I had the great pleasure of participating in the virtual promotion of the book a month ago, at the invitation of the Jewish community in Montenegro.Purim”, which was prepared, translated into Serbian and accompanied by notes by rabbi prof. Dr. Eliezer Papo. The translation is original because it brings us the biblical Book of Jestira (which until now we could read in Daničić's prose translation) in the poetic form of ten, characteristic of our folk epic poems. People from various places (from Jerusalem to Cetinje to Belgrade and Zagreb) and from different spiritual traditions participated in that online meeting. This did not pose any problem for mutual understanding, because we, each from our own point of view and conviction, spoke about the irrefutability of the text of an ancient book and the tradition of the Purim holiday, which is based on the action of the mentioned reading (Megalith Esther). Since I have dedicated my entire working life to biblical topics, it was a real spiritual feast for me to discuss with members of a different/different religion (compared to my Christian one), here in Montenegro, about the events of the Persian empress of Jewish descent, written in a book older than Christ's of birth. Thanks to the organizers - and this way!
That evening, among other interesting things, the translator and editor of the book presented a traditional rabbinic interpretation of the biblical text according to which one sin, some human disturbance of divine things - God tolerates (waits for correction, repentance of sinners) for four generations. So if - emphasizes the rabbi - during those four generations, not a single descendant is found to correct that mistake and turn the course of things in a positive direction, then that entire race (that family) remains hopelessly condemned, barren and without progress. This type of guilt, which spans time and collectivity, presents a complex theological topic and dilemma that any Christian minister would hardly be able to preach. New Testament theology says that we are all responsible for our own salvation and that the deeds of our ancestors cannot save me if they are virtuous, nor destroy me if they are sinful - unless I, myself, continue to carry them out. Collective guilt is not recognized even by human legal codes; Christian theology emphasizes personal responsibility; but - who can claim with certainty where the border is between the Old Testament ("Fathers eat sour grapes, and the sons' teeth gnash") and the New Testament legality in the nuances of our existence? Old Montenegro still remembers well every curse of Saint Peter of Cetinje... Modern science has irrefutably established the transmissibility of some deformation at the genetic level - in every creature of God, and it seems that even machine and computer models are not immune from such "transmissible" errors...
Listening to the rabbi, a terrifying but at the same time optimistic thought occurred to me: that we in Montenegro, with these current divisions, are not simply the great-grandchildren (fourth generation) of a mistake? Reluctant descendants of a fraternal division? Even before this centenary, we had various pains and troubles, there were blood feuds among our ancestors, betrayal, lies and fraud... but for two brothers, two brothers by birth, to look at each other as occupiers or apostates; and that we build life in Montenegro by counting the "comites" and "aggressors" at the beginning of the 21st century... who needs that?
I know, differences are wealth, dialogue is fruitful, we can't all think alike...etc. But this division binds our hands and feet and eyes... From "Chetniks" and "partisans" we are unable to see people, citizens and brothers. And we all have our mouths full of "civil state". One of the key reasons for starting last year's litias was precisely the announced demolition of the secular concept of society by the ruling party at the time, which announced the "restoration of the church" at congresses; and jeopardizing civil and religious equality immanent to it - through the passing of a law that provided for one arsin for determining the owner of church property, and a completely different one for discussing the property of other natural and legal persons in Montenegro. And really - just that. And it was big.
Although there were cases where our great-grandfathers shot at each other as supporters of two different kings, grandson and grandfather - that painful fraternal conflict ended. Let's leave it to literate and qualified historians to tell us how it was. Flute players from monochrome portals should give a little soul. If our grandfathers were in a much bloodier conflict and aimed at each other as members of different military formations that cruised through Montenegro during the Second World War - that ammunition was also fired! The circumstances of the death and the method of posthumous anti-propaganda by the liquidator of the Čuk hero Krsto Zrnov Popović clearly show that nothing was completely black or completely white. That's why the ghosts that we invoke among living grandchildren under the name of honorable and martyred heroes from history - the most ordinary spoof and desecration of their memory! If our fathers lived, in terms of identity, a "winter dream" of hiding (partially) full truths for the sake of the ideological stability of communist society - well, in the last 30 years, a lot of this has come to light.
Now, I thought, is the opportunity for us in this fourth generation to correct what our elders did wrong - when it comes to brotherly hatred. I would not get involved in their commitments or the political ideas they lived for and implemented. I have both a judgment and an emotion about it, but I'll keep it to myself. A country for all, a society of equals - that's the idea around which we must rally. Because if the old rabbinic story from the beginning is at least partly true - in the next generation it will be too late to fix it. Peace, love and harmony - we need them now. Immediately, here and now. In other words: it is the last, but perhaps the best, moment to change the course of our sociality. Namely, this change is still possible today.
The Orthodox Easter is approaching (the date of which does not know the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars - a small note to journalists). One and the same people, that is. The mass of the people, in the space of only 4-5 days, welcomed Jesus Christ with enthusiastic exclamations of "Hosanna" and "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord", and then with the terrible "Crucify him"! The propagandists of that time did not have the Internet or portals, but their influence on the unenlightened world - Killed God!
To our great happiness and salvation, God proved to be stronger than hatred and lies, greater even than death itself. Stronger and greater than our old and new sins, from our individual and collective delusions...
PS So that I wouldn't be dragged to the right or the left about some kind of invented dual identity that is imposed on me, even though I neither said it nor wrote it down, let me emphasize that this call for peace and unity has nothing to do with elections, censuses, or identity counts . Let them all count and choose to be as different as possible from these others. Let everyone register however they want and feel - just without blackmail, pressure and illegal influences on their free will. But gentlemen, when we do all that, when we group ourselves along ethnic, linguistic and political borders - let's not forget that we are not only the great-grandchildren of ancient divisions, but also the great-grandfathers of future people. Tomorrow, our great-grandchildren can live as compatriots in the same street and as believers before the same altar, and they can - if we continue like this - be to each other: aliens from different planets. Divided like that - we won't even have a Swiss-standard state... I chose a long time ago: There is one God, and people are brothers!
The author is the rector of the Cetinje seminary
Bonus video:
