Rabbi Steinsaltz has a cold (2 cents)

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz admitted, at his appearance at the DC JCC last night, that he brought a cold with him from Israel. His admission was hardly needed, as his symptoms were clear, but he used his cold as a metaphor about Israel today.

Asked about the mood in the country in light of the recent war and so on, he said that everyone in Israel was filled with a malaise. It was as if Israel had a cold. Not pneumonia, which has possible fatal consequences and therefore must be dealt with on an emergency basis, but a cold, that annoys, zaps energies and vision, and lingers and lingers and lingers. I thought this was a fresh way to look at the problems there, although perhaps he was being too optimistic. Perhaps it is pneumonia, and people are just afraid to go to the doctor.

Steinsaltz had nothing good to say about Israeli politics, or about Israeli politicians. In an appreciated line, he said that people here should keep in mind that the United States is not the only country that can elect a stupid president.

But he discounts a lot of these problems, it seems. His view of the world and its history is clearly a long term view. What happens today or tomorrow, or what happened yesterday, as important as it may seem at the time, is only one event, and it will quickly be overtaken by others. His prime attribute seems to be patience. Perhaps tolerance, as well.

The holocaust? It is too early to talk about it. It is too personal. He can talk about the explusion from Spain; that was 400 years ago. But the holocaust just recently happened.

Arabs? He says, you know, there is nothing in the Jewish religion that says you have to kick Arabs. Of course, he continues there are clearly some Arabs that deserve kicking. But there are also Jews who need to be kicked, he points out.

I had seen Rabbi Steinsaltz once before, years ago. His conversations (and this was a conversation) with American audiences are low key, and do not give hint of what everyone admits to be his extraordinary scholarship. Perhaps, this is language. Perhaps, it is what he believes his audiences want (or can absorb). I don't know.

You expect a session with someone like Steinsaltz to last for hours and hours and hours. This one lasted just one hour, and it was cut off. Why? Was it his illness? Was it related to when the custodians had to clean the hall? Could it have gone on longer had his interlocutor wanted it to?

Misha Galperin of the local Jewish Federation asked the questions, and did I thought quite a good job. The audience questions were a little weaker.

A worthwhile event? I think so. Yes.