The Lord Works In Mysterious Ways

Last Thursday night, a little less than a week before Rosh Hashana (our Jewish New Year), I received an email from Gina. (Read Below)

I spent a rather restless/sleepless night contemplating the content of her email. I share this with you including my response.

It is over eleven years now during which time I was involved with the legal ramifications of my behavior. It is and was important to read of Gina's pain and "disgust" with regard to her former rabbi; me.

I am cogniscent of the ramifications that took place then and obviously that is still carried today.

Tshuvah is not living with remorse for what was. Rather Tshuvah is defined by "doing the next right thing". I strive to do the "next right thing".

Judaism teaches that God forgave the people of Israel for worshipping the Golden Calf by presenting the Israelites with the gift of his Thirteen Attributes of Mercy". God forgave and forgives us for our errors in judgment (our sins). It is up to us to forgive ourselves. It is incumbent upon us to receive the Tshuvah of others and thus to offer them our forgiveness.

I believe that it is impossible to "forgive and forget:" We humans do not have a delete mechanism.  We can however learn to forgive both ourselves and others in the spirit by which God forgives each of us.



PLEASE READ GINA'S EMAIL TO ME AND MY RESPONSE TO HER BELOW-




Rabbi, 

As a former congregant of Bnaih Torah... a former child congregant I am still very upset that you chose to work with kids given your condition. In fact I am disgusted and ever since I have lost a lot of faith in Judaism and have not felt as though my Bat Mitzvah was a holy as it should have been considering you were the one who conducted it.  Couldn't you have worked with adults instead?  I am disgusted but none the less wish you luck with your recovery... Hope you have good holidays and repent for a long time.  

Gina

Hi Gina,

      Thank you very much for your e mail. It is poetic that I read it late last night, just before I went to bed. It allowed me to reflect on my "journey" in life, in preparation for this last Shabbat of the year and these days before Rosh Hashanah.

      Most of my waking hours are spent speaking with my "brothers" and "sisters" in recovery. I work/share exclusively with adults who are struggling with the disease of addiction. My web site is www.recoverythroughtorah.com

      I have profound regret for the disappointment/anger that I brought to you and to countless others.

      Please know, without any excuse or rationalization that my Federal offense consisted of viewing four thumb-nail images of child pornography for a matter of several seconds. I am not minimizing my offense; this "crossed-the-line" and constituted a Federal offense of "possession of child pornography." I have paid my formal debt to society, but the scars remain.

      I devote my life to doing Tshuvah and by living a Twelfth Step through my work with Recovery Through Torah.

      Tshuvah  primarily  consists of two elements; doing Tshuvah and accepting Tshuvah. Accepting ones own Tshuvah; forgiving ones self and accepting  another's Tshuvah; forgiving another.

      I wish you and your family a Shanah Tovah.

     Rabbi Juda/Yehuda Mintz

Response from Gina-

 

Rabbi Mintz, 

Shanah Tovah- I forgive you for the past and wish you luck on your journey. 

Gina 

Testimonial 13- to Yehuda Mintz

To whom it may concern,

I am pleased to write in support of Rabbi Juda Mintz whom you are considering for the position of Senior Rabbi of your Congregation.

 Rabbi Mintz has been gone from our university campus for a number of years now, but those of us who have worked with him will never forget his simply extraordinary energy and vision, and his marvelous spirit which led to not only great  success but also to great affection. That's a unique combination-drive and pastoral sympathy.

We have never had comparable leadership at Hillel here on campus since he left. At that time, he was far and away the most outstanding leader in the religious community on our campus. While I have not had direct knowledge of his achievments in his Congregation, I have heard of its growth and strength under his leadership.

Personally, he is a delight to work with. He does what he says he will do, which points both to his determination and his dedication. He has character and embodies the qualities that win the respect of the larger community.

As you can see, I am very high on him and recommend him to you wholeheartedly.

Sincerely,

President of the university

Testimonial 12- to Juda Mintz

 I want to wish you and your congregation , together with Rabbi Mintz and his family, a sincere Mazel Tov on Rabbi Mintz's installation as rabbi of your community.

Rabbi Mintz has been my dear friend for many years, befriending me when I first arrived in Atlanta. His rabbinate here was a distinguished one. He helped to create the setting and then part of the structure for the tremendous growth in Jewish life that our city has experienced. 

First as rabbi of Hillel on campus, he built almost from scratch, that organization into one of the most vibrant centers of Jewish life for young people in our area. Later, as founding Rabbi of a Congregation. He helped nurture that community into the wonderful center of Jewish study and observance it has become.

As a dear friend, I will miss his wonderful face to face friendship, openness and treasured advice. (Thank G-d there are telephones and e-mail). This city will  miss his rabbinic presence which raised all of us because it was here.

I know that the love he brings to his calling, the sincere belief with which he stands for all things Jewish, his capacity for hard work  and his vision, will be a blessing to all off you, as he has been to all of us.

May G-d bless him, his family and all of you, as together you continue to create and vivify the jewish hope and dream, which has been, since the beginning of written history, G-d's promise and the crown  of our existence.

Sincerely,

Rabbi .....

Testimonial 11- to Rabbi Yehuda Mintz

Testimonial 10- to Rabbi Juda Mintz

To whom it may concern,

Duing the past four years, Rabbi Juda Mintz has served as one of the Rabbis, spiritual leaders and guides for our congregation. He is a Rabbi and teacher of distinction, a role model, respected for his knowledge , his leadership and his humilty.

Rabbi Mintz has always delivered inspirational sermons that were emotionally engaging, informative, educational and provided us with models for living in accordance with jewish laws and traditions.

Because our congregation consists of an aging population, our congregants have had a special set of challenges. Rabbi Mintz responded to these challenges ands was always available and open to the spiritual and emotional needs of the congregants.

His extensive experience and knowledge has been invaluable to us in our daily operations. The Rabbi's combination of talent and superior aptitude along with his willingness to lead can provide exemplary results for any congregation.

In addition to his outstanding qualifications, Rabbi Mintz has developed extensive knowledge in the area of ritual needs and programming. His driving force will surely result in invaluable growth and success for your congregation.

Sincerely,

President of the Congregation

Testimonial 9- to Yehuda Mintz

Testimonial 7 and 8- to Juda Mintz