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| Volume 4 Number 44 | Sat Oct 8 23:55:06 1994 |
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 10:45:00 -0700 From: Julian Yudelson <YUDELSON.JE@a1.rit.edu> Subject: Re: Balancing Ethics and Politics I fully support the discussion of current political and moral issues from a Jewish perspective on this conference. 3500 years of Jewish thought has a great deal to contribute to contemporary issues. The difficulty with linking the two areas - Judaism and contemporary politics - is that too often one comes to a conclusion, and then seeks to justify the position, WITHOUT even trying to get to the core of the Jewish position on the issue. I have found that many individuals demand that Judaism fit their own brand of political perspective, be that left or right. e.g. I do (or do not) approve of providing extensive financial support to illegal immigrants, how do I reconcile that with what I know of Jewish values? If I cannot reconcile them, which will take precedence? Judaism is built on behaviors, not feelings. Jewish debate hinges on definitions and values. In the thread regarding Berashit, G-d admonition to Adam is "don't EAT", not don't feel deprived, don't desire, etc. We can discuss what "the tree of knowledge of good and evil" is, what is the level of meaning, but it does not matter how we feel about it. When we try to apply ancient definitions to the current nation state there are real problems. To return to the issue of SOS. Jewish values and laws clearly demands that the society take care of the poor, the weak and the stranger. Jewish sources do not say how this is to be accomplished in a nonJewish nation state where Jewish values are NOT the dominant culture. The concern for the "ger" assumed that the stranger had chosen to live in the Jewish community and contribute as best they were able to the general welfare of the community. They did not come as invaders, seeking their own gain to the detriment of the community. Jewish concept of tzdaka holds that the highest form is a loan (not gift) that allows the recipient to become independent and retain his/her self respect. This does not seem to be the underlying value of the current American support program. It is easy for a politically conservative Jew to argue that enough is enough. It is easy for a politically liberal Jew to argue that we must do more. A Jewish Jew may look at the situation and know that 5,000,000 Israeli Jews managed to welcome and accept 25,000 Ethiopians and 500,000 Russians (admittedly with some difficulty and some help from the outside) and decide that the American/Christian/atheist approach is not divinely ordained. This is not a conclusion, but I hope a contribution. Julian Yudelson
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 1994 09:07:00 -0700 From: bsberg@idss.nwa.com (Barry Berg) Subject: Re: Bereshit From: Rabbi Steve Gindi <RabiSteve@aol.com> writes: > The story of Adam and Eve is very complex. What are the trees of life >and of knowledge? What does the snake have to do with the whole story? > >[... lesson deleted ....]. We invent a flimsy reason why it does not apply in >our situation and then we transgress. Interestingly enough, I wrote a response to the ethics discussion that talks about the same point. When I got to this thought, the concept of circles within circles was rather vivid. >Can anyone give me a nice explanation for the Tree of Life. It would be even >nicer if it fit in with the above. What about the classic thought of the tree of life...Torah. They sought the easy road to knowlege, by disobeying God's Law. If they would have eaten from the Tree of Life (i.e. studied Torah) they would not only have gotten Knowlege, but Wisdom. bsberg@idss.nwa.com
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 09:25:14 -0700 From: Anonymous Subject: Judaica Software for Mac I bought Talking Torah Flashcards for Macintosh from Davka in April, and I have found it very useful. It is two HypperCard stacks, one with Siddur words, and another of Torah words. It flashes the Hebrew on the screen in big, easy to read letters, then you read it and check the definition and pronounciation, if desired, by clicking buttons. Very cool! You can shuffle the deck randomly, by Alephbet, or otherwise to make it more interesting.
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 12:59:40 -0700 From: Gregory Davis <gdavis@isnet.is.wfu.edu> Subject: Letters in a newspaper Of late, my local newspaper (the Winston-Salem _Journal_) has published a couple of letters from readers who "don't know what all the fuss is about" regarding Kurt Waldheim's Nazi past, and go on to intimate that "it was all a long time ago, and it should be forgiven and forgotten." The latest of such drivel was published two days ago, and after steaming for 36 hours, I finally penned a reply which I mailed today. We'll see if the paper prints it or not. The attempt to trivialise his crimes mocks the memory of *all* who suffered and died at the hands of the German war machine, as well as those who fought Hitler and his henchmen. I can't help but think if people are so quick to trivialise Waldheim's (and Nazi) crimes, that total denial of those crimes can't be far behind. Having just read Deborah Lipstadt's _Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory_, I feel that the process has begun here in my corner of the Old North State. My question to our list is: what do we do? Do letters to the editor do any good? I feel a bit better having made a reply, though I have no illusions that I'll change a bigot's mind. Any ideas? B'shalom, Greg Davis Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 11:22:50 -0700 From: Constance Stillinger <cas@ockham.stanford.edu> Subject: Re: Looking for Software to Learn Hebrew For grownups, and possibly even adolescents, who want to learn Hebrew, I'd definitely suggest checking out *The First Hebrew Primer for Adults*, (by Simon, Stahl, Motzkin, Anderson and possibly another author). Look for the third edition (possibly titled *The Revised First Hebrew Primer for Adults*). This is what I used to learn Hebrew in my spare time. I'm a professional student of sorts and VERY impatient with classes and most teaching materials, but I really loved this. It's not software, but it's great! Regards, Connie Dr. Constance A. (Chana) Stillinger cas@csli.stanford.edu Research Coordinator, Education Program for Gifted Youth Stanford University
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 03:07:02 -0700 From: Rebecca Mallinger <whats@rain.org> Subject: Looking for submissions on Shabbat for magazine My name is Rebecca Mallinger; my husband, Lev, and I publish a new magazine exploring Jewish Spirituality. It's called "What's Next?" Our next issue will focus on Shabbat. We seek inspiring, provocative and personal articles, stories, thoughts, comments, dreams, questions and answers, as well as cartoons, jokes and illustrations/graphics regarding Shabbat. Is Shabbat still relevant for today's Jews? How, why, with whom, and with what regularity do you celebrate Shabbat? (Or why not?) How have you grown/been empowered/transformed out of your experience(s)? Please direct all submissions and comments to: WHAT'S NEXT? magazine <whats@rain.org> Todah, u'b'shalom, Rebecca Mallinger
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 08:18:08 -0700 From: david@porsche.visix.com (David Charlap) Subject: Re: mail.liberal-judaism V4 N43 Subject: Balancing Ethics and Politics bsberg@idss.nwa.com (Barry Berg) writes: >Michael R. Leavitt <mleavitt@netcom.com> writes: >>"Devil quoting scripture" and all that. It's too difficult philosophically >>to sort out a clever lawyer's brief from a earnest attempt to arrive at the >>right answer.... >I agree, if you base your answers only on the Laws and Traditions.... Our sages knew this very well. For this reason, the Talmud is more than a mere book of laws. In addition to the Halacha (laws), there is also the aggada (the non-legal parts) (often known as the Midrash). Aggada appears on the surface to be mere stories and anecdotes. They aren't used to derive any laws, and they are often contradictory. Many appear to be fanciful, with no basis in reality. So what is so important about them that the Tana'im (the authors of the Mishna - the books that the Talmud is based on) decided to include Aggada in their books? The answer is that Jewish ethical and moral traditions are contained within them. If one studies aggada enough, one will come to learn the non-halachic aspects of Judaism that is necessary if one is to observe the spirit as well as the letter of the Law. Next, you may ask "why didn't they spell it out instead of encrypting it into stories and parables?" The answer is that morality and ethics can easily be twisted and corrupted by one who learns them the wrong way. (Read Plato's Republic and see how easily one could misunderstand it and think Plato was in favor of a trannical government.) By encrypting the ethical teachings, the Tana'im made it such that a Jew would have to study aggada with a learned rabbi in order to learn the lessons within. The idea being that a teacher will be able to teach the contents properly and prevent a student from getting the wrong ideas. >>apologists, using Jewish principles, to support slavery and apartheid! No, >>I really think we need to get our public policy positions from other >>sources, even if we use Biblical or Talmudic arguments to help justify them. This comes (IMO) from the yeshivot teaching too much halacha and not enough aggada along with it. If you go to a yeshiva, you'll find students who can quote you everybody's opinion on any particular law and know how it all applies today. But ask them about a piece of aggada (such as "what did the serpent really mean, and what does the event come to teach us?") and they probably won't be able to go further than opening up a Chumash and reading the commentaries printed within. I think much of this loss can be attributed to the Holocaust. Most of the great rabbis died, and the surviving students did not yet complete their studies. So the current generation must learn from printed materials and the very few surviving Gedolim. And since the moral teachings within the aggada is not usually obvious, we've now a religious leadership that knows laws and not ethics. Or (possibly worse), one that has derived its ethics from secular sources and not from the aggada.
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 1994 07:14:10 -0700 From: Beryl Levinger <berylL@edc.org> Subject: Searching for info on South African liberal Jewish community I will be in Johannesburg from December 2-11, a total of two Shabbatot. I would very much enjoy attending liberal Shabbat services and perhaps meeting a family or two with whom I could share the experience. The purpose of my visit will be, in part, to assist the new government in the development and implementation of its education policies. Could any of you suggest, via private e-mail (BerylL@edc.org), contact points for me including syngagogue information as well as individuals whom I can approach concerning Shabbat hospitality? And, publicly, I would appreciate comments about the Jewish community in Johannesburg, particularly at this time of transition between the old and new. Thanks.
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