I've been thinking a lot lately about peoplehood and morality. While writing a recent paper for grad school, I was surprised to find out how relatively new the term "peoplehood" is. It didn't emerge till the seventies during the era of identity politics.
Peoplehood implies a certain allegiance. In NYC this past summer, I encountered more ultra-orthodox Jews than I have in my previous 25 years combined. To be honest, I felt embarrassed and uncomfortable around them. Their traditional dress, Yiddish, and many children seemed foreign and strange. At points, it bothered me that as a fellow Jew, I should feel connected and related to them.
As a millennial, it is difficult to understand those who would purposely reject our society and culture. Yet throughout history, all Jews were the same to those who persecuted them. My friend reminded me that the issue is not the ultra orthodox. They are free in this country to live however they please. Rather, it is the pervasive anti-semitism and ignorance that clumps all Jews together in mainly negative ways. He says the best thing one can do is to fight the latter, not reject the former. I agree. But I still can't help feeling uncomfortable.
The idea of Jewish peoplehood became particularly relevant following the Madoff debacle, in two ways. First, antisemitism dictates that one corrupt Jew means all Jews are corrupt. Second, Madoff’s betrayal of his own people made his crime that much more abhorrent.
There are bad people of all backgrounds and religions. But Jews recently have really seemed to have gone out of their way to be front and center. You are not supposed to wear a kippah when in a non-kosher restaurant because of what it might imply. What does a criminal dressed in religious garb carted off by the cops for money laundering signal both to Jews and the outside world??
Judaism has always baffled me with its emphasis on traditions and practice over belief. Some Jews act holier than thou in the name of religion, but disregard the moral tenets underlying the traditions. Article in the Jewish Week Mark Charendoff of Jewish Funders Network wrote on being good jews and bad people:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c375_a16368/Advertise/Thank_You_-_Advertising.html
I would love to hear all of your thoughts on this...
-Malka
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From my point of view, Jewish ethics can be summarized by the following sentences:
ReplyDelete1. "Love your fellow as yourself."
2. "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn"
Clearly Madoff loved himself more then he loved his fellow, Jews and gentile as one.
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ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with Tzvi about his summation of Jewish ethics. While some view Judaism as anachronistic, a remnant of iron age superstition, it is clear to me that it will be sometime yet until we will be evolved enough to be able to embody the lofty teaching of "Love your fellow as yourself" in our daily lives.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to tradition and practice vs. morality, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in the introduction to his book on Jewish Ethics, writes: "The word 'religious' has come to be associated exclusively with ritual observance. Thus, when two Jews are speaking about a third and a question is raised as to the person's religiosity, the response is based solely on the level of that person's ritual observance ('she keeps shabbat and kashrut, she is religious," or "he doesn't keep shabbat and kashrut, he is not religious) from which we may form the peculiar and inaccurate perception that in Judaism ethics are an extracurricular activity and not very important."
Thus, I would like to add an additional quote from Jewish sacred text that comments upon the importance of ethics over and above ritual observance. It comes from the prophet Micah who says,
"Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
It has been told to you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to ACT JUSTLY, and to LOVE MERCY, and to WALK HUMBLY with your God."
In other words, rather than being primarily concerned with man's strict observance of ritual, God's chief interest is in man's behavior. Accordingly, we are taught that the first thing we are asked when being judged by the heavenly tribunal is not whether we fasted on Yom Kippur, or kept Shabbat, but whether we conducted our affairs honestly.
I think Malka has made several good points about the problems of prominent Jews participating in illegal and immoral activities. But what about when the law protects those who participate in a system which can hardly be said to conform to the prophetic cry to pursue justice, compassion and humility? Take for example Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney Corporation, whose yearly compensation has been known to exceed 575 million dollars. Contrast this yearly compensation with that of his lowest paid employees, like those in Vietnam who produce the Disney toys which are included in Happy Meals. These employees have been known to make less than TEN CENTS AN HOUR! This is well below subsistence. Do the math to calculate Eisner's hourly compensation (over $100,000/hr by conservative estimates) and you begin to realize the staggering injustice of this situation.
It is my greatest hope that as future leaders of our people we might be able to re-orient our communal attention on this most crucial element of Judaism and heed the prophetic cry to pursue Justice, Peace and Truth.