Rabbi! Sex! Scandal!
How do I deal with all these scandals going on involving rabbis, Jews, abuse, and sex?
My mantra:
G-d is great. Judaism is great. Individual Jews, maybe great maybe not.
Rinse and repeat.
The acts of individuals, no matter how important or religious they are or claim to be, do not necessarily reflect on the religion itself. I’m convinced Judaism is great. If some Jews act horribly that reflects more on them than on the religion.
Good point. See here for my similar view:
http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/2005/05/misusing-soap.html
BS”D
So true. Thank you.
On the one hand, you are completely right. And believing as you do is necessary in order not to have a complete breakdown every time any individual Jewish person does something terrible. On the other hand, they call it chillul hashem for a reason.
However acts such as these are most certainly a Chillul Hashem. Therefore it is most certianly a desicration of Judaism and could create a block in those new to tradition or seeking to reconnect.However acts such as these are most certainly a Chillul Hashem. Therefore it is a desecration of Judaism and could create interference in those new to tradition or seeking to reconnect. Essentially reflect badly in the eyes of the uninitiated.
Because of Judaism’s resiliency I think the more important focus should be on ensuring personal commitment to Jewish values and individual responsibility, not necessarily on how Judaism is perceived because perceptions are transient. Jews commit bad actions like everyone else. The individuals should be held accountable and be punished accordingly. That way we ensure that Judaism lives up to the ideal it holds even in the worst of times.
I heard a lecture from Rabbi Dr. Asher Wade, an ex-pastor who converted to Judaism. He said, and I quote:
“Don’t judge Judaism by the Jews, judge Judaism by the Torah”
More info on Rabbi Wade on his website
I wish I could agree with all this, but I can’t. Judaism, and the other religions, exist to be observed by their adherents, not as some other-dimensional Platonic Ideal. Judaism, in particular, by placing so much emphasis on the actions of a particular people on its journey through history, is too intimately tied to such people to be so easily separated from them.
But that’s no reason to be completely demoralized. We can take comfort in the extremely low rate of crimes of cruelty such as murder and rape among Jews. We have a great many individuals who quietly lead exemplary lives. We have a very high rate of generous giving. We have a Jewish state that has been given every excuse to behave savagely or to wallow in victimhood, but instead generally conducts itself honorably and is a powerhouse of learning, science, technology and culture despite its tiny size.
If after considering all this anyone still feels disappointed in the current state of Jewry, I would appeal to our great past and to our future. If the current generations are wanting, we need to keep in mind that past and future generations are as much a part of our group as we are. You don’t judge a baseball team by its performance on any single day, and you don’t judge Jews by their performance in any single era.
Despite my confidence in the general state of the Jewish people, I am of course very angry about recent events. The monsters and their enablers have betrayed all of us, and I look forward to them receiving the severest possible sanction.
Have you read, “Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust.” It is an excellent book by a survivor/psychotherapist. It has helped many to recover and heal. The author’s name is Dr. Charlotte Schwab. She has a web site: http://www.drcharlotteschwab.com