Hope ticks as loudly as doomsday timepiece

In 1979, I was about to enter rabbinical school. It is a five-year postgraduate program – quite a commitment for a 25-year-old man.

I remember talking with my father about how uncertain I was to embark upon such a long program of study, given the state of our world. I was certain that the world would blow itself up, so why bother studying for five years.

My father encouraged me to continue with my studies and said not to worry so much about the world situation but rather about my own education.

He was right. The world is still around. And it is a more unstable place now than ever before, in my opinion.

The recent statement issued by the Committee of Atomic Scientists is certainly quite alarming. It confirms that the actions we are taking as a human race might soon lead us to our own extinction.

This group, composed of international atomic scientists and physicists, recently moved its symbolic clock two minutes closer to midnight.

It is now set at 11:55 p.m.

The bulletin stated: “North Korea’s recent test of a nuclear weapon, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a renewed U.S. emphasis on the military utility of nuclear weapons, the failure to adequately secure nuclear materials, and the continued presence of some 26,000 nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia are symptomatic of a larger failure to solve the problems posed by the most destructive technology on Earth … [also] the dangers posed by climate change are nearly as dire as those posed by nuclear weapons … over the next three to four decades climate change could cause drastic harm to the habitats upon which human societies depend for survival.”

What a shame that we cannot come to a place of tolerance, understanding and peace. We are plagued by chauvinism, religious conflicts, hatred and anger. Our desire to overcome our “enemies” is still stronger than our ability to seek understanding, compromise and peace.

I do accept the warning expressed by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. I am not optimistic about our survival as a human race. However, I am an advocate of making the most of each day by giving and receiving as much love as we can, by working for peace and understanding and by being socially responsible in our lives.

The esteemed Rabbi Tarfon, who lived about 2,000 years ago, is quoted in the Talmud as saying, “It is not your duty to complete the work and neither are you free to desist from it.”

We must go on living positive, productive, loving and helpful lives even though the daily news is so numbing and disillusioning. We need to remain hopeful and actively participate in helping to fashion a better world. Our collective work toward “tikkun olam,” meaning in Hebrew, “the repair of our world,” is essential. Acts of kindness, recycling efforts, using less energy, giving to others – all our actions of lovingkindness help make a better future for all involved.

In the words of the Chassidic master Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, who lived about 200 years ago: “All our world is such a narrow bridge and the essential factor is to have no fear at all.” We cannot allow ourselves to be paralyzed by our fears, otherwise our lives are doomed. We need to be hopeful and brave as we continue to cross the many bridges, the many challenges, with which life presents us.

Rabbi Barry Krieger is the rabbinic facilitator for the Hillel organization at the University of Maine in Orono. He may be reached at bkrieger56@aol.com.