iBelieve: Thoughts on Jewish Topics III

*Long post….
I am writing an update to my original post iBelieve: Thoughts of Jewish Topics II after doing a lot of soul-searching and searching the Torah and Tanakh. Again, this is not meant to be a definitive statement on my beliefs/thoughts about these topics. This is simply meant to be a very shallow look into my ongoing religious-belief process.

Torah

I believe that the Torah is a written response to the interaction between God and the Hebrews. According to Professor Eisen in Conservative Judaism: Today and Tomorrow, study is regarded as “the love letters to God sent in response from the Jewish people.”

I am still ambivalent about whether the Torah is the literal word of God or if it is God’s words filtered through man (Moses) or if it is just man’s record of interacting with God. While I would very much like to believe that the Torah is the literal word of God, I have a lot of questions and problems with just blindly believing this.

I in no way believe that the Torah was purposefully corrupted – all ancient texts have been changed, not just the Torah. I believe that we must use the Masoretic text as the “official” text of Judaism, but we must also realize that there are some holes and some differences with the original Torah given to Moses.

Torah, for me, is a record of the Jewish people’s understanding of and interaction with God. I am re-committing myself to Torah study and the wrestling with God and Torah that it requires. I hope for deeper and more profound insights into Torah and God as I improve my knowledge and my understanding of Torah.

Halakha

I believe that the mitzvot of the Torah are indeed binding, but I also believe that the interpretation of these mitzvot do (and must) change. God gave us all brains and common sense so as our understanding of the Torah and the world in which it was written grows, we must readjust our interpretations.

Halakha (rabbinic law) is not binding upon any Jew. Halakha is the human interpretation of Torah mitzvot. I do not believe that an “Oral Law” was given to Moses at Mount Sinai. Yes, there were oral instructions that were later written down, but these are not an “Oral Law.” Also, there were oral instructions – such as how to make the Tabernacle – that were not written down. These oral instructions were for a specific task at a specific time and are therefore also not part of an “Oral Law.”

The Mishnah – which is really what the term “Oral Law” refers to – is the human interpretation of the Torah mitzvot. The Mishnah may or may not be the rulings of the Sanhedrin (the court that developed out of the elders from Moses’ time) and therefore may or may not be binding.

The Gemara (commentaries on the Mishnah) is absolutely not binding upon any Jew. These commentaries are simply human interpretations from men who were not part of the Sanhedrin and, for the most part, did not even live in the Land of Israel.

The Torah is the word of God (however we interpret that) so it is forever unchanging. However, the interpretation of Torah is an ongoing process. The interpretations of the great sages are still valuable, but they are not meant to be the end-all and be-all of interpretations. The past gets a vote but not a veto is a succinct way of putting this into everyday terms.

Every movement within Judaism – both Rabbinic and Karaite – have some type of “oral tradition.” We Jews are not just a part of a religion but also a part of a community. Whatever community I find myself in will help to determine what “oral tradition” I will follow. However, I believe that in my personal journey, I can use my intelligence and my search for truth to guide me toward the traditions that will help me to fulfill my obligations according to Torah.

Divorce

A man takes a wife and possesses her. She fails to please him because he finds something obnoxious about her, and he writes her a bill of divorcement, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house… (Deuteronomy 24:1)1

If a man for whatever reason he chooses decides to divorce his wife, he must give her a divorce document (get). The Talmud and other rabbinic writings have written extensive halakha regarding how the get must be written and how it must be given to the wife. If the man refuses to give his wife a get the wife becomes an agunah – a chained woman.

According to Karaites either the man or woman can go to the beit din (Jewish court) and request a divorce. Also, if a man refuses to give a woman a get the beit din can give the woman the get and release her from the marriage. This is how I believe a Jewish divorce should occur. Women should not be subjected to a man’s whims (nor should their children). Divorce should be rare but if necessary either party should be able to sue for divorce before a beit din.

I believe that according to the Torah, a civil divorce document is completely acceptable and should be considered a fulfillment of the Torah mitzvah. However, I also believe that as a Jew I must also be sensitive to the Jewish community. Even though a civil divorce is completely acceptable according to Torah I also believe that, for the sake of peace within the Jewish world, a get should also be obtained.

Conversion

While conversion is not spoken of – at least not directly – in the Torah or Tanakh it was always an option for the non-Jew.

I believe just as some within the Karaite world believe, based on Exodus 12:48-49, that all one needs to do to convert to Judaism is:2,3

  • Believe in the Eternal One as the only God and renounce all others.
  • Believe in the Tanakh as the words of the Eternal One and the only religious authority – renounce all other writings, doctrines, and creeds as words of men.
  • Study and keep the Tanakh while striving to interpret the Tanakh according to its peshat (plain) meaning.
  • All males must be circumcised.
  • All converts must purify themselves and their homes.
  • A period of learning must take place.
  • Conversion candidates must refrain from celebrating Passover until their conversion is complete.
  • Upon finalizing the conversion, the candidate must make a public declaration of his/her intent to convert and leave all other faith systems.

However, since I am also part of the wider Jewish community, I think that there, out of necessity, must be a longer and more formal process of conversion. I do not believe that one must take a year in order to convert but I also think this should be up to the rabbi and the individual.

According to Rabbinic Judaism conversion includes three things:

  • Circumcision for the male.
  • Ablution (immersion) for both male and female.
  • Proper witnesses as to the conversion.4

Rambam (Maimonides) also speak of these requirements and adds more specifics to them in his Mishneh Torah (M.T. Issurei Biah 14:1-6):

  • Make sure the person has no ulterior motives.
  • Remind the person that the Jews are persecuted.
  • Tell the person the fundamentals of the faith.
  • Teach the person some of the easy mitzvot and some of the more difficult mitzvot.
  • Teach the person the curses and blessings of following the mitzvot.
  • The male must be circumcised.
  • The male and female must immerse before a Beit Din.5

I see absolutely no problem with either the view of the Talmud or Rambam. This doesn’t mean that the process needs to take an excessive amount of time or money. I also believe that we as Jews must be very open to potential converts and not push non-Jews into the man-made “Noahide Laws.”

We as Jews are commanded to be a “light unto the Nations” and as such we must be actively teaching Torah. We as Jews must be open and welcoming toward those interested in Judaism. We as Jews must actively seek out those who are interested in conversion. I believe that we as Jews should not be shy about spreading Torah to the Nations. I am absolutely for spreading the knowledge of Torah and the beauty and truth of Judaism. I am pro-proselytizing just as our forefathers were in times past. We need to welcome non-Jews into the fold and making sure that those interested in conversion are given the option without undue burdens of time and/or money.

Non-Jews

I reject the idea of the man-made “Noahide Laws.” However, I do completely accept the idea of the Ger. Ger is often translated as “convert” but the vast majority of the term Ger (according to the peshat meaning), in the Torah and Tanakh point not to a convert but to a non-Jew. Most of these passages refer to non-Jews who cling to the Israelites and follow the God of Israel. The term Ger really means stranger or sojourner. Remember that once a person converts, he or she is fully a Jew with all the rights and responsibilities of a Jew.

I realize that, in reality, this is a matter of semantics, but I prefer to use the Torah/Tanakh term “Ger” rather than the man-made term of “Noahide.” I believe in the Ger but not the term – or restrictions applied to – Noahide. Yes, there must be restrictions in order to keep the Ger from becoming too strict and potentially falling away from God, Torah, and the Jewish people. There are also certain mitzvot that are strictly for the Jewish people (such as Tefillin). However, I believe that the Ger can follow the Torah and perform most of the mitzvot contained therein. I believe that we Jews have a command (a mitzvah) to spread the light of Torah to the world which also includes bringing more non-Jews under the umbrella of the Ger.

What does it all mean?

I started my process toward becoming a Jew in the Reform Movement. I ended up converting under the Conservative Movement after two years of study. After a few years I came to realize that the “Oral Law” was in fact not divine. It was not given to Moses at Sinai alongside the Written Torah. In all honesty, this broke my heart and my will to follow Rabbinic law. Thus, I began my search anew within Judaism.

I do not want to just attach myself to the Karaite Movement simply because the Karaites reject the idea of an “Oral Law.” This is not right or fair to me or the Karaites.

I reject Orthodoxy for a multitude of reasons but the beliefs I would accept in Orthodox Judaism are beliefs that I can find across all the non-Orthodox Movements.

As far as the Reform Movement, I am frustrated with the idea that Tikkun Olam/Social Justice seems to have taken over the Movement to the detriment of the Torah.

While I find a lot of commonality in my own beliefs and the Reconstructionist Movement, I have a problem with the Tikkun Olam/Social Justice emphasis and the lack of a personal relationship with God.

I have also thought of returning to Conservative Judaism. Most of my beliefs and actions would still fit in with the Masorti Movement but there is still the issue of the “Oral Law.” Masorti teaches that the halakha of the Rabbis is binding but this is something I completely reject. I am not sure that I would fit within the Conservative world. However, there is room for diversity within the Conservative Jewish world so it is a possibility that I will return to Conservative Judaism.

According to Professor Eisen in Conservative Judaism: Today and Tomorrow, “Our Movement maintains that the diversity of voices sounding forth from the sacred texts of our tradition, and the variety of ways Jews in the past have applied the Torah’s teachings to new circumstances, are essential to the Jewish future.”

One of the first things that drew me to Judaism was the admiration and tolerance for varying opinions (at least outside certain sects). The idea that Conservative Judaism is very open to various opinions is very appealing to me. We see the great sages of old – and the sages of today – argue over points of Torah. This is how God meant for us to interact with Torah and this is something that we must continue.

So, where does this leave me? I am a Jew without a home. The only thing I can absolutely decide is that I do not follow Orthodox Judaism and I am a mix of all the non-Orthodox Judaism. I find myself in need of a community, but I do not know where to start looking for my community. I am not sure where I belong – or if I belong – at this point. All I know is that I want to follow Torah and live as God wants me to live.

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1David Stein (ed.). JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1999.
2Nehemia Gordon. Conversion FAQ. Karaite Korner, n.d.  [http://www.karaite-korner.org/conversion_faq.htm]
3al-Qirqisani Center. An Introduction to Karaite Judaism: History, Theology, Practice, and Custom. Troy, NY: al-Qirqisani Center for the Promotion of Karaite Studies, 2003.
4Halakhah.Com. Yevamoth. Halakhah.Com, n.d. [http://halakhah.com/pdf/nashim/Yevamoth.pdf]
5Eliyahu Touger. Mishneh Torah: Issurei Biah. Chabad, n.d. [http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/960662/jewish/Issurei-Biah-Chapter-Fourteen.htm]