Today was another interesting day! It actually started last night when Rosental (my Jewish neighbor) invited me to the Jewish Synagogue. He said there would be an American that I could talk to. So this morning, after gathering Mihai and Bogdon we went to the service. We walked in to the main entrance where they have a large display of the holocaust victims. Mihai and Bogdon saw the big building and said how many Jew are there? I said before the war there was 18000 Jews In the city now they only have 10 men that come to the service. As we were in the entrance Rosental went to get the American. It turned out that he is just here with the peace corps and not the Rabbi as previously thought. But he explained to us that we really couldn't come in because it was a special day. They were celebrating Yom Kippur. So we weren’t allowed to come in.We went outside and the American decided to come out and visit. Mihai started asking him questions how could he become a Jew and what would he have to do? He replied, “we would turn you away three times’ then you would have learn Hebrew, and some other works of scholars to prove that you really were interested." Mihai said, “What if I just wanted to go to heaven, what would I have to do?" He replied, "Well, we don’t believe in heaven or hell!" What happens if you sin? What do you do? "Well, that is a relative question, what are you calling sin?" Mihai.. Don’t you know…..? The Ten Commandments tell us what sin is…The American replies well they are just logic not so complicated.
He then went on to tell us that we all worship the same God, even if we define him different, the Islam, the Christians everyone, every where all believe in the same god. I made a few pointed comments at that time….but then the conversation drifted to “Why don’t you believe Jesus is your Messiah?’ He asked, "Are you trying to proselytize me? This was something that really seemed to be his main response to any question that centered on Christ. I said well you must have some sort of proof that Jesus wasn’t your Messiah! He said, you would have to show me proof that he was….! Anticipating this I had already printed out a list of prophecies pointing to Jesus as the Messiah and handed it to him as he had asked for proof. He said, I don’t feel comfortable with reading that….I put it in his hand and said "just read it"…he took it.
Well, then we talked about the Ten Commandments and how they pointed to Creation! For God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh. Well, he said "that is your opinion!" I really couldn’t believe the amount of beautiful words this guy used to say absolutely nothing! I would reply with so what you mean is “One hand clapping” Oh I get it…”round triangle” He would just say no that is not what he was saying. The conversation actually was pleasant and we also talked about Israel the New Heaven and New Earth mentioned in Isaiah. Well he just was not that interested in the next life....it is far more important to just be kind to each other...help the poor and the needy, feed the little children. That is what life is all about....
Bogdon ended the conversation with a simple statement……”so what you are saying is you don’t have any hope for another life” he said no it is more important that we just help and love each other…there is no Judge in heaven waiting to destroy us. That is just your opinion!
I later called Mihai who left after the encounter and asked him this question. “We all serve the same God correct?” Mihai laughed and said. “that is HIS opinion!” I then asked, “If that is true why didn’t they let us in the synagogue?”
We then went and got Bogdon some leather boots for his work. (Things are going wonderful with him and we are certain that God was involved in the problem we had last week. Bogdon even had a dream the Friday night before that confirmed what happened on Saturday! He actually told Paula I think I going to have some problems today with Troy!) Anyway I came home and researched Yom Kippur on the internet….I discovered that you can not wear leather boots on Yom Kippur along with a list of four other forbidden things. I quickly called Bogdon and told him…..don’t wear those boots! He said may be he will have to go sacrifice an animal! All joking aside it was a great day for my leaders to see the fact that modern day Judaism is empty of any and all hope.
