Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr.

In the first book of my series of Mysteries of Judaism, I pointed out that all of the biblical holidays, such as Passover, and rabbinical Jewish holidays, as Chanukah and Purim, were changed over the years. Some, as Passover on Nissan 14, even disappeared even though mandated in the Torah. Some, like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, although many think these are the most holy of biblical Jewish holidays, are not mentioned in the Torah, both replace Bible holidays. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

 It is tragic even bizarre that most rabbis today sermonize by quoting Midrashim as if what the Midrash states, despite being contrary to nature, actually occurred. They also quote the views of mystics, but not rational thinkers such as Maimonides other than to quote a legal view of his that parallels those of mystics, leading congregants to think that the rabbi is teaching them what Judaism wants them to know. They do not tell congregants that Midrashim are parables, stories designed like Aesop’s fables to make us think. They do not encourage congregants to think. They are, in essence, anti-rational. In view of this tragic practice, it is a good idea to view the ideas of some rational Jewish thinkers such as Gersonides. He was not of the intellectual level as Maimonides, but he was a thinker and will prompt us to think as well. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

I read some books and essays recently focusing on the “truths” that people of different religions have that differ with the “truths” held by people of other religions. The object of the books and essays is to find how we can improve interfaith relations when the lives of different people are based on ideas that they find hard to give up despite others refusing or unable to accept what they believe. Examples include the “truth” held by many Christians that there is a trinity of three gods, that of many Jewish mystics that God was composed of ten parts that came apart, and that of Muslims who “know” that Mohamed received the Koran from God. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

In Abraham ibn Ezra’s masterpiece, the twelve chapters of “Sefer Yesod Mora Ve-Sod Ha-Torah,” Treatise on the Foundation of Awe and The Secret of the Torah, ibn Ezra gave some of his explanations of the biblical commandments. He felt that each command, without exception was rational. The following are some of his other ideas. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida –One of the most brilliant ancient Jewish thinkers was Abraham ibn Ezra (1089 or 1092-1164). Being human, he, like all other people including the best of humans, without exception, made mistakes in his thinking, such as his belief that astrology is a true science. But overall. He

                                                       By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — People who pay attention to what they read realize that none of the Jewish holidays are practiced today as