I'm expecting to get slaughtered by know-nothings for writing (below) that "All authorities agree that it is forbidden to pray to a dead person, while most authorities add that it's forbidden to ask a dead person to intervene on your behalf." so here's a preemptive post.
It's common, especially in Ellul for Jews to pray at graves. Why?
All agree that praying to the dead for direct assistance is forbidden, however, beyond that, there are two schools of thought on the subject. Some say we're not praying, but asking the dead to speak to God, as it were, on our behalf. According to this opinion, the dead are our messangers and advocates.
This view is considered 100 percent out of bounds by the Be'er Heitev (O.C. 581:17) among others (ie: Chayei Adam, Mateh Efrayim and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch), who says that addressing a dead person for any reason is a violation of "consulting the dead."
The final word on the subject of praying at graves is the Mishna Brurah (581:27): "We visit graves because a cemetery where tzaddikim are interred is a place where prayers are more readily answered. But one should not place his trust in the dead. He should just ask Hashem to have mercy on him in the merit of the tzaddikim who are interred here."
Update: What did I tell you?
Friday, September 16, 2005
Unscrupulous louts
Banks and Insurers Ask Government For Help With Loans, Spreading Risk
Money quote:
Reap the whirlwind, baby. Reap it.
Money quote:
Bankers from the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina told Congress yesterday that they hold thousands of loans secured by buildings and businesses that no longer exist and urged lawmakers to help them out with regulatory flexibility, and possibly money.And yes, boys and girls, the fine folks now demanding new laws and, perhaps, a taxpayer bailout, are the very same people who advocated for bankruptcy reform, and expressly refused to extend protection to those affected by natural disaster.
Reap the whirlwind, baby. Reap it.
A new day, a new outrage
More than one form of voodoo is practiced in New Orleans. Here's an example of the bizarre rite, as described on I don't like it how
Alan lists 9 problems with the approach of the Chabad representatives, to which I'll add another: The Torah prohibits "consulting the dead." All authorities agree that it is forbidden to pray to a dead person, while most authorities add that it's forbidden to ask a dead person to intervene on your behalf. And Rabbi Schneerson, it may surprise you to learn, is most certainly dead.
Although Mayor Ray Nagin ordered an evacuation of New Orleans shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit, the city's Chabbad Sheluchim did not leave, "on the premise that a shliach does not leave his post without an explicit directive of the Rebbe." How can they find out the will of a human being who died eleven years ago, you ask? Simple, though 'iggeroth qodhesh, the process of opening a collection of Rabbi Schneerson's directives to a random page, and applying the advice found therein to one's own situation. They received this 'answer': "Tracht Gut vet Zain Gut" - Think good and it will be good."Ye Gods.
Alan lists 9 problems with the approach of the Chabad representatives, to which I'll add another: The Torah prohibits "consulting the dead." All authorities agree that it is forbidden to pray to a dead person, while most authorities add that it's forbidden to ask a dead person to intervene on your behalf. And Rabbi Schneerson, it may surprise you to learn, is most certainly dead.
Mosques and Synagogues II
I've unsuccesfully tried to argue that leaving the synagouges in Gaza constitutued a michshol, or a snare. Though the Palestenians who built the fires that consumed those shuls are certainly criminals, Jewish law enjoins us not to put snares in front of others. In my view, the synagouges were snares. And though this does not excuse the behavior of the Palestenians, some responsibility belongs to those who voted to leave the shuls intact.
I say I was unsuccesful with this argument, not because it's flawed but because I was speaking theoretically. Unfortunately, I've discovered that what I thought was theoretical actually entered the deliberations on the fate of the synagouges. It turns out that there were those on the Israeli right who wanted to leave the synagouges behind for the express purpose of embaressing the Palestenians. In other words, they knew the shuls were a michshol, and they wanted to use them as a michshol.
Here for example is Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky, the rabbi of Gush Katif, in his petition to the High Court: "Even if there is a concern that Arab rioters would harm the synagogues, it is better that they do it and show their shame to the world, rather than it being done by the government of Israel, which would be remembered for the disgrace forever."
The raw cynicism is hard to miss.
I say I was unsuccesful with this argument, not because it's flawed but because I was speaking theoretically. Unfortunately, I've discovered that what I thought was theoretical actually entered the deliberations on the fate of the synagouges. It turns out that there were those on the Israeli right who wanted to leave the synagouges behind for the express purpose of embaressing the Palestenians. In other words, they knew the shuls were a michshol, and they wanted to use them as a michshol.
Here for example is Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky, the rabbi of Gush Katif, in his petition to the High Court: "Even if there is a concern that Arab rioters would harm the synagogues, it is better that they do it and show their shame to the world, rather than it being done by the government of Israel, which would be remembered for the disgrace forever."
The raw cynicism is hard to miss.
Mosques and Synagogues I
Filed under what goes around, comes around
Meron Benvenisti has a column in Haaretz detailing the many mosques Israel has destroyed, and the many graves Israelis have desecrated. I admit to being shocked, having bought into the myth that only non-Jews disrespect the holy sites of other faiths. Money quote:
[Link fixed]
Meron Benvenisti has a column in Haaretz detailing the many mosques Israel has destroyed, and the many graves Israelis have desecrated. I admit to being shocked, having bought into the myth that only non-Jews disrespect the holy sites of other faiths. Money quote:
The Palestinians may wonder whether the principle that one must not harm holy sites applies only to synagogues, or to abandoned mosques and churches as well. Does the demand that the Palestinians - or an international body - take responsibility for the synagogues apply also to the Israeli government vis-a-vis the abandoned mosques in Israel? And if we are in such a hurry to expose the Palestinians' shame to the world, are we ready to expose Israel's shameful behavior vis-a-vis the Moslem holy sites as well? Out of some 140 village mosques that were abandoned due to the war in 1948, some 100 were totally torn down. The rest, about 40, are in advanced stages of collapse and neglect, or are used by the Jewish residents for other purposeThough I share the outrage expressed by other bloggers at the destruction of synagogues in Gaza, there's no reason for us to pat ourselves on the back. The claim that "Jews don't destroy Mosques" is false: When the situation was reversed, and it was mosques that were abandoned, we behaved similarly.
[Link fixed]
Thursday, September 15, 2005
FEMA Round-Up
Now that Drownie has gone whining to the papers about how it was all Kathleen Blanco's fault we thought it would be okay to provide a small sampling of the utterly moronic choices made by FEMA during the last two weeks:
FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations
FEMA turns away experienced firefighters
FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks
FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel
FEMA won't let Red Cross deliver food
FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans
FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid
FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board
FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck
FEMA turns away generators
FEMA: "First Responders Urged Not To Respond"
(That last one is a direct quote from the FEMA website.)
What's your favorite FEMA f-up? Mine's still the bit about the firefighters who responded with heavy rescue gear, and were sent, by FEMA, to a sex-ed class in Atlanta. But preventing the Red Cross from delivering food is a pretty close second. How do you think that conversation went?
Red Cross: Here we are with the food!
FEMA: Uh, no thanks.
Red Cross: But people are hungry.
FEMA: Hey! You telling me how to do my job?
Close third would be FEMA failing to notice that 25,000 people were holed up with no food and water for three days, though it was reported by the media. Wonder how that happened? It's like when I tell my kid to do her homework, and three days later she's still on the computer looking at clothing and Harry Potter sites.
Anyway, Drownie, good luck with the finger-pointing. You're doing a heck of a job. As usual.
FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations
FEMA turns away experienced firefighters
FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks
FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel
FEMA won't let Red Cross deliver food
FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans
FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid
FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board
FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck
FEMA turns away generators
FEMA: "First Responders Urged Not To Respond"
(That last one is a direct quote from the FEMA website.)
What's your favorite FEMA f-up? Mine's still the bit about the firefighters who responded with heavy rescue gear, and were sent, by FEMA, to a sex-ed class in Atlanta. But preventing the Red Cross from delivering food is a pretty close second. How do you think that conversation went?
Red Cross: Here we are with the food!
FEMA: Uh, no thanks.
Red Cross: But people are hungry.
FEMA: Hey! You telling me how to do my job?
Close third would be FEMA failing to notice that 25,000 people were holed up with no food and water for three days, though it was reported by the media. Wonder how that happened? It's like when I tell my kid to do her homework, and three days later she's still on the computer looking at clothing and Harry Potter sites.
Anyway, Drownie, good luck with the finger-pointing. You're doing a heck of a job. As usual.
A gift from Mis-Nagid
Mis-Nagid writes:
Adolf Tolkachev was a CIA spy in Moscow. He handed over tremendously sensitive information on Russian military technology for many years, undermining Russia's attempts to pull ahead of the USA. His story is full of nearly incredible details, awesome tradecraft, frustrating bungles, and stunning coincidences. He was executed in 1986 for high treason. From the unclassified CIA article of his story (an engrossing read):
"Tolkachev identified his wife as Natalia Ivanova née Kuzmina. She was born in 1935 and worked as an electronics engineer at the same institute where he worked-he described her as an "antenna specialist." He wrote that his wife's mother "had been executed in 1938," but he said nothing about the reasons for her execution. He noted that his wife's father had spent many years in a labor camp, typically the fate of "enemies of the Soviet state." Freed in
1955, he had returned to Moscow, but died shortly thereafter. Tolkachev commented a number of times to at least one of his case officers that the brutal treatment that his wife's parents had suffered was a key factor in his motivation to work against the Soviet regime. He never shed any light on why the authorities had taken these actions against his wife's parents, but once suggested that his wife and her parents were Jewish. Given the Stalinists' anti-Semitism, this factor may have played a role in their persecution."
The article covers his other motivations, and the Jewish connection is slightly sketchy, but I still found it interesting. If the article's author is correct, Russia lost nearly all of its military secrecy -- billions of rubles of investment and thousands of man-years of research -- partly because they tortured and killed two Jews.
Serves 'em right.
Adolf Tolkachev was a CIA spy in Moscow. He handed over tremendously sensitive information on Russian military technology for many years, undermining Russia's attempts to pull ahead of the USA. His story is full of nearly incredible details, awesome tradecraft, frustrating bungles, and stunning coincidences. He was executed in 1986 for high treason. From the unclassified CIA article of his story (an engrossing read):
"Tolkachev identified his wife as Natalia Ivanova née Kuzmina. She was born in 1935 and worked as an electronics engineer at the same institute where he worked-he described her as an "antenna specialist." He wrote that his wife's mother "had been executed in 1938," but he said nothing about the reasons for her execution. He noted that his wife's father had spent many years in a labor camp, typically the fate of "enemies of the Soviet state." Freed in
1955, he had returned to Moscow, but died shortly thereafter. Tolkachev commented a number of times to at least one of his case officers that the brutal treatment that his wife's parents had suffered was a key factor in his motivation to work against the Soviet regime. He never shed any light on why the authorities had taken these actions against his wife's parents, but once suggested that his wife and her parents were Jewish. Given the Stalinists' anti-Semitism, this factor may have played a role in their persecution."
The article covers his other motivations, and the Jewish connection is slightly sketchy, but I still found it interesting. If the article's author is correct, Russia lost nearly all of its military secrecy -- billions of rubles of investment and thousands of man-years of research -- partly because they tortured and killed two Jews.
Serves 'em right.
On the origins of antisemitism
On someone else's blog, JoeCool said something stupid. I'd respond to him there, but the thread is old, and I'm worried he'll miss it. Here's what the idiot wrote:
JoeCool errs in presuming a clear and neat distinction between religous antisemitism and racial antisemitism. Racial antisemitism was not something unique from Church antisemitim; it developed from it.
The truth is that "purity of blood" theories which originated in Catholic Spain gradually spread throughout the Church. The Jesuits, for example, expressly barred candidates of Jewish descent until 1946, and in the late 19th century expecially, the Church actively promoted racial antisemitism in their newspapers. All the familiar racial attacks can be found in those Church publications, and similar attacks were repeated from pulpits in France, Germany and Italywith the Pope's tacit approval (Kertzer)
No less an authority than The U.S. bishops' conference has admitted this. The document they produced providing guidance for the implementation of We Remember in Catholic schools, put it this way: "Christian anti-Judaism did lay the groundwork for racial, genocidal anti-Judaism by stigmatizing not only Judaism but Jews themselves for opprobrium and contempt. So the Nazi theories found tragically fertile soil in which to plant the horror of an unprecedented attempt at genocide..."
As the bishops suggest, the Church bears the original responsibility for identifying the Jew as the "other," thus making the Jews ready scapegoats whenever a demagogue wanted to exploit the bloody-mindedness of the mob.
Sure, antisemitism was rampant in Europe. It still is. But there are no mainstream christian sects for whom it was racially based. From Roman times until 19th century antisemitism was always religious in nature. After that, with the appearance of mystical german philosophers, antisemitism became racial. Anyone with a brain could understand that.No Christian sects for whom it was religious based? From Roman times until 19th century antisemitism was always religious in nature? Wow. That's what more polite people would call a "school boy howler."
JoeCool errs in presuming a clear and neat distinction between religous antisemitism and racial antisemitism. Racial antisemitism was not something unique from Church antisemitim; it developed from it.
The truth is that "purity of blood" theories which originated in Catholic Spain gradually spread throughout the Church. The Jesuits, for example, expressly barred candidates of Jewish descent until 1946, and in the late 19th century expecially, the Church actively promoted racial antisemitism in their newspapers. All the familiar racial attacks can be found in those Church publications, and similar attacks were repeated from pulpits in France, Germany and Italywith the Pope's tacit approval (Kertzer)
No less an authority than The U.S. bishops' conference has admitted this. The document they produced providing guidance for the implementation of We Remember in Catholic schools, put it this way: "Christian anti-Judaism did lay the groundwork for racial, genocidal anti-Judaism by stigmatizing not only Judaism but Jews themselves for opprobrium and contempt. So the Nazi theories found tragically fertile soil in which to plant the horror of an unprecedented attempt at genocide..."
As the bishops suggest, the Church bears the original responsibility for identifying the Jew as the "other," thus making the Jews ready scapegoats whenever a demagogue wanted to exploit the bloody-mindedness of the mob.
Neve Dekalim Disaster Porn
porn
A creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate emotions
A clip from Neve Dekalim has been posted, showing what appears to be the final farewell to a Gaza synagouge, or perhaps a girl's school. The clip makes no arguments, provides no information, and no context. It's meant to break your heart and it succeeds, masterfully .
Some afterthoughts:
1 - Where are the boys? Is it a girl's school, or does the camera linger on female faces for emotional effect?
2 - What's that song they are singing through the first few minutes of the clip? Who decided to make it part of the farewell-to-the-synagouge liturgy?
3 - Is there a farewell-to-the-synagouge liturgy? Or was it created by the community leaders? From what I saw, the liturgy included (1) a song (2) the concluding bits of Ne'eila (3) A kel molay (4) the Dayan Haemet, or justification of the judgement (5) Avinu Malkeinu (6) another song.
Sidenote: I support the right of a community to create its own liturgy for special circumstances, but it isn't something commonly seen in an Orthodox shul. What, for example, would the Hasidim have done for a farewell-to-the-synagouge liturgy, if it was their synagouge being dismantled?
Anyway, click on the link, but have a tissue handy.
A creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate emotions
A clip from Neve Dekalim has been posted, showing what appears to be the final farewell to a Gaza synagouge, or perhaps a girl's school. The clip makes no arguments, provides no information, and no context. It's meant to break your heart and it succeeds, masterfully .
Some afterthoughts:
1 - Where are the boys? Is it a girl's school, or does the camera linger on female faces for emotional effect?
2 - What's that song they are singing through the first few minutes of the clip? Who decided to make it part of the farewell-to-the-synagouge liturgy?
3 - Is there a farewell-to-the-synagouge liturgy? Or was it created by the community leaders? From what I saw, the liturgy included (1) a song (2) the concluding bits of Ne'eila (3) A kel molay (4) the Dayan Haemet, or justification of the judgement (5) Avinu Malkeinu (6) another song.
Sidenote: I support the right of a community to create its own liturgy for special circumstances, but it isn't something commonly seen in an Orthodox shul. What, for example, would the Hasidim have done for a farewell-to-the-synagouge liturgy, if it was their synagouge being dismantled?
Anyway, click on the link, but have a tissue handy.
The Thing I Hate Most About Orthodoxy
GH told us what he most disliked about Orthodoxy. Now it's my turn.
The thing I hate most about Orthodoxy, is not mandated by the Torah, the Talmud or the law books that came later. It first came into use for entirely irreligous reasons yet, in our day it's a sign of piety, religiosity, and loyalty to tradition. If you were to forswear this ordinary item, you'd meet disdain from large swaths of the Orthodox Jewish world: you would not, for example, be permitted to lead their congregations in prayer or to marry their daughters or to teach their sons. It's also ugly, expensive, and and irrelevent to Jewish law or philosophy, having been given it's high position in 21st century Orthodox Jewish life strictly as a result of how the culture evolved.
What is it?
The thing I hate most about Orthodoxy, is not mandated by the Torah, the Talmud or the law books that came later. It first came into use for entirely irreligous reasons yet, in our day it's a sign of piety, religiosity, and loyalty to tradition. If you were to forswear this ordinary item, you'd meet disdain from large swaths of the Orthodox Jewish world: you would not, for example, be permitted to lead their congregations in prayer or to marry their daughters or to teach their sons. It's also ugly, expensive, and and irrelevent to Jewish law or philosophy, having been given it's high position in 21st century Orthodox Jewish life strictly as a result of how the culture evolved.
What is it?
Columbus, Kaduri, and the lunar eclipse
*Updated below*
While anchored off Jamaica in 1504, Christopher Columbus found himself in dire straits. Though his supplies were running low, the Jamaican Indians refused to sell him any more food. Consulting his almanac, Columbus noticed that a lunar eclipse was due a few days later. On the appointed day, he summoned the Jamaican leaders and warned them that he would blot out the moon that very evening if his demands for food were not promptly met. The Jamaicans only laughed at him - until later that night when the eclipse began. As the moon disappeared before their eyes, they visited Columbus in a state of terror, whereupon he agreed to stop his magic in exchange for food. The offer was accepted and the moon "restored."
I bring this up, because Yitzhak Kaduri has announced that "It is incumbent upon [diaspora Jews] to return to the Land of Israel due to terrible natural disasters which threaten the world."
There are so many ways to interpret the Kaduri announcment.
(1) He knows what he's talking about
It's possible Rabbi Kaduri has a kabbalistic almanac, which lists natural disasters like Columbus's almanac listed eclipses. But then why won't the Rabbi go on the record and name the disaster? Let him say exactly what threatens us, and I'll be glad to listen.
(2) He's lying - l'shem shamayim
According to this theory, the theory of the noble lie, Rabbi Kaduri has no idea what the future holds, but because aliya is an affirmative Jewish value, the Rabbi is willing to capitilize on recent events, (not to mention his reputation as a seer) for the purpose of encouraging more Jews to move to Israel.
(3) He's an accidental fraud.
A closed medium, is a psychic or miricle worker who actually believes in his or her powers, and does not purposely lie or perform trickery. Perhaps, Rabbi Kaduri believes his own hype, and is convinced that his ability to see the future is real. If so, he's telling us what he really believes, based on his learning and observations, but the information is still false.
(4) He's a deliberate fraud
Who's most likely to take this announcment seriously? Religious Jews, of course. And more religious Jews in Israel, means more power for the religious Jews who are already there, and more power still for their leaders. Though I do not embrace this possibility, the small cynical part of me must acknowledge that it's possible the Rabbi is attempting to strengthen himself politically by capitalizing on Katrina, and other recent events.
(5) UPDATE: The best explanation yet
While anchored off Jamaica in 1504, Christopher Columbus found himself in dire straits. Though his supplies were running low, the Jamaican Indians refused to sell him any more food. Consulting his almanac, Columbus noticed that a lunar eclipse was due a few days later. On the appointed day, he summoned the Jamaican leaders and warned them that he would blot out the moon that very evening if his demands for food were not promptly met. The Jamaicans only laughed at him - until later that night when the eclipse began. As the moon disappeared before their eyes, they visited Columbus in a state of terror, whereupon he agreed to stop his magic in exchange for food. The offer was accepted and the moon "restored."
I bring this up, because Yitzhak Kaduri has announced that "It is incumbent upon [diaspora Jews] to return to the Land of Israel due to terrible natural disasters which threaten the world."
There are so many ways to interpret the Kaduri announcment.
(1) He knows what he's talking about
It's possible Rabbi Kaduri has a kabbalistic almanac, which lists natural disasters like Columbus's almanac listed eclipses. But then why won't the Rabbi go on the record and name the disaster? Let him say exactly what threatens us, and I'll be glad to listen.
(2) He's lying - l'shem shamayim
According to this theory, the theory of the noble lie, Rabbi Kaduri has no idea what the future holds, but because aliya is an affirmative Jewish value, the Rabbi is willing to capitilize on recent events, (not to mention his reputation as a seer) for the purpose of encouraging more Jews to move to Israel.
(3) He's an accidental fraud.
A closed medium, is a psychic or miricle worker who actually believes in his or her powers, and does not purposely lie or perform trickery. Perhaps, Rabbi Kaduri believes his own hype, and is convinced that his ability to see the future is real. If so, he's telling us what he really believes, based on his learning and observations, but the information is still false.
(4) He's a deliberate fraud
Who's most likely to take this announcment seriously? Religious Jews, of course. And more religious Jews in Israel, means more power for the religious Jews who are already there, and more power still for their leaders. Though I do not embrace this possibility, the small cynical part of me must acknowledge that it's possible the Rabbi is attempting to strengthen himself politically by capitalizing on Katrina, and other recent events.
(5) UPDATE: The best explanation yet
The Ari's "spirituality"
Over on someone else's blog, a masculine, yet sexually-secure commenter named "Dude" brought up Tikun Olam.
The interesting thing about Luria's doctrine, is that is was formulated in response to the traumas of the sixteenth century. This was the era of evil Pope Paul IV, a time of expulsions and ghettos, and ever draconian anti-Jewish laws imposed by Christians who thought cutting Judaism off from the outside world would speeded its submission or demise. The genious of the Ari was to turn this imposed exile and separation into a religious value. Jews were being scattered across creation, not as punishment, but so that they might find it easier to come across the bits of the divine that had also landed everywhere. Jews were being locked into ghettos, not becuase God had abandoned them, but so that could focus more fully on the performance of religious acts. For it was through these religious acts - acts of prayer, study and the observance of mitzvoth - that Jews imagined themselves to be preparing for the messianic future by rebuilding the cosmos and contributing to the restoration of the Divine.
Though this Luria-inspired renewal might be compared to the flourishing of Rabbinic Judaism after the devestating wars with Rome, it's hard for a man of the twenty-first century to think about it seriously. I suppose this is to be expected. After all, Tikun Olam -the Ari's religious response to expulsions and ghettos - was developed to help Jews overcome a world which, thankfully, no longer exists.
There is ZERO mandate for the common modern day idea of 'Tikkun Olam'. This idea of Tikkun Olam, which commonly is a code word for liberal activism, is simply an idolatrous pseudo religion which is sadly encroaching on actual Judaism.By his own admissions, "Dude" was criticizing Tikun Olam as its used today; he said nothing about how the Ari originally imagined the concept. And what did Tikun Olam mean to Issac Luria? Here's Harold Bloom
[Tikkun olam] is the restoration of creation [which] must be carried out by the religious acts of individual men, of all Jews struggling in the Exile, and indeed of all men and women struggling in the Exile that Luria saw as the universal human existance."This is one of the most precious ideas ever to strike a human mind. For Luria, it was the responsibility of the Jewish people, scattered as they were across the Diaspora to (in the language of his metaphor) bring about the gradual restoration of cosmic unity via the ingathering of the bits of Divine Being splintered throughout creation during the primordial catastrophe called shevirat ha-kelim, or breaking of the vessels.
The interesting thing about Luria's doctrine, is that is was formulated in response to the traumas of the sixteenth century. This was the era of evil Pope Paul IV, a time of expulsions and ghettos, and ever draconian anti-Jewish laws imposed by Christians who thought cutting Judaism off from the outside world would speeded its submission or demise. The genious of the Ari was to turn this imposed exile and separation into a religious value. Jews were being scattered across creation, not as punishment, but so that they might find it easier to come across the bits of the divine that had also landed everywhere. Jews were being locked into ghettos, not becuase God had abandoned them, but so that could focus more fully on the performance of religious acts. For it was through these religious acts - acts of prayer, study and the observance of mitzvoth - that Jews imagined themselves to be preparing for the messianic future by rebuilding the cosmos and contributing to the restoration of the Divine.
Though this Luria-inspired renewal might be compared to the flourishing of Rabbinic Judaism after the devestating wars with Rome, it's hard for a man of the twenty-first century to think about it seriously. I suppose this is to be expected. After all, Tikun Olam -the Ari's religious response to expulsions and ghettos - was developed to help Jews overcome a world which, thankfully, no longer exists.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
War crimes?
The Guardian had an article Monday on Scotland Yard's attempt to arrest a retired Israeli general for war crimes. The general, Doron Almog, was on the tarmac at Heathrow on board a commercial El-Al flight when someone tipped him off that British detectives were waiting. Almog stayed on the plane, and flew back to Israel.
The warrent alleges Almog presided over the destruction of 59 homes near Rafah, which Palestenians say was commited to avenge the death of Israeli soldiers. Haaretz adds:
I don't respect British jurisdiction in this case, so I'm glad the British meddlers failed to nab Almog at the airport. Still, I hope this near-miss compels the men who greenlight Israeli assasinations to exercise some cautian and restraint going forward.
The warrent alleges Almog presided over the destruction of 59 homes near Rafah, which Palestenians say was commited to avenge the death of Israeli soldiers. Haaretz adds:
The warrant was issued based on one incident - demolition of a home in Rafah - but the attorneys also seek to investigate allegations concerning Almog's involvement in three other cases: the killing of a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy (Nouha al-Maqadam, March 3, 2003); the killing of three young men in northern Gaza on December 30, 2001; and the bombing of the Daraj neighborhood in Gaza on July 22, 2002, which killed Hamas' military head Salah Shehadeh and 14 other Palestinians.As you may recall, seven children were killed together with Shehadeh and at least six others. Though I have no sympathy for Shehadeh, one of the founders of Hamas, I do not agree that 14 people is an acceptable level of collateral damage.
I don't respect British jurisdiction in this case, so I'm glad the British meddlers failed to nab Almog at the airport. Still, I hope this near-miss compels the men who greenlight Israeli assasinations to exercise some cautian and restraint going forward.
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