Shalom! October 4th which is simply Torah in 2007. It was the 50th Anniversary of the launching of the Sputnik. Sputnik for those who do not remember or were not alive then was a surprise soviet orbit launching into space of satellite which is caught the US by surprise. US it thought that they were ahead technologically into the space development and spurred the US to a massive program which change everything.
I thought about that in connection to story of Noah which is the Torah portion of this week. The reason is that in the story of Noah they have great threats to the world obviously and Noah took a action hearing from call of God, built the life raff to save what he could of the world and rebuild.
The end of the story God put something into orbit which still see periodically a rainbow and according to the Torah the purpose of the rainbow is the sign of God will never again destroy the world. The short form of the blessing were the same when we see a rainbow is (Foreign Language) God, place to you God remembers your promise of the covenant, never to destroy the world.
I thought about that in the context of so many of the problems that face us in the world, and sometimes we are relax to days about it. For example, I just saw a video of very important movie that should be seen by a lot of obsession about the war on one radical Islam. It is not saying the are all Muslims are bent on terror.
In fact it is say is very small number are and it quotes a lot of Muslims saying that. But even 10% of a billion in half still a lot of people and the world has to wake up and see the serious danger post by the radical Islam. Also, are we taking aggressive enough action regarding the environment. Everyday there is another story about of some catastrophe occurring right now. A yesterday about the war resist having to relocate because of the receiving ice and increasing problems all over and we are just beginning stages of this.
We have own problems in Judaism of symbolism and my own denomination of the conservative and the reconstruction of Judaism which may synagogue of both the issues about growth and membership and recruitment, our concern most of my colleagues, and so, whichever the main issues that we need to focus on. Hopefully, there is notion of the Anniversary of the Sputnik 50 years, can offers us a little kick in the pants.
For those Chicagoans you might understand this better that others but the Bears are losing terribly to the Green Bay Packers. The big arch rival on Sunday Night Football, and they came back in the second half and they were different team. They outscored the Green Bay by 20 to 3, they got 17 straight points. They ended up winning by 7 and they attributed to Lovely Smith, the Coach is normally the pleasant guy giving more firry than usual half time speech, and there season really is in the balance.
If we do not think the worlds in the balance between Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the environmental concerns in radical Islam and the problem of the simulation in Judaism, and so many other issues, then I do not know what going to be a half time speech that can wake us up.
So, we think about the Torah portion, where the world really was at stake in Noah’s time and we think about the Anniversary of the Sputnik, and what that they did that they inspire to US to action in that area. We pray that we will be reminded this week of the necessity of rallying in the second half to preserve the universe that we love and the God made.
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