Shab-BOT Shalom!

This week's sermon is being delivered by an artificially intelligent rab-bot from ChatGPT.

This Shabbat's guest rabbi will be the noted scholar, Avirtual Ibn Intel, otherwise known as the A.I. People call him “BOT-ty,” but when you call him you can call him Hal (the full name of the “2001: A Space Odyssey” computer with the creepy voice was actually HAL 9000). Yes, this Friday and Shabbat morning I am sharing the pulpit with the latest sensation on the sermonic scene, completely devoid of humanity and presented by Chat CPT. So Sha-BOT shalom to everyone! I’m about to find out if my profession is going to slide into obsolescence.

Referencing this week's Torah portion of Vaera, I prompted Rabbi Hal to write sermons on various topics for me to preview. Here's one Hal wrote introducing the plague of frogs.

In the portion of Vaera in the book of Exodus, one of the plagues that God brings upon Egypt is the plague of frogs. The account of this plague can be found in Exodus 8:1-15. According to the story, God commands Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the Nile, which will cause a great number of frogs to come out of the river and cover the land. The frogs will also go into the houses, into the beds, and into the ovens of the Egyptians.

Pharaoh's magicians were able to replicate this plague through their magic, but they were unable to remove the frogs. Pharaoh then asked Moses to pray to God to remove the frogs, and God did so, but Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. This plague was one of the many signs and wonders that God performed through Moses and Aaron to demonstrate his power to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and to ultimately bring about the release of the Israelites from slavery.

Not bad for a beginner. But it lacked oomph, imagination...star power!

Still, I wondered, should I feel threatened? Should all rabbis? Should congregations? After all, virtual rabbis might be a lot cheaper than real ones, and they can even play guitar. Still, it is common knowledge that robots make bad fund raisers..

Not satisfied with this first attempt at a frog sermon on Vaera, and trying to gently nurture my new student, I asked Rabbi Hal to amplify on the symbolism of frogs. A few years ago I prepared an entire presentation on that plague, so I might be considered a rib-bit of an expert. How would Hal match up to that?

"It's not easy being a machine," Hal ribbited back. Nice line, I thought, though I’m not sure Kermit would appreciate that riff on his famous refrain. And then Hal churned out this:

In a Jewish sermon on Vaera and the symbolism of frogs, one could explore the meaning and significance of the plague of frogs in the context of Jewish thought and tradition.

One interpretation could be that the frogs symbolize the impurities and sins that are present in the world, and the plague of frogs could be seen as a reminder of the need to constantly work towards purifying ourselves and our surroundings. The frogs are seen as a reminder of the constant battle between good and evil, light and darkness.

Another interpretation could be that the frogs represent the Egyptians' idol worship, as the frogs were associated with the goddess Hekt, and the plague of frogs could be seen as a demonstration of God's power over the false gods of Egypt.

Additionally, the plague could also be seen as a symbol of God's mercy. The frogs were only sent to the Egyptians, not to the Israelites, demonstrating that God was punishing the oppressors and not the oppressed.

Overall, the plague of frogs in the portion of Vaera can serve as a reminder of the need for personal and societal transformation, the power of God and his mercy, and the constant battle between good and evil.

Not bad, actually, but what of the resistance to change? What about that old frog-in-boiling-water metaphor, which I reference in my own froggy parsha packet. I consider that an unforced error.

Me -1, Hal - 0.

So then I asked Hal to sermonize about Vaera… in light of the new Israeli government.

Heh heh.

This would get him in hot water for sure (to keep with the frog metaphor). He would be summoned before the board before he could even unpack his Spacely Sprocket gift bag. Mr. Space Odyssey would be past tense - like his movie with the futuristic title whose time actually elapsed 20 years ago.

Here's what Hal spat out as result of my hazing.

The Torah portion of Vaera, which tells the story of the God's revelation to Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, teaches us important lessons about the power of faith and the importance of standing up for what is right. In these troubled times, as we see a new government being formed in Israel, it is important for us to remember these lessons and to hold fast to our beliefs.

As we read in the story of Vaera, Moses was called upon by God to stand up against the oppression of the Pharaoh and to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Despite the challenges and obstacles that he faced, Moses remained steadfast in his faith and his belief in the power of God to guide and protect him.

In the same way, as we witness the formation of a new government in Israel, we must remember that it is not enough to simply hope for change. We must actively work for change, using our voices and our actions to speak out against injustice and to stand up for what is right.

As we read in the Torah, "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12), God is with us always, guiding and protecting us as we work for a better future. May we all be inspired by the story of Vaera and the courage of Moses, to stand up for what we believe in and to work for a just and peaceful society.

May God bless the new government of Israel and guide them in the path of righteousness, May God guide the leaders of Israel to make the right decisions, protect the citizens and bring peace to the land. May we all work together to bring about a better future for all people in Israel, and may we find strength and guidance in the Torah and our faith in God. Amen

Interesting. Hal may appear tone deaf to the details of the current crisis in Israel, but he is spot-on in finding a way to say something that will appeal on some level to every listener. He found the most moving and profound way to say absolutely nothing. Perfectly rabbinic! This experiment just might work out. He might become a real rabbi after all.

In fact, now, everyone can be a rabbi! Virtually.

I'm not the first rabbi to employ A.I. for a weekly sermon. One Hamptons rabbi tried it out and later said of the experience, “I really do think that were someone to get their Jewish content exclusively through ChatGPT, there would be an X-factor lacking. The human soul, the spirituality, the love, the compassion, all of that would be lacking. And I think they would be doing themselves a disservice to learn Judaism exclusively from artificial intelligence.”

I couldn't have put it better. But I wonder if that quote came from the rabbi...or the bot? In the end, A.I. will help more for research, as an extension of Google or other search engines, than for actual sermon writing. Nothing can replace the human touch. And nothing should replace the human element, in religion and in so many other areas of life.

The Washington Post asked some ethicists for guidance. They suggested that we not trust A.I. to take the reins on things like breakup texts or eulogies for a good long time. "It’s tough to make blanket statements about when it’s okay to use A.I. to compose personal messages," an A.I. ethicist said. "For people who struggle with written or spoken communication, for example, ChatGPT can be a life-changing tool. Consider your intentions before you proceed," she advised. "Are you enhancing your communication, or deceiving and shortchanging?"

But it's good to stretch this tool and test its limits. So I tried one more gambit.

I looked around my kitchen and my eyes landed on Cobie, Cassidy and Casey, my three trusty standards - and I decided to ask Hal to write a sermon about Vaera and... poodles. Hal told me, in no uncertain terms, that the request was ridiculous.

“I'm sorry, I'm not sure how a sermon on the Book of Exodus and poodles would be related. Could you please provide more context or clarify what you are asking?”

I said… How about comparing Moses to a poodle?

Hal hesitated for about ten seconds, and then, like the best ever to graduate from computer obedience school, he summoned these words:

Poodles are known for being intelligent, trainable, and obedient. Moses, as depicted in the Book of Exodus, is also known for being intelligent and able to lead and guide the Israelites. Additionally, both poodles and Moses are known for their ability to adapt to new situations. Poodles are a versatile breed that excels in many different roles, such as obedience and agility competitions, service and therapy work, and as beloved family pets. Similarly, Moses was able to adapt to his role as leader of the Israelites and guide them through their journey to the Promised Land.

That would have been perfect. Thanks, Hal. Here's your treat.But no, after a moment's deliberation, Hal continued.

However, I must point out that this analogy is not a common one and might be not very useful for a sermon. The Bible and the story of Moses have a very different context than that of a breed of dog, and it's important to keep that in mind when discussing them.

Duly noted, Hal. Always looking out for me, I'll make sure not to deliver this sermon. Not even to my poodles. No, Moses was not anyone's lapdog; and as God will certainly tell you, he was not the most obedient pup in the shed.

But the most important message to send to all the non virtual human-type beings out there is this: A.I. is a tool, like all of technology, whose impact can be both positive and negative. Technology is inherently neutral.

But a rabbi is and must be inherently and absolutely - and always - HUMAN. Rabbis need to be the antithesis of machines, the antidote to our increasingly robotic civilization. But that's not what's happening in a culture where rabbis are expected to be: mature yet youthful, serious yet funny, principled yet conciliatory, sophisticated yet homespun, friendly yet firm, and all of that 24/7. Who needs Hal? We're already stretched beyond human limits; we are expected to be super-human. We are already rab-bots.

Hal and me, we're gonna be fine together. But sooner or later, as the program is continually refined, Hal's going to start checkmating the grandmasters. The bot will soon have the clarion voice of MLK, the conscience of Heschel, the patience of Gandhi and the gumption of RBG. And be a darned good writer too.

And the people will choose Hal over a real person.

And that will be the end.