I loved this essay. It speaks to not only the foundation of Jewish values but can be applied, to some extent, to people who espouse values or ethics. Judaism demands action first, not faith. "Na'aseh v'nishma" (נעשה ונשמע)
Andres, I’m not sure that criticism is entirely fair. For most modern Jews—especially those who aren’t religious—the idea of “Jewish values” is simply a way of drawing moral lessons from the tradition and applying them to modern life. Most Jews, including many in Israel, don’t live by the full framework of mitzvot. And to be honest, many of those commandments were tied to an ancient society and don’t really translate well today—things like the Temple sacrifice system, ritual purity laws, agricultural tithes tied to the Land of Israel, or prohibitions connected to ancient civil structures. So speaking in terms of values is often just a way of keeping the ethical spirit of Judaism alive even when the original legal framework no longer fits the modern world.
Too many institutional monotheists create their Creator’s nature in their own fallible and often angry, vengeful image. Really, if the Divine is as vengefully angry, even blood-thirsty, as He is generally portrayed, is anyone — including supposed ardent followers or conservative believers — truly safe or really ‘saved’? It could be theorized He’d be especially peeved by those self-professed Godly believers that He had (likely rightfully) deemed as fake or frauds.
I loved this essay. It speaks to not only the foundation of Jewish values but can be applied, to some extent, to people who espouse values or ethics. Judaism demands action first, not faith. "Na'aseh v'nishma" (נעשה ונשמע)
This is good. Torah says “Bind Them!”
Andres, I’m not sure that criticism is entirely fair. For most modern Jews—especially those who aren’t religious—the idea of “Jewish values” is simply a way of drawing moral lessons from the tradition and applying them to modern life. Most Jews, including many in Israel, don’t live by the full framework of mitzvot. And to be honest, many of those commandments were tied to an ancient society and don’t really translate well today—things like the Temple sacrifice system, ritual purity laws, agricultural tithes tied to the Land of Israel, or prohibitions connected to ancient civil structures. So speaking in terms of values is often just a way of keeping the ethical spirit of Judaism alive even when the original legal framework no longer fits the modern world.
This is an excellent article. Thank you for sharing.
We can speak of Jewish "values" only if there are rooted in our culture which is the Torah and the Talmud.
Otherwise people are adding a Jewish label to "concepts" that do not have Jewish sources.
And this is a big issue.
For example Jewish Voice for Peace. How do you make Peace according to the Jewish texts?
Can you make peace with people who ontologically want you to disappear according to the Torah?
Similar for Jewish Justice.
What is the Talmud and the Jewish commentaries say.
That is really Jewish value.
Not biological Jew with a non Jewish mind and most of the time a total ignorance of hebrew and the source of real Jewish culture.
Too many institutional monotheists create their Creator’s nature in their own fallible and often angry, vengeful image. Really, if the Divine is as vengefully angry, even blood-thirsty, as He is generally portrayed, is anyone — including supposed ardent followers or conservative believers — truly safe or really ‘saved’? It could be theorized He’d be especially peeved by those self-professed Godly believers that He had (likely rightfully) deemed as fake or frauds.