Q&A: Hellenization in Our Times
Hellenization in Our Times
Question
I wanted to ask the Rabbi a question about the “Hellenization” of our time.
Today we see changes in the religious public in all its varieties—Religious Zionist, traditional, lite, Haredi, and everything in between—following global “progressivism.”
On the one hand, one could say that these changes are negative changes that lead to “corruption” in society and distancing from Jewish law and commandments. Each group at its own point. (Although it would be better to specify, I’ve decided not to, because there are four different events that would need to be laid out.)
And on the other hand, I say that there are of course positive things in this too: acceptance of the other, understanding that the world is not black and white and is much more complex.
Therefore there is a need to deal with the complexities that arise, and there are many questions being asked, and I feel that we are not finding the right way to solutions and to conducting ourselves regarding them.
And in my opinion this problem stems from:
- The “instant” generation we live in, in which it is hard for us to stay occupied with one subject for more than 5 minutes. When the topic is a deep one, we want everything here and now and in no more than 2 sentences—a 20-second video that will set my life straight, solve the problem, and give me an answer.
- Our generation has difficulty being alone, being “by itself,” walking around in a forest and thinking, confronting itself with questions. And then we live mediocre lives without depth, which sometimes lead to leaving religion or abandoning various Jewish laws—such as physical contact, blessings, prayers, and even worse than that…
- From conversations with friends, I feel that today there is a serious gap between the vector of “faith” and the vector of “commitment” that people have in their relationship with God. They intersect from time to time, but at those points they usually lead דווקא to decline and not to growth. Those points lead to an inner conflict that diminishes a person.
I assume it comes across that I’m being negative. Personally, I very much believe in the Jewish people, who will know how to rise and grow out of this whole situation, but I am aware that there is a need for education and for informal conversation with people and with youth, and here too there is some problem.
To sum up the question, I would be happy to hear the Rabbi’s opinion regarding the influence of progressivism on Judaism in our generation, and whether in the Rabbi’s opinion there are solutions to these problems beyond informal conversation with the public in all its varieties—and even then, conversation that sometimes feels to me a bit too “soft and pleasant”…
Answer
I completely agree with your basic claim: that there are both positive and negative sides here. Progressivism usually takes correct ideas one step too far. The way to deal with it is not to formulate a position for or against a phenomenon, but to discuss each implication on its own merits. We should not relate to the slogans of progressivism, but rather discuss a specific claim and raise substantive arguments for and against it.
As for the three dimensions you presented, I’m not sure I agree. First of all, there are of course others as well. But this is a somewhat unnecessary discussion, and it is more a matter for sociologists. It is better to discuss the claims substantively and not the sociology of adopting or rejecting claims in a non-substantive way.
The Greeks were very conservative and thought that only the way they educated was the one possible way, and they imposed by force, or at least tried to impose, their darkness on an enlightened people. They say they appointed a minister of education named Avi Maoz.
But the kosher Jews did not surrender to the darkness, and knew that each person shall live by his faith, and that it is possible and desirable to educate toward beautiful and healthy Judaism.
In the end, the light won.