Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

From the Pastor’s Desk by Fr. Mike Schaab

“5/9/2010”

Posted on May 5th, ’10

Just a reminder, this coming Thursday is not a Holy Day of Obligation. The celebration of the Feast of the Ascension in our Diocese has been transferred to next Sunday, May 16. Speaking of the Diocese of Peoria, if you haven’t made your Annual Diocesan Appeal pledge, please do so this week.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the interfaith dialog last Thursday between Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and Jews. Rabbi Michael Samuel, Imam Saad Baig, Rev. Ron Quay and I have been meeting for a little over a year and now are friends as well as colleagues in ministry. It was a pleasure to be able to share a part of our dialog with others last Thursday. Rabbi Samuel will be leaving the Quad Cities this summer for a new position in San Diego. It’s a wonderful opportunity for him but a real loss for our dialog group.

But one doesn’t have to go to San Diego to find great weather. The weather here has been beautiful recently. It’s been one of the finest springs I can recall. Most of my farmer friends have also been enjoying a great planting season. I recall a short Latin phrase, “Spes messis in semine,” which means “The hope of the harvest is in the seed.” The great beauty of springtime and the planting season is that it is a time of hope. Just as very small seeds hold great hopes for the future, so also some of the smallest things we say and do may bring great hope to others.

I’m amazed at what I read in the paper, hear on the radio and see on TV that is supposed to be “political commentary.” The viciousness, personal attacks and character assassination that passes itself off as dialog is like a cancer in our mass media. I cannot help but come away from these experiences depressed and feeling hopeless. Then I recall, “spes messis in semine,” and I become more convinced than ever that hope has to begin with quiet little things, not shouting matches or vitriolic denunciations.

For me a real dialog involves people searching for those little things that might unite them, or at least move them along to be closer to one another. That’s why this past year of interfaith dialog has been so important for me. The Rabbi, the Imam and the Protestant minister have renewed my faith in the power of dialog. Some might say our yearlong conversation has accomplished very little compared to the huge problems are world is facing. However, I would point out that our small dialog has produced hope, which is something that wars, political intrigue, assassinations, regime changes and international boycotts often fail to achieve.

I believe in “Spes messis in semine.” Little words and acts, said and done in a spirit of dialog, are seeds of hope that in time will bring about a great harvest. Last Thursday evening Farrell Hall was full of hope. May we continue to dialog as we wait in hope for a future of reconciliation, peace and justice.

Mike Schaab, Pastor

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Rabbinic Reflections

Well, tonight we had our last symposium together at St. Pius. The theme of tonight’s program was Our Father Abraham: Transforming Hostility to Hospitality. Both the participants and the crowd really did a wonderful job in trying to affirm what is holy and good about our faith traditions. The question and answer period was especially excellent. The program was a huge success; we had over 350 people attending; they had to bring in extra chairs because it exceeded the room capacity size. I want to thank Father Michael Schaab, Imam Saad Baig, Rev. Ron Quay and Barbara Rodell for making this program such a huge success. I pray that God will continue to bless their efforts as each faith community works toward the common good of our society. I will treasure the gifts for years to come. Continue Reading

When Abraham rescued his nephew Lot, the biblical narrator explains that he took 318 men with him to fight against the numerically superior armed enemy (Gen 14:14).

This sounds simple enough, that is until you examine rabbinic interpretations that explain this passage in terms of Hebrew numerology known as “gematria.”

Some rabbinic sources (like Rashi) speculated over the number’s deeper significance. The Midrash for an example, points out how the numerological value of Eliezer’s name adds up to the number 318 men. The Midrash and Talmud assert that Abram took only Eliezer with him, as they pursued the four kings and defeated them. ^[1]

Ibn Ezra scoffed at such an interpretations as a wild flight of fancy, for in his view, gematria (numerology) could be used to prove anything. ^[2] This does not necessarily mean that numbers of the Scriptures are without some symbolic significance. The Tanakh as well other ancient texts of the world ^[3] often display a preference to certain symbolic patterns of numbers — especially with respect to the number seven. ^[4] However, the use of gematria as a means of explaining a random passage opens the door to potential distortion.

Among modern scholars, S. Gervitz points out that when one adds the prime numbers [a number divisible only by itself] between 7 and 49 (7,11,13,17,19, 23,29,31, 37,41,47) one arrives at the number 318, thus the symbolism of Abram’s success revolves around the number seven.^[5]

In addition, he points out that in each of the two blessings given by Melchizedek contain seven words each, and that from Abram’s appearance in v. 13 until the end of the chapter, occurs seven times! Sarna however, is dubious whether the ancients were familiar with prime number theories at this time in history. Continue Reading