Monday, July 25, 2005
The Deutch
I think Chassidim should be like the Amish. That sounds like an old joke, but if you study the Amish, there are a lot of similarities, besides for the obvious.
I've recently heard a lot about Orthodox youth from places like Boro Park, Williamsburg, Monsey, and Lakewood- the American Ghettoes, who've been turned off by the absolute restrictivisim of their communities. This isn't a new issue, just one I happen to have been confronting recently. Every situation is unique, but in most cases, it seems that some people exposed to the permissiveness of American culture but confined to the mores of a repressive sub-culture find a need to escape and experience some of that which they perceive they are missing. But their community will cut them off if they dare to go exploring. So these individuals are faced with the decision of bottling up their interests, turning their backs on their roots, or leading a double life. None of these are psychologically healthy.
These Chassidish and Yeshivish communities leave little room for discovering oneself. That is done on purpose. These communities have determined that being insular is the best way to preserve their ethical way of life. For 95% of the people (we can debate the percentage), this works great. But the other 5% are absolutely lost. In a more modern Jewish community, only 50% (again, I propose) may remain strongly religious. But the other 50% will remain only slightly less affiliated. They aren't lost. The lesson being that the tighter you circle your wagons, the more likely you are to squeeze out those that don't fit.
The trick to remember, however, is that the Chassidish and Yeshivish norms of these societies are hardly base standards in Judaism. This point can definitely be debated, but these lifestyles are Lifnim M'shuras Hadin - Above and beyond the religious requirement. It is a lifestyle designed to forment righteousness. But one of the byproducts is dissent. If those that feel disenfranchised by the lifestyle saw that they had a choice of lifestyle that was valid - albeit not on the same level, but perfectly acceptable nontheless, they might be able to find themselves within a more permissive, but equally religious commmunity.
And this is where the Amish come in. They are similar in the insularity and restrictiveness of their community to the Chassidim (besides for the dress). But one thing most people don't know is that in most Amish communities, joining is not an assumption of birth. Each member must choose at the age of 20 to join the community. They are free to explore before that age, and determined what is right for them. Those that choose to live as religious people in the modern world are not scorned. But those that choose to return are expected to maintain the high levels of the community. Since each indvidual has explored their options, and made their own decision, there is a certain level of psychological health.
And that is the approach that is needed in the Orthodox Jewish world. A realization that our sheltered communities are a great lifestyle for coming close to Gd. They may be the best way for those who fear external influences to live out a religous lifestyle, but an integrated lifestyle is equally valid for those not striving to reach the same lofty spiritual heights. In the end, I think all segments of our community would benefit. Those living in the ghettoes would be surrounded by those that have personally committed to isolating themselves, and those souls not willing to be cloistered would have the opportunity to chase their interests within a more open, albeit riskier, environment. Either way it would be a breath of fresh air.
I've recently heard a lot about Orthodox youth from places like Boro Park, Williamsburg, Monsey, and Lakewood- the American Ghettoes, who've been turned off by the absolute restrictivisim of their communities. This isn't a new issue, just one I happen to have been confronting recently. Every situation is unique, but in most cases, it seems that some people exposed to the permissiveness of American culture but confined to the mores of a repressive sub-culture find a need to escape and experience some of that which they perceive they are missing. But their community will cut them off if they dare to go exploring. So these individuals are faced with the decision of bottling up their interests, turning their backs on their roots, or leading a double life. None of these are psychologically healthy.
These Chassidish and Yeshivish communities leave little room for discovering oneself. That is done on purpose. These communities have determined that being insular is the best way to preserve their ethical way of life. For 95% of the people (we can debate the percentage), this works great. But the other 5% are absolutely lost. In a more modern Jewish community, only 50% (again, I propose) may remain strongly religious. But the other 50% will remain only slightly less affiliated. They aren't lost. The lesson being that the tighter you circle your wagons, the more likely you are to squeeze out those that don't fit.
The trick to remember, however, is that the Chassidish and Yeshivish norms of these societies are hardly base standards in Judaism. This point can definitely be debated, but these lifestyles are Lifnim M'shuras Hadin - Above and beyond the religious requirement. It is a lifestyle designed to forment righteousness. But one of the byproducts is dissent. If those that feel disenfranchised by the lifestyle saw that they had a choice of lifestyle that was valid - albeit not on the same level, but perfectly acceptable nontheless, they might be able to find themselves within a more permissive, but equally religious commmunity.
And this is where the Amish come in. They are similar in the insularity and restrictiveness of their community to the Chassidim (besides for the dress). But one thing most people don't know is that in most Amish communities, joining is not an assumption of birth. Each member must choose at the age of 20 to join the community. They are free to explore before that age, and determined what is right for them. Those that choose to live as religious people in the modern world are not scorned. But those that choose to return are expected to maintain the high levels of the community. Since each indvidual has explored their options, and made their own decision, there is a certain level of psychological health.
And that is the approach that is needed in the Orthodox Jewish world. A realization that our sheltered communities are a great lifestyle for coming close to Gd. They may be the best way for those who fear external influences to live out a religous lifestyle, but an integrated lifestyle is equally valid for those not striving to reach the same lofty spiritual heights. In the end, I think all segments of our community would benefit. Those living in the ghettoes would be surrounded by those that have personally committed to isolating themselves, and those souls not willing to be cloistered would have the opportunity to chase their interests within a more open, albeit riskier, environment. Either way it would be a breath of fresh air.
# posted by Josh : Monday, July 25, 2005
Comments:
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Fine, you've convinced me to want to blog (I can't believe I'm stooping to this level but here goes...) I think that you got that small 5% of Chassidim right -- who are just in their confused state but I think about the other 95% I think you have somewhat wrong. I think you fail to realize that these people do enjoy their lives. To us it may be sheltered, to them it is a world of purpose and opportunities, where each individual has a specific role to fill and at the end of the day... they are HAPPY doing it! Modern Orthodox Jews are only unhappy (sometimes, of course) because there is SO much to choose from and some people, just don't know where to go or what role to fill. Pluralism is not always the ideal, sometimes things are better left alone.
# posted by 
: July 28, 2005 1:57 PM
: July 28, 2005 1:57 PM
Interesting. I thought the attacks would come by saying that Chassidim believe that their lifestyle is a L'chatchila, not the Chumra I describe, and that living in a modern hashkafa is not a B'dieved, but Kefira, heresy. I happen to disagree.
But I think Boogie Woman has misunderstood me. I don't think that those Chassidim who choose to live a cloistered life are unhappy, or that their lifestyle choice is not a valid Jewish option. Just the opposite, I greatly admire them and their communities. What I am saying is that we can't let our idealism ignore the very real people being left behind. We have to make sure we are helping them find a place within Judaism where they feel comfortable.
But I think Boogie Woman has misunderstood me. I don't think that those Chassidim who choose to live a cloistered life are unhappy, or that their lifestyle choice is not a valid Jewish option. Just the opposite, I greatly admire them and their communities. What I am saying is that we can't let our idealism ignore the very real people being left behind. We have to make sure we are helping them find a place within Judaism where they feel comfortable.
Of course we have to worry about the stragglers but at the same time we can't always jeopardize everyone else in the community. It’s a sociological phenomenon that some people will be the ‘out’ group or in sociological terms the deviant group within a culture. I think you’re also minimizing the fact that there is in fact much being done in those communities, whether we know about it or not. On a whole the Chassidish community prefers to remain isolated and take care of their own in their own fashion in which they deem appropriate. Unfortunately, like Jews in relation to the secular world, we hear about one story and all of a sudden it’s headline news. Stuff happens in their community just as much as in any other community and just as in every community there are those attempting to help the situation and of course there is always more to be done. But I feel as if we have no right to criticize the way they raise their children, I’m SURE they have plenty to say about ours.
On the first point you made, I will say something that I’m sure will be faced with opposition but I will say it anyway…. Judaism is a religion where we are constantly struggling to attain higher levels of religiosity and closeness to Hashem. By keeping only the ‘base’ as you call it, I think the spirit of the law is often lost. Of course one should not confuse chumrah from the actual halacha but at the same time it is very much admirable that people take on such chumrahs. So I think in this context it’s difficult to use words like ‘L’chatchilah’ or ‘Bidieved’ – their interpretation does not make ours wrong or less or visa versa – it is a known concept of ‘Elu V’Elu….”
On the first point you made, I will say something that I’m sure will be faced with opposition but I will say it anyway…. Judaism is a religion where we are constantly struggling to attain higher levels of religiosity and closeness to Hashem. By keeping only the ‘base’ as you call it, I think the spirit of the law is often lost. Of course one should not confuse chumrah from the actual halacha but at the same time it is very much admirable that people take on such chumrahs. So I think in this context it’s difficult to use words like ‘L’chatchilah’ or ‘Bidieved’ – their interpretation does not make ours wrong or less or visa versa – it is a known concept of ‘Elu V’Elu….”
# posted by : July 28, 2005 8:03 PM
: July 28, 2005 8:03 PM
I don't disagree with anything you said. But I don't know why you feel that my suggestion intends to weaken the lifestyle. I am saying they should retain their lifestyle exactly as they do. They just shouldn't demonize the more modern element, who may be less frum, but are still religious Jews. This demonization forces the small percentage of people who don't like those communites to lose religion altogether, as they are told that being modern orthodox is as good as being catholic. So they just become catholic.
I'm not saying that people aren't happy or that Chassidic communities aren't an ideal way of life. I'm just saying that we need to leave room for those that aren't ready for that lifestyle to find other legitimate expressions of their faith.
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I'm not saying that people aren't happy or that Chassidic communities aren't an ideal way of life. I'm just saying that we need to leave room for those that aren't ready for that lifestyle to find other legitimate expressions of their faith.
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