Blaming the Jews for Antisemitism The Other Side
Never missing an opportunity to make Orthodox Jews look like fundamentalist maniacs, Aish HaTorah provides this lovely article on “The Spiritual Roots of Anti-Semitism,” citing antisemitism as God’s punishment for assimilation.
I’m uncomfortable with your disparagement of the notion that God sometimes punishes the Jews collectively for our national sins and that it might make Jews look like “fundamentalist maniacs” to all the cool cats you want to hang with, but it’s a core belief of traditional Judaism.
In R. Chaim Volozhin’s Nefesh HaChaim he says the Titus and Nebuchadnezer could not have done what they did if the Jews had done what they were supposed to do.
I find this ironic in a webblog that supports the “Rabbis for Human Rights” stand that Jews are supposed to live according to high Jewish standards of humanity. So when the RHR says that Jews have to live up to certain standards that’s okay but when Aish says that Jews have to live up to certain standards they are fundamentalist maniacs. Now I get it.
The problem with that logic is this. If we have antisemitism because of assimilation could we not just as easily say we have assimilation because of antisemitism. To quote Sarte “If the Jews didn’t exist the Antisemite would invent them”.
#1. read the disclaimer at the bottom of the page: “Comments made by individual Jewschool contributors in no way reflect the opinions of all the site’s contributors.”
#2. while i hold in a very high regard many of the sacred beliefs of jewish people, some of the beliefs that have been espoused and/or held by jewish people, why they may “work” in the context of jewish theology, are much less applicable in the modern age.
these beliefs are remanants of a mythology which was created solely with the intent to scare jews into observing torah. if anything this is just added fuel for antisemites to use against us. going back to the traditions of 3,000 years ago is not going to eradicate antisemitism. i believe than any belief otherwise is merely the taking of refuge in fundamentalism, because it is “easier” than the complexities of a much more convoluted universe.
but it is our fault that there’s trouble in the world. it’s a very big mystical secret. We fight, so everyone else fights.
Actually, its the Torah (not just AISH) that espouses that.
Now if you have a theological problem with G-d punishing his people for abandoning the covenant I would expect a more reasoned and scholarly response than your derision.
Pathetic.
these beliefs are remanants of a mythology which was created solely with the intent to scare jews into observing torah. if anything this is just added fuel for antisemites to use against us. going back to the traditions of 3,000 years ago is not going to eradicate antisemitism. i believe than any belief otherwise is merely the taking of refuge in fundamentalism, because it is “easier” than the complexities of a much more convoluted universe.
You seem to think that Jewish religious thinkers through the centuries were simpletons, incapable of dealing with the numerous paradoxes of our universe so obvious to the modern sophisticate. That they perpetuated myths to scare people into following the Torah.
Few things could be scarier than being a Jew down through the centuries. You think a few passages in Devarim were more frightening than Chmielnicki’s cossacks?
Was Isaiah scaring people when he warned them of impending disaster? The tochecha is not scary, unless you think that the tragedy of missed opportunity is scary.
“these beliefs are remanants of a mythology which was created solely with the intent to scare jews into observing torah.”
You seem so sure of yourself. I agree with the above comments by Due and Ronnie -you seem to think that you are more intelligent than the scores of Torah scholars throughout the ages. In any event, whether you believe in the Torah or not, your comments disparage orthodox Judaism.
“keep torah or the goyim will kill you.” — god
nah..that’s not a scare tactic at all.
you seem to think that jewish religious leaders have been so pious and holy throughout the ages that they didn’t conduct themselves in shady underhanded practices in order to perpetuate their leadership roles in their communities. they instill the fear of god in you so that you keep coming to shul and handing over your shekels.
you don’t think jewish institutions are crooked like that? you ever been to a discovery seminar?
allow me to modify that to say that that isn’t the case 100%, and hopefully not even 50% of the time, but it is the case sometimes, for certain.
critics of the jewish establishment today say that they overinflate the threat towards the jewish population (for example, the NJPS which says that the # of jews in the world is declining due to intermarriage) in order to keep the money pouring in to the philanthropies, when the actual case is that there are now more torah keeping (and torah studying) jews now than there have ever been in history.
why would they do such a thing? i’ll give you one good reason.
A parable…
Looking at the supermarket tabloids, one is often struck by two somewhat contradictory thoughts: (1) “Man! They are such scum, hounding people like that just because they are famous.” and (2) “These celebrities court disaster–acting with such abandon and stupidity when they know they are in the public eye.” In other words: “National Enquirer: mind your own freakin’ business! And Mr. Affleck: You’re supposed to marry J.Lo this weekend…what the $#% are you doing at a public strip club?”
Antisemitism works the same way. An antisemite is out-and-out wrong and has no business hating Jews. On the other hand, God expects a certain behavior of Jews (as do most Jews, secular or religious). In placing ourselves in the world public eye (via religious dress, Israeli politics, ownership of major media ;-), assimilation, or the major role we play in that Bible thingy), we make “celebrities” of ourselves, and people both resent celebrities and try to find their flaws. For God to say that assimilation will bring persecution is simply to say: “Keep your high standards. People are just waiting to cut you down to size. If you assimilate and have the faults that everyone else has, they won’t let you live it down.”
Perhaps your name, Mobius strip, refers to your ability to see only one side of this (or any?) issue. In the parable, you are the one standing in the line criticizing the National Enquirer. Ms. Rigler, on the other hand, is the one criticizing the behavior of the celebrities. Whether or not you consider assimilation to be a negative phenomenon seems to be your main area of disagreement.
Cool!
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