Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sfmag.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!mhuxm!sftig!sftri!sfmag!samet From: samet@sfmag.UUCP (A.I.Samet) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Interpreting Antisemitism Message-ID: <563@sfmag.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-May-85 14:35:30 EDT Article-I.D.: sfmag.563 Posted: Thu May 9 14:35:30 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 10-May-85 02:28:07 EDT References: <123@unc.UUCP> <140@unc.UUCP> <170@unc.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Summit, NJ Lines: 110 > I see two kinds of assimilation. One where Jews try to redefine > the Law (in the case of Reform Judaism and "Humanistic Judaism") > and another where Jews simply reject Judaism in general. > In this discussion do you make any distiction between the two? The 2 types of assimilation you cite are basically similar. I do think there is a distinction, however, between Jews who wilfully choose the path of assimilation and those who are born into an assimilated society. The latter are referred to as "children who were captives of the nations" by the Talmud. They are not very liable for their assimilated situation, as it was not a matter of choice for them. They are only liable to the extent that they reject any opportunities to investigate/discover true Torah Judaism. > For instance, if a baptized Jew remains a (apostate) Jew, > and Jewishness is hereditary, then Spain and South America > is FULL of Jews who don't even realize it (descendants of > the Marranoes). They don't seem to be suffering from anti-semitism. I'm told there is alot of antisemitism in Argentina, for instance. > By your theory, I suppose if Russia and the U.S. destroy each other, > then it will be because of the Jewish assimilation in both nations. Not necessarily. I imagine that an evil nation could be destroyed for its own sins, as in the lesson of the flood. On the other hand, the Talmud says that "calamities come to the world only for the sake of Israel". This is a Judao-centric theory of the forces guiding history and current events. It means that whatever happens is calcuated by Hashem in terms of its effects (positive or negative) on the Jewish people (as a whole). > >2) A major source for the theme I put forth is found in parshas > >be'chukosai (Lev. 26). (Y. Samet) > > Doesn't this passage also explain the GOOD FORTUNE that is supposed > to befall the Jews who DO keep the covenant? During the holocaust, > the frum were attacked at least a much as the apicursim. A good point. It seems likely to me that the passage is speaking mainly about our fate as a nation, rather than as individuals. The Talmud says that on Rosh Hashana Hashem judges individuals, nations, and the world. If a major calamity befalls a nation, it means that the righteous people's deeds were not enough to outweigh those of the wicked. (Remember that Sodom would have been saved had there been 10 righteous people.) The question remains, "How is justice served if the righteous are punished along with the wicked?" Three answers come to mind: 1-We don't really know who is righteous. 2-The righteous will be compensated for their suffering in the world to come. 3-The righteous are held accountable for failing to influence their brothers to repent. Even if destruction is decreed on a nation, a person may escape this fate via his individual judgement. A Tzadik may be saved because he has some special merit, or a special mission to fulfil. A Rasha may be saved because he has a mission to do, or because he is so bad that he has no portion in Olam Haba. In the last case, any reward which he has earned via good deeds can only be repaid in this world. > And even if we all do become frum again, like in the middle ages, > well, we didn't have it so good even then. If anti-semitism is divine > retribution, then maybe the whole rabbinical tradition was a mistake. > Maybe we should go back to the way we were before there was anti-semitism. > Maybe we should all become Sadducees and offer sacrifices at backyard alters. The argument that Jewish tragedies "prove" that our religion is wrong is a familiar Christain theme. Christianity considers it valid to "prove" or "disprove" the basic validity of a religion from history. We don't. The validity of our tradition is based on logic (this is a broad issue which has to be treated separately) rather than interpretation of prophecies miracles, and historical events. In fact, the talmud states that Rebbi Eliezer the sage was excommunicated for failing to yield to the majority opinion of the sages, even though he brought miraculous proofs (including a voice from heaven) to indicate that he was correct. The Torah tells us to stone a prophet who attempts to overturn our tradition by bringing miraculous proofs. It also warns us that Hashem will test us via such false prophets. The Ran (a rishon) says that the sages of Rebbi Eliezer's time were subjected a variation of that type of test. > One reason for the heavy assimilation in the US and Russia is that > many Jews are FED UP with this kind of "divine retribution." > Any good animal trainer knows that you get better results > using rewards for proper behavior than with punishments for incorrect behavior. > Punishments lead to DIFFERENT behavior, not necessarily the DESIRED behavior. > If anti-semitism is divine retribution, then why is God so clumsy with it? This question is asked by many people. It reduces to "Why does G*d hide." The Torah refers to Hashem's "hiding" as a punishment itself: "hester ponim". ("I will sureley hide My face.") Hester ponim is part of the calamity of golus (dispersion of the Jews). This is a punishment which fits our "crime", namely that we acted as if Hasehm were not there and the world were not run by Divine providence. The punishement is that, on the surface, the world seems to be abandoned by Hashem. One now has to make a more active effort to discern Divine benevolence and justice. Without educating oneself to that outlook a person will be tempted to view the world as unjust, deny G*d, get "FED UP", and thereby license himself to lead life as he pleases. Somewhere in life that approach may "crash". In this way, personal tragedy can be a blessing in disguise, for it can lead a person to seek out G*d and change his ways. Obviously, this doesn't work for animals, but it works for many of us humans. Yitzchok Samet