Jewish 101: Ep. 03 - Our Obsession

[@xelakram]

I could listen to this gentleman speaking all day! He has such a delightful and gentle manner. Moreover, this Rabbi's words are full of wisdom and kindness. The more I listen to wonderful people like this, the more drawn I am to Judaism and the thought of conversion.

[@brianatuyaehtal]

Having Jewish roots yet raised and enculturated within Christian traditions, I have always sensed a pull towards Torah, and deep identification with Jewish ideas, vision and life. Thank you for being and for your valued contribution to my conversion process.

[@lizgichora6472]

Excellent explanation, thank you very much.

[@Iwisheyeknew]

God bless you!

[@dt6822]

Hello Rabbi. Might I make a suggestion. It is difficult for the modern audience to perceive this point as they lack perspective with respect to either morality or their own nature, so this explanation requires some context. The Ancients, notably the Bronze Age Greeks, developed an ethic toward life that more closely mirrored the masculine characteristics of the natural world, best understood in terms of arete and sophrasyne. The ancient Jews did not live in one land. They lived in two: Israel and Judea. Historical Israel of King David probably never existed. The area was mostly unpopulated. The Assyrian and Babylonian Empire, the lands of the ancient Mesopotamia, were, by the time of significant occupation of Judah, extracting suzerainty from the vassal kingdoms. This meant that some autonomy existed for the vassal states, but insofar as the commanding king permitted, and often under taxes that were difficult for states without a strong central government to implement, indirectly demanding centralization. Not quite sure why, but Judah emerges as an oligarchy, or if you will, a theocracy. Whereas the other kingdoms that paid tribute to various Mesopotamian kings through their own King, in a pyramid structure, Judeans were tribal and therefrom emerges the idea that Judah has no king: its king is the Almighty, who resides in the tabernacle, and the Kohein were His earthly representatives. This is important because it answers by my theory multiple elements of Judaism. Following the return from Babylonian exile, the Jews suffered the most traumatic moment in their history, and unsure of what other calamity would befall them, and in love for one another, the Torah was assembled as an identifying element of ethnocultural similarity and divergence at the same time. A new king had taken over their lands, one who was not Semitic but foreign, Cyrus of Persia was an Indo-European king, with very different culture and a monotheistic religion. Although Cyrus allows the Jews to return, it is probably the case that the founders of the religion had already had those foundational beliefs and so the prospect that their people would make the leap from their God to Ahura Mazda, the wise Lord, seemed very likely. To preserve their culture the law was codified and rituals created so that no matter where they end up they will always remember who they were and in so doing, be reminded of their love for one another. Story of Jonathan and David comes to mind. As it turns out, Cyrus wasn't that bad of a guy. In fact, they discover that his rule is much better than the past. This was mostly because, by this point, the main rival of the old Empires, that of the land of Egypt, who had been in constant warfare with Mesopotamians, is also conquered by the Persians. All of Ionian Greece also falls to Persia. And there the border between Europe and Asia is formed. This is very important. This time is the same as the time of the Athenian democracy and Socrates and Plato and so on. The story of Judaism is a story of struggle against tyranny. It is a story of destruction of Moloch the oppressive idol of the ancient Phoenicians, the motherland of the Jews, who sacrificed their own little ones to fire and death. The Jews, being wise, create a system of scapegoating animals, so that man might be civilized and recognize MLK for being nothing. They make God an ephemeral being that has no form or shape, and so create a space between Him and humans that can be filled with ideas and wonder and innovation. But it is more than that. The story of Judaism is a story of the sort of Judaism of Yeshua of Nazareth, who, regardless of mythological stories, as the rabbi of the Essenes, made a huge contribution to the later narrative of Judaism. The sort of collective responsibility and love we have for all humans, what has been known as human solidarity, can only be made possible when man examines what he sees and cries out first in suffering then in loneliness then in defiance. Israel wrestles with God not because it believes in pleasing him but precisely because it can no longer accept his cruelty. Judaism is the point where many, few or one God appear to be less moral then the emotional connection humans have for one another. Killing your own son at the alter or smashing the heads of Philestine babies is not a reflection of the divine. It is the reflection of man. When you use the word family, it is the right word. The tribal structure initially of Jews who lived in extended families allowed them to view the entire society as a family, given the oppression by the politics of the time, and also to resist having a single king who, perhaps moral man in David, was less moral in Saul. Therein emerge the two big ideas, that are so intertwined in our thought that we have a hard time separating them today: love for others and solidarity and a rejection of absolutism of government/tyrannical or aristocratic rule. This disdain is shown later in anger toward the Romans in the New Testament of the Nazarenes. We won't give Caesar what is Caesar's. I AM Spartacus. Being a good and loving person means loving justice. Justice comes with laws, and so Moses appears. He too is from the same root as the Meshiak. The Meshiah cannot come until humans love one another as they love themselves, and so the story of Judaism reveals itself as one so broad and moral in its scope that it is not difficult to see why it has faced so much persecution. The Greeks loved excellence. They loved victory. But their hearts were barren and cold. They mocked those who were disabled or ugly. To them, physical was everything. Today, most of us are oriented toward doing right by others to such an extent we cannot imagine a society where being selfish was ever acceptable. But those societies existed by and large as the majority. Judaism equalized the plain. You are not less, it says, to the Outcast Untouchable of Hinduism, seek forgiveness and follow the law. You are not less for having a deformed arm, Judaism says, and if you still believe so, well, let's sacrifice a lamb instead of you doing your crazy other stuff. It is spiritual and physical because some men see more than others. Some of the beliefs or Judaism that emerge later are harder to reconcile with its noble beginnings, especially those that insist on supremacist views of themselves. But every human is guilty of this to a large extent. Also, the numbering thing has gone on for long enough. It is Euclidean geometry that needs Freud to fully understand it, or Jung, not the female energy of God. The Jews have given the world more than 99.99% realize. They have taught us to love one another. I only hope they can love us also after we have shown them so much hate. Shalom.

[@edluckenbill9382]

Thanks a lot . Makes more sense

[@IAmNotYourProblem]

If I haven’t been to the religious council and have been accepted by my Jewish community, but I identify as a Jew, Judaism resonates with me, am I a Jew? Even if I don’t keep kosher all the time? Even if I celebrate the secular aspect of Christmas (not the Christian aspect)?

[@Kateydid18]

Captions aren't working on this video and the audio is so soft

[@samwatrous8456]

I got rejected by a temple in my city for not being "Jewish Enough"

[@hmaljutaily]

Lots of people get regretted because they are not enough jews or they are not accept as part of the Jewish family .

[@peytongorshavitzki6933]

You must have gone to an orthodox synagogue.

[@peytongorshavitzki6933]

@@hmaljutaily regretted "not enough jews" "they are not accept"

[@chrisbrownaz]

You should try a Synagogue of another Jewish denomination.

[@tailfish9499]

Is this a Karaite program?

[@fisterklister]

how do you say a human being in yiddish?

[@nreyes238]

America is about liberty not democracy.

[@peytongorshavitzki6933]

America is about deez

[@asherwallis9018]

Three episodes of introduction now. He just continues asking questions and offering without providing answers or even peripheral information that complements the questions he poses. He claims that he will share college level information about Judaism, and, while I'm sure he has the knowledge, or at least access to it, it is not forthcoming. There is simply repetition of the same few concepts, "family," "Torah," ..."loveliness," etc. There's no depth here. My recommendation is to find another introduction to the Jewish way of being.

[@MrCigarro50]

Dear Asher...I find your commentary quite interesting. Thank you. Looks like you are deep into Judaism, but to me, an absolute ignorant of Judaism I find Rabbi Golub, really enlightening. I thank you for your commentary because now I know, I still have a very, very long way to go.

[@KateSitka]

I’m enjoying it.

[@frankrago2735]

I am rather enjoying his teachings and explaining things along my journey.

[@jennettpearson3753]

Yeshua answers all your questions, Rabbi, in the New Testament... what our life is all about, why we exist, and how we are to live, what is expected of us. Lift that veil and you will see.

[@shimmeringchimps3842]

Oh, you mean the part about how we're worthless without a human sacrifice? Or the part about a cult personality leading people astray? Yeah, no thanks.