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Orthodox Rabbis At Limmud Remains A Bad Mistake | Cross-Currents

AlanDershowitztotheRescue

InreLimmud:ARejoindertoRabbi Cardozo
ByJonathanRosenblum ,onNovember15th,2013 TorahJudaismhasalwaysbeendefinedbybeliefinbindinghalacha,basedupontheTorahgiventoMoshe RabbeinuatSinaiandtherabbinicalexegesiscontainedintheTalmud.Whilethereareendlessdisputesastothe precisecontoursofthehalacha,aboutitsobligatorynatureandthesourcesforitsdeterminationtherearenone. ThehalachaistheframeworkwithinwhicheachJewcreateshisorherindividualrelationshiptoGd.EveryJew hasauniquemissionintheworldandanaspectofGdthatonlyhebyvirtueofhisuniquecombinationof strengthensandchallenges,singularfamilialandhistoricalsituationcanreveal.Butagain,itisGds commandsthatcreatetheframeworkforthefulfillmentofthatmission. Gdsexistenceis,inphilosophicalterms,necessaryoursiscontingentanddependsonourattachmenttoHim. BETWEENTORAHJUDAISMANDTHEVARIOUSHETERODOXMOVEMENTSofJewsthereisnotheological commongroundormeetingpoint.ThereisnocontinuumfromlessertogreaterJewishpractice,foratthe theologicallevelthechasmisunbridgeableandabsolute. BothinoureyesandthoseofourenemiesJudaismwasalwaysdefinedbytheLawwereceivedatSinai.Paul, thefounderofChristianity,cametofreemankindfromthecurseoftheLaw.AndMartinLutherthoughttheLaw existedonlytodrivemenmadandintothebosomofthechurch.InitsrejectionoftheLaw,Reformlinesupon theChristiansideofthedivide. ThatLawstartswiththeobjectivecommand,thoughthedetailsofthecommandmaysubjecttodispute.Forthe heterodoxdenominations,however,thestartingpointisindividual:Hedecidesbywhattobebound,forhowlong, andtowhatdegree.AsReformleaderEricYoffieputsit,ultimatelyImustexamineeachmitzvahandaskthe question,DoIfeelcommandedasMoseswascommanded? TheresultisthateachJewcreateshisownreligiononethatdeniestheverypossibilityofanyobjective standards.AsanotherReformclergymandescribesthetheologyofhiscongregants,IwilldowhatIwant,callit Judaism,andrefusetoindulgeoreventoleraterabbinicjudgmenttothecontrary.Reformisanintellectualand politicaltechniqueofimmunityfromnormativeJewishevaluation. ThatexplainswhysomanyheterodoxJewsrespondtotheclaimthattheirdenominationalbrandnameslackall historicalortheologicalcoherencewiththeaccusationthattheyhavebeenlabelednonJews.Theyconflate, WhoisaJew?andWhatisJudaism?becauseintheirmindsJudaismiswhateveraparticularJewdoesor doesnotbelieve. Theemphasisonsubjectiveexperienceasthedefiningelementofreligion,RabbiYosefBerSoleveitchikpointed out,derivesfromGermanProtestantismandbeforethattopaganrituals.PerhapsthatiswhytheNewAge Jewishfestivals,withtheircallforeachpersontodefineisownrelationshipwithGd,invariablydegenerateinto Dionysianbacchanals. ENGLANDsannualLimmudConferencereinforcestheveryideathatTorahJudaismconsidersthemost pernicious:Judaismhasnoobjectivecontentitiswhateveryouwantittobe.Itoffersasmorgasbordfromwhich participantscanchoosesomebyOrthodoxpresenters.Butthesubliminalmessageis:Thereisa denominationalspectrumandeverybandwidthisequallyvalid.Pickandchoosethatwhichsuitsyoubest. LimmudwasrepeatedlyapproachedbysomeoftheleadingrabbinicfiguresinEngland,includingDayanChanoch EhrentreuoftheLondonBeisDin,withtherequestforasingledayforonlyOrthodoxpresenters,Butthose requestswererepeatedlyrebuffedbecausesuchadaywouldbeoutofsyncwiththemessageofa denominationalspectrum. AtLimmud,variousspeakershawktheirwareslikesomanyfishwives,whileparticipantsstrollaboutsampling
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Orthodox Rabbis At Limmud Remains A Bad Mistake | Cross-Currents

fromthealacartemenu,includingnolessthantensessionsdevotedtohomosexualadvocacyandahealthy doseofantiIsraelpropagandae.g.,thescreeningofJumpers,aboutthedestructiveeffectofIDFserviceon fouryoungIsraelis.TheconferencedirectorsassumethattoattractyoungBritishJewsoneneedsplentyofthe latter.AclosefriendofminewhoparticipatedasapresenterlastyeartoldmethatthepervasiveantiIsraeltone lefthimskepticalofthevalueoftheentireendeavor. JewscanidentifystronglywithIsraelwithoutbeingreligiouslyobservant.ButIwouldguessthatthelikelihoodof youngJewswhoareeasilyconvincedthattheirfellowJewsinIsraelaremilitaristicoppressors,perpetuatingthe worsthumanrightsabusesagainstinnocentPalestinians,comingtoidentifywiththebroaderJewishcommunity anytimesoonotherthanasameanstoattacktoIsraelareslim. THECONTEXTINWHICHTORAHistaughtiscrucial.Awealthy,nonobservantJewishmerchantoncefound himselfataninnwithoneofthegreatfiguresoftheMussarmovement.ThetwoJewsenteredintoadiscussion ofdeepmattersofJewishbelief.Inthemiddleofthediscussion,themerchantsservantenteredtheroomand wastoldtopreparethecarriage. Therabbiimmediatelycutoffallconversation,despitethemerchantsprotestationsthathewasthoroughly enjoyingtheirtalk.Therabbiexplainedtohim,Ithoughtthiswasaseriousdiscussion.Butifitwasserious,then youwouldhavetobepreparedtochangeyourlifedependingontheoutcome.WhenIsawthatyouhadalready madeupyourmindtocontinueontoyourdestination,Irealizedthatyoudidnotentertainanypossibilityof changeandwerenotserious.Foryoutheconversationwasonlyanentertainment,andtoprovideintellectual entertainment,Ihavenotime. OurSagesenjoinustoavoidthecompanyofscoffersandlightheadedpeople.Howelsecanwedescribea venuethatoffersnexttoTorahlecturessessionsonFiftyShadesofHummusOldJewishJokesKaddishfor DeceasedPetsPyjamaPartyDiscoandadrummingworkshop?IsthataplacewhereyoungJewsareina frameofmindtochangetheirlives? NodoubtthoseOrthodoxrabbiswhoattendLimmudareconvincedthattheyhaveprofoundimpactontheir listeners.ItisanoccupationalhazardofTorahspeakersinwhoseranksIfalltoconsistentlyoverestimate theimpactofasinglespeech.Butthatisparticularlytrueofthosewhosestockintradeisconfirmingthevalidity ofeveryprejudiceagainstOrthodoxJewsandJudaismoftheirlisteners,butofferingtheirownsterlingcharacter asproofthatonecanbedecentandOrthodox. RABBINATHANLOPESCARDOZOgoesevenfurther.HedoesnotjusturgeOrthodoxpresenterstotake advantageofwhateveropportunitiestheyaregivenatLimmud,buttosittogetherwiththeirheterodoxcolleagues andlearnfromthem.Whatshouldtheylearn?Biblicalcriticism?Guitarplaying? CardozosuggeststhattheOrthodoxmighthavelearnedfromtheheterodoxhowbettertoreadthereligiousmap ofworldJewry.HashereadthePEWstudyofAmericanJewrythe71%intermarriagerateamongnonOrthodox Jews,thewildlydisproportionateoverrepresentationofJewsincults,themillionormoreAmericanJewswho describetheirreligionasnoneorother?HashereadlastweeksJTAarticleonConservativeandReform templessurvivingbyrentingoutspacetoOrthodoxminyanim? IsthereacomparablephenomenonintheReformandConservativemovementstothebaaleiteshuva movement,whichhasbroughttensofthousandsofJewsintotheOrthodoxfold?DoesheknowConservativeand ReformJewsdramaticallychangingtheirlivesaroundthequestion:WhatdoesGdwantofme? RABBICARDOZOhailsthecourageofnewBritishChiefRabbiEphraimMirvisforhisdecisiontoattendthe upcomingLimmudConferenceandbemoansthecowardiceofDayanChanochEhrentreuandothersenior religiousfiguresforurgingOrthodoxrabbisnottoattend. ItisanopensecretthattheselectorsofthenewchiefrabbimadeattendanceatLimmudaconditionforthe appointment.RabbiMirvismayhavedecidedthathisconsiderablepersonalandorganizationalskillswerejustthe thingtorevivethemoribundUnitedSynagogue,andtherewasnothingtobegainedbypassingonthe appointment,sincewhoeverwasappointedinhisplacewouldalsogo.Andhemayhavereasonedthathis openingaddress,withnoheterodoxrabbisonthepodiumwithhim,coulddolittleharm,andhemighteveninspire somewithhiswordsofTorahandencouragementofTorahlearning.Butanactofheroismhisattendanceisnot. Andconversely,DayanEhrentreusurelyknewthathispublicletterurgingOrthodoxrabbistostayawayfrom Limmud,aspresentlyconstituted,wouldsubjecthimtowidespreadcalumnyintheAngloJewishmediaandfrom thesocalledleadersofBritishJewry.Whateverthemerits,hisdecisiontogopublicwithhiscriticismwasnotan actofcowardice. www.cross-currents.com/archives/2013/11/15/in-re-limmud-a-rejoinder-to-rabbi-cardozo/
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Orthodox Rabbis At Limmud Remains A Bad Mistake | Cross-Currents

actofcowardice. TherealtragedyisnotthatmoreOrthodoxspeakersdontofferthemselvesaswindowdressing,inthewordsof LondonrabbiAlanKimche,atwhatshouldproperlybecalledtheLimmudConferenceofProgressiveJudaism. ButthattheBritishOrthodoxestablishmentdidnotcontinuefundingaprogramcalledEncounter,whichservedas aeffectivecountertoLimmudandattractedlargenumbersofnonobservantJews.Encounterprovidedthemodel uponwhichSouthAfricanChiefRabbiWarrenGoldsteinatrueherobuiltthephenomenallysuccessfulSinai Indaba,whichattractsfarmoreJewsthantheBritishLimmudeveryyear. ThisarticlefirstappearedintheJerusalemPost ShareIt:

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