Abrahamic Reunion Interfaith Text Study at Temple Beth Sholom

February 25, 2016

by Rev. Chris Miller, Abrahamic Reunion USA Coordinator

 

Sarasota’s first monthly Interfaith Text Study group began, hosted by Rabbi Michael Werbow of Temple Beth Sholom. Rabbi Werbow met the group before the meeting to tour everyone through the Temple – it was the first Jewish community in Sarasota, which originally housed all the spectrum of Judaism (Orthodox, Reformed, etc.), founded in the 1920s. Rabbi Werbow offered a special treat for the group and unfurled one of the Temple’s seven Torahs.

 

Sheikh Ghassan Manasra introduced the afternoon for our group by saying how important it is to learn about other’s religions from the other, how often we can learn about Judaism through the lens of Islam or Christianity that we have been brought up with – and that it is easy to see someone just as it is easy to read a sacred text – but to truly know that text, to know that person, this is a deeper level of understanding.

 

Texts on repentance were prepared by Rabbi Werbow, Sheikh Ghassan Manasra (Coordinator for the Abrahamic Reunion) in connection with Imam Yusuf Maimon of ISSB (Islamic Society of Sarasota and Bradenton), and Father Joe Clifford of St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

Father Joe Clifford told the group that especially in the Lenten Season (40 days before Easter) there is a special focus on repentance and forgiveness – that when Jesus was asked how often one should repent, his answer was “Seventy times seven” times – in other words – continually. That a continual state of repentance and opening to the forgiveness that is offered to us by God is constantly bringing us closer to God.

Matthew 18:21-22King James Version (KJV)

²¹ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

²² Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Rabbi Werbow explained that in Hebrew the word most commonly used for repentance – Teshuvah  – literally  means “turning, return” – and that it is in this act of returning to our essence, to our source, to the right path, the path of goodness, that we can redeem ourselves. Often in the world our soul can become a bit shmutzy – and that we must return to ourselves in repentance to clear the shmutz. He also explained that the word for “sin” in Hebrew comes from an archery term that means “to miss the mark” – so saying that when someone commits an error, they were doing their best, so they should gather themselves, commit to aiming better, realign, and continue to aim for a better way.

Imam Yusuf spoke about two different words for repentance in the Qu’ran – maghferah and tawba, that there is forgiveness, and there is returning to God. That constantly throughout the day, throughout our lives, we are rushing back to God asking for forgiveness, and that God has said that forgiveness will be given when in sincerity people repent. He pointed out God is the one against whom humankind sins, but who is also the guarantor of forgiveness, and who is always welcoming us back into connection.

 

Everyone broke out into small group discussions, sharing of their own experiences of and practices for repentance and forgiveness, and also asking questions about each other’s religions and religious views. There were participants from Temple Beth Sholom, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, ISSB, Temple Sinai (Rabbi Huntting participated), the Abrahamic Reunion, and Rising Tide International. Finally everyone came together to share their small group experiences. Rabbi Werbow offered a prayer in closure.