“Reuven, I did not want my Daniel to become like my brother, may he rest in peace. Better I should have had no son at all than to have a brilliant son who had no soul. I looked at my Daniel when he was four years old, and I said to myself, How will I teach this mind what it is to have a soul? How will I teach this mind to understand pain? How will I teach it to want to take on another person’s suffering? How will I do this and not lose my son, my precious son whom I love as I love the Master of the Universe Himself? How will I do this and not cause my son, God forbid, to abandon the Master of the Universe and His Commandments? How could I teach my son the way I was taught by my father and not drive him away from Torah? Because this is America, Reuven. This is not Europe. It is an open world here. Here there are libraries and books and schools. Here there are great universities that do not concern themselves with how many Jewish students they have. I did not want to drive my son away from God, but I did not want him to grow up a mind without a soul. I knew already when he was a boy that I could not prevent his mind from going to the world for knowledge. I knew in my heart that it might prevent him from taking my place. But I had to prevent it from driving him away completely from the Master of the Universe. And I had to make certain his soul would be the soul of a tzaddik no matter what he did with his life.”
Chaim Potok, The Chosen
tzaddik = a righteous and saintly person by Jewish religious standards (Mirriam-Webster)
In investigating the connection between Judaism and righteousness, I found this: “The lifestyle of the religious Jew is based on certain underlying theological assumptions about God and His role in history. Clearly, the belief that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who revealed His Law to Israel at Mt. Sinai, has profound practical implications for the Jew and for all humanity. That man is accountable to God for his deeds and that he is expected to realize a spiritual purpose in his life transform him from a highly developed animal into a transcendental being. Most certainly, then, Judaism does affirm basic faith principles.”
Let us, then, look into these principles.
principle = "a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning." (Bing)
proposition = "a statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or opinion" (Bing)
What, then, are the propositions of Judaism?
One site says: “Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.
“They believe that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything that people do.
The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish People…
- The Jews keep God’s laws
- The Jews seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives.”
Some thoughts immediately come to mind…
What about their slaughter of the Canaanites, an earlier nation that had inhabited the Levant?
What about supposed miracles, such as “crossing” the Red Sea and the destruction of the wall of Jericho?
What about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the holocaust associated with the Nazis during World War II?
Well, those are good questions, but first I’m interested in what a covenant relationship is.
covenant = "an agreement"
in law, "a contract drawn up by deed" (Bing)Ok, so we are to understand that God has a special agreement or contract with the Jewish people (as opposed to non-Jews, or gentiles). Is this correct?
“This idea is a recurring theme in Jewish liturgy and is expressed in many passages of Scripture.”
Britannica.com (“Chosen People”)
Hebrew Scripture = "Tanakh," "collection of writings that was first compiled as the sacred books of the Jewish people..."
Ok, so what about the slaughter of the “Canaanites” (recorded in the “book” of Joshua)? Isn’t that genocide?
Honestly, it has been very difficult to find an orthodox Jewish perspective on these concerns. Most (including a compilation by J.H. Hertz, a 20th century British Rabbi and biblical scholar) seem to skirt around the issue.
I found one site, though, that took a head-on point-of-view: “The commandments of the Torah…
Torah = "the first five books of the Hebrew Bible..." (Britannica.com)
…concerning the conquest of the land of Canaan by the Hebrews who had come out of Egypt are particularly violent and shocking to people today. Taken literally, they call for the total extermination of the native tribes of the land, as is shown in (Deuteronomy 7:2)… Later, a long passage from the Book of Joshua relates the meticulous and systematic implementation of this extermination (Joshua 10:28-30).”
“The reason, for such intransigence,” they say, “is quite clear (referring to Exodus 23:32-33)… As strange as it may seem today, idolatry is described as being the object of great temptation… The fear, furthermore, that the will towards idolatry is infectious is such that it leaves room for neither tolerance nor compromise, almost as though Hebrew civilisation itself were at risk.”
Going on, they say: “As difficult as it is for us to accept that entire peoples were slated for massacre at the order of God, it is not necessary that the animosity reflected in such orders be seen as fundamentally racist because the same set of values is applied to the Israelites themselves after leaving Egypt. After the incident with the Golden Calf, for example, God undertakes to annihilate the Hebrew nation as well. Indeed, had Moses’ intercession not have been successful, the people’s punishment would surely not have been diluted through half-measures and passing time (Exodus 32:14, 33-35). Similarly, a divine plague killed 24,000 people in the wake of the Baal Peor apostasy—so one can hardly argue that it is only alien nations that risk annihilation when they behave contrary to the will of the divine! In that case, had it not been for the intercession of Pinchas, the number of dead would surely have been even higher (cf. Numbers 28:5-11). Eventually, this severe stance towards idolatry finds its natural conclusion in the lesson of Scripture according to which a city in Israel that gives itself totally over to idolatry is to be totally annihilated and its inhabitants executed en masse (cf. Deuteronomy 13:13-19).”
In other words, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures seems to present a covenant to His “chosen people” that includes blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-69).
So that might explain our 3rd question: What about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the holocaust associated with the Nazis during World War II ?
I am guessing, then, that those first 14 verses containing the “blessings” must be pretty great, considering the 54 (!) verses of “curses.” Let’s take a look.
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The LORD will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee; they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD will command the blessing with thee in thy barns, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto; and He will bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD will establish thee for a holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in His ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the LORD is called upon thee; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD will make thee over-abundant for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 The LORD will open unto thee His good treasure the heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them; 14 and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
If we consider our 2nd question: “What about supposed miracles, such as crossing the Red Sea and the destruction of the wall of Jericho?” I am guessing that, included in the blessings, are also supernatural acts of God, described as signs.
This view is supported by a TV show, currently on Amazon Prime, called “Against All Odds.”
But what about the epistemological, ontological, and cosmological positions of the Hebrew Scriptures?
Let’s start here:
“…The Hebrew Bible is not an essay in epistemology, yet its discourse does contain assumptions about the nature of knowledge, belief, truth, interpretation, understanding and cognitive processes.”
WRS Journal
proposition = "a...point of view or statement that is presented for discussion. This may be in the form of a direct statement, or indirectly underpins the statement in question." (University of Bradford, U.K.)
assumption = "a point of view that is taken for granted without the need for evidence, or even discussion of the issue." (Univ. of Bradford)“Historically, of course, Judaism presented itself as a possessor of the truth revealed to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai and preserved for posterity in torat emet, the Torah of truth.”
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
So, that seems clear. That proposition (we’ll refer to it as proposition #1)–the claim that is being made–that the Hebrew Bible is a collection of the “words” of a living God–is assumed, and is for us to believe or not.
What about ontology?
ontology = "the philosophical study of being in general, or of what applies neutrally to everything that is real." (Britannica.com)
What do the Hebrew Scripture say is real?
Well, to begin with, this is not a look at Hebrew theology.
theology = "the study of the nature of God and religious belief." (Bing) theology = "religious beliefs and theory when systematically developed." (Bing)
Actually, I think the word–“theology”– is from the Greek, meaning the study of God. Bible.org says this: “Webster’s dictionary defines theology as ‘The science of God or of religion; the science which treats of the existence, character, and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice. . . ‘” But that is not our purpose. All we are trying to establish is, What do the Hebrew Scriptures say is real?
After much research, I found:
“In rejecting pantheism Judaism embraced the distinction between the creator god and the created world. This reveals itself in the normal biblical language about heaven and earth: heaven is created by the one creator in order to be the location of himself and his entourage, whereas earth is where humans live.”
N.T. Wright
So the Hebrew Bible proposes a dualistic ontology. (proposition #2)
dualism = "the division of something conceptually into two opposed or contrasted aspects, or the state of being so divided." (Bing)
The Hebrew Bible speaks of angels. (proposition #3)
” Praise ye Him, all His angels; praise ye Him, all His hosts “
Psalm 148:2
מֲלְאָךְ mălʼâk = " meaning to despatch as a deputy; messenger (especially of God)..."
“Bless the LORD, ye angels of His, ye mighty in strength, that fulfil His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word. “
Psalm 103:20
“For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. “
Psalm 91:1
“In one form or another, the belief in angels appears in the earliest stages of Jewish history, and continues to live in the spiritual world of the Jews…”
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Hebrew Bible speaks of demons. (proposition #4)
“And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the satyrs, after whom they go astray. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. “
Leviticus 17:7
שָׂעִיר sâʻîyr = "resembling a 'he-goat'"
“They sacrificed unto demons, no-gods, gods that they knew not, new gods that came up of late, which your fathers dreaded not.”
Deuteronomy 32:17
שֵׁד shêd = "shade... a dæmon (as malignant):—devil"
According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, “The demons mentioned in the Bible are of two classes, the se’irim and the shedim. The se’irim (‘hairy beings’), to which the Israelites sacrificed in the open fields (Lev. xvii. 7; ‘devils’), are satyr-like demons, described as dancing in the wilderness…and are identical with the jinn of the Arabian woods and deserts… To the same class belongs Azazel, the goat-like demon of the wilderness (Lev. xvi. 10 et seq.), probably the chief of the se’irim, and Lilith (Isa. xxxiv. 14).”
The Hebrew Bible describes an unseen place (a nether-world), similar to the ancient Greek Tartarus or Hades. (proposition #5)
“Oh that Thou wouldest hide me in the nether-world, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!–
Job 14:13
And there seems to be some suggestion of an afterlife in the Hebrew Scriptures.
“For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy godly one to see the pit. “
Psalm 16:10
But this idea seems to have been discarded by modern Jews.
However, one idea promulgated by the Book of Daniel (for one) is that of a Maschiach (or Messiah). (proposition #6)
” Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place. Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times. And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and upon the wing of detestable things shall be that which causeth appalment; and that until the extermination wholly determined be poured out upon that which causeth appalment.”
Daniel 9:24-27
Mashiach = "literally means 'the anointed one,' and refers to the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil when they took the throne. The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the End of Days." (Judaism 101)
Conclusion
Our efforts, for the past several months, have been to find an epistemological system that we can believe. Can you believe the Hebrew Scriptures, the Tanakh? It seems that many Jews do not.
“(There is in Jewish thought an) ‘assertion . . . that side by side with a written code there exists a living tradition with power to interpret the written code, to add to it, and even at times to modify it or ignore it as might be needful in a changed circumstance, and to do this authoritatively…'”
English rabbinical scholar Herbert Danby
To be fair, an organization called the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has a website called IJS (Israel & Judaism Studies), which says that there are “three major variants or streams of Judaism… Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism (often called ‘Liberal’ or ‘Progressive’)…”
It goes on: “The Orthodox view is that the Biblical law may be developed and interpreted only by processes of reasoning which maintain respect for its Divine origin…”
“(Conservative Judaism’s) study of the holy texts,” it continues, “is embedded in the belief that Judaism is constantly evolving to meet the contemporary needs of the Jewish people.”
And it also says: “A new element entered the Jewish world in the early nineteenth century, a movement which is variously described as Progressive, Reform or Liberal Judaism…(which) originated with the emancipation of the Jews of the various German states…(who) sought full acceptance in the German cultural milieu to which they had finally been admitted. Many were influenced by the philosophy of the eighteenth century Enlightenment.
“…By the late 19th Century the ‘Science of Judaism’ reflected the developing understanding of evolution, history and biblical scholarship…”
So here we end our study of Judaism, with cosmology. The Hebrew Bible says:
” In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1
The problem, though, is that many Jews no longer believe it.
As an illustration of this, I discovered a white paper called, Judaism and Cosmology by Joel Primack (Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA).
“My Judaism-and-science thinking is mainly on the implications for us Jews of the new picture of the universe that modern cosmology is giving us. I’m a theoretical physicist. In the early part of my career, my research helped to create what is now called the Standard Model of particle physics. After that, cosmology became my main research interest. The Cold Dark Matter theory that I developed with my colleagues starting in the early 1980s has now become the standard theory of the composition and structure of the universe. Since the early 1990s evidence has been accumulating of the success of this theory, which has led to our first scientific understanding of the evolution of the universe starting just fractions of a second after the Big Bang. Thus we cosmologists are beginning to be able to answer God’s challenge in Job: ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?’ We are now able, in our scientific imaginations, to see in considerable detail how the universe and the earth were created. Our growing ability to understand the history of the universe in turn encouraged my wife Nancy Ellen Abrams and me to think about the possible larger cultural and religious implications… The new cosmology explains for the first time the evolution of the material content and structure of the universe, including the origin of galaxies and planetary systems. Especially for us Jews, whose greatest religious text begins with two creation stories and whose liturgy routinely praises God as the creator of the universe, a new picture of the origin and structure of the universe must have religious implications. In addressing this question… Nancy and I have emphasized the surprising ways that human beings (and any other intelligent creatures that may inhabit our universe) are central or special from a cosmic perspective… We also live at a pivotal time for humanity, the end of the brief period of exponential expansion in our numbers and in our technological impacts on the earth. The new cosmology thus gives us humans a new perspective on how we fit into the universe.”
Judaism and Cosmology
One last question:
For this? For this you were chosen?
