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.