Message from the Campus Rabbi

Masada College is a Modern Orthodox Jewish Day school.
What do we mean by the term Modern Orthodoxy?   The Torah in the book of Bereishit- Genesis describes the famous vision of our forefather Jacob. Jacob sees a ladder with its feet firmly in the ground and its head in the heavens. As such, the ladder functions as a bridge between heaven and earth.   The vision has spawned a plethora of commentary as to the meaning of the vision. As a Jew living in the modern world this vision of Jacob represents the entire world view of Modern Orthodoxy. We are meeting point between the two worlds, the world of modernity and the world of Judaism. We are in the middle. In fact we are the synthesis, blending the two values.   Judaism has always had a profound interest in the secular wisdoms. The greatest personalities of our past: Maimonides, Nachmanides, and the Vilna Gaon, to name but three, were masters in the secular wisdoms of philosophy, medicine, mathematics, science, astronomy. Judaism based herself on the verse in Genesis “Yaft Elokim leyefet veshchon beohalei Shem.”, the beauty of Yefet - representing Greece and Greek wisdom, will dwell in the tents of Shem - the ancestor of Judaism.   What is the approach of the Modern Orthodox Jew?   The biblical commentator, Baal HaTurim explains that the numerical value of the word Sulam - ladder is equal to the Divine throne, Mount Sinai, which are spiritual in nature. As well as to mammon and ani which is money and the poor, which would place the focus on the physical here and now.   The Ladder thus places its focus towards the Heavens, toward the spiritual height achieved at Sinai  and maintained in the throne of God.   But at the same time the ladder represents mammon - money and ani the pauper. These constitute the pursuit of personal gains and progress as well as the pursuit of secular knowledge.   By stressing the connection of ladder with the poor and money the ladder is telling us that in the search for wealth and security, we will be poor if we do not focus on those who have not in our society. We have an obligation to look after those who can’t. The ascending the ladder of success and getting ahead can leave others in our society crushed. We need to make personal sacrifices for the sake of the community.   On the other hand the word sulam has the same value as kol or voice, the selfsame voice of Jacob in the tents of learning and prayer. The kol - sound of prayer and the kol - sound of Torah study.   The way of the Modern Orthodox Jew is to revolve on the two axes, however one needs to realise that the mundane is a means to the Holy, the strong foundations of the ladder in the ground enable us to climb heavenward.  

As a College, we endeavour to insure that our students are imbued with a deep sense of identity, that the sweet words of Torah are merged with the concepts of secular wisdom. That the student understands their responsibility towards the community both Jewish and Australian. That Israel is firmly entrenched as part of their identity.   On that fateful night Jacob experiences the vision of Judaism a means to bring Heaven Down to Earth and raise Earth to Heaven.      Jacob the Father of Israel is entrusted with the means.   We at Masada aim to fulfill that vision.   “And behold a ladder set upon the earth and its head reaching the heavens.”  

Rabbi Paul Lewin,
Campus Rabbi