These things are also written based on other sources besides what was brought here. As far as I understand what Michi says about Burg, he’s right. In my view, the heart of the Burg problem is in a somewhat different place. This man presents a false picture of Judaism, in which the universalist (“humanist”) ethos is at least equal to the national particularist ethos. In fact, he also strongly hints that the “real” Judaism—the one only enlightened people like him subscribe to—leans much more to the universalist side. He brings distorted examples to illustrate this, for instance on the question of the centrality of the Land of Israel: the Torah was given outside the borders of the land, the Babylonian Talmud was written in Babylonia and not in Israel, and nonsense of that sort. As if a faithful description of Judaism’s foundational norms depends on historical factual circumstances and not on the question of what Judaism demands of a person.
In this way Burg tries to prettify the image of Judaism, and in doing so he distorts not only Judaism itself, but also undermines the ability of someone who truly believes in universalism (and not the confused version he has) to criticize Judaism. Bottom line: Burg is working against the rival ideological camp while at the same time also against “his own” camp.
And I still haven’t said a word about the man himself. And there’s plenty to say.

Very apt words. Say a few words about the man himself too..

Thanks.
Okay, here I’m talking more about my personal impression (and in my opinion that of many others as well). I mean his career in the Jewish Agency, a quintessentially Zionist body, and then the supposed turn toward fighting Zionism. Of course he’ll say it’s legitimate to change one’s position, but who really believes him?
Besides, if I remember correctly, he fought to receive compensation or a pension or I don’t remember what retroactively from that same body—supposedly after he had “changed” his position. And in my opinion there were other small incidents too that did not add credibility to the man.

One more small thing: in an interview about his petition to the High Court of Justice regarding his registration as a Jew, he insisted on telling the interviewers that “his issue is not political but philosophical.”
Yeah, right. He goes to a legal struggle in the state and throws around slogans to support the move, but it’s “not political”…
Not that there’s any problem with political steps (in my opinion there isn’t even a problem with this step). The problem is misleading people.

With God’s help, Saturday night, “and to him shall the obedience of the peoples be,” 5781

Avraham Burg is partly right. The Jewish people, as the children of the “father of a multitude of nations” (after whom he is called “Abraham” 🙂 should be “Israel, My firstborn son.” And as the firstborn son, it should be a model for its younger brothers. Therefore before the giving of the Torah it was made clear to the Jewish people that they were destined to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” one that through its faith and way of life would be a living example of a life of faith, justice, and righteousness.

But the Jewish people’s responsibility toward the other nations obligates it to guard with extra care both its independent physical existence and its spiritual character, so that it will be the nation that influences humanity through its faith and values, and not a people dragged after them in values and culture.

Therefore Jewish law established boundaries of avoiding assimilation with the nations, and hence the importance of the Nation-State Law, which declares and preserves the Jewish character of the State of Israel. Who more than Avrum Burg—whose father managed to escape Germany shortly before the Holocaust, and whose mother was a survivor of the 1929 riots—ought to know how much “we have no other land,” and therefore must preserve its Jewish character.

With blessing, Ami’oz Yaron, may his lamp shine

Levinger, you too are partly right. Every time you sign your real name correctly at the end of your words. Meanwhile my personal email keeps mourning your departure from it. It misses you.

With God’s help, 19 Tevet 5781

Unlike Judaism’s imitators, who spread their faith through war and conquest, Judaism spread its faith through wisdom and the personal example of moral conduct.

Abraham, who was a “father of a multitude of nations,” would travel from place to place and call in the name of God, and he earned honor in his foreign surroundings, which called him “You are a prince of God among us.” But Abraham himself, when God consults with him about the fate of Sodom, understands that with fewer than “ten righteous within the city,” without a “critical mass” of a congregation of worshippers of God, there is no chance of changing the negative reality. And it is on building such a congregation of worshippers of God that Isaac and Jacob focus, understanding that only when a solid community is established will it have the power to radiate outward.

Jacob embeds the vision of worldwide influence in his blessing to Judah, who is destined to lead the Jewish people: that the time will come when “Shiloh shall come, and to him shall the obedience of the peoples be,” translated in Targum Onkelos: “to him the nations will listen” (and as Radak explains, the root means “obedience and acceptance of authority”). Moses, in his blessing, designates the universal influence to Zebulun, who engages in commerce with the nations of the world, so that as a result: “they shall call peoples to the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness.”

King David, founder of the kingdom of Israel, placed strong emphasis on the universal mission. When he brought the Ark of God to his new capital, he recited before the Ark of God the psalm: “Give thanks to God, call upon His name, make His wonders known among all the peoples” (with which we open the verses of praise in the prayer service). The vision of influence upon the nations became possible in Solomon’s days, when people came from all over the world to hear his wisdom, but this golden age did not last because his kingdom split into two rival kingdoms.

The prophets developed the vision of universal influence. Isaiah and Micah foresee the end of days when the mountain of the House of God will be exalted and all the nations will stream to it in order to learn His ways; the future leader will judge among the nations and rebuke them, and then peace and unity will dwell in the world. But the Jewish people did not listen to the rebukes of the prophets. Instead of influencing with faith and moral values, it became influenced, and was punished with exile.

The exile had a corrective effect on the people and opened a process of repair. From the days of the Second Temple onward there was almost no idolatry in Israel. The center established by the Men of the Great Assembly in Jerusalem gathered around it a worldwide network of synagogues all over the world.

In every city and village throughout the world, the nations saw a strange people who ceased from labor every seventh day, gathered in a “miniature sanctuary” devoid of idols, and lived their lives according to their sacred writings, in whose reading and study each and every person took part. Many of the nations reacted with disgust and hatred, but many others, including some from the “elite,” were swept along and drew near to Judaism and even converted.

Roman historians complained about a situation in which there was no house in Rome without a Jew in it. To stop this religious and cultural tide, Hadrian decreed a ban on circumcision, a decree that led to the Bar Kokhba revolt, which was crushed brutally. Even afterward, when circumcision was again permitted to Jews, it was strictly forbidden to non-Jews, and the separation between Jews and non-Jews became absolute.

Christianity took advantage of the trend of drawing near to Judaism by offering “Judaism-lite” without commitment to commandment observance, and also a syncretistic faith that combined monotheism with idolatry: “one who is three and three who are one.” A person could do whatever he wanted and remain half-pagan, and still feel himself to be “the true Israel—spiritual Israel.” And when Christianity became the ruling religion (and later Islam became the ruling religion in the East), Judaism became a persecuted and humiliated minority.

More than fifteen hundred years would pass. The hegemony of Christianity gave way to the hegemony of secularism, which believed it would bring enlightenment and progress to the world. Until postmodernism arrived, and Western arrogance gave way to a willingness to listen also to Eastern and ancient cultures. There also arose a movement of non-Jews trying to draw near to Judaism as Noahides, and rabbis were found who rose to the challenge and were willing to engage in bringing them closer, such as Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Rabbi Steinsaltz, Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and may he live long, Rabbi Uri Sherki.

The fact that today we are in a state of independence, and that the postmodern world is also attentive to the old voices, opens a “window of opportunity” for Judaism’s return to the universal vision.

With blessing, Simcha Fish”l Plankton

It is worth noting Rabbi Eliyahu Galil’s article, “On the Way to Monotheism” (on the “Shabbat Supplement – Makor Rishon” website), in which he describes Maimonides’ vision that the Messiah will spread the faith of Judaism throughout the world by peaceful means. In my comments I brought parallels from the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook.

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the trend of drawing near to Judaism…