The Godol Hador Disapproofs
We spend a lot of time on this blog debating what Judaism and being Jewish means to us.  Or at least, what it could or should mean. To you. But the Godol Hador of the JBlogs asks a foundation question: Is there anything to this whole Judaism thing? Can you prove it?
He questions the common “proofs” for Judaism. In fact, he disputes eleven categories of “proofs” in summary form, conceding that though he spent
…many months arguing with the skeptics, and writing mega chizuk posts which contained all sorts of arguments proving Judaism and the existence of God[…]Â ultimately I found my opponents arguments more convincing than my own.
On the bright side, he concludes that the sum of some of these “proofs” may offer at least theological comparative advantage. Which is really all most of us outside the Haredi world believe anyway. Â
Only speaking for myself:
I don’t read Jewschool in an attempt to explore or justify any of my theological beliefs, and judging by much of the content on the site, many other may share a similar sentiment. Is their something to this whole “Judaism thing?” That’s a contentless question, or poorly articulated one at best. It is true that the Jewschool readership debates what being Jewish is, and what Judaism is, but few of us are haughty enough to come to any conclusions as to what being Jewish or Judaism /means./, at least definitively. For the believers among us, I’ll leave that up to the rabbis. For those who don’t believe, I’ll leave it up to those who do.
“On the bright side, he concludes…”
Why should I care what he concludes? Who is he? Blogs have provided Yids with a computer and some fingers to become experts on everything from IDF tactics to theologians.
I agree with both the comments above.
And, bottom line, I feel that Judaism needs no proofs. If we believe it, then it’s real. Everything boils down to belief, for better or for worse. That’s it . It helps when we see a relatively consistent mesorah that has lasted thousands of years, or when and if we feel the presence of G-d in our lives. But anything in life is only real for us on a personal level if we beleive it’s real. Your issue seems to b, David, not “Is there anything to this whole Judaism thing?” but rather “What do I do with it in my own life? HOW do I keep it with me in a way that I can live with comfortably?”
Naomi
is there anything to—
Yeah, it’s a big problem though… our attachment to it may not because of any real unique virtue in it, and it’s a concern I have sometimes— what if i’m one of the bad guys, by participating so wholeheartedly in this, by justifying the less good aspects through the more good ones, am I holding back a better thing from happening?
Thus far, it seems not. The communal thing is so warmly appreciated, as is having an alternative morality to fall back on, to say nothing of having a tradition that I really feel a place in, and a voice that can be heard through… but is that enough to justify us?
Hi,
My name is gary i. busman, i was told by my parents that my name is Guhdul. I not sur how its spelled. Gh dell My rabbi tells me there is no shuh name. It’s probably yiddish. What do think it may be? Perhaps Godol? – Great- ……Thanks