The Train Wreck part 4

The effects of the teachings, or supposed teachings, of  Moses Mendelssohn were far reaching. The understanding of an antinomian (against Law) Judaism was shocking, but it resonated with those whose families had been Frankists. Many left Judaism. Most of Mendelsohn's children converted to Christianity. The two who didn't,  saw their children apostatize. In Germany, and to a lesser extent in France, Judaism was dying. In the Nineteenth Century, Abraham Geiger organized the new understanding into Reform Judaism. He didn't view this as a Denomination, but as an idea that would engulf all of Judaism. The emphasis was not on the Torah and its commandments, but on ethics. Each Jew was autonomous, deciding for himself what rituals to keep or not keep. In any case, the mitzvot were no longer seen as binding. Worship services were conducted primarily in the national language, with rabbis dressed very much like 19th Century Christian clergy. The organ was introduced into the synagogue. Even synagogue architecture was now made in the image of Renaissance churches. When Samson Rephael Hirsch, originally a friend of Geiger, formed an Orthodoxy that included some of these reforms, Geiger and his followers did all they could to destroy the new institutions, in order to allow the Reform ideology to reign supreme. A central observance that particularly irked the reformers, was Mikveh; with mobs coming with sledgehammers to destroy these pools. Interestingly, the Shabbateans had done the same thing in the Seventeenth Century. As Reform moved eastward, it took many forms. Some of these were more radical, others sought a compromise with tradition. When it hit Czarist Russia, a great shift took place. German Jews admired German culture. Nay, they adored it. Most Russian Jews were opressed by their government and their neighbors. An oxymoron emerged. Secular Judaism. This had never existed before. The secularists, as the name implies, were atheists. They did not seek a different form of synagogue worship. They saw their Judaism as a national identity, much like the many other national groups throughout the Russian Empire. Many turned to their linguistic treasure; the Yiddish language. It had existed for a thousand years, and was a rich compendium of medieval German, Hebrew, Polish, Ukrainian  and Russian. Theater groups wrote and performed plays in that language. Stories and novels, often with an anti-religious theme, were produced. Soon, a competing trend arose. The Hebrew language, long a vehicle for prayer and Torah literature, was now resurrected as a written language for a new, Jewish, secular culture. Socialism soon became the "religion" of East European Jews. In a sense, it was at once a Messianic and a Frankist development. When the old foundations of society fell, a new and greater world, characterized by peace, prosperity and justice, would arise. Let me reiterate. It's not that they were copying these ideas from Frankist literature, but rather that these ideas were features of popular culture since the Eighteenth Century. When the Russian Revolution came, Lenin's inner circle were mostly Jews. When Reform hit America, it was far more radical than it had been in Germany. Large segments switched to a Sunday Sabbath. Kosher laws were jettisoned. It was super nationalistic. A rabbi in Nineteenth Century Charleston, South Carolina, said at the dedication of his synagogue "We neither expect nor seek a return to Zion. This land is our Zion, this city our Jerusalem, this building our Temple." One hundred years later, when the City of Charleston wanted to commemorate the founding of the Reform Synagogue (called "Temple" after that speech), they sought descendants of the original founders. Not one was still Jewish. Next time, I'll go into more offshoots of the "Enlightenment",  and their roots in Shabbateanism and Frankism.

The Train Wreck part 3

The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, the periods of the rise of Shabbateanism and Frankism, were no easy time for Christian Europe either. 1666, the year of the promised redemption, according to the Shabbateans, as well as the year of his conversion to Islam, had been predicted by several Christian leaders as the year of the Second Coming. The results for Christians, as well as their Jewish neighbors, was a crisis of faith. Europe experienced at this time a series of wars between Catholics and Protestants. In Western Europe in particular, philosophers wrote books about the Rights of Man, and questioned the very foundations of religion. These were the same ideas that were soon to lead to the American and French Revolutions. Men like Descartes, Locke, Newton, Kant, Voltaire and others were now changing Man's understanding of the world. Into this, a Jewish scholar was about to enter. On the surface, he appears to have no connection with Shabbateanism, Frankism, or even Kabbalah. But he would prove to be a game changer. His name was Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786). Son of a rabbinic scribe (sofer), he trained to be a rabbi. He had many tutors, but especially took to the teachings of RAMBAM's "Guide".He concluded that a fundamental principle of religion is reason. He wrote extensively in favor of the existence of G-d and the immortality of the soul. He defended the Talmud against its critics, saying that the Written Word is no longer understood after a few generations, and, in fact, becomes an idol. Only the Oral Word maintains its meaning forever. His main criticism of the Jewish world was that because of our way of life, as well as persecution from the outside, we had no culture (read: German Culture). He scandalized Germany by writing a pamphlet that a Jew is capable of nobility of character. He became friends with many leaders of the European Enlightenment. He said that Judaism is true, but we can't know these things for sure, and attempts to convert people from one religion to another are therefore immoral. In order to bring Jews to German culture, he translated the Torah into fine High German, together with an original commentary, based on Talmud and Midrash. This lead to an abandonment of the medieval dialect of Yiddish spoken in Germany at that time (Western Yiddish, which no longer exists.) Surprisingly, after his death, his students and colleagues taught that he was, in fact, an atheist, and sought to destroy the Talmud. I have searched in vain for an explanation of this phenomenon, but found none. In fact, there is a very simple one, discovered by the great historian of Kabbalah, Gershom Scholem. ALL OF MENDELSSOHN'S STUDENTS WERE SONS OF FRANKIST FAMILIES! Shabbateans sought an end to halachic observance. Frankists sought a destruction of all that is, in the hope of a birth of something far better in its place. They simply read these ideas into Mendelssohn's teachings. The results were many new movements, all based on antinomian ("against law") principles. To be discussed next time.

The Train Wreck part 2

In the immediate aftermath of the Shabbatean debacle, several things happened. First, many communities threw out Kabbalah entirely. Kabbalah had been too closely associated with the Shabbatean movement. In fact, the Shabbateans were often referred to as "Zoharites". Western European communities jettisoned anything that smacked of Kabbalah. Central and Eastern European communities greatly restricted Kabbalah. This is when the "rule" that one must be over forty years of age, and well versed in Talmud came in. Kabbalists who followed these rules were required to pray in their own synagogues or prayer rooms. Books of Kabbalah written at this time were generally dry and non inspiring. Emotion played little part. In fact, neither did ideology. Scholars kept their noses in the books, and didn't dare speculate. In fact, even Talmudic study was, at this juncture, limited to eight tractates that didn't deal with speculative or spiritual matters. Thus was born the Lithuanian Yeshiva approach; deep study with no spirituality. In my opinion, this is one of the great tragedies of the Shabbatean aftermath. The creation of a text-wise but virtually G-d absent Judaism, that has become "normative Orthodoxy", and has remained so ever since. RAMCHAL was excommunicated and banished because he claimed prophetic powers. That would not have raised an eyebrow a few years earlier. The Spanish-Portuguese communities all across Europe, were terrified of Kabbalah and its implications. The great community of Amsterdam, not only jettisoned Kabbalah, but actually brought in secular humanist rabbis from Italy. Many East European smaller communities maintained a close connection with Kabbalah, but were unwittingly using Shabbatean texts! Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all was the redefining of Judaism at this point. Medieval Judaism, especially in Spain, had two streams of intellectual thought. One was solidly based on the Spanish Kabbalah. The other was philosophical, largely based on RAMBAM's "Guide". Little by little, the philosophical approach almost died out among scholars. But now, without Kabbalah, an ideology was badly needed. Although most stuck to Talmudic study, without raising the great existential questions of life, a significant portion went to philosophy. But "The Guide" interpreted the Mitzvot not as great spiritual exercises, bringing tikkun to the Universe, but as educational exercises meant to impress the person with important lessons. G-d didn't really care. A synthesis of these ideas was soon to mix with Shabbatean ideas, with far-reaching results. Next time.

The Train wreck part 1

I have in the past expressed my opinion that the events surrounding the Shabbatean debacle of the Seventeenth Century, was by far the greatest calamity to befall the Jewish people. I am perturbed that most writers portray it as a minor glitch; a small fender bender. I have read in many popular books that only a small number of people were involved, while all the rabbis urged caution. This is a blatant lie...or deliberate cover-up. In fact, nearly all rabbis at the time were enthusiastic followers of the false Messiah, with a very small group opposing him, and a somewhat larger group taking a wait and see attitude. The fender bender was, in reality, more of a train wreck, from which we never recovered. I have spoken of this some in earlier posts. Now, I wish to delve into it in more depth. First, a brief historical review. Shabetai Tzvi was born in Smyrna (Izmir), Turkey, in 1626. He was a rabbi and scholar, but suffered from what we today call bipolar disorder. In his "up" phases, he would perform strange acts, like uttering the Divine Name, eating forbidden foods, and even marrying a Torah scroll! In his "down" phases, he would deeply regret his actions, and do acts of penance. The great massacres of Jews in Poland and Ukraine in 1648 and 1649 made a deep, dark impression on him, as they did most Jews. Messiah fever was in the air, which has often caused us more suffering than the persecutions themselves. Shabbetai travelled around the Meditteranean basin, in search of a cure for himself. He hesitatingly declared his Messiahship on several occasions. In the early 1660s, he met the acclaimed Kabbalist, Nathan of Gaza (yes, Jews lived in Gaza). I can not explain what happened. The night before Shabbetais arrival at his home, Nathan had a vision of the Divine Chariot. Sitting on the throne above the chariot, was a figure Nathan did not recognize. He lay motionless on the floor all night. The next day, Shabbetai arrived, and Nathan recognized him as the figure in his vision. Nathan devised an entire theology around Shabbetain, at once explaining his strange behavior, as well as containing a message of deliverance. According to Nathan, Shabbetai's soul had been, from creation, in an abyss inhabited by dragons and monsters. These creatures were torturing him even now, in a vain attempt to prevent the Redemption. Worst of all, this abyss also contained the soul of Jesus, desperately trying to prevent the revelation of the true Messiah. What's more, this plane of existence was on a level where the laws of the Torah didn't apply, therefore making Shabbetai not bound by the normal rules of Jewish behavior. 1666 would be the year of the final Redemption. Many Christian mystics had named that year as the date of the Second Coming. The tension was great. Rumors had spread throughout Europe that Shabbaetai had raised a huge army, and had already destroyed Mecca. He was now marching on Rome! Fear gripped Christendom! Shabbetai went to Turkey, with the idea of converting the Sultan to Judaism. Instead, he was put in prison, and given a choice of death, or conversion to Islam. He converted, which sent shockwaves through the Jewish world. Most of his followers abandoned him at that point. He began signing letters as "The G-d of Israel". Nathan wrote books telling people not to despair. This was merely another stage of Shabbetai's battle with evil. Many followers still followed him to his prison island, where he ordered some 300 of them to likewise convert to Islam. But it wasn't really Islam. It was, and is (!) Islamic in form, but with the worship of Shabbetai instead of Allah. Some 9,000 still live in Turkey. Shabbetai lived for another decade, with Nathan as his loyal propagandist. Even after his death, secret bands of followers existed, usually incognito. Even many famous rabbis were secret adherents of the new cult. A century later, a Polish Jew named Jacob Frank, declared himself to be the reincarnation of Shabbetai Tzvi. Together with 10,000 followers, he converted to Catholicism. But he founded a cult with Shabbetai, and himself, at its center, rather than Jesus. His approach was Nihilism; destroy everything that is, and something much greater will come about in its place. He organized orgies, were both incest and adultery were practiced. There is documentation of Frankist cells operating as late as World War I. Some claim they still exist. What is abundantly clear to me, is every Jewish group that now exists, has been tainted by Shabbateanism and Frankism. I will divide these into three groups. First, those that sprouted directly from these movements, albeit with shifts in ideology. Second, those groups that arose in opposition to these movements, that, in my view, jettisoned the baby with the bathwater. Spirituality and emotion were thoroughly banished as too dangerous. Third, those groups that ignored these movements, but inadvertently adopted some of their ideology or practices. I shall analyze these in this series.

Conversion to Judaism part 9

In 1979, after two years of campus work, and two years of congregational work, I became interested in the military chaplaincy. I was only twenty six. I eagerly toured several air force bases, and spoke at length with the chaplains. Jewish chaplains were, and still are, first approved by the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB), that, in turn, deals with rabbinical organizations of the three major denominations. In the case of Orthodox rabbis, that was the Rabbinical Council of America. I was, in fact, a member of  a smaller, more Right Wing organization; the Rabbinical Alliance of America. The JWB informed me that this presented no problem. The RCA would simply approve me or disapprove me on the merit of my credentials. I was summoned to the RCA headquarters in New York (I lived in Cincinnati at the time). One of the bigwigs of the RCA met with me. "Look" he said "each denomination has an annual quota of chaplains. If we are short, we recognize you. If we have enough of our own people, we don't". I suddenly realized I was essentially dealing with a labor union, and I wan't one of "his people". I told the bigwig that I had gone to college with his son. He placed a call to his son. "He doesn't remember you. Goodbye". That's how the U.S. military lost me as a chaplain. That's how I lost my respect for the RCA. Little by little, over the years, I discovered that the whole system was about power and influence. Up until about 1980, any conversion, performed by any Orthodox rabbi, was recognized both in the U.S. and in Israel. Although conversion requirements differed greatly from rabbi to rabbi, all were recognized. Then, the RCA let it be known that they wished to standardize  all Orthodox conversions, by means of a central Beit Din. This proved impractical, so they modified it to include only certain RCA rabbis, who would follow RCA guidelines. Other rabbis, even RCA members, were no longer authorized to perform conversions. Who granted the RCA such sweeping powers? They simply took it, as they had taken control of virtually all major Orthodox synagogues. An expression my late Mother used to use a lot comes to mind; "Who died and left you boss?" People with other conversions, were told that they are not Jewish at all. Chabad, which used to do many conversions, stopped (at least in places where there were  RCA rabbis). Hasidic and right wing Yeshiva conversions were no longer recognized, although, with considerable pressure, they could often be recognized ex post facto, after the RCA deigned to grant recognition. Often, these involved rabbis far more qualified than the RCA ones. Twenty years later, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate made a deal with the RCA that they were to be seen as the only rabbinic representatives of U.S. Jewry. Any RCA rabbi coming to Israel, would also automatically be recognized to serve in an Israeli rabbinic position. (Whereas I, and many others, had to seek the approval of one of the Chief Rabbis.) A similar situation exists regarding kashrut and the OU. (Same people as RCA). Millions have been spent on public relations, to make the OU the ultimate name in the field. A large part of their success lies in the fact that they weaken and destroy smaller hechshers, by spreading all sorts of nasty rumors. On the other hand, mistakes of other agencies are often covered up for political expediency. My mind races back to my abortive attempt of becoming a chaplain. But with me, it was just an issue of a position. For numerous converts, these policies often signal a lifetime of hurt and rejection. I do not know how some people sleep at night.

Conversion to Judaism part 8

Although several American cities became centers of Jewish life and education since colonial times,  In the early  twentieth century, New York City emerged as the ultimate center; a position it held for most of that century, and, to a lesser extent, until today. It was home to the Jewish Theological Seminary, that gave birth to the Conservative movement, as well as the Jewish Institute of Religion, that composed a major part of the Reform movement. From the 1930s, several European style Yeshivot made their homes in New York, even ordaining American born rabbis. However, then as now, these ordainees seldom sought to occupy pulpits, preferring instead to concentrate on education. Accepting "Out of Town" rabbinic positions (anything other than New York), almost never occurred to these men. In 1886, and elementary school, Etz Chaim, was founded on the Lower East Side, that took the unheard of position of teaching in English, well as teaching some secular subjects. In 1898, it progressed to hosting a Rabbinical school. Their rabbis did take pulpits, some even going to the "unknown" territories beyond the Hudson. Eventually, this institution became Yeshiva University (YU), and its Rabbinical School became the Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). The rabbis of the European style yeshivot mocked YU, with its acceptance of American culture, and especially its inclusion of secular subjects. The Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe quipped "I don't know how Rav Yitzchak Elchanan could have sinned, to have such an institution named for him". But YU proudly sported the motto "Torah U'Mada" (Torah and Science). Indeed, their logo is a microscope with a Torah scroll. There were several Orthodox Rabbinical organizations at that time, but none were willing to accept these newfangled rabbis as members. The fact is, that the American Orthodox rabbinate was in shambles at that time. Most of those serving as rabbis (as opposed to educators) were without credentials. Some took grandiose titles for themselves. One "rabbi" in the Bronx, put  a shingle by his door "Chief Rabbi of New York". Another "rabbi" across the street, not to be outdone, hung a shingle that read "Chief Rabbi of America". Hasidic "Grand Rabbis" were soon to follow. In the mean time, YU rabbis began to occupy established Orthodox synagogues, first in New York, but soon in all major American cities. Two new organizations were formed; a federation of YU rabbis, called the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), that was, and is, open to all YU ordainees, and theoretically, graduates of eight other Yeshivot that they recognized, but, in fact, only those with "connections" in the RCA need apply. Those synagogues that got their rabbis from YU, formed an association of synagogues; the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America" (OU).. For all intents and purposes, the YU. RCA, OU triumvirate had taken over American Orthodoxy. Although other groups sprang up, they have little of the recognition that the YU confederation commands. By 2003, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate recognized the RCA as the sole representative of American Orthodoxy. The meaning, and repercussions, of this arrangement, especially regarding conversion, will be my next installment.

Conversion to Judaism part 7

A big consideration in the non recognition of non Orthodox conversions has more to do with history and politics than actual halachah. Both Reform and Conservative Judaism differ on many important points from Orthodoxy. As such, they are considered heresies, much like the Karaites and the Samaritans. But Samaritans WERE considered Jews for 1,000 years before the issuing of a ruling declaring them not to be Jews. Similarly, marriages between Karaites and Rabbinites were common for 400 years, until RAMBAM campaigned for their non recognition. The Chief Rabbinate in Israel keeps going back and forth between declaring Karaites to be Jews or non Jews. The Conservative movement began before there was an organized Orthodoxy in America. While some of its leaders were essentially "Reform lite", most were fully observant and for all intents and purposes Orthodox. In fact, the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary very nearly merged with the Modern Orthodox Yeshiva University in the 1920s.  The merger fell through, not because of halachic differences, but because of differences in methodology in Talmudic study.With time, however, it drifted further and further away from Orthodox principles, even as Orthodoxy was drifting to the Right. In about 1960, two prominent American Orthodox rabbis declared war on the Conservative movement. (I do not wish to reveal their names). One, a very Right Wing rabbi, had a young rabbinic scholar enroll at JTS, in order to find out what was said there. I spoke to that scholar many years later. He described to me what happened. He was in a class on Chumash. An unusual word was under discussion. The professor explained it by using a cognate word from another Semitic language. The young man protested "but RASHI says..." The professor interrupted "THIS is the approach of our yeshivah". After reporting back to the rabbi, a ban was put on the Conservative movement. Everything they did was declared invalid. Even if an Orthodox rabbi took a Conservative pulpit, he was to be considered invalid. This position was endorsed by the Right Wing Agudas HaRabbonim. Had that rabbi taken the time to send a spy four miles North  to Yeshiva University, he would have heard the same thing. He was, in fact, a prisoner of the mindset of the European yeshivot. At about the same time, a highly influential  Modern Orthodox rabbi applied for a teaching position at JTS. He was rejected. Personally miffed, he also declared the Conservative movement to be heretical and invalid. This all begs the question if these men had the foresight to see what was to become of the Conservative movement, which now rejects the binding nature of halachah, or whether they brought this about by pushing them away. In any case, this resulted in an ostracizing of any and all rabbis with any connection to that movement, even if personally observant and dedicated to the spreading of Torah Judaism. This also served to write off two thirds of American Jewry. A few years ago, in the neighborhood where I live, and Orthodox rabbi was seen talking to a Conservative rabbi on a street corner. The Orthodox rabbi was immediately fired. In my opinion, this attitude is, in my opinion, bad for the Jews, and even worse for converts. Next, I shall discuss how American Orthodoxy, including conversions, has been hijacked by one narrow group.