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recent reading
I'm currently reading The Struggle over Reform in Rabbinic Literature (by Alexander Guttmann), which I borrowed from my rabbi last month. This is, essentially, a discussion of the arguments around many of the changes introduced by liberal Judaism in the last 150 years. (The Reform movement grew out of the Enlightenment in Germany.)
The introduction rightly points out that reforms to Jewish practice are nothing new, but doesn't discuss this history in much detail. (I assume it's well-covered elsewhere, though I haven't been there yet and would like to learn more.) Changes have generally been made by suspending laws as not applicable (e.g. everything having to do with Temple sacrifices), by interpreting existing law to get the result you want, or by creating legal fictions; an example of the latter (not from the book) is the selling of chametz for Pesach. Yes, it's supposed to be a real sale, but that's not how people treat it and I'm not sure they ever did. An example of interpreting problems away (again, not from the book) is the Torah commandment that a rebellious child (well, son) is to be executed before he can do any real damage. In fact, all capital offenses seem to have been legislated into near-non-existence; Tractate Sanhedrin is a fascinating read. (Yes, I've studied the mishna to that tractate.)
Anyway, the book points out that gradual reform was happening slowly over many centuries, but what's really different about liberal Judaism is the number and magnitude of the changes that were made. We might have gotten to similar results over a period of a few centuries without anyone screaming, but trying to do it in a few years was problematic.
Personally, I believe there is a second factor, and I presume the book will get there eventually: Reform is *not* simply an inheritor of the rabbinical tradition of gradual change. Reform made a fundamental change in asserting that the Torah is not the precise word of God. Some people interpret that as "anything goes", but I argue that serious, committed, Reform Jews do not, and I hope to find some guidance in this book on interpretation within the traditional scope. In fact, one of the things I wrestle with most -- and maybe this will form the basis of my next discussion with Rabbi Gibson -- is how I can make informed, consistent decisions about practice within a Reform context.
Anyway, that's all by way of introduction. The bulk of the book discusses specific issues; I haven't finished and thus haven't gotten to the conclusions that are drawn from it. Anyway, I should try to draw my own first.
A couple things I've noticed thus far:
There seems to be a tradition in rabbinic Judaism of "that which is not permitted is forbidden", and I hadn't really noticed that before. For example, one of the Orthodox arguments against using musical instruments in the synagogue (ignoring Shabbat-related issues) is that the sages who ordained the use of prayer in the first place didn't say anything about music. But if that's an argument against music in services, then don't we have a problem because they also didn't say anything about melodies, and yet we have a tradition of chanting or singing certain prayers and the melodies vary from location to location? If it's ok to innovate on vocal music, why not on instrumental music? None of the reform arguments presented in the book brings this up.
One of the harshest critics of reform (at least among the Orthodox rabbis cited in this book) makes an argument that amounts to "we can't really hold them responsible because they are as infants". Someone who violates Shabbat isn't (necessarily) a heretic worthy of excommunication; he's a baby who doesn't know any better. (He particularly means American Jews here.) I find it odd that the same rabbis who argue the importance of free will endorse this sort of argument. It's very myopic: "we are obviously right, so if you don't agree with our interpretation you must be deluded or ignorant".
More later.
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Dang.
Re: Dang.
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OK, now that I've done my caveats, I can go ahead to comment on what you wrote that struck me:
There seems to be a tradition in rabbinic Judaism of "that which is not permitted is forbidden", and I hadn't really noticed that before.
I was taking an adult ed class recently with a rabbi who teaches at JTS (the Conservative rabbinical seminary), who quoted a rabbi who said something on the order of: "Anyone can find a reason to say that something is not permissable; it's a true learned rabbi who can find a reason to say that something is permissable." (I apologize for the vagueness here, but it was on shabbat or I'd have taken notes...) I feel that there are too many rabbis in the Orthodox movement who have taken the lazy way out and chosen the more restrictive position. I think it's important, in order to have a liveable tradition, to allow leiniencies.
On the other hand, I must say that I don't agree with the Reform position which (correct me if I'm wrong) basically says that halacha is not a factor to consider. In my opinion, both Reform and Orthodox have gone too far, Orthodox by (for the most part) only allowing halacha to change towards the more strict/less permissive opinions, and Reform for abandoning halacha. The Reconstructionist movement also does not consider halacha binding. I think that a binding - but flexible halacha is the way to go. Of course, the Conservative movement in practice ends up in the difficult position of being too liberal for the Orthodox on the right and too strict for the Reform/Reconstructionist on the left... and not everyone is as into Gilbert and Sullivan as I am, so they aren't enamored of the fact that the Conservative movement can officially say that, for example, Electricity is both allowed and not allowed on Shabbat. (HeisenHalacha!).
Having said all of this, I think the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements have much more in common than the Orthodox. Unfortunately, the one "branch" of Orthodoxy which was trying to make a real attempt to deal with modernity, "modern orthodox", seems to be disappearing as the differing bits of Orthodox movement compete to see who can be more right-wing...
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Agreed! Speaking of leniencies, by the way, can you explain the Conservative leniency regarding electricity on Shabbat to me? I was shocked to see a C rabbi turn on some lights on Shabbat recently, and he then said that he uses electricity -- but it wasn't a good time to probe him.
On the other hand, I must say that I don't agree with the Reform position which (correct me if I'm wrong) basically says that halacha is not a factor to consider.
What you describe is a common attitude among Reform Jews, but it's not quite the Reform position. The Reform position is that we are all, individually, responsible for learning and making informed decisions about practice, and traditional halacha is an important input to that process. No, Reform doesn't say "you must keep kosher (as specified in Shulchan Aruch)" -- but it does say "you must examine kashrut". Most Reform Jews don't. Some of us do, and reach decisions ranging from the traditional approach to a simplified (earlier) approach to "eco-kashrut" (I think Reconstructionists came up with that?) to not seeing an obligation today.
This can be confusing, and it doesn't help that the Reform movement in the past has been pretty anti-halacha (the 1885 platform being a glaring example). It seems to be swinging in the direction of more traditional observance now, though the movement does not claim the authority to bind its members. In other words, the movement as a whole does not take a stand on whether you are being a "bad Jew".
BTW, when I first started on this path I thought I was going to be Conservative, and had the same negative attitudes toward Reform that many people have. I realize now, though, that Reform -- with a fairly traditional observance -- is correct for me. I'll make a separate entry about this.
HeisenHalacha!
LOL!
Yes, the right-wing trends in the Orthodox movement sadden me (though we seem to have functioning modern O locally). I'm also saddened by the number of Orthodox Jews who don't seem to realize that reforms -- new interpretations and outright changes -- have been made to halacha for centuries (like, since the ink was still wet on the mishna, if not earlier). This is not a new phenomenon.
Electricity! (E-lectricity...)
Ahem.
I'm not sure about the official Conservative ruling on Electricity, so this is all from what I've gathered by hanging around rabbinical students... and might be totally wrong. Let's start by looking at why it might not be allowed. Was electricity one of the forms of work that was used to create the temple? (Usually used to define the "work" that you can't do on Shabbat) No. Is it kindling a fire? Well, no, not really... but lightbulbs sorta look like fire... some people use that as the reason not to use electricity. Another, more subtle approach is to say that when you flip a switch/whatever, you're completing a circuit, and completing something is on the list of things not to do on Shabbat. What I do right now is rather subtle. I follow the Conservative ruling that it's permissable to use Electricity on Shabbat, but don't actually use electricity on Shabbat. Unless I really, really want to. This is difficult for the casual bystander to understand, so I usually just say that I don't use Electricity on Shabbat. Really, with timers and nightlights you can set lights the way you need, and it's good to have a day which is less complicated by computers and stuff, as much as I do like using them the rest of the week.
The Reform position is that we are all, individually, responsible for learning and making informed decisions about practice, and traditional halacha is an important input to that process.
Ah, yes, that sounds familiar. How could I have forgotten that? Sorry about that. The problem that I have with this position is that from what I've heard from people who grew up in the Reform Tradition. (I grew up in an "independent" congregation, whatever that means...) What some of them have said is that they were not educated in traditional halacha, which would seem to me to make it hard for them to make informed decisions on how much weight to give halacha. I guess it's always easier for everyone (Conservative included) to not think but just sort of slouch along doing whatever.
"eco-kashrut" (I think Reconstructionists came up with that?)
I know that I've heard Arthur Waskow (Woskow? I always misspell his name, which is bad to do to someone you respect!) talk about eco-kashrut, and he's Reconstructionist. I'm not sure whether he originated it or not. However, it's a very useful concept. It's also why I don't eat Swordfish. I think Swordfish is kosher, but it's not eco-kosher, so I won't eat it.
(the 1885 platform being a glaring example)
Pardon me, sir, but would you please remove your headcovering before entering the temple? And would you like Shrimp or Lobster for your appetizer today? :-)
I hope I'm not coming down too hard on Reform. I feel that the Reform movement has taken positions which I cannot follow. I have found that I do not personally enjoy Reform services (in general) as much as I enjoy Conservative services (in general). However, for all my differences with the Reform movement, I feel much closer to it than the Orthodox movement.
As TigerBright may recall, I was actually an active member of the Reform group on campus in college. (I was head of publicity for, um, 2 years? 1 year?) However, I found after I left college that Reform services in "the real world" didn't have the same NFTY youth-group feel that I enjoyed in college, and I started getting more into traditional services. In college I never went to Saturday morning services (Reform had only a couple while I was there, and I rarely woke before noon on Saturday if I could avoid it.) Now I get really into the full Shabbat morning service...
Re: Electricity! (E-lectricity...)
:-)
Doesn't the filliment in an incandescent bulb "kindle fire" (so to speak) when you turn on the switch? It's not just a matter of looking like fire. Or so I'm told. But ok; the argument I really had in mind was the "final hammer blow" one (completing the circuit). I'm not sure how I feel about that one either. I use timers on lights and a crock pot, because the primary purposes of kindling fire are light and heat so I am stringent there. Otherwise, I try to avoid issues but don't stress over it. I'll ride in a car. Since moving to within walking distance of my shul, I have driven on Shabbat only twice; both times involved exceptional circumstances.
it's good to have a day which is less complicated by computers and stuff, as much as I do like using them the rest of the week.
Yes. Part of Shabbat is the separation from the rest of the week -- [mavdil] bein kodesh l'chol and all that.
What some of them have said is that they were not educated in traditional halacha, which would seem to me to make it hard for them to make informed decisions on how much weight to give halacha.
This is often a failing, yes. You only really get that education in day schools, not in after-school Hebrew school for a few hours a week, and Reform day schools are pretty rare. So either you dive in as a dedicated adult, or you go to an Orthodox day school (a solution some use), or you just sort of follow the herd. This is unfortunate.
Pardon me, sir, but would you please remove your headcovering before entering the temple? And would you like Shrimp or Lobster for your appetizer today? :-)
Yeah, that's the one. Things have gotten much better, fortunately. But that was such a glaring violation that, 116 years later, it still stands out as typifying Reform, even though it doesn't (any more).
I don't see any problem with what you're writing about Reform; don't worry about me taking offense. I also have some problems with some Reform rulings; I think that even if you can make a good case for patrilinial descent using traditional sources, for example, it is unnecessarily divisive. Even Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai intermarried, but now the Orthodox won't with Reform because of this.
BTW, if you're ever in Pittsburgh, I can take you to a fantastic NFTY-esque Shabbat-morning service. They're out there. But hey, I also sometimes lead kabbalat Shabbat services at a local Conservative shul; I'm somewhat flexible about Friday night in particular. (I'd kind of rather that Reform keep the Torah reading to Shabbat morning only, and not do it Friday night; I think the expediency-based arguments need not apply now. But I'm not upset by it; it's just a preference.)
Gosh, I'm being verbose...
<sarcasm>What, you mean that Moshe didn't wear a fur hat when he came down from Sinai?<sarcasm>
I took a course recently called "You mean you can do that in your Kosher kitchen?". It was basically reading from the Shulchan Aruch on kashrut. And the first couple of commentaries on the SA. Now, this is not that old -- 17th century, maybe? -- but yet the laws of Kashrut that are in this book are radically different than what people do now. Part of it has to do with wealth and technology. People in those days couldn't have as many sets of dishes as we do, and it was more difficult to replace dishes. But there are things in there that were rather shocking. An example: You've got a pot which was used to cook meat. It's been cleaned and unused for 24 hours. You use it to cook milk.
According to the Shulchan Aruch, the food in the pot is kosher. The pot itself is kosher. (If that doesn't shock you, you haven't been reading up enough on kashrut practices in modern times...) Of course, the reason there is a difference is because... halacha has changed. (Well, really, it's more that the minhag has changed, and has trumped the halacha.)
Re: Gosh, I'm being verbose...
After personally writing the halacha on driving on Shabbat, yeah. :-)
(If that doesn't shock you, you haven't been reading up enough on kashrut practices in modern times...)
Actually, this doesn't shock me for a different reason: I've already encountered the Shulchan Aruch's interpretation. But it did shock me at the time.
Sounds like a neat class! (I think SA is 16th century, BTW. Can't remember when Kitzur SA is (obviously later); that's what I have at home.)
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Also, I noticed to my chagrin, that I failed to close my sarcasm tag. If I could edit my comments, I would.
Now I've got to finish cleaning for shabbat!
Re: Gosh, I'm being verbose...
Halacha has moved on since Kitzur, but it's an interesting snapshot of a point in time and is useful enough in broad strokes that, as you say, when you're in a hurry it will suffice.