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Am I coming in too late on this? Maybe. Either way Twitter updates have been added too the site, check it out enjoy.
Is Judaism the next Secret©?
In 165 B.C.E, a small band of Jewish renegades rebelled against the Seleucid King Antiochus who wanted to annihilate them. These warrior Maccabees, led by Matisyahu and his sons, reclaimed the temple mount and re-inaugurated the Holy Temple. The Jewish Holiday of Chanukah commemorates this miraculous victory and the rededication of the Holy Temple.
The Greek/Syrian people, ruled by King Antiochus, were not brute barbarians. They possessed a highly developed knowledge of mathematics, science, architecture, the fine arts, and human psychology. Would these intellectually advanced people attempt to destroy an entire nation merely for sport, spite, or monetary gain? I doubt it. What drove this culture of secular academia to finance and participate in a full-scale war against the Jewish people? G-d.
The Greek/Syrians were not opposed to the learning of Torah or the observance of the Mitzvot, the commandments. They appreciated the intellectual exercise of Torah Study. Their issue was with G-d.
They viewed the human, comprised of body and soul, as the pinnacle of creation. The concept of G-d was antithetical to their view of life. They wanted to erase G-d from the picture. Were the Jews to step away from the G-d factor, life would have been glorious. The Jewish People could have lived peacefully with their neighbors and avoided near destruction.
The prevailing Greek philosophy allowed space for the observance of the Mitzvot and the study of the Torah, providing that the catalyst behind the observance was thoughtful, ethical, or within the bearings of the current moral compass. Awareness of G-d as the impetus for any thought, speech or action, was taboo and punishable by royal decree. The Jews, led by Matisyahu and his sons stood strong, defended themselves, and kept G-d in the equation of Jewish Life.
Today, another force conspires to keep G-d out of the picture, the Jewish People. Only now, we have turned the weapons around and taken aim at ourselves. Through our own volition, we are removing G-d from the equation.
Jewish organizations by the dozen seek to package the Jewish lifestyle as a worthwhile means toward a better life. They portray Judaism as the cherry on top of the American Dream. The Shabbat brings meaning to your weekend, Family Purity puts the spice back in your marriage, Chanukah faces off against Christmas, your rabbi is cheaper than a psychoanalyst, kosher food adds a spiritual dimension to mealtime, and the Kabbalah facilitates peace of mind.
However, if that is all that Judaism offers, I am not that interested. If Judaism is Moses’ answer to Tai Chi, I’ll shop elsewhere. Judaism is no more a form a therapy than it is a depository of good recipes. Judaism is about G-d and purposeful existence, not a potpourri scented version of familial bliss.
In my youth, I longed to convert to Christianity. My mother, despite her marriage to a catholic and our family Christmas tree, turned me down outright. She told me that Judaism is our opportunity to have a personal relationship with G-d without intermediaries. Her one sentence response became the foundation of my relationship with G-d and Judaism. The individual connection with G-d is what gives Judaism its validity and resonance. Everything else is just window dressing.
Judaism does not serve only to augment the American lifestyle. Rather, it offers a paradigm to view life’s mission. If a person is not interested in the Torah’s version of G-d, that is their personal choice and decision. However, when we, the Jewish people, attempt to redefine Judaism as interior decorating for the psyche, we fail to recall the deeper significance of the Chanukah victory.
The Greeks/Syrians did not rue the performance of good deeds or spiritual pursuits. They despised G-d’s position, as the centerpiece of the Jewish experience. But the Jews fought back – and were victorious. Today the battle wages on inside us. The moment we perceive Judaism as the next Secret, we raise a white flag to the Greeks and replace G-d with the Olympics and gyros.
Spiritual Gangsters
“Paulie might have moved slow…but it was only because Paulie didn’t have to move for anybody.” – Goodfellas (1990)
Shavous celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. Prior to the Jews receiving the Torah, G-d informs the Jewish people that they are a “Holy Nation and a cabinet of Priests (princes.)” Although this may be the source of the infamous Jewish American Princess, (originally confined to the Tri-state area- currently making her habitat at a Nordstrom’s near you), there are other avenues of interpretation. The teachings of Jewish Mysticism maintain that this verse signifies the attribute of Malchus (kingship), hence prior to the giving of the Torah, G-d puts us in touch with our inner kingship, sovereignty and leadership qualities.
Malchus applied is the ability to raise oneself up, i.e. to become a leader. A true king rules over his entire country. Indeed he alone has the power to create laws, make demands, and move mountains if the case may be. Similarly, contained within us is the ability to rise above the limitations of the physical world and the demands of daily life. I liken it to the wiseguys. Although the life style of a gangster stands is in stark contrast to that of the Jew, we can still learn from their approach to life. The gangster does not become affected by reality, he creates it. We too have that potential. Wherever we are, we have the potential to rise above the demands of the material and seek spirituality.
Thus Malchus is a necessary component in the preparation to receive the Torah. Torah offers us the potential to change the world- but we can’t even begin to start if we still approach life as an average nobody or a schnook.
Improv as life
You didn’t hear the alarm and overslept. You forgot to brush your teeth. You spilled coffee on your new shirt. You accidentally kicked the dog. Some douche cut you off, and you almost ran over the paperboy. You were fifteen minutes late and the boss yelled at you. You wasted four hours online instant messaging your college roommate and playing scrabble with some guy from Norway. After an all too brief lunch, you rushed back to the office and were swamped with work but still managed to read up on some new fangled dog grooming techniques. More traffic greeted you on the way home and some other dude cut you off in traffic. You burnt dinner on the BBQ and the kids fought during the meal. You fell asleep on the couch and the dog peed on the floor. Exhausted but unable to fall back asleep you pondered your wacky day. Yet, another day in paradise.
What stake could G-d have in my life? Where is G-d’s joy and excitement in the hectic work and home life of the average American?
The Alter Rebbe explains in Likkutei Torah that G-d loves improvisation. The classic analogy is of the talking bird. Human beings talk and there isn’t really anything that cool about it. Birds make great pets as long as you don’t mind cleaning the cage once a week. But a talking Bird? That’s just kooky.
Sure, you know what all about parrots, but that is just because you are American. Parrots have already ingratiated themselves into all aspects of our culture. But, we all get excited when we hear rumors of talking fish or watch Youtube clips of dancing dogs and cats that can communicate. Innovation and newness is what really gets us going. The most important news is always the most recent news, or at least that’s what CNN would have us believe. We thrive on the improvised, innovated, and freshness of life. That’s where our excitement lay, and that’s what gets G-d all amped up about your life.
Did you remember this yesterday when you kicked your dog and then felt bad about it? Well, G-d was tearing up. What about when you got cut off in traffic? When you forgave that guy, because you too are an aggressive driver, G-d got all warm and fuzzy.
It’s true, G-d knows the future. However, his knowledge of the future is only because he isn’t limited to the boundaries of time the way we are. So from his perspective, it already happened. But he is still excited about our choice, it just that he knew what you were going to choose. I’m tearing up just thinking about it.
This is it!
Hey people. Congratulations, you have arrived.