The Jewish God Question by Andrew Pessin

Author:Andrew Pessin [Pessin, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2018-09-08T16:00:00+00:00

52

Moses Sofer (Hatam Sofer) (1762–1839)

Same as It Ever Was

Contra “Reform,” one should change nothing in Judaism unless absolutely necessary

The movement to “reform” Judaism was underway, and Sofer, a traditionalist, is not happy with what he sees.

People who do not submit to the yoke of heaven have lately appeared, seeking to nullify the divine covenant through various schemes. Their synagogues are closed all week, opening only for the Sabbath. But even there they alter the texts of prayers dating back to the Men of the Great Assembly (sixth century BCE). They add and they subtract, remove benedictions mandated by the Talmud—even the benedictions for the messiah and for the rebuilding of Jerusalem! They appoint a non-Jew to play a musical instrument on the holy Sabbath, desecrating it, wishing to be like their non-Jewish compatriots who have music in their religious services. Not surprisingly most of their prayers are in German, as well.

They call this a “reform” of Judaism, but this is not the Jewish religion as it has been known since ancient times, since the prophets, since the Second Temple. This is not the Jewish religion in the Mishna, in the Talmud, the centuries of commentaries. For nearly two thousand years the basic ideas of our religion have been established, and no one has protested. But now insignificant foxes breach the walls, change the prayers and benedictions, alter the hours and times that have been appointed for them.

This is no reform of Judaism, but a rejection of it.

They say that prayers for the messiah and the restoration of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem are now moot, since we are dwelling in peace and tranquility among the nations. But this is not so. Even when we had sovereignty in our Holy Land we prayed for the messiah, so that all humanity could experience the goodness of the Lord. We do not need the fruits of the easy and tranquil life among the nations. We do not pour our hearts out daily in hope of illusory material tranquility. Our eternal hope is to dwell in the presence of God in the Land of Israel, the place designated for His service and the observance of Torah.

Indeed we are as prisoners of the war of the destruction of the Second Temple. We dwell among the nations temporarily, and we are grateful to those who have extended us great kindnesses. We do not disregard tranquility, where we find it. But our place is not where we are, but there, in the Land of Israel, and when that time comes for our return, God will repay handsomely those of the nations who treated us with kindness.

The “reformers” do not even pray in the sacred tongue of Hebrew! The common people do not understand that tongue, they say. But then the answer is to have each person learn the meaning of the prayers and recite them in Hebrew, which is far better than reciting them in another language. One does not act in such a way before a human king.

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