Comments on: Think You Know Everything About Judaism? Think Again! http://jpsblog.org/blog/2010/01/11/think-you-know-everything-about-judaism-think-again/ Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:31:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michael Makovi http://jpsblog.org/blog/2010/01/11/think-you-know-everything-about-judaism-think-again/#comment-3319 Michael Makovi Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:40:55 +0000 http://jpsblog.org/?p=1796#comment-3319 Now, I'll say that I am quite offended by the appeal to Spanish Judaism made by some Reform and <i>haskalah</i> thinkers. No matter how cosmopolitan the Spanish Jews were, no matter how tolerant or open-minded or easygoing they were, they were still observant Torah-abiding Jews, and nothing in their lives grants precedent or licence to those who wish to lighten the onerous burden of <i>halakhah</i>. If you wish to carve the ponderous Tablets of the Ten Commandments into a nice dainty little decoration for your saloon or parlor, look elsewhere for your carving tools. But for those who wish to make profitable use of Spanish Judaism in the cause of reforming Torah-true halakhic Judaism today, cf. an essay I wrote, <a href="www.scribd.com/doc/24089696/On-the-Turn-to-the-Right-in-Modern-Orthodoxy-And-Some-Possibilities-for-Its-Solution-Michael-Makovi" rel="nofollow">On the Turn to the Right in Modern Orthodoxy and Some Possibilities for Its Solution</a>. Now, I’ll say that I am quite offended by the appeal to Spanish Judaism made by some Reform and haskalah thinkers. No matter how cosmopolitan the Spanish Jews were, no matter how tolerant or open-minded or easygoing they were, they were still observant Torah-abiding Jews, and nothing in their lives grants precedent or licence to those who wish to lighten the onerous burden of halakhah. If you wish to carve the ponderous Tablets of the Ten Commandments into a nice dainty little decoration for your saloon or parlor, look elsewhere for your carving tools.

But for those who wish to make profitable use of Spanish Judaism in the cause of reforming Torah-true halakhic Judaism today, cf. an essay I wrote, On the Turn to the Right in Modern Orthodoxy and Some Possibilities for Its Solution.

]]> By: Michael Makovi http://jpsblog.org/blog/2010/01/11/think-you-know-everything-about-judaism-think-again/#comment-3318 Michael Makovi Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:27:51 +0000 http://jpsblog.org/?p=1796#comment-3318 For those interested in knowing intellectual history of the Sephardim, I recommend anything by Rabbi Marc Angel. The wonderful thing about his books is that they focus on the history of ideas rather than events. Obviously, historical events are described, but only insofar as is necessary to put the ideas into context. And let's face it: if you want Jews to know more about the Sephardim, it's more important to know what they believed, said, and dreamed than to know precisely how the Ottomans established a chief rabbinate and a chief Greek Orthodox/Byzantine patriarchate (for that, see Avigdor Levy). Some of his books which I most highly recommend: * <i>Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of the Jews of the Ottoman Empire</i> * <i>Rhythms of Jewish Living: A Sephardic Approach</i> * <i>Voices in Exile: A Study in Sephardic Intellectual History</i> * <i>Loving Truth and Peace: The Grand Religious Worldview of Rabbi Benzion Uziel</i> * <i>Rabbi Haim David Halevi: Gentle Scholar, Courageous Thinker</i> For those interested in knowing intellectual history of the Sephardim, I recommend anything by Rabbi Marc Angel. The wonderful thing about his books is that they focus on the history of ideas rather than events. Obviously, historical events are described, but only insofar as is necessary to put the ideas into context.

And let’s face it: if you want Jews to know more about the Sephardim, it’s more important to know what they believed, said, and dreamed than to know precisely how the Ottomans established a chief rabbinate and a chief Greek Orthodox/Byzantine patriarchate (for that, see Avigdor Levy).

Some of his books which I most highly recommend:
* Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of the Jews of the Ottoman Empire
* Rhythms of Jewish Living: A Sephardic Approach
* Voices in Exile: A Study in Sephardic Intellectual History
* Loving Truth and Peace: The Grand Religious Worldview of Rabbi Benzion Uziel
* Rabbi Haim David Halevi: Gentle Scholar, Courageous Thinker

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