The Truths that Matter

By Jessica Rose Kerner
State University of New York at New Paltz

My mother used to tell me that there are always at least three sides to a story: your side, another person’s side and the truth, which only God knows. Truth is a difficult concept. All humans yearn to know it, yet we can never fully attain it. To capture the truth of a moment, one may, for example, videotape it or write about it. However, the video image may not capture all visual angles and can definitely not retain all of the smells and physical feelings of that moment. A book may describe a moment in time, however it is written by someone whose view is unique. So why is it that we can never fully capture the truth of a moment? Perhaps it is because the truth is not for us to know. Instead, maybe the truths that God wants us to learn are the truths of morals and values.

When I pray and study Torah I know that my individual opinion is what matters. It does not matter whether I am reading a true story about a woman who turned into salt when she chose to look back, or if I am reading a symbolic story about a man who parted the sea for Jews to cross. What matters is my understanding of the story at that point in time. As a young girl, listening to stories of Moses and other biblical figures was like listening to fairy tales. The stories were exciting and I empathized with the characters in them. Yet, it was not the truth of the story that was important, but, rather, the fact that I had gained something from hearing it. At the same time, I realize that I am an individual, and that no other person has experienced Judaism in the exact ways that I have. I can, therefore, only express what is true for me about the study of torah.

In my opinion, reading the Jewish Bible is a difficult task. There are many stories that shock, scare and hurt me, and yet, there are also parts of the Bible that touch my heart and enlighten my brain. Ultimately, I realize, the only way to find truth as a human being is to be fully in touch with all of one’s thoughts and feelings. In other words, I must accept that such feelings are there in order to help me begin forming my own beliefs and morals.

Hearing the story of Passover, for example, fills me with suspense, anger, sympathy, and pride. Overall, the story itself teaches me that if Moses did not adamantly persist against the Pharaoh, the Jews may have never been freed. The story of Noah’s Ark nurtures my compassion for animals and feelings of responsibility for their care. In this manner, I have come to discover that animals are God’s creations and must be respected and tended to for that reason. Another aspect of my Jewish life that has taught me many similar values is the close-knit, supportive, and strong community of my temple. In much the same way as the Passover narrative, my Jewish community has provided me with an appreciation for the people around me, a love of learning alongside others, a reverence for prayer and a desire to serve humanity.

Overall, the study of Torah and Jewish teachings has taught me to maintain a strong work ethic, to persevere, to value my family, friends and community, to respect and cherish not only other people but animals as well, and to be thankful for all of my blessings.

Consequently, I have learned to incorporate mitzvot (obligations) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) into all aspects of my life, understanding my eventual responsibility to teach these tenets to the next generation. In the end, I firmly believe that these are the truths that God wants us to gain from the study of Torah. After all, as my mother told me, the true facts of a story are only known to God.

Jessica Kerner is from Hewlett, Long Island, New York.  At the State
University of New York at New Paltz, she is studying theatre arts and hopes
to find work that includes acting, dancing, singing and directing theatre
of all sorts.  She wants to eventually teach theatre after she has done it
on her own.  When she is not in school, Jessica loves working with
children, especially children's theatre.

[Posted 3/29/06]