Is it ok to do the right thing for the wrong reasons? How can we respect great men who have made mistakes? How do we bring core Jewish values into a mainstream audience?
These questions and many more are addressed in this fascinating lecture at Congregation Edmond J. Safra, located on the New York City's Upper East Side, as Rabbi Shmuley Boteach addresses topics such as redemption in Judaism and salvation in Christianity.
In Christianity, Rabbi Shmuley states, there is no redemption without salvation; faith takes precedence over one's actions and salvation is the keystone upon which Christian ideals lay. With Judaism, however, personal salvation has never been the ultimate goal.
Judaism has always been about redemption and leaving the world a better place than you found it. Throughout the Old Testament, we are shown example after example of our world's greatest leaders making mistakes, raising the question: How can we still respect them? Judaism's emphasis, Rabbi Shmuley states, is about world redemption, not personal salvation. The ultimate goal should be to pick up where the previous generation left off and continue to build upon and improve the world around us. "The essence of Christianity is saving the soul, the essence of Judaism is saving the world, 'tikkun olam.'"