To my chagrin, not much of great import has been occupying myself or my mind recently, friends. My sinking under the currents of my summer classes is at least partly responsible for this phenomenon. One article of slight interest that I considered mentioning is my attendance at one of Heshy Freid's ("Frum Satire") shows on Sunday (which, compounded with my having attended another of Dustin's ("Reality Addiction") concerts on Thursday is pretty social for a guy who's idea of a promiscuous time until recently was going to the supermarket). Unfortunately there weren't many "bloggers" there, though I did meet "Michal bat Avraham" (on my blogroll under "Modern Girls" for technical reasons). She was nice enogh to spot me out and say hi. She was there with another attractive young lady who she says she met through one of Heshy's statuses on Facebook, which to me seems an as-of-yet unexplored forntier for meeting people. I was hoping to see Ms. Manischewitz ("Material Maidel") to verify if she really looks like her profile picture (a Barbie doll who's hair changes color every other second) but according to Heshy she didn't show, and the world may never know.The truth is there have been a few things I would have liked to write about that never made it to the blog. One subject that's been occupying my mind recently has been the relationship between G-d's people and G-d's land: what to do about the diaspora Jews who see no interest in "ascending" to the holy land. As you may well-know by now, I couldn't be more fervent a "Zionist" (even though I myself reside in Brooklyn at the moment), and view those Jews who who see nothing wrong with living in America with the same bafflement as those Jews who see nothing wrong with eating the flesh of the swine.
Yet I was thinking, as I have before, that even in our peoples' distant past there have been many great Jewish communities that have existed outside the land of Israel. Saul/Paul of Tarsus was a Jew who was living in a Grecian city in Turkey even while the Temple stood, and that community and others like it were probably centuries old. Hillel himself came to Israel from a great diaspora community which existed alongside the golden era of the Second Commonwealth—Babylon.
If, then, there were so many Jews during the Second Temple period who lived proudly as Jews among the gentiles, surely now that the Temple does not stand yet again in Jerusalem is it not permissible to live as a Jew among the nations? The answer to that question obviously varies depending on who you ask, but I just wish to mention here that the acts and histories of the Jews of Athens and Alexandria, Sura and Fum-Beditha(1) are not those mentioned in the Midrash or the Talmud. It was not the lives of the "Exile-Jews" that shaped the history and destiny of our people in that era. If all the Jews had stayed in Cilicia(2) and Babylonia the Temple would not have been built, the monarchy would not have been restored, and for all we know the Mishna and Talmud would not have been written (let alone the New Testament and the Quran). Something I like to mention to people is that the Mishna in Ketubot tells us that it was the lowliest of Jews that came from Bavel to Eetz Yisrael, and from them was made our religious histories, and not from the rabbis of good stock who remained in exile.
Unfortunately my level of alertness doesn't allow me to complete my thought at the moment (2 at night) but, I'd rather this be posted than nothing. Suffice it to say I wish to return to this subject in the future, since I wish to record my opinions about Israel on my blog already...
(1) A more correct pronounciation for "Pumpedisa".
(2) The Roman province in which Paul's Tarsus was capital.
36 comments:
"view those Jews who who see nothing wrong with living in America with the same bafflement as those Jews who see nothing wrong with eating the flesh of the swine." -- What, you do not differentiate between halacha and hashkafa? I honestly don't see how you can compare the two.
There were many times in our history that Jews lived outside of Eretz Yisrael, even though it was possible for them to remain in the land. For example, the communities of Babylon, who contributed a lot to passing the oral Torah on to us. They were able to learn and study and work on it better in Babylon because they were left in peace there than in Israel, where there was constant tension.
"just wish to mention here that the acts and histories of the Jews of Athens and Alexandria, Sura and Fum-Beditha are not those mentioned in the Midrash or the Talmud. It was not the lives of the "Exile-Jews" that shaped the history and destiny of our people in that era." -- Are you kidding? Do you know how much Torah came from there? Amoraim, Savoraim, Gaonim, Rishonim. Hello, have you ever wondered why you are able to learn Gemara and Torah now the way you do? Rambam, Rashi, some of the greatest scholars, lived outside Israel. They changed the way we see Torah today.
I'm just baffled that you can speak of those great Jewish scholars so carelessly just because they lived in exile.
I don't know, perhaps I am misunderstanding you? I sure hope so, because I would not want to think you are discounting what those Jews did. So let me know.
I just edited a bit and put up some links. I would have done that last night but my Internet seemed to have dropped dead..
"What, you do not differentiate between halacha and hashkafa? I honestly don't see how you can compare the two."- I don't know if "hashkafa" is quite the word. People who turn their heads from Israel are turning their heads from the spirit of the Bible--the spirit of G-d. I would say living in Israel is more important than many minor halachot. It's an unshakable foundation of Judaism.
There were many times in our history that Jews lived outside of Eretz Yisrael, even though it was possible for them to remain in the land. For example, the communities of Babylon, who contributed a lot to passing the oral Torah on to us. They were able to learn and study and work on it better in Babylon because they were left in peace there than in Israel, where there was constant tension.
"I don't know, perhaps I am misunderstanding you?"- Yes, perhaps I was misleading. I meant during the period in which the Temple stood, or, more accurately, the era of the Second Commonwealth. Obviously The majority of Jewish "activity and history" took place outside of Israel after that period, until recent times, with the establishment of a third commonwealth. I, therefore, was comparing diaspora communities existing alongside a Jewish state which would be easy to live in, in the past and today.
From after the Byzantine period though, the Jews can't much be blamed for living outside of Israel, since at that point it was more of an "exile" than a "diaspora". Yet there were probably a great many rabbis and scholars who lived in Rome and Alexandria and Babylonia and Persia (especially Babylonia, considering they had the vast majority of exiles from the First Temple period) who we hear nothing of anywhere in the texts, for who cares about what happened to a rabbi in Rome while Hillel and Shma'aya and Avtalyon are living in Israel?
עוד חזון למועד
Umm, sorry about the third paragraph there...
"I would say living in Israel is more important than many minor halachot." -- Not eating swine is not a "minor halacha." That's a major thing. And I would MUCH rather see Jews living outside Israel than see them living in Israel and doing something like eating swine.
I spent about a year learning about the Jews in exile and the great works and great people that came from there. A year talking about the progress of the Jews and how they came closer to being the nation they are today because of the leaders outside Israel! So perhaps that is what sparked my reaction to this post.
Unfortunately the Jews have spet more time outsid their land than in it (בעוונותינו), and obviously most Jewish accomplishments and innovations didn't happen in Israel in modern times..
"That's a major thing. And I would MUCH rather see Jews living outside Israel than see them living in Israel and doing something like eating swine"- When I hear te word "halacha" I think of the minutiae of Jewish law, not of something like the forbiden animals, which is biblical law...
Though it's always found it a little strange that the bulk of Jewish literature during the past thousand years (like you said, Rishonim, Acharonim) were written in the heart of "nowhereville" (Iraq, Spain, Poland and Germany for example).
"When I hear te word "halacha" I think of the minutiae of Jewish law, not of something like the forbiden animals, which is biblical law..." -- But first you mentioned eating swine, and then you started writing, in connection to that, about "minor halachot."
OK, I said, "People who have no interest in going to Israel confuse me in the same way as people who have no interest in keeping the dietary laws".
You said, "What, halacha and hashkafa are on the same level now?"
I said, ""Halacha" makes me think of small halachot; Israel is definitely more important than those".
You said, "Eating pig is a big halacha".
I hope I'm being faithful to our words. Either way: again, the dietary laws are a big part of what the Torah is about. "Israel" is a big part of hat the Torah is about. You can't just turn your head from some things the Torah stresses and concentrate on others.
I'm thinking of starting with footnotes by the way (as you can see in this post), do you think it's a good idea (or they sort of get in the way)?
"You said, "Eating pig is a big halacha"." -- Well, actually, it was quite the opposite -- NOT eating pig.
As for footnotes, it's your blog! And the wonderful thing about having your own blog is that you get to do what you want with it.
"Well, actually, it was quite the opposite -- NOT eating pig"- Hannah, you're putting words in my mouth! ..wait, you can't really sy that when ther's written proof..
Very well then, I guess I'll be using more footnotes. I think they have the potential to be agreat tool in explaining what you mean by omething, without bein "too" explanatory..
Sorry... It was just too good an opportunity to pass up. (That is why you must always be careful with your choice of words.)
If you ARE going to use footnotes, I will just suggest that you change the color. That horrible combination of colors that you have now -- blue on black -- hurts my eyes way too much.
(Sorry about the missing letters by the way, my keyboard is sill far from it's old self).
So what color then? Any suggestion?
Something more neutral and much lighter. Perhaps a pale yellow or a cream.
(The biggest problem is still your background though. If you had a light background, you would have more freedom with your text colors.)
Yeah, people tell me they can't read a dark background. It's strange, because I can't read a light background! Maybe it's my computer, but those white backgrounds are blinding to me! I have to highlight thhe text with my mousev just to read it! A black background is, like, what defines my blog!
Anyway, I'll look into those shades, sounds promising!
Lightning Crashes. I'm sure you heard that, you're in Brooklyn now!
I just changed it, and, I don't know why, I smell vanila when I look at it!
So change your screen settings. Adjust the brightness and contrast levels until you see the screen the way the rest of us do.
"A black background is, like, what defines my blog!" -- When you say "like," it reminds me of annoyingly talkative teenage girls with limited vocabularies, and that makes me want to throw something.
I've been hearing thunder for a while now, but I have not yet seen any lightning. It's actually quite sunny outside now.
"I just changed it, and, I don't know why, I smell vanila when I look at it!" -- Vanilla is good... Add some sandalwood to that, and voila.
Hi. I didn't see an email address. I appreciated your visiting my blog and commenting. I'm actually very into the idea of punching bags. However, I've got language rules that required me to delete your post- I would have edited it if I knew how.
Have a good Shabbos.
Mrs Afloat: Yeah, my email address is there, but here is fine.
Ha! Yeah, sorry 'bout that : (, just trying to convey a frustrated mood! (I can imagine life is tough for you). Though you'll never guess where I got the punchng-bag idea from..
Oh, good Shabbos.
"When you say "like," it reminds me of annoyingly talkative teenage girls with limited vocabularies, and that makes me want to throw something"- a. Yeah, that's also my main method of venting frustration...the past couple of years. Sorry about the "like"; it's not really something I'd say in reality if that helps..
"Vanilla is good... Add some sandalwood to that, and voila"- Sandalwood, sandalwood...isn't that a fragrance or something? ..oh, I see...
ok, I'll look into the brightness issue..
"it's not really something I'd say in reality if that helps.." -- I sure hope it isn't how you'd speak....
And yes, vanilla + sandalwood = fragrances.
It's funny, because, reflecting on what you had wrote to me earlier that day, on my bed on Friday night I found myself saying sentences with the word "like" in them to see how they sounded in reality!
I think the outcome was that I do sometimes say it, but I say it so fast that it's hard to notice (unlike girls who pause after "like"). So, in my previous sentance, there wouldn't be any comas by "like". For example: "A black background is-like what defines my blog"...
*ahem*, aaaaanyway..
You spend your Friday nights listening to yourself saying "like"?
I don't even know what to say.... Can't you read a book instead or something?
Oh, and by the way -- even without the commas, you still have a little grammar issue there.
Haha. In my thoughts I was using the word "like" in the same way I would in reality, which reminded me of what i wrote about being sorry about using the word, so I wanted to se if the way I used it sounded too air-headed...
Yeah, grammar and me don't usually see eye-to-eye...
"Grammar and I..."
Ha! I'd never put grammar before myself! IT should give ME the honor!
You'd NEVER? I hate to break it to you, but you already did. You put grammar in front of yourself, and you still managed to use it improperly while doing so! You just wrote "grammar and me" instead of the correct "grammar and I."
(Perhaps it might give you more honor if you actually bothered to learn all its ways! ;])
Gramma sucks : P
Haha. "Grammar" sucks! Ahh, my keyboard...
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