Protocols Revisited...Mind Recharged...Horizens Widened

As I mentioned in my previous posting, I'm participating in an international conference marking the centennial of the publication of the 'Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.' The conference is bein convened by the Center for Millenial Studies at Boston University and the Center for Judaic Studies at BU.

The idea for the conference was my friend's, Professor Richard Landes, who founded the Center for Millenial Studies. Richard is an extraordinarily gifted, creative and insightful scholar whose range of learning always leaves me stunned. One of the World's leading Jewish historians recently told me that Richard's scholarly corpus will set the agenda and serve as a focal point for medieval studies for the next twenty years. The great thing is that he shares his ideas and I find that I learn more and think more widely after a few days in his company than I do all year long. Talk about interdisciplinary. A case in point was his opening paper about the chronicles, in which he ranged from Plato to Yeats and was able in 30 minutes to distill the problems of language, rhetoric and politics that undergird the protocols and developed a fetching theory as to why they still exert their hold on Muslims, and on the political Right and Left.

A central point, which has been somewhat controversial but whose historical centrality I have come to appreciate is the importance of apocalyptic and millenial expectation as a motive force. It is true that this idea is much debated. However, one should bear in mind that a century ago scholars thought that Jewish mysticism was so much rubbish.

In general, the conference has brought together a very high level, creative group of scholars from all over the world. It's so refreshing to get to think out of the box, on subjects with which I don't often deal. Israel has a long way to go when it comes to inter-disciplinary work and cross-fertilization.

All in all, a good reason for leaving Israel for a week.

And the Poison Keeps on Flowing...

I had wanted to write about the upcoming Edah/Kenes Lavie Conference. Maybe on Monday...

Meanwhile, Nehemiah Strassler is the latest one to weigh in to demonize the 'settlers'. What's ironic is that I'm in the middle of preparing a paper entitled, 'The Devil's Hoofs: The Medieval Roots of the Protocols,' that I'll be delivering next Sunday at a conference at Boston University marking a century since the publication of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. And here comes Strassler and shows that the dynamic behind the Protocols is alive and well, as he blames the New Jew, the 'Settler' for all of Israel and the World's woes.

Now I remember why I decided to give up reading the newspaper on Shabbat.

Modern Orthodoxy for Whom? In Anticipation of Edah/Kenes Lavie

It's Only Jews....

Headline From Haaretz after Yom Tov:

U.S. urges Israel to ease up on Palestinians

While affirming Israel's right to self-defense, the U.S. State Department on Monday chided Israel for imposing travel restrictions in the West Bank in the wake of a terror attack that killed three Israelis. In a message also delivered privately by Lieutenant General William Ward, the U.S. security envoy in the region, the State Department said that it condemned the attacks but continued to ask the Israeli government "to take steps to ease the daily plight of the Palestinian people."

I"m speechless. At least they waited for Shiva to end. Oh, I forgot. There was no shiva.

Death at our Windows

Yesterday. three young Jews were brutally murdered for the crime of trying to get a ride home. One was recently married. One was a girl doing her national service. One was a fifteen year old boy. They were murdered by Palestinian 'militants.' They were murdered because, despite the warnings of security forces, the convenience of the Palestinian population trumps the security of Israeli Jews in every situation. You see,.there used to be soldiers at the Gush Etzion Junction. There used to be a restriction on private Palestinian cars on Rte 60. They were removed to support Abu Mazen, the commander of the group that this morning revels in its success, the Al Aksa Brigades of the Fatah. [Fatah means 'struggle' for Jihad in Arabic.]

Yesterday, the army discovered an unexploded Kassam rocket near the grave of Lilli Sharon. That's deep inside Israel. The rocket came from 'liberated' Gaza.

Yet, I am not surprised at all of this. I didn't expect anything different from the Palestinians. This is not because I demonize them. It's because I respect the fact fact that they have clear, principled ideas backed by centuries of Islamic and Arab history and tradition. For us it's a murderous, persecutory tradition. That, however, is beside the point. Long term collective memory works in allowing people to survive and thrive.

I am sick at the abject stupidity of the leadership of my country. I am sick of the ignorant panderings of the uneducated communisants (to steal phrase from Raymond Aron) of the so-called elites of my country. I am hurt and dismayed at the detached 'those poor people' attitude of too many bloggers (religious and non-religious) who live within the 1967 borders. I am no less hurt by the extremists who insist of reviving their credentials as messianic visionaries on the blood of these kids.

Tme to go out to the Sukkah and place ourselves in God's protection. (Provided, that is, that it doesn't rain.)

סליחה ומחילה

Blogging is, by definition, a somewhat 'no holds barred' enterprise. True, some people comment. Most don't. Hence, one never knows how one's readers react to what you've written.

In that light, and as the day winds down and the qedusha of Yom Kippur descends upon Eretz Yisrael, I'd like to ask forgiveness from anyone whom I've offended in any way, just as I freely forgive anyone who I feel offended me.

May HaQadosh Barukh, hu accept our prayers and seal us in the Book of Life for a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

גמר חתימה טובה לכל בית ישראל בכל מקום שהם

'To Confuse Satan"

In a sort of ironic way, this year's study of the Laws of Blowing the Shofar ended up having an oddly contemporary resonance. The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16a-16b) says that we blow the Shofar both sitting and standing (actually we always stand, but that's another discussion) in order to confuse Satan (כדי לערבב השטן). Why do that? In order to prevent him from prosecuting Israel before the Divine Tribunal on the Day of Judgement.

Now the best known explanation is provided by Tosafot (s.v. כדי, quoting the eleventh century work, the Arukh by R. Nathan of Rome). According to this, the extra Shofar blasts are meant to lure Satan into thinking that the Messiah is coming and the he's about to be put out of business (as Prosecutor and Angel of Death). This, concludes Tosafot, will prevent him from making his case against Israel. (The entire issue is discussed by B. M. Lewin in and appendix to Otzar HaGeonim on Rosh Hashanah.)

Anyway, this past Yom Tov I noticed Rashi's comment, which made me sit up with a start. Rashi (ad loc.) writes: כשישמע ישראל מחבבין את המצוות-מסתתמין דבריו. 'When he hears that Israel so love the mitzvot- his words are blocked.' No eschatology. No End of Days. Simply the power of sincere devotion to mitzvot, will stop Satan (whoever he is) in his tracks.

There is tremendous power and empowerment in modest, sincere observance of mitzvot. There are those whom it warms and alot of people whom it terrifies. It's almost Yom kippur, so suffice it to say that they know who they are. The important point, though, is that in order to have ths effect the observant community cannot, must not withdraw from the larger society. We specifically blow the second set of blasts on the Shofar so that they may be heard as widely as possible.

The most important lesson for the coming year, after the traumas of the last, is to go about our lives and our businesses, living Torah in the world. Is that a pitch for Modern Orthodoxy in Israel. Absolutely. More than that, it's a cry for keeping up the process of making Israel Jewish.

More Good News

The awarding of this year's Nobel Prize in Economics to Prof. Yisrael (Robert) Aumann is a source of great nahas to Israelis generally, and those of us of the Dati-Leumi/Modern Orthodox variety. Ben Chorin (who knows him), describes him as 'a heimishe yid originally from New York and a brother-in-law of Rav Shlesinger from Shaalvim. He is a talmid chakham who has written some very nice game-theory-related chiddushim on various sugyas..'

As to certain quarters who think that Dati'im don't contribute anything to Israel...

Good News!!!

Not an hour passed since I posted my remarks about the Lulav situation and Ma'ariv reported that the 'rabbis' (a blessing on their heads) are urging communities to but one Lulav and are considering an outright ban on extortionately priced Palm Fronds.

ברוך שכיוונתי לגדולים

Where Are You Rabban Gamliel?

In the Summer of 1974, the Rov learned Massekhet Keritot during his six week Summer shi'ur.
As my havrusa and I reached the end of the first pereq, he started getting all excited and announced (not a little sarcastically): 'This is the Jewish Studies Mishnah!' At the time I was not really into academic Jewish Studies (or the polemics it engendered, especially at YU), so I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. So, for better or for worse I put down my Brigham's Ice Cream Soda and asked him what he meant.

The cognoscenti will no doubt realize that he was referring to the Mishnah (1, 7) that describes how Rabban Gamliel managed to knock the bottom out of the price of bird-sacrifices when the price had gotten outrageous. This Mishnah has been cited (both appropriately and inappropriately) to show that Hazal were sensitive to the economic needs of the times. (IOW, he was sort of a modern day, previous Gerrer Rebbe).

Anyway, I've been thinking about this while the papers have been reporting the imminent lack of Lulavim, which may be partially alleviated as of this morning (This is thanks to our charming Egyptian friends. Why can't we grow these ourselves and the hell with El Arish?)

So what's my point? People can't afford NIS160 x child for a basic set of Arba'ah Minim (never mind the Hiddur people. Of course, I always like to quote an Essrog merchant who told me, in all candor, that 'there is no such thing as a $200 Essrog, only a $200 customer). Why haven't our feckless rabbinical leaders come out and a) announced that no one should buy more than one set per family or b) shuls should pool their resources and buy for the community (like we did in the Old Country- atopic I think I'd like to write about someday)? While I support the need of merchants to make a living, there is a certain amount of responsibility that comes with trading in ritual items. Certainly Rabban Gamliel would have been very upset to learn about the 'single importer, who has managed to corner the local market, is set to charge five times the normal wholesale price for the palm fronds used on Succot.'

Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?