What is wrong with Reform and Conservative Judaism?

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.