The Triumph of Life

May 27, 2024
Judaism may be based in the notion of a divine-human partnership, but people must now take the lead in forging a more perfect world, according to this ambitious treatise from rabbi Greenberg (For the Sake of Heaven and Earth). Anchoring his argument in the “classic Judaic model of the covenant,” Greenberg tracks the partnership between God and the Jewish people from the biblical era, when God communicated through “heavenly revelation and prophetic messages,” to the rabbinic period, when God increased humans’ responsibility for shaping the world. In the current era of “lay Judaism,” Greenberg writes, God has become “totally hidden in natural laws and material processes,” shifting the responsibility for creating a world where “all human beings will be treated with dignity, equality, and respect” almost fully to people. For Greenberg, that transfer explains such horrific events as the Holocaust, where “growing human power” was harnessed for ill rather than good. Nonetheless, he delivers an optimistic message that humanity can “reach for greatness” through such initiatives as reforming workplaces with fair labor conditions and curtailing environmentally destructive farming practices. Greenberg’s reminder to “start where you are” in creating a freer, more just society is wise, even if his vision for an ideal world sometimes seems out of reach. Readers will be inspired.