Judaism is the anti-Woke.

If you can root yourself in reality — and that is what Judaism does — you are inoculated against dangerous ideologies such as “Woke.”

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This is a guest essay written by Gil Shalev who writes the newsletter, “Holyland Dispatch.”

You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.

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“Woke” culture is based on a few elements, ridiculous as they may be (and they are): the presumption that the world should be viewed through the lens of “oppressor versus oppressed” — as well as identity politics and a divorce from the concept of truth.

I believe that Judaism, through its teachings, practices, and cultural heritage, inherently offers resistance or an alternative to certain aspects of this cultural phenomenon.

Judaism, in its entirety, survived over millennia, and not for nothing. The Jews were exiled from their land, spread all over the populated world, persecuted, and murdered.

Yet, as I write these words, I live in Israel, practicing Judaism to the best of my ability and commitment. Judaism wasn’t only under threat of the Inquisition or the sword of Islam. It was also under grave threats from false prophets, which brought it close the brink.

Jews lived in Muslim and Christian countries, in Europe and Arabia; still we say the same prayers and celebrate the same holidays the same way our ancestors did. I believe that alone is a testimony to a cultural resilience against external pressures.

In its most basic form, Judaism is a combination of teachings on morality, ethics, and the pursuit of truth. As opposed to how some post modernistic interpreters of religion might portray it, it is not merely a culture. Our prayers, ceremonies, holidays, and practices are not just social gatherings, as fun as that aspect of it is. Judaism is a target-driven practice. The ultimate goal of the Jew is to become as similar in his character to God.

When we look at what is required from a Jew, in order to achieve his/her goal, what comes first and foremost is absolute personal responsibility and moral agency. We must — if we choose to get closer to the Lord — follow the tenets of the Torah, the mitzvot (commandments). These are a set of directions on how to behave in the world.

There’s plenty of room for community in Judaism, and in fact, building these communities was always an important part of the survival of the people through history. But as they sing in “Fiddler on the Roof,” it’s all about tradition.

Modern ideologies, with a focus on the failing ones, always put the emphasis on collectivism. Socialism, communism, and fascism always put the collective over the individual, lifting personal responsibility from the individual (though not the accountability).

Even though Jews thrive in communities, these can only succeed if each of the individuals is committed to the same set of values (which are above all). This also means that an individual can (and, according to these values, must) speak up and point at things to correct.

I always hear an alarm sound whenever a utopian idea is raised. We all know how this ends — with millions dead and millions of others suffering. That is why I feel safe and sound under the teachings of Judaism, which require one to focus on fixing himself/herself.

You might have heard the overused term tikkun olam (repairing the world) and wondered how it differs to any other utopian ideology. Well, a Jew is not looking to repair the world, rather to fix his/her personal world and his/her failings. If I witness violence, I take it as a message to work on the violence in me first.

Sure, I’ll likely speak up against it, but from a philosophical and practical religious perspective, before I do, I will look inside and see how I can change what is violent in me. This approach helps each of us avoid the honey traps of collectivism.

Our “halakha” (Jewish law) is based on a set of values from the Torah that never change. One of God’s names in Hebrew is אמת or “Truth.” Truth, by the Jewish standard, is that which never changes; something that was, is, and always will be true. So the rules driven from the Truth are permanent and never changing.

For example, we are commanded in the Ten Commandments: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This commandment covers every form of lying, including lying to yourself. It means that you cannot call yourself a woman if you are not, no matter how you “feel” about it. And you cannot expect anyone else to participate in your lie. It means that you cannot twist reality to fit your every whim.

In fact, one of the lines we recite every morning is thanking God for making us a man or a woman. Not only acknowledging our sex, but also that we have a role in the world and accepting it with gratitude.

Having said that, it is the case that “halakha” changes with the times. When it’s deemed necessary by undeniable realities, and always in accordance with the absolute truth, some of those rulings might change.

For example, electricity didn’t exist at Mount Sinai, but it does today. So halakha was updated to include how the very same absolute truth of the Torah should be interpreted to reflect this major development. It updates how a Jew should pray in Israel versus in the Diaspora, and so on. The difference between this and the “Woke” ideologies is absolute truth versus fake relative truth, relative morality, and other reality twists they preach.

I will wrap up by focusing on identity, freedom of speech, and the “oppressor versus oppressed” hogwash. One of the key elements of “Woke” ideology is, of course, identity politics. The way Judaism easily dismantles this nonsense is by understanding our true identity.

Without going into a lesson in Kabbalah (which I am not eqip to give), one of the basic understandings is that:

• I am not my body.

• I am not my social class.

• I am not my race

• I am not my sexual preference.

• I am not what manifests in my brain, when my eyes receive the reflection of light in my physical body.

• I am a receptacle, with a certain quantity and quality of Godly energy, which we call light. I am not even “here,” even if you shake my hand and feel my fingers press around yours. True me is a spiritual entity, which is a part of the same thing you are. God.

Knowing this, identity politics crumbles, like a lump of clay under an elephant’s foot.

I am free to say this, and I am free to question this. I can follow the ancient tradition of true debate, rooted in the Talmudic discussions. I can choose to resist and question dogmas, including Judaism itself, and I am not afraid to do that. That is because Judaism is rooted in reality.

When God sent Moses to take the people of Israel out of Egypt, he liberated them from slavery; however, only a short time after that, it became apparent that they’d have to make a choice. They’re going to have to choose to align their morality and ethics, with that of the Lord, and serve them (in essence, him). A person of faith views himself as God’s servant. That doesn’t sound so 2025, now does it? What kind of freedom is that?!

The truth is that whether we want to or not, we are enslaved and live our lives in service of something. The freedom that was given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai was the freedom from their earthly, materialistic, egotistical, and tyrannical masters.

As Dr. Jordan Peterson correctly says: We live our lives based on a hierarchy of values. We can place whatever we choose at the top, and it dictates what we do every day. If we put at the top of this hierarchy an upward-aiming value, and do our utmost to live by it, no one can oppress us. This is a built-in feature that the Lord himself made us with.

Victimhood became a pastime activity, especially in countries that take the best care of their people. But not only in these places. Victimhood is claimed by people who turned the aforementioned hierarchy upside down.

A group of people who put death, war, rape, kidnapping, and hatred at the top of their value hierarchy is making the loudest noise, as victims. Why? It’s very simple — reverse it! Put life, prosperity, hope, and cooperation at the top of your hierarchy of values, and it would set you free! Enslave yourselves to the God who is all good, and see how your lives improve, regardless of any manufactured enmity.

On a recent podcast, professor Gad Saad wisely answered a similar question: Why are Israelis not, generally speaking, falling for this “Woke” mind virus? He said simply because they live in a place that forces them to be connected to reality. I believe he’s absolutely correct. When you are rooted in reality, blatant lies — like the “Woke” mind virus — cannot take hold.

I’m adding to his wise answer that, regardless of where you live, if you can root yourself in reality — and that is what Judaism does — you are inoculated against dangerous ideologies such as “Woke.”

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