מהי היהדות המסורתית?

השאלה הנפוצה ביותר של כל רב מסורתי היא: מהי היהדות המסורתית? זו שאלה לא קלה לתשובה. מִצַד אֶחָד, היהדות המסורתית היא לא יותר מאשר צל בתוך היהדות עצמה. לאור הגוונים וההבדלים הרבים שניתן למצוא בתוך האורתודוקסיה, בתוך היהדות המסורתית ואפילו בתוך היהדות הרפורמית, קשה לשרטט קווים ברורים או גבולות בין התנועות.

האמונות הבסיסיות של יהודי מסורתי אינן שונות מאלה שנמצאות ביהדות המסורתית. אנו מאמינים באלוהים שברא את העולם. אנו מאמינים בברית בין אלוהים לעם ישראל. אנו מאמינים שאנו מצווים, כחלק מאותה ברית, לחיות אורח חיים מיוחד, מפורט בתורה ומנוסח בהלכה - ההלכה היהודית. מקובל עלינו שדין זה מוגדר בספרים הקלאסיים של הרבנים: את המשנה, התלמוד, ואחר כך חידד דרך הקודים והשו"ת.

העיקרון העיקרי המגדיר את היהדות המסורתית הוא היחס שלנו למדע ולמדנות המודרניים. איזה תפקיד יש לתוצאות של מחקרים מודרניים, במיוחד בתחומי ההיסטוריה, אַרכֵיאוֹלוֹגִיָה, למדנות התנ"ך והספרות משחקים בהבנת המסורת שלנו? הגישה המסורתית לשאלה זו היא חד משמעית: לא ניתן להתעלם מתוצאות המדעים הללו. יש להשתמש בהם כדי להודיע ​​על אמונותינו הדתיות, לעזור לנו להבין טוב יותר את המסורת שלנו. אי אפשר לדחות אותם על הסף, ללא שיקול מדוקדק של טענותיהם.

ישנם תחומים רבים שבהם נראה שתוצאות המחקר והמסורת סותרות. במקרים אלו עמדתנו היא שעלינו לפרש את המסורת באופן שלא יסתור את הידע שלנו ממקורות אחרים. זה לא עניין של נוחות. הסיבה היחידה ללכת לפי מסורת היא כי היא נכונה. אם נקבל את המסורת שלנו כאמת, אז הוא חייב להסכים עם העובדות כפי שאנו מכירים אותן. זה אומר ש, למרות שאנו מאמינים באותם דברים כמו היהדות המסורתית, האופן שבו אנו מבינים את הדברים הללו מושפע מהממצאים של המדע המודרני והמחשבה המודרנית.

אלו הן כמה מהשאלות העיקריות שאנשים שואלים לגבי עמדתנו:

האם יהודי מסורתי מאמינים שהתורה באה משמיים?

למדנות התנ"ך הוכיחה שלתורה יש היסטוריה. It is difficult to accept the claim that the Torah was handed down from heaven at a certain point in history in the literal sense. We therefore understand this term as a metaphor to mean that the Torah is divine and that it reflects God’s will. Research can help us understand the process of how the Torah came about, but will probably never give us a full picture. From our point of view, the idea that a concept as complex as ‘how God communicates to people’ could be reduced to a literal description is unacceptable.

How can you consider the findings of scholarship to be true? There are always different schools of thought, and the positions of the scholars constantly change as new information becomes available.

True. Science is not infallible and the more we know, ככל שנבין דברים טוב יותר. אנחנו לא מקבלים מושגים מודרניים בתור 'תורה מסיני' - אמיתות שיש להגן עליהן ויהי מה. יש לקבל כל ממצא כפי שהוא: ניחוש, עובדה, פרשנות או הסבר סביר ביותר. אנחנו חייבים תמיד להיות פתוחים ללמוד יותר. אוּלָם, ככל שיש לנו יותר מידע, ככל שהראיות מתחומי מחקר שונים מסכימות, ככל שאנו מתקרבים יותר לאמת. העובדה שאדם לא בטוח לחלוטין לא אומר שאנחנו צריכים פשוט להכחיש עובדות או לקבל דברים, שהם פשוט בלתי אפשריים. האמונות שלנו חייבות תמיד להיבדק על ידי ההבנה הביקורתית שלנו. לא בגלל שאנחנו מושלמים, אלא בגלל שכושר ההיגיון שלנו הוא מה שאלוהים נתן לנו, ואין לנו כלי טוב יותר להשתמש בו כדי לחפש את האמת. הסיבה שלנו לא מושלמת, אבל זה הכי טוב שיש לנו.

אם אתה לא מאמין שהתורה ניתנה על ידי אלוהים ממש, האם זה לא מערער את המחויבות שלך לשמור על המסורת?

לֹא. אם אדם מאמין שהמצוות הן רצון האל, זה לא משנה איך אתה מבין איך הם ניתנו. אתה עדיין תרגיש חייב להתבונן בהם.

התפקיד שמשחקת ההלכה

יש קווי דמיון רבים בין האידיאולוגיה של המסורתי לזו של היהדות האורתודוקסית. הדמיון הזה חוצה את ההלכה.

מהי הלכה?

התורה מספרת לנו על ברית מיוחדת בין העם היהודי לאלוהים. במסגרת ברית זו ניתנו ליהודים מצוות רבות. מצוות התורה הן בעלות אופי כללי. איננו מקיימים את המצוות כפי שהן בתורה. יש ספרות שלמה - המשנה, התלמודים, המדרש, ספרות השו"ת והקודים - המסבירה ומפתחת את המצוות ומתרגמת אותן לכללים לחיי היום-יום.

הכללים האלה, אורח חייו של היהודי שומר המצוות, הם ההלכה. ההלכה רחוקה מלהיות ספר סגור, כשהכל חתוך ואטום באבן. אין דף בתלמוד פנוי מוויכוחים, לא נושא שאין לגביו חילוקי דעות. ההלכה היא דינמית. יש בו את היכולת לצמוח ולהגיב לשינויים. אוּלָם, למרות חילוקי הדעות והחופש הקיים בתוך ההלכה, הופיעו קווים מנחים שעוזרים להגדיר את המערכת. לאורך זמן, התלמוד הבבלי הפך לסמכות הסופית במשפט העברי. נוצרו תקדימים ונקבע פרקטיקה. גם כאשר מתמודדים עם מציאות חדשה, יש לקחת בחשבון את התקדימים של העבר ואת העקרונות הבסיסיים שנקבעו בעת ההחלטה כיצד חלה ההלכה כיום.

כל מה שנאמר עד כה נכון הן לגבי היהדות המסורתית והן לגבי היהדות האורתודוקסית. היכן שונה מסורתי? ההבדלים אינם בהבנת ההלכה, אלא איך זה מיושם. בכל פעם שרב נקרא לתת פסק דין, בנוסף לקביעת ההלכה, עליו לשפוט גם את המצב שבו הוא פוסק. כמו רבנים מסורתיים מבינים את העולם אחרת מרבנים אורתודוקסים, הדרך שבה הם מיישמים את ההלכה שונה.

ההבדל הזה באופן שבו אנו מסתכלים על העולם מתבטא בדרכים רבות. יהודי מסורתי מכבדים את המחקר האקדמי כאמצעי להבין את העולם טוב יותר ולכן תוצאות המחקר הזה מובאות לידי ביטוי בהחלטות ההלכתיות שלנו. יהודי מסורתי מקבלים רבים מערכי החברה המודרנית. אנו משולבים בעולם המודרני וההחלטות ההלכתיות שלנו משקפות את השילוב הזה. במקום לנסות להבדיל את היהודים מהחברה הכללית, אנו מחפשים דרכים לאפשר להיות יהודי שומר מצוות בתוכה. אזור הבחירה שלנו כולל יהודים רבים שלא התחייבו באופן מלא לשמירה על מצוות. כתוצאה מכך, החשיבות לאפשר ליהודים 'קצת' שומרי מצוות למלא תפקיד מלא יותר בקהילה היא שיקול חשוב בהחלטותינו.

The biggest difference in our approach centres on our attitude to change. Our society is characterised by rapid social change. Is this change good? Should we welcome it? Do we resist it? It is in those areas of our lives where the greatest social changes have occurred where the differences between the movements in Judaism are most apparent.

The most prominent example of the need to take a position regarding change is when we come to define the role of women in the synagogue. In our secular society, the role of women has radically been changed. Women today are fully integrated in society, are educated, hold positions of power and share equal rights. The halacha grew in an age where none of this was true. The main challenge facing all traditional groups today is how to respond to this change. It is the Masorti position that it is the ability to address itself to change that has kept the halacha alive through the centuries. We maintain that failure to apply the tools of change that exist within the halacha to the changes in our world today will leave the halacha irrelevant to most Jews.

Although these attitudes are wide reaching, it should be stressed that in most cases, there is no difference between the interpretations of Masorti and of Orthodox rabbis.

The Parameters of Change

We have seen that the idea of ‘change’ is central to the thinking of the Masorti movement. Many of those who are opposed to Masorti challenge us over our willingness to adopt changes. They claim that any change, no matter how small, undermines the framework of halacha. They view an openness to change as a kind of slippery slope, where changes start small but become ever greater and more radical as time passes. How does Masorti answer this challenge.

This challenge must be considered carefully. One of the main attractions of tradition is the sense it gives that we are part of something greater than ourselves. It is tremendously satisfying to know that we are observing a tradition in much the same way that our parents, grandparents and ancestors have. There is a comfort that comes from the familiarity of tunes and practices, of words and rituals that a great religion such as ours can give. Any tradition that is too open to change risks losing one of the most important things that it has to offer.

אוּלָם, ignoring change is also a dangerous route to follow. A society that does not adapt to the changes around it becomes irrelevant and is doomed to disappear. The Masorti position is that there is a need to balance these two demands. Change is not a goal in and of itself. Changes are only adopted when necessary. But when it is necessary, the halacha must adapt itself. The halacha does have the ability to adopt change and has changed in the past. It is the ability to address itself to change that has kept the Jewish tradition alive through the centuries.

How can these two needs – the need to maintain a tradition and the need to adapt to change – be balanced? There is no clear answer to this dilemma. Different thinkers within the movement have answered the challenge in different ways. For Masorti Jews the answer lies in the way we determine both when a change is necessary and what the limits of that change can be.

Changing Jewish practice is not a whim, and it does not happen at the spur of the moment. Change can be introduced only as the result of a serious, deep-rooted and compelling change in society. Only when society has changed significantly from what it was in the past is there a reason for Jewish practice to take the change into consideration. The classic example of this is the change in the status and role of women in our society. The role of women has changed so much as to call into question many of the assumptions regarding women that underpin the thinking regarding their roles that defined the halacha. This is a case where change is an imperative.

Even where change is mandated it does not mean that every change is allowed or even desirable. Here there must also be guidelines. We are guided in the direction we choose in our change by the sources of Jewish law. Once we have decided that our practice will be different from what it has been until now, we must go back to the sources, find legal precedents, understand the principles that have been established and be guided by them. This is the way that we guarantee that we remain faithful to our covenant even when we have adapted our practice to changing circumstances.

Finally, in deciding how to reflect the changing society around us, we must be biased in the direction of tradition. If there is no reason to introduce change, one must leave things as they are. Rapid change undermines tradition. Time must be the test. Only those issues that have been on the communal agenda for a long time, reflecting basic changes in society, are worthy of being considered. Halacha does not adapt to every passing fad.

In short, Masorti tries to be open to change when it is necessary, but equally opposed to change when it is not. When we change, we move within the precedents of our tradition. It is our belief that this approach, rather than being a slippery slope, is a ladder to an ever greater commitment to Jewish tradition and observance by ever greater numbers of Jews.

What is the Masorti attitude to conversion?

The subject of conversion occupies a key place on the Jewish communal agenda, and it appears to be set to remain there for the foreseeable future. It is an arena in which the battle between the different sectors of the Jewish community is frequently fought. It is an example of an important challenge facing the Jewish world today and, as such, is a good example of how the different movements in modem Judaism put their beliefs into practice.

Jewish law, as spelled out in the Talmud and the codes, allows for conversion, setting a number of requirements to be met by the potential convert before appearing before a Beth Din (Jewish court) and being accepted. These requirements include ritual immersion in a mikveh, circumcision (in the case of men) and accepting the yoke of the commandments. The sources also talk of a period of study. We are also warned not to make the process so difficult as to put off those candidates who are sincere.

The attitude to conversion has changed over history. In the ancient world conversion was a common occurrence. Throughout much of the Middle Ages, Jews were forbidden to practice conversion in most countries, and it was a rarity. In the modern age, in those countries where Jews have been emancipated and have established contact with the surrounding society, the number of people who seek to convert to Judaism has greatly increased.

The Orthodox community in Britain demands that those who wish to convert under its auspices adopt the lifestyle and beliefs of an ideal Orthodox Jew. Candidates go through a rigorous period of instruction and testing before they are accepted. While this position is coherent, in practice it means that the lifestyle expected of the potential convert is much more demanding than that of the majority of Jews, even the majority of Jews who are affiliated with Orthodox synagogues. It means that conversion is impossible for most candidates.

The Masorti policy is to enable those who wish to join the Jewish community to do so on condition that the demands of Jewish law have been met. We provide a serious period of study, and expect our candidates for conversion to adopt the lifestyle of an observant Masorti Jew. The standard is within reach of members of our communities and, although challenging, is also within reach of most candidates for conversion. Those going through the conversion process are provided with encouragement and support in going through a major change in their lives. All the ritual requirements of Jewish law are observed.

The Orthodox refuse to recognise as valid any conversion that has not taken place under its own auspices. Masorti regret this position. We reject the notion that the only way one can be a Jew is to be an Orthodox Jew. We reject the assumption that the Orthodox have the authority to decide who is Jewish and who is not. That authority lies solely in Jewish law. When a candidate has fulfilled the requirements of that law then he or she is Jewish, and one who refuses to recognise that fact is denying a Jew the right of synagogue participation and Jewish education, as well as many other services of the Jewish community.

In recent years the Orthodox community in Israel has put its efforts into trying to introduce legislation that would only recognise Orthodox conversions. Given the huge influx of Russian immigrants into the country, many of whom have problems of status, such legislation would create great difficulties for thousands who have come home and wish to return to their Jewish roots. The position of the Masorti movement worldwide is to push for the adoption of reasonable and reachable standards of conversion to be agreed and practised throughout the Jewish world. We wish to take conversion out of the political arena. We believe that cooperation between all sectors of the community, through a compassionate application of the requirements of Jewish law, would best serve our people as a whole.

The way one thinks about conversion reflects how you understand being a Jew in the modern world. The Masorti attitude encourages a critical understanding of Jewish history and requires a serious period of study, which endorses traditional practice. It sees us as part of our surrounding society and demands that we provide workable solutions to its challenges; it enables those who wish to draw closer to the Jewish tradition rather than setting up barriers in their way. The Masorti approach to conversion provides a good reflection of what Masorti Judaism is all about.

Our Synagogues

At first sight Masorti synagogues seem to have diverse practices, particularly in relation to the role of women. Some have mixed seating and full women’s participation; others are largely indistinguishable from an Orthodox synagogue. אוּלָם, when we understand how Jewish law developed, it is easy to recognise the consistent thread that runs through all our synagogue practices.

A historical approach to Judaism is bound to recognise that there are practices in Judaism today that are not mentioned in our earliest sources: Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Yahrtzeit and kippot, to mention just a few. Similarly, we no longer do things that our ancestors did; sacrifices, polygamy and capital punishment are all good examples. Whatever the historical reasons for these innovations in Jewish life, the fundamental point is that Judaism evolves in response to changing social, political, technological and economic realities. Indeed it is this ability to adapt and evolve that has helped enable Judaism to survive.

We must also be aware that Jewish law often lends itself to more than one legitimate interpretation. For example, amongst those who see the peace process in Israel as a religious issue, some use valid halachic arguments for supporting it, others use equally valid arguments for opposing it. Throughout our history different groups have emerged which differ over halachic practices: Sefardim/Ashkenazim, Hasidim/Mitnegdim and, in our day, Masorti/Charedi.

Masorti rabbis and scholars hold that the halacha is capable of more than one expression – and can be flexible, i.e. capable of change within certain parameters. Prohibitions such as non-Kosher meat or lighting fires on Shabbat can never be permitted. But there are areas of Jewish practice that owe more to tradition, or minhag, than to law. We can make out a convincing halachic case for permitting women to read from the Torah, although it is too complex for this short article. But until recently it was tradition that was the moderating force. The real reason that women did not read from the Torah seems to be because some illiterate men felt embarrassed in the presence of obviously well-educated women. But in terms of tradition, women did not read from the Torah because that was not what women did.

Today, למרות זאת, social conditions have changed. Masorti recognises that women are permitted to read from the Torah not just because we can justify it halachically, but because the flexible, dynamic nature of Judaism has in this case gained the upper hand over tradition. This is not to say that all Masorti congregations must adopt this practice. As our revered teacher Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs z”l put it, just because the rabbi says the chicken is kosher, doesn’t mean you have to eat it!

Our Origins

Orthodoxy, Reform and Conservative/Masorti Judaism were three responses to the challenge posed to European Jews nearly 200 years ago by the Emancipation. The Conservative Movement is the youngest of the three and began in mid-nineteenth-century Germany with the work of Zechariah Frankel, head of the Seminary at Breslau and founder of the so-called ‘Positive-Historical’ school. This approach supported a positive commitment to the observance of Jewish law while offering an historical, developmental view of Judaism through the use of the critical tools of modern scholarship. It was a reaction both to the Reform Movement, which did not consider Jewish law binding in modern times, and to the Orthodox approach, which denied the concept of development of Jewish law with the maxim that ‘the Torah forbids any change’.

Frankel’s approach to the Jewish tradition was followed in the next generation by Solomon Schechter, who combined the Talmudic learning of Eastern Europe with outstanding secular scholarship and is famed for his discovery of the Cairo Genizah manuscripts.

After many years in England as a reader at Cambridge University, Schechter was appointed President of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he became the ‘founding father‘ of Conservative Judaism in America. He made the seminary a world centre of Jewish scholarship: the late Chief Rabbi Hertz was one of its many distinguished graduates. Schechter was also a key figure in creating the Conservative Movement’s synagogue organisation, the United Synagogue of America – the name reflecting his admiration of Britain’s United Synagogue.

Since Schechter’s day the Conservative/Masorti Movement has grown to more than 1,500,000 members. It is the largest Jewish religious body in the world.