Why be a Jew? Or better yet, why do Jewish things?
Saturday is my Bar Mitzvah. Today I am feeling a bit disturbed. This happens every once in a while but today it stinks because I should be happy about my weekend coming up.
Should one follow the lineage of Hillel or Shammai? Should one follow the majority which the Talmud points out is more important than what’s “halachically correct” and G-d is OK with that (see Oven of Aknai = Bava Metzia 59b)?
I am disturbed by the frum Shammayans. Who are they you might ask? Shammayans believe that:
- Jews who do not practice the way they do aren’t Jewish
- The law is more important than the intent
- Hillel was wrong and Shammai should have won
- Tradition is always right
- Judaism never changed between the Mishnah and the 18th century
- It is impure to daven with Jews who do not identify with their rabbi
- It is ok to belittle their kin and mourn them while they live
- Idol worship is wrong unless it is their way you worship
- Their kashrut is more kosher than yours
- As long as it is kosher who cares how it is done
It upsets me that I have the Christians trying to convert me, the Muslims trying to one up the Christians and the Shammayans trying to do more damage than both of them by destroying my identity and way of life. I can deal with the Christians and Muslims they are on the outside. I am not sure what to do with the Shammayans.
Why bother being Jewish if a significant portion of the same population doesn’t want you to be? And if the assimilated world does not want you to be? Nevermind antisemitism, Shammayans are doing their best to minimize the Jews in the world.
cross posted on Blog Midrash
rachel said,
May 28, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hey Michael – do you mean Saturday will be your ACTUAL Bar Mitzvah? If so, mazal tov to you! I hope it goes well.
So clearly your head will be full of all these kind of deep questions as you approach such an important date in your life. I think I can identify somewhat, since Progressive Jews all over the world are shunned to a greater or lesser extent by a significant proportion of the Orthodox strand of our faith.
What to do? I don’t have an answer. I wish I did.
rachel
mTp said,
May 28, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Yes this Saturday I will be doing my Bar Mitzvah with 6 other adults. I never learned to chant Torah up to this point so I am taking the opportunity. It should be interesting. I do not have a musical memory so I have had to work hard to remember the tune. I have had to draw out each word so that I could see it because I could not remember the sound. Maybe afterward I will do a post and show what I did to learn the chant.
jewwishes said,
May 31, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Mazel Tov! By now, you will have had your your Bar Mitzvah.
This is an excellent post, very thought-provoking.
Like Rachel, I have no answer…
Gary Morgenstein said,
June 1, 2009 at 11:19 am
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Would you like a review copy? Please let me know.
Thanks,
Gary Morgenstein
garymorgenstein9@aol.com