Q&A: Anthropocentrism in Judaism
Anthropocentrism in Judaism
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi!
Do you think that Judaism today is an anthropocentric religion?
It feels to me that today (especially in Hasidism, and maybe in other places too) they put far too much emphasis on the human being and practically worship him (all kinds of attachment to the righteous leader, etc.), and in general this whole attribution of holiness to people feels to me like it borders on idolatry. Rabbi So-and-so is holy and it’s forbidden to speak about him, etc. (True, in the Torah portion Kedoshim it says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy,” but that’s an aspiration.) Sorry if I’m driving you crazy.
I also don’t think that we are a chosen people, no matter how much the Kuzari talks about it.
Bon appétit! I’m eating.
Answer
You’re mixing up concepts. Worship of human beings is not anthropocentrism. Indeed, there is no need to attribute holiness to human beings, and certainly no one is above criticism.
Discussion on Answer
The world is for man, but man worships God; man puts God at the center of everything. That’s not anthropocentrism, it’s theocentric. Even if people praise rabbis and prostrate themselves on graves, Judaism does not put them at the center of its world. Maybe Reform Jews do, but among the Orthodox and the Conservatives it is theocentric. We worship God, try to reach Him..
Sorry I didn’t reply, I was eating. Eat, and don’t forget to count!
But how is it that Judaism, at least before the modern era (at the beginning of the period of the later authorities), is not anthropocentric? After all, they say that the world was created for man, etc. etc. Maybe I’m confused, but to me all this worship of rabbis and living by whatever comes out of their mouths borders on idolatry.