A light in the darkness
I am HaShem; I have called you with righteousness; I will strengthen your hand; I will protect you; I will set you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6)
We as Jews are commanded to be a “light unto the nations” (לאור גוים). As such, it is our obligation to bring Torah and the truth of G-d to the world through our actions, behaviors, and teachings. Part of this process is teaching the world about the Sheva Mitzvot (seven mitzvot of the nations). This process also means teaching those interested, about Judaism.
I found this organization, Be’chol Lashon (In Every Tongue) whose mission is to “[grow and strengthen] the Jewish people through ethnic, cultural, and racial inclusiveness. We advocate for the diversity that has characterized the Jewish people throughout history, and through contemporary forces including intermarriage, conversion and adoption. We foster an expanding Jewish community that embraces its differences.” I find the notion of inclusiveness within the Jewish world to be an appealing idea whose time has come. While I do not advocate for a ready-made conversion process or the weakening of halachah, I do feel that Judaism must become a player on the religious game field.
We, as Jews by Choice and Baal Teshuvot, understand that there are many spiritual seekers out in the world. Islam and Christianity (especially Evangelicals) are winning over many people who are seeking a connection to G-d. We - as a light unto the nations - must be willing to inform these seekers about their options to embrace being a Noahide or converting to Judaism. This is especially important for the non-Jewish spouses of the inter-married couples and for those who are connected in some way, shape, or form to Judaism. Judaism has not been a proseletyzing religion for many years (for some very obvious reasons) but it may be time to help those who seek connections with G-d and who want more meaningful lives.
What do you think? Should Judaism be more open to honest, seeking individuals?
Great post on which I do want to share some thoughts. Unfortunately I don’t have the time just now but I will try to get here later on today. In the meantime I wanted post the correct link to the Be’chol Lashon site, as the one in your post seems to be broken.
http://bechollashon.org
Be back later!
I completely agree. The main argument anymore that I have found from Orthodox circles about inclusion of Reform and Conservative Jews is the concern of marrying only halachic Jews according to Orthodox halacha. Fine. We all know that even within Orthodox circles there will always be the NOKD standard (not our kind, dear!) - people who aren’t “shomer” enough whether in their Shabbos observance or kashrut observance or whatever. So what’s the difference? The fact is klal yisroel would be fortified by being more inclusive and proactive in seeking to welcome the convert. Instead of making it an exclusive club that no one is worthy enough to join short of a very specific pedigree - the time, I feel, has come to make it a club that welcomes and embraces. I honestly feel people would be more open to being shomer Shabbos if it weren’t always portrayed as something that is so impossible we don’t think you’re worthy of it.
You asked:
What do you think? Should Judaism be more open to honest, seeking individuals?
My short answer is. Open yes! Proselytizing no!
Now here is my long answer.
Probably the thing that bugs me the most about monotheistic/Abrahamic traditions including Christianity (with all of its various manifestations,) Islam and the Baha’i Faith is their emphasis on spreading the “truth” and their active solicitation of converts. I take pride in the fact that Judaism is known as a non-proselytizing faith and in fact that’s probably one of the main reasons why I became part of the tribe. I don’t believe in proprietary visions of religious truth and I guess when it boils down to it I just don’t believe in the exclusivity claims made by any one religious group.
That’s not to say that I’m a complete relativist because I don’t think everything goes, but I do believe that G-D speaks to different peoples in different ways. As far as the Noachide laws go I’m not sure how important it is to be pushing them as an overt spiritual path. If anything I think Jews should be creating opportunities and an environment where other faiths and ethical systems can tap into their wisdom in order to enrich and enhance their own faith communities. I don’t know why but there’s something that just seems off to me about promoting these seven laws as the way for non-Jews to be spiritual. I guess I just have more faith in the idea that G-D is indeed working through other traditions and cultures and that they don’t really need us, to be providing them with the “truth”.
Obviously it’s something different if people are seeking out and asking to come into the fold or learn more about us. With regard to this I think it’s important to be open but cautious.
Anyhow those are some of my thoughts on the subject.
TG, Baha’is actively teach their Faith. (The majority of Baha’is in the world were not born into the Baha’i Faith.) But Baha’is also reject the notion of religious exclusivity.
Hi George, thanks for stopping by.
I agree that the Baha’i are non-exclusive in the technical sense of things. However, I (yes with my own ears) have heard on numerous occasions adherents to the Baha’i faith engage in teaching on the topic of Progressive revelation in a way that infantilizes other traditions. The most common way I have seen this happen, is when Baha’is Compare themselves to other religions by saying things like. Judaism is grade one, Christianity is grade two, Islam is grade three and the Baha’i faith is grade four. Then stating things like grades one, two and three are great when you are a certain age but once you are older and have gone through them, it’s time for grade four (which would be the Baha’i faith).
Ultimately, I guess I’m just not sure how well Baha’i non-exclusivity claims line up to things like your “Entry by Troops” but hey that’s me. You Say that Baha’is Teach their Faith (no offense intended intended here) but I call pioneering evangelizing not teaching. To me teaching is welcoming the interested stranger who shows up on your door. What Baha’is do is actively recruit from other faiths, through an assortment of tactics, including religious revisionism. What can I say I’m just not fan of that sort of stuff.
I also agree that openness and a welcoming attitude to sincere potential converts is a must, and very much like what I read on Be’chol Lashon’s mission statement.
But I would go a little further than Avi for a couple of reasons.
1) Proselytizing is annoying when carried out in an aggressive, patronizing way to people who have expressed no interest in your religion. But when someone proposes to marry into your religion, to encourage conversion is perfectly acceptable. Other religions do it, and for good reason. The strength of a marriage depends a lot on common goals, and if a couple are at odds religiously, especially when children come into the picture, it can be very complicated if the two have different religious agendas. (Ask me; I know all about this.)
2) To encourage conversion for spouses of different faiths, or for adopted children, is essential to the strength of the Jewish people. I won’t harp incessantly on the statistics, to which I linked in my previous post about population and the Jews, but families where Jews have married out show very poor retention numbers in subsequent generations. Obviously, someone who is eager to exit Judaism and chooses to marry a non-Jew to facilitate this is free to do so. But a committed Jew who falls in love with a non-Jew and thinks love will conquer all is perhaps not seeing the whole picture.
3) To believe that Judaism is true is not ethnocentric, racist, hateful, or bad. If it were, most adherents to religions could be called all those nasty names. To believe it’s true is just that: to believe it’s true. We converts to Judaism especially should not feel bashful about believing Judaism is true; most of us have seen something else up close and personal, and abandoned it. To embrace what you believe is true is not to suggest that everything else is lies. Unless you believe it is.
The Noahide laws are not meant to dictate “spirituality” to anyone. In fact, if you read them, they’re far from spiritual. They’re an outline for a just society with no whistles or bells attached. They advocate a general reverence for God and life (human and animal) on earth. What’s pushy about that, unless you’re a notorious fornicator, enjoy hacking limbs off live animals to gnaw on, or live a life of piracy, murder, and mayhem? Most people fall under the Noahide-observant category without even meaning to. And some Bnei Noach have actually banded together and appeared before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem (yes, there is one, and it’s headed by Talmud giant R’ Adin Steinsaltz) to ask for recognition.
I think it’s laudable that Jews don’t actively pester everyone else to do what they do. Judaism is here to be examined, questioned, explored and, if it’s right, embraced. Etz chaim hi l’machazikim bah–it’s a tree of life for those who hold fast to it. To those just looking for a piece of fruit to pick up and munch on (the Madonnas and Michael Jacksons of the world), I’m not sure what it is. Avi writes, “If anything I think Jews should be creating opportunities and an environment where other faiths and ethical systems can tap into their wisdom in order to enrich and enhance their own faith communities.” Whose wisdom? I don’t know what this means. Is Judaism the bay leaf to throw into some non-Jew’s spiritual jambalaya? I’m sure I’m missing something here.
Anyway, thanks for the post, rachel-esther. It’s very thought- and discussion-provoking.
Shim wrote:
The Noahide laws are not meant to dictate “spirituality” to anyone. In fact, if you read them, they’re far from spiritual. They’re an outline for a just society with no whistles or bells attached. They advocate a general reverence for God and life (human and animal) on earth. What’s pushy about that, unless you’re a notorious fornicator, enjoy hacking limbs off live animals to gnaw on, or live a life of piracy, murder, and mayhem?
All true on paper. However it does get pushed and promoted as some form of “spirituality/Religion. I know you know this because you eluded to it in your comment.
You can see what I am referring to here, here and here. All of these example seem to paint the Noahide Laws in a more of a spiritual adherence kind of context, as opposed to one of simple ethics. I look at these Noahide movements and I see borderline proselytizing. I am sure this isn’t reflective of your view of the subject or even your Rav’s take but it’s the kind of thing, I was referring to in my above comment.
What can I say other than basically I am with Mobius of Jewschool fame on this one, when he writes the following. You can see the original here. I believe his comment is about 12 down.
Eric: “It’s totally false to claim that the Alenu is calling for the conversion of non-Jews to Judaism.”
So calling for everyone to submit to righteous gentilehood (ie., the Noahide laws which stipulate that one must acknowledge that the G-d of Israel is the one true god) — that isn’t praying for humanity’s conversion to Jewish belief?
Being a goy through the proscriptions of Torah is still being converted to Jewish belief.
Ok I know that the comment was made regarding a different topic but it still hits the nail on the head in terms of my own point here.
Bottom line is that I’m just not a fan of such initiatives and that is what I stated in my comments. Having said that people are free to peruse whatever fulfils them as long as they aren’t hurting others. It’s just not my thing.
Shim also wrote:
Avi writes, “If anything I think Jews should be creating opportunities and an environment where other faiths and ethical systems can tap into their wisdom in order to enrich and enhance their own faith communities.” Whose wisdom?
Whoever’s approach to Judaism seems wise and applicable to them and their lives. It’s not for me to say.
Lastly shim wrote:
I don’t know what this means. Is Judaism the bay leaf to throw into some non-Jew’s spiritual jambalaya? I’m sure I’m missing something here.
In short yes and no! In some ways Judaism is a Bay leaf! If they aren’t Jew’s and they don’t want to become Jews, then I don’t see anything wrong with using a bay leaf in their stew. Does some of it rub me the wrong way YES! For example “Christian Messianic Jew” types who are using Jewish rituals in their religious ceremonies, does indeed drive me nuts. However if the Dalai Lama wants to meet with Jews and seek their wisdom regarding how to maintain religious and cultural identity in exile, then I say go for it and if the Dalai Lama can impart a little knowledge of Chenrezig style loving compassion on the Jews, then all the better. Also as far as those Christian Messianic’s go, ultimately they can do whatever they want as longs as its in their own churches and/or home and don’t try to push it on me.
I am fairly certain you aren’t going to agree with me but hey, you asked!
Oh and incidentally the bay leaf thing goes both ways. Jews have done some cooking with ingredients from their neighbors as well. For example I’ am told that the Chasidim have at times cooked with a little Sufi Oregano and Ginger. Also I am sure that you are aware that Maimonides was influenced by Neo-Platonism, which is considered to be a school of religious and mystical philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, founded by Plotinus and based on the teachings of Plato. I could be wrong but I don’t think either Plotinus or Plato where at Sinai.
So basically what I am saying and suggesting here is that, Judaism should be and in fact is open to sharing its wisdom with the wider world, much in the same way that Neo-Platonism was available to the Rambam . Or said another way. I am more into the idea of being open to inquiry from outsiders (with no strings attached) than I’m into the Noahide movement stuff. Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting you need to be like me. I was really just trying to answer the question posed by R-E’s in this post.