I want to go to services and fast for Yom Kippur, but I have a chemistry test on Thursday morning. I could just go to Kol Nidrei service on Wednesday night and fast and take the test on Thursday morning and then go to afternoon services, or I could ask (with my friend Jeanne) to have the test moved for us. While Jeanne, as a conservative Jew, is totally justified if she asks to take the test at another time, I feel like it would be pretty strange for me to make the same request. At the same time, I do want to go to services and observe Tom Kippur, so perhaps it ultimately doesn't matter that I'm not Jewish. Thoughts?
Also, isn't it strange that we have a word for di-lemma, but not really one for poly-lemma? Ooh, never mind, the word polylemma does exist! So this is a moral polylemma.
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3 comments:
Surely this is just a dilemma? Although I'm sure you're confronted with multiple polylemmas on a regular basis.
I would recommend that you go to Kol Nidrei services, skip the fasting and still take the test. I don't think you're really in a position to request the test be moved. Also, from personal experience, no matter how noble or sincere your desire is to observe Yom Kippur, taking Jewish holidays as a gentile is typically frowned upon by observant Jews. Skipping the fasting is just smart going into a test. Of course all of these recommendations are practical vs. spiritual. So...call me!
I say if you want to skip tests for a Jewish holiday, convert to Judaism. Then skip the test. If you're so convicted as to have to do something that will negatively impact your test, then that strikes me as a sign of faith. But perhaps the faith being expressed isn't fundamentally oriented towards Judaism...
Also - everything Ben I. said too. You can call me after you call him...
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