Question:

What does the word Zion mean, and what are its origins? (I was asked this by my Rastafarian friend)

Answer:

The name Zion holds the secret to the power of Israel. If you understand this name, you understand the magic of the Holy Land.
The word Zion appears 154 times in the Hebrew Bible, and has several connotations. Zion can refer to the Land of Israel, the city of Jerusalem or the Temple. But the actual meaning of the word is puzzling. Translated literally, Zion means a sign, or an icon.

A sign is always indication of something else. When you see a sign that says “dentist”, you know that the sign itself is not the dentist, it merely points out that a dentist is here. Same with an icon. When you see an icon on a website, it is not the icon itself that has any use. It is there to click on and it directs you to another page. A sign is never there for itself. It is there to alert our attention, to make us aware of or to lead us to some other reality.

So too with the Land of Israel. It is a sign pointing upwards. It is the icon that you click on to be directed to G-d. The very existence of the land of Israel points to a Higher Force. The beauty of the land, the magic of Jerusalem, the holiness of the Temple mount are all indicators of a Higher presence.

The awe felt when entering the Old City of Jerusalem is not due to its impressive buildings, for it has none. It is not due to its sense of history, though that too is fascinating. It is due to the sense of something bigger than life itself that fills the air. You walk the land, and you sense G-d’s presence. The Holy Land is a sign pointing upwards to G-d.

You can’t avoid G-d in Israel. You can seek Him out or run away from Him, but you can’t stay neutral. G-d is too real to ignore in Israel. Whether one is a believer or not, whether one admits it or not, the magic of Israel is divine. That’s why it’s called Zion, a sign of the One Above.

Israel without G-d is like a dentist sign without a dentist, or an icon with a broken link. It stands for nothing and it goes nowhere. But when Israel is true to its G-d and true to its mission, it is invincible. Israel’s power does not come from its military might, and not from its allies and friends. It comes from G-d. Just read the sign.

All the best,
Rabbi Moss

Question

Rabbi you must keep this completely anonymous. I need to make a confession to you. I have stolen a huge amount of money from my business partner. This has gone on over the last three years, but my guilty conscience has caught up with me and so I felt I had to confess. Can you tell me what I must do to be forgiven?

Again, please keep this anonymous,

Bruce Hakowitz
(667) 567 8390

Answer:

Bruce, I am glad you have come forward with this. I am sure it has been a burdensome secret to keep, and it is good that you have owned up. But you have confessed to the wrong person.

The Jewish tradition does not believe in confessing sins to a clergyman. As a rabbi I have no right to confer forgiveness on someone who has wronged someone else. You have to go to your partner, admit your wrongdoing and beg him to forgive you. Only the wronged party can forgive.

Apart from that, you must return what you stole. You can’t expect to be forgiven while enjoying the benefits of your wrongdoing and leaving the injured party out of pocket. In Jewish law, a thief must return double what they stole if they were caught, but if they admitted guilt themselves before being caught, they need only return the stolen amount. This you must do to be fully exonerated of your misconduct.

And finally you need to ask G-d for forgiveness, for it is His law that you have broken. But remember, even G-d can’t forgive you until you have apologised to your fellow human being whom you have hurt.

Once you have done all this, you need to forgive yourself. We have all done wrong, but if we take responsibility for it, try to correct it, and resolve not to repeat it, we must then move forward. Let this be a turning point for you. From this moment on you will be extra-honest and super-trustworthy. It will take hard work, but what was once your weakness should become your strength.

Bruce, I wish you well. Since you have asked this be left anonymous, I will respect your request.

All the best,
Anonymous

(Not my real name)

Question:

I have been seriously hurt by my ex. It has now been seven months of abuse, put-downs, bad-mouthing and humiliation, and I have remained silent. But now I have an overwhelming urge to take revenge. And I have the chance. With one phone call I could ruin his career and shatter his entire life. Should I do it?

Answer:

The desire for revenge is natural and understandable. We have an innate expectation that justice should be done, and when we see evil go unpunished we want to intervene. But we can’t. “Do not take revenge” the Torah warns.

Of course we must protect ourselves from being hurt. We need not be helpless victims of those who have malicious designs on us, and we must take every measure possible to stop evil being done. But no human justice system is foolproof. Even when someone seems to be getting away with evil, the Torah warns us not to take revenge. Even if we have been hurt, we mustn’t hurt back. Revenge is wrong.

On the other hand, it seems revenge can’t be all bad. The very same Torah which warns us not to take revenge describes G-d Himself as “a vengeful G-d”. How can this be? If we are told not to be vengeful, is G-d then allowed to be? If revenge is immoral, how can G-d be vengeful?

But that is exactly the point. The very fact that G-d is vengeful allows us humans not to be. Ultimate justice is in His hands. He will right the wrongs and punish the wicked. Those who have acted immorally will pay for their misdeeds. No one gets away with doing evil. In this world or in the next, in this lifetime or another, in ways we may never know, justice will be served. But that is not in our hands. G-d is the true judge, and only He can take revenge.

It’s funny, you often hear people disparaging “the vengeful G-d of the Bible”. They somehow think that a vengeful G-d will produce vengeful followers. The opposite is true. It is precisely G-d’s vengefulness that enables humans to let go of the desire for revenge. We know there is a Judge, and He will do justice. So we humans can leave the vengeance to Him, and get on with living.

Don’t waste your energy on feelings of bitterness and hostility. The more hatred thrown at you, the more you should surround yourself with love. If there are evil people out there, make sure you associate with good people. Don’t worry about getting even. Focus on just getting on.

All the best,
Rabbi Moss

An introductory class to Talmud for both men and women, focusing on Tamludic logic and methodology. Every Sunday morning, Shachris 8am, Shiur 9am – 9:45am at Nefesh, 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach.

The Spiritual Parsha – chassidic insights into the weekly Torah reading. For men and women, 9am – 9:55am at Nefesh, 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach