Kesher Talk

If worse comes to worse, take the oath and then do a Kol Nidre. This is a complex issue.

During the past couple of years I had to appear in a local court. They handed me a bible to take the traditional oath. I glanced casually at the bible and, to my horror, noticed it was a Christian bible with old and new testaments. I was stunned and didn't know how to proceed. It occurred to me that if I as a Jew took an oath on a Christian bible, someone could later come along and challenge my veracity and integrity and raise the issue of perjury, so I had to refuse to take the oath on that bible. I knew I was exposing myself to anti-Semitism by doing this. Which was worse-- anti-Semitism or perjury? I decided that perjury was more important. I lamely explained that as a Jew I shouldn't be taking an oath on that bible. Why not? the judge asked. Because it is a Christian bible with both old and new testaments. I knew what I was in for. And steeled myself for the coming ordeal which then unfolded. But I spent my earliest years with my extended family in PA where the Penn Dutch refuse to take oaths altogether because of their interpretation of the 10 Commdnts. So I just resigned myself to the Salam-like ritual I was about to endure.

This really is a complex issue, I assure you. Theory is one thing, but living a life and real politic can be something else. I think it is sometimes wisest not to make too much of a fuss over being non-conforming. There is something to be said about the avoidance of making waves if they are gratuitous.

But in the end, each person has to make a very lonely decision about how to proceed. And it isn't always the decision that you have expected in theory to make. You have to live and survive with the consequences which can be costly, painful or sometimes fatal. Do a lot of thinking about all this before you shoot from the hip and condemn or belittle someone else's decision on how they handle this.

posted by William @ 1/22/2003 07:52:43 AM