Thank you for visiting my site! Jewish values have always guided my thinking. What complicates the process of distilling those values is the interpretation of our sacred texts and how it ought to be interpreted. One of the great masters, my teacher, Prof. Eliezer Berkovitz struggled with this his entire life. "...not only does the method of Authority not work, it actually defeats the eternal validity of the Torah. The Torah is eternal because it has a Word for each generation... If they have the authority they impose the Word meant for yesterday and thus miss hearing the Word for today for this generation, for this new hour in the history of the Jewish people..." These powerful words launched me on a lifelong odyssey of listening and learning, in search of the Word and through this process the discovery of Post Denominational Judaism.
|
|
|
Ki Mitzion Tetzei Torah Years ago I stopped iterating the familiar, chanted prayer “ki mitzion tetzei torah”, having considered the weightiness of these words, in light of the current, uninspiring and derisive “torah” coming forth from Zion, the seat of the chief rabbinate. To the people of Israel, Am Yisrael, torah means different things to different people: Torat Kohanim, Torat Hamelech, Torat Korbanot, Torat Hateva, and Torat Imeinu, are but a few of the permutations of torah and its teachings. What most people, however would agree upon is that torah was never intended to be divisive, derisive, exclusive and encouraging prejudicial treatment of a minority seeking equality and inclusion under Torat Am Yisrael. Certainly, Isaiah’s intent when he uttered these words was that a strong moral and ethical message must go forth from Zion; not one laden with the politics of hate.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|