Torah...for the Nations? Part 9

The Noachide movement, although it has gained adherents all over the world, has failed to capture the imagination of most people. The main reason for that is, I believe, that people find it difficult to have a meaningful religious life, in a system that consists almost entirely of "Thou shalt nots". I believe that the Torah intended the Noachide laws to be a "lowest common denominator" for a decent society.When Hillel told the potential convert who wanted to learn the whole Torah while standing on one foot, responding "What is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbor", many question why he didn't simply say "love thy neighbor as thyself", The answer is that for one raised in a pagan society, demanding universal love would simply go over everyone's head. Not to hurt anyone is, for a former pagan, already a big leap forward. Likewise, the Noachide laws are saying to Mankind "You believe in G-d? Then don't hurt anyone". But most people seek a religion that binds them to G-d, and guides them through the ups and downs of life. Most likely, the Torah intended conversion for such people. We see in the story of the three potential converts referred to above, where one wanted to learn the whole Torah while standing on one foot, one wanted to accept only the written Torah, while one wanted to convert on condition he could be High Priest, Hillel first converted them, and only afterwards showed them the errors in their request. But conversion today, especially in the last two decades, has been made a non option for most people. Some of the books intended for Noachides attempt to correct this, by creating ceremonies reminiscent of the mitzvot of the Torah. But, as these are man made, few can find meaning in them. As I have shown earlier, according to RAMBAM, a non Jew may voluntarily accept any Torah observance, except for those that state specifically "It is a sign between Me and the Children of Israel", which only occurs in three cases. RAMBAM makes clear that this is not just an exercise in futility; but the non Jew receives a Divine reward for these observances. The idea that it is forbidden for a non Jew to study Torah, is obviated by RAMBAM's statement that we SHOULD teach Torah to those non Jews who will not mock it, but rather seek Truth in it. This is especially true today, when virtually all Jewish texts have been translated, and many simply seek in depth explanation of these texts. Even Chabad, that has encouraged Noachidism so much, has not dealt with these issues. Others must. I realize that other medieval rabbis disagreed with RAMBAM, and felt that non Jews keeping mitzvot was a desecration. I prefer to see these ideas in the context of the extreme persecution of Jews in Christian Europe. It's time for men  of both scholarship and courage to revisit this vital matter.

Torah...for the Nations? Part 8

There have been Noachide movements throughout history, albeit not necessarily by that name. Now, in the 1970s, there was a major difference. Before, Jewish "interference" in the religious lives of non Jews was viewed with great hostility. In many countries, the penalty for such activities was death. (This is still the case in some countries, albeit not Christian ones). Now, at least in Western countries, Jews were free to preach whatever they wanted. Although many expressed fear and trepidation at the Chabad movement's forays into such hitherto taboo territory, the idea did take hold in many places. Wisely, Chabad did not micro manage the various Noachide groups. Individuals were inspired to learn from the Jews (especially Chabad), and run their own communities and congregations. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, no definite guidelines were set up for what non Jews may or may not study. I will deal with this issue in my next post. One of the main Noachide leaders was Vendyl Jones. He was an adventurer archaeologist, reminiscent of Indiana Jones. (He claimed that the latter was based on him, although the writers vehemently denied this). He had been a Baptist minister, who had rejected the tenets of Christianity, although he maintained his belief in Jesus. His Biblical studies lead him to Jewish theology. He kept few Jewish observances, satisfied with the Noachide covenant. All of his children did convert to Judaism, and live in Israel. Unlike Indiana Jones, however, his archaeology had a theological purpose. He told me that he had a strong disagreement with the Temple Mount movement., He said that they were looking to recreate the Second Temple. The Second Temple, although an architectural wonder, was a shell of the First. There was no Ark. No Urim V'Tummim, the mysterious Divine Oracle hidden in the vestments of the High Priest. There was no anointing oil. There was no prophecy. Vendyl Jones was looking to bring back the First Temple. He believed that he could find the Ark, the ashes of the Red Heifer...the whole nine yards. He did find some things, but he found himself stymied by the Israeli authorities, who feared political repercussions resulting from these activities (i.e., angering the Arabs). In short, Vendyl Jones was seeking the return of the Davidic Kingdom. He inspired thousands to seek G-d in Torah, and reject even the trappings of idolatry. He died in 2010, but his organization continues his work. More recently, the "Nascent Sanhedrin" (which I have previously written about in detail, and I believe is merely a product of wishful thinking), has endorsed Noachidism, and has set up a "Noachide Beit Din" to govern the movement. Things are getting interesting.

Torah...for the Nations? Part 7

The next stage of Torah for the Nations came from a very unlikely place. Throughout Jewish history, there have always been those who envisioned the Torah as applying Universally; if not in observance, then certainly in its belief system. On the other hand, there have been others who see G-d's relationship with the Jewish People as a sort of marriage, with sharing with others almost a sort of adultery. Of course, the bleak history of Israel in exile has pushed many into the latter camp. It is difficult to share Torah with those who rape your women, kidnap your children, and rob your possessions. The Chabad movement in particular, has emphasized the glory of Israel, while demeaning the outside world. But it is not as simple as it sounds. The encounter between Jacob, and his brother Esau, described in Genesis 32, is understood in Kabbalah as masking a far higher story. Jewish tradition sees Esau as the embodiment of all evil, as well as being the ancestor of Rome, and hence of European civilization. Jacob is the embodiment of all good. But Kabbalah indicates that it it goes much further. Esau represents the world of Tohu (Chaos); the uber powerful world that existed before the creation of the world of Tikkun (Repair, Order) represented by Jacob. Tohu is far more powerful than Tikkun, but it is an unbridled power. (Think an atomic bomb, as opposed to a nuclear power plant). Jacob tells Esau that he has "fixed" his portion of Creation, and hopes that Esau has done the same. But Esau is still the wild man. The Mashiach can only come when both parts of the puzzle fit together. The Lubavitcher Rebbe dreamed of a world with a rectified Esau. He petitioned President Jimmy Carter to separate Education from the Department of Health and Welfare, forming a new Department and Cabinet post. Since 1978, the Rebbe's birthday has been commemorated as Education and Sharing Day by the Federal government.. Few understood that what lay behind this idea was the education of the American People, in preparation for the harnessing the great potential among the nations, and thus preparing the way for Mashiach. At the same time, he instructed his followers that whenever they had any interaction with non Jews, they should tell them of the Seven Noachide laws. This formed the impetus for the Noachide movement, although the actual implementation would await others. (Next post). He instructed his followers to set up drug rehab programs, and to freely include non Jews in these. Still, for him, the great Evil of Esau was the Soviet Union. He totally rejected pleas by other Jewish leaders in the 1980s that Communism was "softening". He saw all such signs as a trick to fool the West. When the Iron Curtain finally fell in 1990, he was taken by surprise, and declared Esau to have come to his rectification. Now it was up to Jacob, and all would be in place. Sadly, he died without seeing his dream fulfilled. We do not know who, what, when or how. But are eyes are constantly peeled. Both Jacob and Esau must be ready.