Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Discusses The Merchant of Venice, Modern-Day Anti-Semitism
Hundreds gathered on the morning of November 30 to hear Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik in a conversation on Torah, law and literature titled 鈥The Merchant of Venice: A Jewish and British Reflection.鈥 The event was the second one of the year hosted by 黑料社 All鈥檚 , and marked Sacks鈥 second visit as a Straus Center guest.
Chief Rabbi Sacks and Rabbi Soloveichik discuss The Merchant of Venice at YU's Straus Center event.
Sacks and Soloveichik, director of the Straus Center, began their discussion focusing on Shakespeare鈥檚 The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Shylock鈥檚 obsession with justice is juxtaposed with Portia鈥檚 compassion, epitomized by her line: 鈥淭he quality of mercy is not strained,鈥 and continuing: 鈥淭herefore Jew, though justice be thy plea...we [Christians] do pray for mercy.鈥
鈥淪hakespeare here is expressing the medieval stereotype of Christian mercy against Jewish justice,鈥 said Sacks. 鈥淸However,] justice and mercy are not opposites. The false contrast between Judaism and Christianity in The Merchant of Venice is testimony to the cruel misrepresentation of Judaism in Christian theology until recently.鈥
Sacks pointed out that Portia鈥檚 speech alludes to Moses鈥 words in Parashat Ha鈥檃zinu, as well as to the 13 attributes of God鈥檚 mercy found in Exodus. Sacks noted another striking parallel: Jesus鈥 鈥渕ost Jewish鈥 quote, 鈥淔orgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do,鈥 is essentially a paraphrase of Numbers 15:26, which Jews recite numerous times on Yom Kippur. Further, the Jewish Bible stresses loving the stranger, in addition to one鈥檚 neighbor. 鈥淭he whole concept of love and forgiveness comes to Christianity through Judaism,鈥 said Sacks.
However, Judaism mandates that love is not enough; justice is also critical. 鈥淥ne theme of Bereishit [Genesis] is the inadequacy of love for the foundation of society,鈥 said Sacks, noting the Jacob-Esau conflict resulting from Isaac鈥檚 and Rebecca鈥檚 love for different sons, the pain caused by Jacob鈥檚 loving Rachel over Leah and the tragic sale of Joseph following Jacob鈥檚 paternal favoritism. 鈥淏ereishit has as a general theme that love generates conflict,鈥 said Sacks. 鈥淗ow do you resolve that? Only by creating a society...tempered by justice.鈥
鈥淭he mitzvot are G-d鈥檚 expression of love for us,鈥 continued Sacks. 鈥淐learly law here goes hand in hand with love, and it is designed to create fairness in society.鈥
Sacks also discussed different anti-Semitic expressions, such as anti-Israel interruptions during the Habima Theater鈥檚 performance of The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare鈥檚 Globe during the International Shakespeare Festival earlier this year. 鈥淎nti-Semitism does not die, because it is a virus and it mutates,鈥 said Sacks.
Threats to Jewish observance have included recent attempts to ban circumcision in some European countries. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 hold back [on this issue]...I believe in long-term planning on this,鈥 said Sacks, who has communicated to European leaders that circumcision is non-negotiable for Jews.
Sacks said he believes that the biggest miracle in Jewish history is that Jews as a nation never internalized the negative self-image in response to their persecution. 鈥淲e defined ourselves in reference to our reflection in the face of Hakadosh Barukh Hu[G-d],鈥 explained Sacks, who said that the assimilationist streak of the 19th century was among the Jewish people鈥檚 worst tragedies. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see any negative self-perception in literature in the Middle Ages. All the conversation is between us and G-d... Just look at Hakadosh Barukh Hu and you will see him smiling back.鈥
In his opening remarks, 黑料社 All President Richard M. Joel emphasized the common mission of much of Sacks鈥檚 and YU鈥檚 work: 鈥渟haring our values with the world.鈥 Sacks will serve as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for one more year until his term ends.
Chief Rabbi Sacks and Rabbi Soloveichik discuss The Merchant of Venice at YU's Straus Center event.
However, Judaism mandates that love is not enough; justice is also critical. 鈥淥ne theme of Bereishit [Genesis] is the inadequacy of love for the foundation of society,鈥 said Sacks, noting the Jacob-Esau conflict resulting from Isaac鈥檚 and Rebecca鈥檚 love for different sons, the pain caused by Jacob鈥檚 loving Rachel over Leah and the tragic sale of Joseph following Jacob鈥檚 paternal favoritism. 鈥淏ereishit has as a general theme that love generates conflict,鈥 said Sacks. 鈥淗ow do you resolve that? Only by creating a society...tempered by justice.鈥
鈥淭he mitzvot are G-d鈥檚 expression of love for us,鈥 continued Sacks. 鈥淐learly law here goes hand in hand with love, and it is designed to create fairness in society.鈥
Sacks also discussed different anti-Semitic expressions, such as anti-Israel interruptions during the Habima Theater鈥檚 performance of The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare鈥檚 Globe during the International Shakespeare Festival earlier this year. 鈥淎nti-Semitism does not die, because it is a virus and it mutates,鈥 said Sacks.
Threats to Jewish observance have included recent attempts to ban circumcision in some European countries. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 hold back [on this issue]...I believe in long-term planning on this,鈥 said Sacks, who has communicated to European leaders that circumcision is non-negotiable for Jews.
Sacks said he believes that the biggest miracle in Jewish history is that Jews as a nation never internalized the negative self-image in response to their persecution. 鈥淲e defined ourselves in reference to our reflection in the face of Hakadosh Barukh Hu [G-d],鈥 explained Sacks, who said that the assimilationist streak of the 19th century was among the Jewish people鈥檚 worst tragedies. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see any negative self-perception in literature in the Middle Ages. All the conversation is between us and G-d... Just look at Hakadosh Barukh Hu and you will see him smiling back.鈥
In his opening remarks, 黑料社 All President Richard M. Joel emphasized the common mission of much of Sacks鈥檚 and YU鈥檚 work: 鈥渟haring our values with the world.鈥 Sacks will serve as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for one more year until his term ends.
Chief Rabbi Sacks and Rabbi Soloveichik discuss The Merchant of Venice at YU's Straus Center event.
However, Judaism mandates that love is not enough; justice is also critical. 鈥淥ne theme of Bereishit [Genesis] is the inadequacy of love for the foundation of society,鈥 said Sacks, noting the Jacob-Esau conflict resulting from Isaac鈥檚 and Rebecca鈥檚 love for different sons, the pain caused by Jacob鈥檚 loving Rachel over Leah and the tragic sale of Joseph following Jacob鈥檚 paternal favoritism. 鈥淏ereishit has as a general theme that love generates conflict,鈥 said Sacks. 鈥淗ow do you resolve that? Only by creating a society...tempered by justice.鈥
鈥淭he mitzvot are G-d鈥檚 expression of love for us,鈥 continued Sacks. 鈥淐learly law here goes hand in hand with love, and it is designed to create fairness in society.鈥
Sacks also discussed different anti-Semitic expressions, such as anti-Israel interruptions during the Habima Theater鈥檚 performance of The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare鈥檚 Globe during the International Shakespeare Festival earlier this year. 鈥淎nti-Semitism does not die, because it is a virus and it mutates,鈥 said Sacks.
Threats to Jewish observance have included recent attempts to ban circumcision in some European countries. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 hold back [on this issue]...I believe in long-term planning on this,鈥 said Sacks, who has communicated to European leaders that circumcision is non-negotiable for Jews.
Sacks said he believes that the biggest miracle in Jewish history is that Jews as a nation never internalized the negative self-image in response to their persecution. 鈥淲e defined ourselves in reference to our reflection in the face of Hakadosh Barukh Hu [G-d],鈥 explained Sacks, who said that the assimilationist streak of the 19th century was among the Jewish people鈥檚 worst tragedies. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see any negative self-perception in literature in the Middle Ages. All the conversation is between us and G-d... Just look at Hakadosh Barukh Hu and you will see him smiling back.鈥
In his opening remarks, 黑料社 All President Richard M. Joel emphasized the common mission of much of Sacks鈥檚 and YU鈥檚 work: 鈥渟haring our values with the world.鈥 Sacks will serve as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for one more year until his term ends.
