YO!
Ugh! Tonight is similar to so many nights, I had so many interesting thoughts, but can't get around to recording them. So; here goes, some main points; Genesis 22: G-d tells Avraham to kill his son? Murder? That kind of murder? What was Avraham thinking? -Probably that "G-d told me I'll have many children etc., I'm sure G-d knows what He's doing and will get things together right. Maybe Yitzchak is like "זרע פסול", like Yishmael (sending out to dessert also sort of like killing). What G-d said back to Avraham in response to his acquiescing was basically 'well now I see you fully -trust- me (made a lot more sense while I was walking!)
But that's a similar idea to the yam suf. What? We're all going to die now, just like that? But G-d told us He'll take us to Israel (they were still on the right level, Moshe was with them). Now, it could be they all trusted G-d, but only one person -not Moshe!- decided to walk -not swim- straight into the water because "G-d said we should go, let's go, and nothing can get in our way!" Now, it could be G-d would have made a different miracle if circumstance demanded, but He also wanted to sort of test the people to see what direction they would take -after all, He put them in that situation-. And all G-d wanted to see was people who could transfer the logical into the emotional and physical, and say; "if G-d said to keep going, we"ll keep going and He'll protect us!". To fully trust in G-d.
And so too in our lives; Chanukah is a good time for teshuvah. How do you do teshuvah? Above all else- determination! You have to be determined that this is what you must do no matter what. And if you have that determination, you will trust that G-d could help you change your own reality, and run a counter-culture, and let logical healthy living overcome natural-instinctive living -Amen!
22 comments:
At the time of yetziat Mitzrayim, much of the Jewish nation was on the same level as the Egyptians. Although G-d took them out of Egypt and slavery, they were not necessarily worthy of being saved afterward. The fact that G-d tested them this way at the Yam Suf was in reality a kindness. He was giving them an opportunity to prove that they are different from the Egyptians, and therefore worthy of being saved. All they had to do was show some bitachon in G-d.
So perhaps another lesson to us is that as we live our lives, we have to make sure we remain different from the non-Jews. We should not blend so easily into their cultures and adopt their lifestyles. As long as we show that we are different, we are worthy of being the am hanivchar.
Oh man, walking down memory lane tonight. I haven't seen all this syuff in ages. And my writing was so crappy (not that's improved that much).
Interesting idea. But very sudden on G-d's part!
I'm not 100% about your wording of the lesson though. Being different from the general cultures and lifestyles of the nations that surround us is not what makes us the chosen people of G-d, it's only in due to our form of religion, that we, the first monothiestic people, introduced to the world. If we continue in that religious individualism, we'll stay the chosen people. But today, that our monothiestic ideas have spread to the nations, they too have the same chance (to an extent) of being G-d's 'chosen people".
Hm. Maybe I shouldn't be spreading all my Reform nonsense to you!
Your writing is pretty good, actually. Well, except for the occasional informal "yo," which is prominently displayed at the beginning of the post in this case.
It's not just about monotheism. The Jewish nation is supposed to be separate and different from all the other nations -- havdala bein Yisrael l'amim. When it is said about Bnei Yisroel that they did not change their names, their language, or their dress, it has nothing to do with monotheism. It is about your behavior on a daily basis. It is about what you think, how you speak, how you react to certain things in life, and how act.
Maan "Yo"(!), when I say Monotheism I mean meotheistic ideology, otherwise known as the Judeo-Christian culture, which is much more than monotheistic belief (though not quite the right term since I'm not really talking about Christian belief).
What I was getting at is if you live accross the street from "Yusuf", who believes in G-d, and serves him daily through "Salah" to G-d and "Zakah" to his fellow believers. etc etc. Is there a "mitzva" for you to be culturally different from mr. Yusuf here? According to Maimonedes: no. You're both serving G-d. You're both Righteous. Only difference is the Jews have got a special relationship. ..long story..
I'm still not quite sure what it is that you don't understand about hahevdel bein Yisrael l'amim.
Listen to me, I'm a lot older than you, it's all bais yaakov brainwashing stuff! ..well, a lot of it anyway..
"I'm a lot older than you" -- Being older does not necessarily equal being wiser. I am not trying to imply that you aren't wiser than me; I am simply saying that you don't have to be right just because you are older than me.
"it's all bais yaakov brainwashing stuff!" -- It is better than being brainwashed by secular culture, do you not agree?
Lessons that help you become a better Jew and strengthen your connection to G-d are not what I would call brainwashing. Brainwashing has a very negative connotation, and I would not use it in such a situation.
Yes, of course, I was joking about the tern "brainwashing", but it is a bit sad to see anyone who isn't "self-sufficient" in ideology and in theology, and that is what bais yaakov creates. ..unfortunately that's what every other man-made institution creates as well...but it's still sad.
What I was complaining about, obviously, was the notion that being "different from the goyim" is a mitzva unto itself. As if to suggest that if Christians wear red shoes, it's a mitzva to wear blue shoes; and that's a big party of what defines us as Jewish and as G-d's people. I think that's absurdly superficial; and the Midrash about "they didn't change their names, etc" was only a praisworthy thing because they weren't given the Torah yet.
Now, while it's a nice idea to sport a nice, idealistic Hebrew name and all that, it can't be said that just by the fact that my shoes are blue and theirs is red that I'm chosen by G-d. It doesn't make sense on a logical level, and it doesn't even make sense on a Jewish-theological level. If performing the precepts that G-d laid out in the "Five Books" makes us different than people who do not perform them, then THAT is something legitimate that separates us, but then again, monotheistic non-Jews are not condemned, in fact besides for a few ritualks that we observe and they don't, we're quite the same in the eyes of G-d if we both walk in his ways equally.
(I know I'm overlooking a lot of our "intrinsic" relationship with G-d, but I'm just trying to bring out a point..)
Haha. I said "big party" instead of "big part". Freudian slip perhaps : ).
"What I was complaining about, obviously, was the notion that being "different from the goyim" is a mitzva unto itself." -- When have I ever said that it is a mitzva? I just said that it's a good thing to show G-d that we are different from the non-Jews and we are worthy of being am hanivchar. After all, it was the Jews' bitachon in G-d that proved they were different from the Egyptians.
"As if to suggest that if Christians wear red shoes, it's a mitzva to wear blue shoes; and that's a big party of what defines us as Jewish and as G-d's people." -- Oh, come on, I don't mean that. I am talking about the way you live your life and react to certain situations. I am not talking about something like shoe color.
"I think that's absurdly superficial;" -- Well said; your example is indeed absurdly superficial. My ideas, on the other hand, are not.
"and the Midrash about "they didn't change their names, etc" was only a praisworthy thing because they weren't given the Torah yet." -- Yes, which is why when I said that Jews should not blend into non-Jewish cultures and lifestyles, I specifically did not mention names. Before the Jews got the Torah, this was what helped them remain separate from the Egyptians. Now, however, one of the things that serves to separate us is the Torah, so the names are no longer as important. What I'm talking about are Torah values. Living your life separately from the non-Jews and making choices that are not necessarily similar to theirs, but rather, conforming to the Torah's hashkafa.
"Well said; your example is indeed absurdly superficial. My ideas, on the other hand, are not."- Now you're making ME look silly ; ).
Well, maybe I should pose it like this: It is action that separates men, not religion and not status. In other words the Jewishness of Jerry Springer doesn't save him from the fires of hell and the Islam of that Yusuf guy I was talking about (a smei-literate Pakistani, let's say) definitely doesn't prevent him from entering the gates of heaven.
If it was Yusuf living among secular Jews, it would unquestionably be Yusuf that G-d loves and the Jews that G-d despises, since G-d is not a G-d of bribery. And it would be a "mitzva" for Yusuf to preserve his Islam in that sea of Jewish Western secularism.
What I meant to say before about Monotheism is that, according to the Rambam, something big changed when the Goyim accepted upon themselves the basic tenets of our religion; it leveled out the playing field a bit. The Israelite of the bible and the Jew of the Talmud were different from the other nations mainly due to their religion as opposed to the Paganism and Pagan ideals of "the nations", if that changes, G-d's whole relationship with us and them changes as well.
Now, we still have something special going on because we follow the original Torah more or less unadulterated, and we do have some sort of "genetic" relationship to G-d according to the Tanach. But in a time when most gentiles are in the halachic category of "ger toshav" and at times even "chasid umot ha'olam" that uniqueness is a bit "tainted".
About the shoes: Now, you know as well as I do that there are Jews out there that insist on there being external differences between themselves and "the goyim", and that that's, like I mentioned previously, part of what defines them as being Jewish. "u'b'chukoteihem lo telechu" (I don't know how you do with Hebrew letters!) according to them has to do with any aspect of life that they see as "un-Jewish".
Or if the Gentiles engage in some sort of act they wouldn't engage in it themselves, without even considering the theological ramifications of that act, since it's a "goyisha" thing to do, etc. (I can't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about; you live here in Brooklyn for G-d's sake!) I thought that you partially had that in mind. I guess you didn't. But either way it's obviously silly..
"Now you're making ME look silly ; )." -- You're the one who mentioned shoes...
"It is action that separates men, not religion and not status." -- Actually, status and religion do play a role. There's a concept of different levels of existence. There's the domem -- an inanimate object, the tzomeach -- a plant, something that grows, then a chai -- animals, midaber -- humans whose power of speech sets them apart from the other categories, and finally, Yisrael. Yisrael is in a category of its own. Then, in each category, the things can be either successful or unsuccessful. So in the top category is the Jew. He can either be a good Jew or a not so good Jew, but his category is still above that of the medaber.
"it would unquestionably be Yusuf that G-d loves and the Jews that G-d despises," -- I do not agree. A righteous gentile and a secular Jew are still in separate categories, so they can't be compared. Their neshamot are different as well.
"But in a time when most gentiles are in the halachic category of "ger toshav" and at times even "chasid umot ha'olam" that uniqueness is a bit "tainted"." -- Not at all. Chasidei umot ha'olam get rewarded for the good that they do, but that does not change the fact that they are not in the category of Yisrael. Yisrael are still unique.
"About the shoes: Now, you know as well as I do that there are Jews out there that insist on there being external differences between themselves and "the goyim", and that that's, like I mentioned previously, part of what defines them as being Jewish." -- If there are certain styles of dress that are not in accordance with the Torah's outlook on modesty, then of course Jews should not follow the example of the general society. Another thing that bothers some people is how Jewish girls take non-Jewish styles and somehow make it work so that it is technically tznius. For example, wearing a black V-neck shirt on top of a white shirt with a tznius neckline and sleeves. Some say that although it might be technically tznius (no skin showing), it misses the mark just because of the style. I'm not saying that I don't do this; I'm just saying that this is how some people look at it.
"(I don't know how you do with Hebrew letters!)" -- ?
"I thought that you partially had that in mind. I guess you didn't." -- No, I didn't.
"I do not agree. A righteous gentile and a secular Jew are still in separate categories, so they can't be compared. Their neshamot are different as well."- Well Hannah, it seems we agree to disagree. In my mind the fact that Mayor Bloomberg is Jewish just gives him more responsibility, not more reward. All he "accomplishes" by being Jewish is racking up aveirot every day for not putting on t'filin and not praying and such, whereas someone like...Mayor Giuliani was not responsible for those things. Now, if Bloomberg actually put on t'filin he would be greater than a more religious Giuliani, not now that he doesn't he's in fact worse..
"Yisrael are still unique."- Now, I don't agree with the Christian idea that Israel recinded their uniquness when "G-d abandoned them" or whatever, but I do feel that in a sense the world "Yisrael" could be a little more inclusive than we think it is. Yisrael is not a race. It's not a gene-pool. It's not even a religion. It's a way of life. A way of life that's open to anyone..
"Jews should not follow the example of the general society"- Again, as I stated here many times, if the Ashkenazi Chareidim in Brooklyn were worried about tzniut so much, they'd be dressing more the "goyish" Muslims, who obviously understand tzniut far better than they do. Rather it is not exactly tzniut they're after, but preserving their eastern Europeanism, and their "Yiddish culture" manners of dress and of life. I mean, of course they are worried about modesty to an extent, but when push comes to shove it's not their sociological concern as a group.
"..it misses the mark just because of the style"- Honestly, I don't see the problem with such an outfit.
"(I don't know how you do with Hebrew letters!)" -- ?- I'd rather use Hebrew letters than attempt to transliterate, but I remember you saying you weren't so into Hebrew..
"In my mind the fact that Mayor Bloomberg is Jewish just gives him more responsibility, not more reward." -- And once again, I never said that he gets more reward. A Jew is rewarded according to what he does, and is likewise held responsible for his misdeeds because more is expected of him.
"Now, if Bloomberg actually put on t'filin he would be greater than a more religious Giuliani, not now that he doesn't he's in fact worse.." -- See, that is the problem. You are comparing Jews and non-Jews, when there is really nothing to compare because they are two separate categories. You cannot judge which is better and which is worse.
"Yisrael is not a race. It's not a gene-pool. It's not even a religion. It's a way of life. A way of life that's open to anyone.." -- One's status as a Jew is passed down from mother to child, or through conversion, in which case the convert is considered as having received a 'new' soul -- something which is separate and different from the medaber.
"Rather it is not exactly tzniut they're after, but preserving their eastern Europeanism, and their "Yiddish culture" manners of dress and of life." -- What they are trying to do is fit in with the contemporary society, while still maintaining some level of technical tzniut.
"Honestly, I don't see the problem with such an outfit." -- You don't see or don't want to see? Think from a different point of view.
"I'd rather use Hebrew letters than attempt to transliterate, but I remember you saying you weren't so into Hebrew.." -- I would also rather that you use Hebrew letters. Reading Hebrew words in English letters is not as easy. I read Hebrew quite well; I just don't always understand the words, in which case transliterating would not exactly help anyway.
Either way, it is good for me to practice my Hebrew... I'm going to Israel soon and I want to try speaking in Hebrew, even though everyone understands English anyway.
"One's status as a Jew is passed down from mother to child, or through conversion"- That seems like an automated response. It has no life in it!
"What they are trying to do is fit in with the contemporary society, while still maintaining some level of technical tzniut"- Again, I disagree. That's more like what the Conservatives are trying to do, or the Evangelicals. The Jewish girls here are just trying to keep their "JAP" status by dressing as fancily as they can..
"You don't see or don't want to see? Think from a different point of view."- I don't see. I think you might have to help me along a little over here..
I would also rather that you use "Hebrew letters."- Oh, great. אז נשתמש בעברית..
"That seems like an automated response. It has no life in it!" -- It is how it is. I believe Reform Jews say anyone with Jewish ancestry is Jewish though.
If you don't mind my asking, which denomination would you affiliate yourself with most? (I generally find direct questions about religion to be rude, but I am curious, considering some of the things you have written and some of the opinions you expressed.)
"The Jewish girls here are just trying to keep their "JAP" status by dressing as fancily as they can.." -- And that in itself is frightening.
"I don't see. I think you might have to help me along a little over here.." -- When a girl wears something with a deep V-neck (like this: http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/PP11077844.jpg) with a shirt underneath, it still seems as though she is wearing something non-tzniut and trying to fix it up. It seems as if she is just wearing that non-tzniut top, and the shell is just a formality.
By the way, how do you write in Hebrew letters? I used to do it through a website (http://bumba.net/~skaya/translit/ahtModified.html), but I found that the text would sometimes get messed up, so I am wondering what my other options are.
"It is how it is."- And how it will be...in bais yaakov.
"If you don't mind my asking, which denomination would you affiliate yourself with most?"- Oh, no, I don't mind dear, to an extent flattered even (though I know it can sometimes be rude. ..like when we got an 18 year old Moroccan working in our restaurant in Orlando, within his first few minutes there he adamantly asked the Haitian chef what religion he was).
Well I'm obviously an Orthodox Jew, though I would like to think my Orthodoxy is inspired by the Torah, the Talmud and the rabbinic tradition, and not "Fiddler on the Roof". Though I try to keep an open mind, and overlook the "orthodox" definitions of orthodoxy and Conservatism, etc..
"..it still seems as though she is wearing something non-tzniut and trying to fix it up."- Yeah, but she's covered isn't she? I think if you follow that line of thinking "אין לדבר סוף" (the halachic concept of "there's no end to it").
Again, like I've said recently in a post you not only read but commented on, take for example the fact that the most "offensive" aspect of immodest dress is "the protruding part between the lower back and the upper legs", the shape of which is better to be concealed. The most religious Jewish girls around here don't seem very concerned about that, yet most most of the religious Muslims girls I've seen make sure to have the bottom of their flowing tops cover that protruding area. So the most important aspects of tzniut in dress never crossed their minds..
"By the way, how do you write in Hebrew letters?"- In the Control Panel, go to Language Options, then Keyboards and Languages to get any language on your keyboard. OK Товарищ? ; )
..the only problem is you've gotta' know where all the keys are. I just got used to where all the Hebrew letters are on my keyboard a long time ago..
Hm. Looks like it's a little late to be doing an "early shabbos" now. ..well, I'll take what I can get..
"And how it will be...in bais yaakov." -- I am not sure if my school is considered Bais Yaakov.
Either way though, this is how I see it is an Orthodox Jew. One's status as a Jew is given from the mother or through a kosher conversion. I don't really see any room to be lenient here.
"Well I'm obviously an Orthodox Jew" -- Okay, I just want to know who I'm dealing with, because it would be useless to even try to argue this point with someone who isn't Orthodox.
"I think if you follow that line of thinking "אין לדבר סוף"" -- I think every individual should just know where to draw the lines. Trust me, I am not the type to nitpick over הלכות צניעות, and as I said, I do wear clothing like that, but I am just saying that this is what some people say, and I think that they do have a point.
"the most "offensive" aspect of immodest dress" -- I never thought of that as the "most offensive aspect," but you're right, Jewish girls should be more careful with that.
"OK Товарищ? ; )" -- תודה רבה!
"..the only problem is you've gotta' know where all the keys are." -- זה לא בעיה.
"One's status as a Jew is given from the mother or through a kosher conversion. I don't really see any room to be lenient here."- Again, I'm talking about it from a strict halachic standpoint, I'm talking from a general theological standpoint. A lot has happened with the religion of the nations in the past three millennium, what it says in the Tanach might not be 100% applicable today. Again, not in regards to who's Jewish, but in regards to how G-d views us differently than our neighbors..
"זה לא בעיה"- Are you using the virtual keyboard or something, or are you just being guided as to where the keys are..? ..well, I guess it doesn't make much of a difference anyway..
"what it says in the Tanach might not be 100% applicable today." -- I am speechless.
I think that in general we can trust what the גדולים say. Either way, we should not be making our own conclusions as to what is applicable and what is not.
"Are you using the virtual keyboard or something, or are you just being guided as to where the keys are..?" -- I changed my settings according to your advice, and am using my own keyboard. How am I finding the keys? Don't laugh, but... trial and error.
"I am speechless."- Oh come now, surely you can see that the "עבודת ה" in the First Temple period was not the same as that of the end of the Second Temple? The First Temple Israel was full of Pagan Israelites engaged in civil war against each other. I mean, there were a huge amount of things that were only enacted by the beginning of the Second Temple, and therefore not in the Tanach (having to pray three times a day for example. But even such basic things like engaging in business on Shabbat weren't assur in the First Temple period). I tell you, if we were to see them they'd be more or less unrecognizable in regards to their Judaism.
...but that's not my point at all. What I was getting at was that all the prophetic declarations in the name of G-d made in the "Old Testament" period might be understood in a different way considering the changes that have taken place in the world. Mostly the fact that many non-Jews are not Pagans at all, but rather non-Jewish monotheists. Like I said, it's difficult to say that these are the people G-d is excluding in His prophesies since he should have nothing wrong with such individuals. The declarations that were made were on the premise that "the nations" had a low religious standard, which has become untrue. What has become true though is the prophesies that state that one day the nations will learn to serve the "L-rd". Again, this is all from the Rambam..
I'm sorry I keep repeating the same things, I guess I'm just not sure which parts you didn't agree with..
"I think that in general we can trust what the גדולים say.'- Still, you should watch who you chose as a "גדול", since a lot of them argue among themselves. In America they're pretty standard though, but there have even been rabinic controversies here,like those between the Litvish, Lubavitch and Satmar Ashkenazim..
I guess the main things to accept are the things that are true across the rabinic spectrum..
"How am I finding the keys? Don't laugh, but... trial and error."- I guess that's a reasonable method. I myself started (when I was 14) by just writing where they are on a paper and referring to that. In Israel they have stickers in the Internet cafes (since you also need Arabic and Russian).
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