Recently, Gary Rosenblatt mentioned in his column in the New York Jewish Week that the idea that orthodox Jews don’t respect or appreciate the Jewish devotion of “serious” Reform or Conservative Jews. It got me thinking about what exactly is wrong with Reform or Conservative Judaism. To understand this, I contrast the devotion of these Jews with the devotion to Roman Catholicism of the late Cardinal Lustiger, who converted from Judaism and became the Archbishop of Paris. Instinctively, I know that there is a huge difference between a Jew who involves him or herself with the heterodox movements and those who convert to another religion.
The main difference that defines and differentiates orthodox and heterodox Judaism is that orthodox Jews believe that they have covenantal obligations to Hashem. The covenant is found in the book of Exodus, chapter 19, verses 4-6, with our acceptance in chapter 19, verse 8 and in chapter 24, verse 7. Crucially, we believe that the entire Torah explains to us how to fulfill these obligations. Satmar Chassidim and talmidim of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah may disagree about the application and fulfillment of these obligations, but both agree that the commandments in the Torah are obligatory as a result of our covenant with Hashem. A Jew, or all Jews, may fail to perfectly fulfill their covenantal obligations, but more fundamentally, a Jew needs to first recognize that there is a covenant, that he or she is a party to it, that Hashem has perfectly fulfilled and fulfills every day “his” covenantal obligations, and that they are obligated to respond by fulfilling his/her obligations as commanded in the Torah.
According to my understanding, Hashem created the Jewish soul with a drive for connection to him. Since the Jewish soul comes from an entity, a “general soul” called Knesseth Yisroel, the drive often manifests as a desire to connect to the Jewish people. A serious commitment to one of the heterodox movements is a strong expression of this. However, even the institutions of the Orthodox community struggle, and often fail to elicit improvement in the fulfillment of each individual’s covenantal obligations to Hashem. How can organizations affiliated with movements that institutionalize the denial of the “ways and means” by which we fulfill our covenantal obligations to Hashem be places that I should respect and appreciate? I feel pain when I think about the condition of my own soul, and sadness when I think about the efforts that serious heterodox Jews make. It is hard enough to fulfill a mitzvoth with the proper kavannah, and mitzvoths require kavannah. When the Jew is being taught that he or she is not even obligated, how can his/her acts of service be acceptable to Hashem?
Still, the service of Jews who practice within the framework and according to the teachings of the heterodox movements is motivated by a Jewish ruach, a desire to connect to Hashem through Knesseth Yisroel. My understanding is that the heterodox movements accept that there is a coventental relationship between the Jewish people and Hashem, even as they deny that there are specific obligations that go along with the covenant which are described in the Torah. A Jew who practices a non-Jewish religion has veered much further from the mark than has the Reform or Conservative Jew, as non-Jewish religions either deny that there is any covenantal relationship between the Jewish people and Hashem at the present time, or deny that the Jew can fulfill his/her end of the relationship without adopting beliefs and/or practices that do not fall within the framework of Judaism.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The roar of the lion
Rav Kook in Oros Teshuva says that the people of the world, the peoples of the world are crying like a lioness giving birth, crying and screaming and roaring and trying to escape her cage. When Hashem created the world, that was the biggest death there ever was, says Rav Kook. Constricting "Elokus", the G-dly, infinite energy into "Olamiyus", the time and space limited "world". Rav Kook, writing in the 1st decade of the 20th century, said that the current of teshuva was gushing, the peoples more and more desiring something better, something holier, something more G-dly.
I think that the "goyim", the nations of the world, sense, as I have posted previously, that the Jews are interfering with this process. They may not realize that this is "metaphysical", that we, the Jews accepted a responsibility from Hashem at Mount Sinai that we struggle to fulfill and mostly fail to fulfill. They do realize subconsciously that the Jews are connected to what is "wrong" with the world. This causes them to roar and to cry and to scream.
Many times during the 20th century, the lion escaped from the cage and reaked havoc.
On Sunday, I attended a talk by Professor Yisroel Aumann, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2005 for his work on Game Theory. He explained Game Theory to us in the context of relations between nations. He said that according to Game Theory, nations have to create credible threats to get their opponents to cooperate. When a nation broadcasts that it doesn't want to play anymore, the opponent swoops in for the victory. As he put it, "the best way to make peace is to prepare for war. " One problem is that it is much easier for dictatorships to make credible threats than for democracies, where it is hard to get the supermajority needed to make the types of game-changing threats that are needed to bring the goals, whatever they are, to fulfillment.
When I look at what is going on with Israel and the USA, I wonder what Netanyahu is doing. I agree that he is "right" about the settlement issue, but I don't understand what his contingencies are. Is he prepared to unleash extreme responses to what may come at Israel? Does he think that the possiblity of what may come at Israel is not that serious? I see a fright train coming at us and I don't see us taking counter-actions that will be effective. And I hear the old Motown song from the 1960s in my ears, "Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide". When the walls close in, we can only have faith in Hashem and in the ultimate outcome that we believe.
I think that the "goyim", the nations of the world, sense, as I have posted previously, that the Jews are interfering with this process. They may not realize that this is "metaphysical", that we, the Jews accepted a responsibility from Hashem at Mount Sinai that we struggle to fulfill and mostly fail to fulfill. They do realize subconsciously that the Jews are connected to what is "wrong" with the world. This causes them to roar and to cry and to scream.
Many times during the 20th century, the lion escaped from the cage and reaked havoc.
On Sunday, I attended a talk by Professor Yisroel Aumann, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2005 for his work on Game Theory. He explained Game Theory to us in the context of relations between nations. He said that according to Game Theory, nations have to create credible threats to get their opponents to cooperate. When a nation broadcasts that it doesn't want to play anymore, the opponent swoops in for the victory. As he put it, "the best way to make peace is to prepare for war. " One problem is that it is much easier for dictatorships to make credible threats than for democracies, where it is hard to get the supermajority needed to make the types of game-changing threats that are needed to bring the goals, whatever they are, to fulfillment.
When I look at what is going on with Israel and the USA, I wonder what Netanyahu is doing. I agree that he is "right" about the settlement issue, but I don't understand what his contingencies are. Is he prepared to unleash extreme responses to what may come at Israel? Does he think that the possiblity of what may come at Israel is not that serious? I see a fright train coming at us and I don't see us taking counter-actions that will be effective. And I hear the old Motown song from the 1960s in my ears, "Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide". When the walls close in, we can only have faith in Hashem and in the ultimate outcome that we believe.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The sharp end of the world
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/world/middleeast/28westbank.html?fta=y
My thought, when reading this article, is that Israel is the fulcrum, the sharp end, on almost all international issues of interst. Here is a gay, possibly communist Israeli Jew who loves helping the Palestinians. He is alienated in so many ways
This is what happens when a good person, a Jew, living in the holy land, is separate from Torah and Avodas Hashem...
Teshuva is the answer.
My thought, when reading this article, is that Israel is the fulcrum, the sharp end, on almost all international issues of interst. Here is a gay, possibly communist Israeli Jew who loves helping the Palestinians. He is alienated in so many ways
This is what happens when a good person, a Jew, living in the holy land, is separate from Torah and Avodas Hashem...
Teshuva is the answer.
Monday, July 6, 2009
How to become President in four months
Barack Obama on Sarah Palin:
"...At least one savvy politician—Barack Obama—believed Palin would never have time to get up to speed. He told his aides that it had taken him four months to learn how to be a national candidate, and added, “I don’t care how talented she is, this is really a leap.”
From http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/08/sarah-palin200908
I look at the way the liberal media HATES her and George W. Bush - It is scary how open they are with their hate.
"...At least one savvy politician—Barack Obama—believed Palin would never have time to get up to speed. He told his aides that it had taken him four months to learn how to be a national candidate, and added, “I don’t care how talented she is, this is really a leap.”
From http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/08/sarah-palin200908
I look at the way the liberal media HATES her and George W. Bush - It is scary how open they are with their hate.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The work of the Jew
Xposted at: http://www.beyondbt.com/?p=1247#comment-358468
The starting point is the realization that Hashem created and continues to create and sustain a very good world, and he created us to bestow upon us the greatest possible good. As a receipient of good, when I perceive the incredible dimensions and levels of this good, I realize that I am chayiv (obligated) to try to pay back the One who gave me the good. Hashem gave us the Torah to teach us how to pay “him” back.
Note that the opposite of the word Chayiv is the word Patur, which means exempt. The most passive form of the word Patur is Niftar. The implication is that the best, most active way to live is to be chayiv. We need to realize that to be chayiv is a most tremendous blessing. Interestingly, one could say that the first “free choice” is the choice to accept that one is chayiv.
The starting point is the realization that Hashem created and continues to create and sustain a very good world, and he created us to bestow upon us the greatest possible good. As a receipient of good, when I perceive the incredible dimensions and levels of this good, I realize that I am chayiv (obligated) to try to pay back the One who gave me the good. Hashem gave us the Torah to teach us how to pay “him” back.
Note that the opposite of the word Chayiv is the word Patur, which means exempt. The most passive form of the word Patur is Niftar. The implication is that the best, most active way to live is to be chayiv. We need to realize that to be chayiv is a most tremendous blessing. Interestingly, one could say that the first “free choice” is the choice to accept that one is chayiv.
The destruction of human life
When I read this piece (http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/653avhtm.asp), I said to myself, this is so bad, so evil. This is the complete failure of any moral education. What a disaster.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Jews control the world
http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/06/another_fascinating_letter.php
Dear Jeffrey,
In the classic sefer "Nefesh HaChaim", Rav Chaim of Volozhin explains that when Jews fulfill their halachic obligations or commit transgressions, it has powerful effects in the upper worlds that filter down into our world. Classic Jewish belief is that we do control the world, albeit through our good deeds and, G-d forbid, the opposite. I personally believe that this knowledge is in the unconscious of every single human being. Therefore, it does not surprise me that there are people whose experience of the world leads them to claim that the Jews control the world.
Jeffrey, when you look at Jewish history, the survival of the Jewish people for over 3,500 years, the fact that both Christianity and Islam built themselves on a Jewish foundation...how do you account for this?
Dear Jeffrey,
In the classic sefer "Nefesh HaChaim", Rav Chaim of Volozhin explains that when Jews fulfill their halachic obligations or commit transgressions, it has powerful effects in the upper worlds that filter down into our world. Classic Jewish belief is that we do control the world, albeit through our good deeds and, G-d forbid, the opposite. I personally believe that this knowledge is in the unconscious of every single human being. Therefore, it does not surprise me that there are people whose experience of the world leads them to claim that the Jews control the world.
Jeffrey, when you look at Jewish history, the survival of the Jewish people for over 3,500 years, the fact that both Christianity and Islam built themselves on a Jewish foundation...how do you account for this?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Judge Sotomayer...
...should be confirmed. Although I am probably as much on the conservative side of the political spectrum as Judge Sotomayer is on the liberal side, I believe that the President should have his judicial picks confirmed, as long as they are qualified, as Judge Sotomayer clearly is.
No President should have to do what President Bush had to do, which is to first nominate someone clearly unqualified so that when the replacement candidate is named, the energy has already been expended opposing the original pick and the replacement pick can be confirmed.
No President should have to do what President Bush had to do, which is to first nominate someone clearly unqualified so that when the replacement candidate is named, the energy has already been expended opposing the original pick and the replacement pick can be confirmed.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
More on anti-semitism
Why anti-semitism? My theory is that people hate G-d, pure and simple. Life is hard, you have to get up every day, you get angry, 'pleasures' don't really provide pleasure, 'entertainment' is not so entertaining...what kind of G-d would do this to us? And yet, everyone knows that the
G-d of Israel is G-d; when the founders of the Christian and Islamic religions wanted to root their religions in a foundation of truth, they based their religion on the G-d of Israel, then added that G-d had changed his mind about the Jews, which of course he didn't.
Everything concerning Jews is big and important. We are constantly in G-d's 'eye' and we are the subject of his 'attention'. We are truly his royal family on earth. He wants us to serve him and we don't. We, just like everyone else, find it painful to live under G-d 'thumb'. We also hate G-d (G-d forbid). So...
Non-Jews hate Jews, except for Jews who are truly pure and holy and righteous.
Jews Hate Orthodox Jews, except for Orthodox Jews who are truly pure and holy and righteous.
Orthodox Jews hate Jews who are more Orthodox than they are, unless these Jews who are more religious than they are are truly pure and holy and righteous...
...and very few of us are successful at achieving purity and holiness and righteousness. May G-d bless me and you with a "arousal from above" to be successful in our quest to be pure, holy and righteous.
G-d of Israel is G-d; when the founders of the Christian and Islamic religions wanted to root their religions in a foundation of truth, they based their religion on the G-d of Israel, then added that G-d had changed his mind about the Jews, which of course he didn't.
Everything concerning Jews is big and important. We are constantly in G-d's 'eye' and we are the subject of his 'attention'. We are truly his royal family on earth. He wants us to serve him and we don't. We, just like everyone else, find it painful to live under G-d 'thumb'. We also hate G-d (G-d forbid). So...
Non-Jews hate Jews, except for Jews who are truly pure and holy and righteous.
Jews Hate Orthodox Jews, except for Orthodox Jews who are truly pure and holy and righteous.
Orthodox Jews hate Jews who are more Orthodox than they are, unless these Jews who are more religious than they are are truly pure and holy and righteous...
...and very few of us are successful at achieving purity and holiness and righteousness. May G-d bless me and you with a "arousal from above" to be successful in our quest to be pure, holy and righteous.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Reforming Health Care Jbirdme's way
Here is my proposal for reforming health care in the USA:
Catastrophic coverage run through private insurance with a upper limit (8% of income) with Medicaid to expand to cover those who cannot afford the upper limit . This coverage would kick in when someone, in a calender year, has spent over $5,000 or $7,500 on any healthcare related expense. It would cover hospitalization, visits with physicians (incl. nurse practitioners and physician assistants), medications and "durable medical equipment". To reach the $5,000 or $7,500 limit, any healthcare expense that is covered by a Section 125 plan would be included, even though many of these expenses would not be covered by the catastropic insurance itself.
Expansion of the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)/Rural Health Clinics (RHC) to allow communities and providers to offer affordable healthcare with strings attached. FQHC's, otherwise known as community health centers, offer comprehensive healthcare to low income communities, with the Governement subsidizing through grants and cost-based reimbursement. RHC's allow private physicians in rural, underserved areas to obtain cost-based reimbursement for Medicare. I would expand/reform these programs beyond rural and low income areas to provide cost-based reimbursement for all patients based on the patients being charged according to a sliding scale based on income. If a person has insurance, the sliding scale would apply to the copay, deductible, etc. In both the FQHCs and RHCs, the cost-based reimbursement would have an upper limit per visit, as they do now.
Reform of the malpractice system. Yesterday, I read an article that says that overuse and unnecessary use of the healthcare system is driven by physicians paid for treating illness, not maintaining health. I think these costs are driven by fears of malpractice. Someone who wants to sue his physician should have two choices: 1) a healthcare court which gives awards based on the injury, not on the supposed 'neglegence'; and 2) use a regular court, but the plantiff must prove the 'negligence' according to a very high standard, and if the physician successfully argues that his care was based on the correct use of a national guideline or other evidence-based practice, the plaintiff loses.
Expansion of HSAs. A person should be able to save $ tax free for any healthcare cost that would be covered by a section 125 plan.
Creativity The most important outcome of this would be to open up the healthcare system to true market forces and allow the "vendors" to package healthcare services in ways that are currently not covered by health insurance. This is where I think the American version of national health care can be better than France's, Germany's, Australia's and anyone elses healthcare system.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Accountibility
On Sunday, I heard a prominent Rabbi say that the reason why we keep having boom and bust cycles in our economy is because of a lack of accountibility (read: liability), which is built into our system. The entire idea of a corporation is to shield the actual owners of the company from liability for the negative consequences and monetary losses resulting from the actions of the company.
So...what would replace corporations? Instead of stockholders buying shares, would investors trade "partnership shares" that would carry liability? I don't think most prudent individuals would want to carry liability unless they were personally involved in the operation of the business. So, capital would be raised primarily from loans, or loan-like instruments which offered some variable upside like a stock, but left the liability with the borrowers.
And what about the people who have lost lots of money recently due to their investments going sour? Why wasn't the risk of losses enough incentive to not invest in companies where one doesn't really know what is going on or how profits were really being earned?
In a recent post, I complained about the $500,000 limit on executive salaries for companies who receive 'bailout' funds from the Feds. I now see an upside to this...most companies will think long and hard and look elsewhere before taking bailout money.
So...what would replace corporations? Instead of stockholders buying shares, would investors trade "partnership shares" that would carry liability? I don't think most prudent individuals would want to carry liability unless they were personally involved in the operation of the business. So, capital would be raised primarily from loans, or loan-like instruments which offered some variable upside like a stock, but left the liability with the borrowers.
And what about the people who have lost lots of money recently due to their investments going sour? Why wasn't the risk of losses enough incentive to not invest in companies where one doesn't really know what is going on or how profits were really being earned?
In a recent post, I complained about the $500,000 limit on executive salaries for companies who receive 'bailout' funds from the Feds. I now see an upside to this...most companies will think long and hard and look elsewhere before taking bailout money.
State Security Secrets - Bush and Obama
The NY Times, in an editorial today, critisized the Obama administration for going to court and using the same arguments that the Bush administration used in asking that certain terrorism-related cases not be tried in open court. The NY Times is very disapointed in Obama, basically calling him out for lying on the campaign trail.
Did it ever occur to the Times that now that President Obama has access to the same information that President Bush had, he realizes that the actions that President Bush undertook were in fact justified and necessary, and that the security of the United States depends on his continuing the policies of his predecessor?
Did it ever occur to the Times that now that President Obama has access to the same information that President Bush had, he realizes that the actions that President Bush undertook were in fact justified and necessary, and that the security of the United States depends on his continuing the policies of his predecessor?
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Bailout Nation
Yesterday, President Obama said that companies that are bailed out by the US Government should have a $500,000 cap on top executive compensation. I completely disagree.
Earlier this week, Bank of America, which received bailout funds last fall, was criticized for hosting an event at the Super Bowl.
This is ridiculous. If the condition for receiving bailout money is that the company is going to be micromanaged by the government, they will never recover.
I don't have an answer for how this could be done better. It is a direct contradiction, capitalism and government bailouts. I didn't like the idea of bailouts when they were first done in September or October, and I like them much less right now.
Earlier this week, Bank of America, which received bailout funds last fall, was criticized for hosting an event at the Super Bowl.
This is ridiculous. If the condition for receiving bailout money is that the company is going to be micromanaged by the government, they will never recover.
I don't have an answer for how this could be done better. It is a direct contradiction, capitalism and government bailouts. I didn't like the idea of bailouts when they were first done in September or October, and I like them much less right now.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Bombings and Death
In Iraq, a suicide bomber kills 20, 25.
In Israel, a suicide bomber kills three.
In Gaza, an Israel mortar kills 40 in a school where Hamas men were firing mortars at the Israeli troops.
In Sederot, a kassam lauched deliberately at a school damages an empty kindergarden classroom.
A katusha launched from Gaza at Ashdod kills a family of Israeli ARABS.
=============================================
Why do so many more Arabs die in attacks than Jews?
I believe that it is an open miracle. My wife thinks it is a hidden miracle. Hashem is protecting us.
If you look at the # of Arab attacks against Jewish targets versus attacks aimed at Arab targets (by both Israel and their fellow Arabs), clearly the casualties on Israel's side could be much "less", G-d forbid.
As with any miracle that Hashem does in this generation, there are logical explanations that don't involve Hashem's intervention, as far fetched as they seem to me.
In Israel, a suicide bomber kills three.
In Gaza, an Israel mortar kills 40 in a school where Hamas men were firing mortars at the Israeli troops.
In Sederot, a kassam lauched deliberately at a school damages an empty kindergarden classroom.
A katusha launched from Gaza at Ashdod kills a family of Israeli ARABS.
=============================================
Why do so many more Arabs die in attacks than Jews?
I believe that it is an open miracle. My wife thinks it is a hidden miracle. Hashem is protecting us.
If you look at the # of Arab attacks against Jewish targets versus attacks aimed at Arab targets (by both Israel and their fellow Arabs), clearly the casualties on Israel's side could be much "less", G-d forbid.
As with any miracle that Hashem does in this generation, there are logical explanations that don't involve Hashem's intervention, as far fetched as they seem to me.
Many generations to come
Here is a comment from a NY Times reader, 'Hakim':
"Once again, Israel has demonstrated its thirst for blood and callous disregard for human life and international law. The carnage they leave behind in Gaza will fuel hatred and violence in the region for many generations to come and they will surely pay for it sooner or later!."
It is worth noting that sixty-one years after the establishment of the State of Israel, no one worries that the fact that no Arab country or party recognizes Israel as a Jewish State or that Hamas is committed to Israel's destruction will fuel hatred and violence on the part of Jews will for 'many generations to come'.
"Once again, Israel has demonstrated its thirst for blood and callous disregard for human life and international law. The carnage they leave behind in Gaza will fuel hatred and violence in the region for many generations to come and they will surely pay for it sooner or later!."
It is worth noting that sixty-one years after the establishment of the State of Israel, no one worries that the fact that no Arab country or party recognizes Israel as a Jewish State or that Hamas is committed to Israel's destruction will fuel hatred and violence on the part of Jews will for 'many generations to come'.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Can Jews be Antisemitic?
My answer is yes, definitely, 100%.
My definition of antisemitism is based on four ideas:
Nationality: The antisemite denies that Jews are a nationality or people. He says, "Judaism is a religion, they have no right to a land or country. The idea of a Jewish country is racist"
Religion: The antisemite expresses a wish or desire to legally or illegally interfere with or restrict the practice or practices of the Jewish religion, expecially Orthodox Judaism. An example would be agitating for laws against kosher meat slaughter, or insisting that the separation between men and women at the Kosel (Western Wall) must be abolished.
Jewish actions: The antisemite expresses disapproval of the acts of individual Jews by pointing out that these people are Jews, and that there is some link, either explicit or implied, between this individuals behavior and Jews or Judaism as a whole.
Genocide: The antisemite believes that all Jews must be killed.
Clearly, Jews are not going to advocate genocide for the Jewish people, but individual Jews have been guilty of the first two, expecially when these individuals don't identify with their Jewish nationality or with Orthodox Judaism.
I don't mean to imply that any criticism of Israel or of Orthodox Judaism is antisemitic, but when it denies Jewish nationality or wants to interfere with the free practice of Judaism, it is antisemitic, even when it comes from a Jew.
My definition of antisemitism is based on four ideas:
Nationality: The antisemite denies that Jews are a nationality or people. He says, "Judaism is a religion, they have no right to a land or country. The idea of a Jewish country is racist"
Religion: The antisemite expresses a wish or desire to legally or illegally interfere with or restrict the practice or practices of the Jewish religion, expecially Orthodox Judaism. An example would be agitating for laws against kosher meat slaughter, or insisting that the separation between men and women at the Kosel (Western Wall) must be abolished.
Jewish actions: The antisemite expresses disapproval of the acts of individual Jews by pointing out that these people are Jews, and that there is some link, either explicit or implied, between this individuals behavior and Jews or Judaism as a whole.
Genocide: The antisemite believes that all Jews must be killed.
Clearly, Jews are not going to advocate genocide for the Jewish people, but individual Jews have been guilty of the first two, expecially when these individuals don't identify with their Jewish nationality or with Orthodox Judaism.
I don't mean to imply that any criticism of Israel or of Orthodox Judaism is antisemitic, but when it denies Jewish nationality or wants to interfere with the free practice of Judaism, it is antisemitic, even when it comes from a Jew.
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