::: readings

Robyn Shifrin. Interview. Conducted 16 October 2008 in Provo, Utah.

Conducting an interview with Robyn Shifrin who moved to Provo, Utah about four months ago and is a practicing Jew was a very positive experience. Talking with her about her experiences here, where she is very much alone, isolated from her family and from a community of fellow beleivers, I learned a lot about what role community plays in supporting one’s religious practicies. She talked about her history, about what life was like growing up in Clevland, going to Hebrew school in the afternoons, holidays and the Sabbath. She also talked about the religious significance of her Bat Mitzvah as a pivitol moment of religious self-realization, followed by a subsequent departure from this during her teenage years and eventual re-awakening in her early 20s. Her vocation (teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language) has taken her all around the world, including Prague in the Czek Republic. She also lived in Israel for some time and would have loved to stay but with escalating conflict her parents told her that she should come home.

Since moving out here, Robyn has learned a lot about Mormons and has found the family of believers here to be very similar to the one she enjoyed in the days of her youth. She commented that, if one has to be completley separated from all others of their religious faith, perhaps it is best to be surrounded by those who are strong adherants to their own (but who do not seek to enforce that sincerity upon others). She has found Provo to be a great place, and sees many parallels between the interactions of Mormon culture and doctrine and the interactions of Jewish culture and doctrine.

Ruth R. Wisse. Jews and Power. Schocken Books (2007).

Wisse, in Jews and Power, gives a brief overview of the history of the Jews, highlighting their relationship with the power structures of the countries in which they have lived since the beginnings of the Diaspora in the 1st Century. Hers is mostly a history of the ways in which Jews maintained their own identity while struggling to perserve themselves without the sustaining and protective influence of a nation-state. She discusses the emergence of Yiddish and the importance of language, including the revival of Hebrew. She also discusses the difficulties of the Arab-Jewish relationship, stating explicitly that: “Common opposition to Usrael remains to the present day the strongest univying political element among Arab and muslim countries that otherwise compete with one another” (138).

Theodor Herzl. Old New Land (Altneuland). Filiquarian Publishing (2007).

Orthodoxy

Herzl’s work is very fascinating, and caught me at a very particular moment as I imagine it did society in Europe and elsewhere when it was published just over 100 years ago. Herzl’s ideals and visions are most definitely dreamlike and border on fairy-tale-like representations of an ideal, but that is exactly what has the power to move a people to action. As he himself puts it in the book’s epilogue: “… But, if you do no wish it, all this that I have related to you is and will remain a fable” (329). And perhaps what is most power in something of this nature is the ability that it has to inspire dreams and aspirations in an otherwise downtrodden and depressed (economically as well as socially and emotionally) people.

Presenting images of how things can be and what improvements are possible with hard work and a fortitious break is a powerful way to inspire individuals to act now. The power of an idea and a belief in that idea are not to be underestimated. They can truly “move mountains”. Interestingly enough, this novel has had an undeniable impact on the movement of Zionism, as can be attested by (among other things) the name of Israel’s second largest city, Tel Aviv (which is the Hebrew translation of Altneuland, and is noted as meaning, literalry, “Hill of Spring”, or, new out of the old).

I found it particularly interesting in its discussion on the assimilation of Jews into society, or lack thereof. This point is perhaps made all the more interesting by the fact that Herzl himself was an avowed atheist. He obviously has no issues with the practice of religion and the cultural benefits of so doing, and is rather sympathetic if not encouraging in his treatment of Judaism, Christianity, and (albeit less prominent) Islam.

The discussion of multi-culturism, and the sharing of one’s culture, is a great counter-balance to the prevelent debate of assimilation verses orthodoxy. Herzl is particularly critical of those who, for the sake of society “sold out” and became ashamed of their Jewishness, using it a point of self-depreciating humor and nothing more. Passages about assimilation and/or orthodoxy can be found on the following pages: 7, 8, 9, 40, 54,  57, 79, 82, 90, 95, 213, 223, 278-279, and 320. There is also a very interesting discussion on woman’s roles and rights, found on page 115.

Mishnah and Talmud.

The Tractate Berakhot.

• TALMUD
  • Jewish Litergy
    • Shema
    • Shemoneh
    • Tefillah
    • Berakhot

The Talmud is something I had never read before, but had heard a lot about. It is interesting how most of it seems to be put in a question-answer format and is clear to indicate which rabbi taught which principle. It is very closely tied to the TORAH, and really is just an explanation of it.

Quotes from Text:

The Tractate Berakhot

“The petitionary prayers voice our basic needs: knowledge; reconciliation with God; forgiveness of sin’ redemption from oppression; healing; a bountiful harvest; the dispersed Jewish people’s restoration in the Holy Land; righteous judges; an end to arrogant empire; the vindication of those who trust in God ;the rebirth of Jerusalem to her ancient glory; the dawn of the messianic age of universal deliverance ;God’s acceptance of our prayers; the restoration of the Temple in Zion as the central sanctuary in Judaism; the renewal of Zion as a center of God’s presence; and climaxing all these, peace” (86).

“The commandment concerning the Sabbath is so important that it is the equivalent of all commandments of the Torah…” (87).

What is meant by a ‘fixed routine’ [in one's prayers]? Said R. Jacob b. Idi in the name of R. Oshaya, It means a person to whom the prayer seems burdensome. The Sages say: It means a peson who does not recite his prayer with devotion. Rabbah and R. Joseph both say: It means a person who cannot add anything new in his prayer.

“One should not begin to recide his prayer unless one is in a reverent frame of mind. The pious men of old used to wait [meditation] an hour before beginning to pray in order to be able to focus their thoughts on their Heavenly Father” [MISHNA 5:1] (87).

The Tractate Baba Mezia

“While the focus is on civil law, we are reminded that a person must not be content with staying within the law but must go beyond it, to embrace principles of equity and general moral sensitivity” (99).

“As one may be guilty of wrongdoing in buying and selling, so may one be guilty of wrongdoing in words” (101)

The Tractate Avot

“Moses received the Torah at Sinai. He conveyed it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets transmitted it to the men of the Great Assembly. The latter emphasized three principles: Be deliberate in judgement; raise up many disciples’ and make a fence to safeguard the Torah” (104).

“R. Judah ha-Nasi said: Which is the right course for a person to pursue in life? That which is honorable in his own eyes, and which will bring him honor from his fellow-man. Be careful with the observance of a seemingly minor commandment as with a major one, for you do not know the true merit of each commandment, learn to balance the loss incurring in the performance of a commandment against the reward thereof, and the gain by a transgression against the loss thereof. Contemplate three facts and you will be spared from the power of sin: Know what is above you–an Eye that sees, an Ear that hears, and a Book in which all your deeds are entered” (105).

“It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it” (107).

“There are seven characteristics of an uncultured man, and seven of a wise man. A wise man does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom; he does not interrupt another man’s speech; he is not hasty to answer; his answers are on the subject of the discussion, and his replies are to the point of the inquiry; he deals with first things first and last things last; he acknowledges what he does not know; and he affirms the truth. The opposite of these are the characteristics of the uncultured man” (107).

Josephus (d. c100). from The Jewish War.

Josephus is an interesting example of the pressures of assimilation and the desire to nevertheless remain a Jew. His story is only known to us because of his assimilation. Had he not made decisions to support the Romans, and more specifically, Vespesian, than he would not have lived beyond the battle of Jotapata. Instead, however, after prophesying Vespesian’s rise to power he is subsequently spared and even manages to rise to power with the general’s rise to emperor, becoming “histor” and recorder of history and under the reign of Titus he goes to Rome and writes The Jewish War, reconciling his loyalty to the emperor with his Jewishness by highlighting the Jews as a very strong foe (or, in the cases of exaggeration, making it out to be so).

One point of intrigue in the account of the final moments of the battle over Jotapata, is the fact that (not wanting to fall victim to Roman ridicule and slavery) the remaining 40 Jews commit “suicide”, i.e. they each kill each other, rather than to submit to the Romans. Because they could not, according to Jewish laws, kill themselves, this meant that one of them would have to remain alive. They cast lots to see who that would be and, not surprisingly, it was their leader Josephus. He wrote about his initial attempts to dissuade the others from the determination to commit suicide this way:

“Fearing an assault and believing that it would be a betrayal of God’s commands if he died before imparting his message, Josephus in this critical situation proceeded to philosophize: “What, comrades, ” he said, “is this thirst for our own destruction?… If I am shrinking from the sword of the Romans, I should fully deserve to die by my own hand; but if they want to spare an enemy, are we not more justified in sparing ourselves? It would be folly to inflict on ourselves the treatment which we want to prevent by our quarrel with them!” (65).

(It goes on to recount the drawing of lots and then Josephus’ prophecy to Vespasian of his eventual rise to power).

But this all highlights the difficulties and Josephus’ attempt to preserve his pride about being a Jew while maintaining his position in the Roman court.

Quotes from Text:

“Fearing an assault and believing that it would be a betrayal of God’s commands if he died before imparting his message, Josephus in this critical situation proceeded to philosophize: “What, comrades, ” he said, “is this thirst for our own destruction?… If I am shrinking from the sword of theR omans, I should fully deserve to die by my own hand; but if they want to spare an enemy, are we not more justified in sparing ourselves? It would be folly to inflict on ourselves the treatment which we want to prevent by our quarrel with them!

“By these and many similar arguments Josephus tried to deter his companions from suicide…

“But in this predicament, his resourcefulness did not forsake him. Trusting to God’s protections, he hazarded his life on one last throw, saying: “As we are resolved to die, come, let us draw lots and decide the order in which we are to kill each other in turn… He, however–should we way by fortune or by divine providence–was left with one other man; and, anxious neither to be condemned by the lot, nor, if he were left as the last, stain his hand with the blood of a fellow countryman, her persuaded this man also, under a pact, to remain alive.

“Having thus survived both a war with the Romans and with how own companions, Josephus was brought by Nacanor before Vespasian. The Romans all rushed to see him…. However, Vespasian ordered him to be guarded with every precaution, since he intended to send him shortly to Nero.

“Hearing this, Josephus asked for a private interview with him. Vespasian ordered everyone except his son Titus and two friends to withdraw, and Josephus thus addressed him: “You suppose, Vespasian that in the person of Josephus you have taken a mere prisoner; but I come to you as a messenger of a greater destiny. Had I not been sent on this errand by God, I knew the Jewish law and how it becomes a general to die. Are you sending me to Nero? Why then? Will Nero and those who follow him before your accession remain long on the throne? You, Vespasian, will be Caesar and emperor, you and your son here. So bind me then more securely in chains and keep more for yourself…” While he did not release Josephus from imprisonment or chains, he presented him with clothing and other valuable gifts and continued to treat him with kindness and consideration.” (65-66)