Absent such reliable records of whatrnhappened, how are we to know what didrnnot happen? Much that archeology saysrnabout the written account represents arnmassive argument from silence. ThernTorah camp responds out of the Talmud:rn”Ln raiti, lo zu raiyah” (‘”I saw nothing’ isrnno proof). Why would a rabbi disruptrnthe social order of Ix)s Angeles Judaism atrnPassover on the basis of such a feeblerngrasp of how history and archeology conductrntheir inquiry? What can come asrnthe encore for the New Year?rnPerhaps we may now anticipate a pronouncementrnthat archeology cannot findrnthe altar on which Abraham bound Isaac,rnand thus Rosh Hashanah, when Genesisrn21-22 is read in the synagogue, must berncancelled.rnOne last point: Wliat made the messagernso urgent as to require Rabbi Wolpe’srnsolemn pronouncement, on the morningrnafter the Passover Seder was celebrated inrnthe homes of Israelites all over the world,rnthat the Exodus commemorated the previousrnnight never happened? I listened torna tape of the original sermon, whichrnscandalized the Jewish world, and foundrnhis stentorian tones, revealing long-hiddenrnsecrets of fraud in Scripture, remarkablyrnpretentious. Time and again, he announcedrnthat “truth” tiumps “false faith.”rnThe tape also conveyed, in tiie questionsrnof the congregants, the shock and hurtrnthat the sermon imparted. The only justificationrnI could imagine for raising thernissue on that day in that way woidd bernRabbi Wolpe’s intention to resign fromrnthe rabbinate of that synagogue, andrnfrom the rabbinate altogether, on groundsrnof a massive change of heart and mind onrnthe truth of the Torah that he had hithertornespoused. But that is not what happened.rnWhat happened was just the passing ofrnanother day. What else is new beyondrnthe boundaries of the Torah camp of Judaismrntoday?rnJacob Neusner is research professor ofrnreligion and theology and senior fellowrnin the Institute of Advanced Theology atrnBard College, Annandale-on-Hudson,rnNew York.rnLetter FromrnBaltimorernby Brian KirkpatrickrnA Message for BoysrnThe steamy morning reminded the congregationrnthat Baltimore is on the shorernand was once considered part of thernSouth. Tlie heat and the elderly substitiiternfor the vacationing rector made thernservice informal and cozy, but if I hadrnknown tlie small church didn’t have airrnconditioning, I might have chosen somernother Sunday to visit. The regulars knewrnThe Re-Birth of a Classic!rnThe Outline of Sanity by G.K. ChestertonrnAfler 75 years, this brilliant, engaging work is now availablernas a single quality paperback., .only from IHS Press.rnIn The Outline of Sanity Chesterton reveals…rn• The pitfalls ofboth socialism and capitalist monopoly.rn• The modem economic tendency to deprive people of real wealth.rn• That “Distributism” is the common-sense answer!rnLow introductory price! $12.95 plus $2.50 S/H Money Bacit Guarantee!rn^”2%rn”» potes^s>*rnTo order: call (757) 623-0309,rne-mail: order@ihspress.com, or send check tornIHS Press, Dept. C, 222 W. 2 F St., Suite F-122rnNorfolk, VA 23517rnAlso available in bookstores.rnThe exclusive pubUsIier…dedlcated excluisvely to thernSocial Teaching of the Catholic Church.rnhow to deal with the heat: The womenrnwore sleeveless tops and dresses; as for thernmen, I was wearing hdly half the congregation’srnallotment of ties. I was the onlyrnone to try one of the little spade-shapedrnwicker fans tucked in with the prayerrnbook and hymnal. The regvdars didn’trnbother, knowing that expending the requiredrnenergy would just make themrnmore miserable.rnThe woman seated across the aislernfrom me had her toddler dressed for thernweather, in a seersucker jumper withrnshort legs. The little boy had a cheerful,rnangelic face surrounded by thick, darkblonderncurls. His jumper, bare feet, andrnluxurious curls made me wonder if hisrnmother had hoped for a girl.rnDuring my medical training, they toldrnme the name for what this little boy wasrndoing, but I had forgotten it long ago.rnStill, the idea came back to me as he actedrnout an intense, heartfelt little chapterrnfrom a textbook on child development.rnHe bumped into his mother, makingrnsure he got some acknowledgment—arnsmile, a hug, a quick whispered game ofrnpeek-a-boo—then he was off. The pointrnof the game was to see if he could find hisrnway back to her. And what a game! Thernlong canyons formed by the pews thatrntowered over him, strange but smilingrnfaces, the occasional snag in finding hisrnway back to his mother—all added a littlernspice. A woman near 30, sitting with herrnown mother, brought him back oncernwhen he got lost, but the boy’s motherrncalmly let him go again as soon as he wasrnready. At the exchange of the peace,rnwhen the congregation gathered in thernaisle to talk and shake hands, a few huggingrnone another, three or four of thernadults reached down to touch the boy’srnspringy curls. Ignoring their hands, herncontinued weaving among the dressesrnand tiousers.rnDuring one of his stops for emotionalrnrefueling, his mother stepped two rowsrnback to say hello to an older woman. Hernwatched her, clutching the pew, his facerna jiunble of emotions. It was all right if/zernleft Mom, but no one said she could gornanywhere! He wasn’t sure whether torncry, run after her, or stiuggle to wait herrnout. Fortunately, she came back quickly,rnand his smile was brighter than the sun,rnwhich couldn’t quite push its way tliroughrnthe Baltimore haze.rnAfter the peace, two men marched uprnto the altar for the offertory plates, onerntouching the little boy as they passed.rnTlie men left the altar and worked theirrn42/CHRONICLESrnrnrn