash records that the Holy One is moved to declare "It is upon Me to comfort them." Some interpret this to mean that in the time of the Messiah the "illegitimate" who are wronged will be seated on the throne made of pure gold.

It would be irresponsible for us to wait for the messiah and not to correct the injustice of shaming a human being in our time. We are, all of us, rabbis and laymen mandated to "do that which is right and good in the sight of the Eternal One.”

Whether or not we agree with the status of patrilineal descent, b'devad, (expost facto), Lucy ought not be victimized and humiliated before her friends. It is my conviction that keeping her out of a Jewish camp environment will not deter intermarriage. But it will outrage Jewish families. Here is our opportunity to deepen her commitment and that of her family. Outreach is in our camp. A child like Lucy who wishes to spend her summer in a Jewish camp must be embraced with Jewish love. She is innocent and must not be shamed. Halachch has heart and mind. Another way can be found through the wisdom of our tradition.

To bar Lucy Cohen from Camp Ramah, she who has identified herself throughout her young life with Jews and Judaism, has Jewish conscience against it. We teach our children what our sages taught us: "Shaming another in public is like shedding another's blood." (T. Baba Metziah 58b)

A voice is heard in Ramah. Is not Ephraim my precious beloved child? For even when I speak against him, I remember him with affection; therefore my heart yearns for him. I shall surely have compassion upon him, says the Lord. (Jeremiah 31)

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