MK Moshe Gafni and I Have a Fundamentally Different View of Orthodox Judaism

Earlier this week I eased into my aisle seat on a flight from La Guardia airport to Houston, Texas. While I was jamming my bag under my seat, the man sitting in the window seat introduced himself “Hey, I am John and its my first time on a plane.” John’s heavy southern accent and numerous tattoos, prompted me to ask the mostly bald man where he was from. “loooziyana” he said. I asked him why he was flying for the first time. “I’m a truck driver and I work on the line. Pipe fell on my shoulder and broke my collarbone, normally I am on the truck” he said as I struggled to keep up with his Louisiana accent and understand what exactly he was saying as he rolled off his shirt to show me the stitches of his collarbone surgery.

John told me a funny, off-color joke and then asked “Mind if I ask you a question?” I nodded my head. “What is that thing on your head?”

“A yarmulke” I retorted, “I am Jewish and many Jews wear Yarmulkes.” “

“Oh. Sorry for telling the joke” he said. wincing in pain. “No worries I told him. It was funny.”

Pointing at my Yarmulke with his uninjured arm he asked, “and what’s it for?”

I remembered what I learned in day school that it makes us humble and have a constant awareness that there is a God above. I, of course, know what the Talmud says as well about the Talmudic sage who would not walk four cubits without a head covering. I referenced those quickly and then told John “It reflects my responsibility. When you look at me and know that I am a God-fearing person, I hope that my behavior reflects that Godliness, reflects well on God and that you and others see that God is good and commands good deeds.” He then asked me if I minded helping him put his seat back because he had never done it before.

That is how I think of my Orthodox Judaism. It is a responsibility. It is a responsibility to behave well, be kind to others and lead a disciplined, God-fearing life. As the Talmud says “As He is compassionate, so you should be compassionate.” As He loves the stranger so should you. Or, if you prefer in Latin, Imitatio Dei (imitating God). As an Orthodox Jew, I have no rights. Only responsibilities. Responsibilities to my God, family, friends and strangers.

Therefore, I observed with deep chagrin, that Haredi MK Moshe Gafni, has decided to exclude other Jews from using the Mikvehs (ritual baths in Israel). He has written them out of our faith and our people. He has shown no compassion nor love for he who is a stranger to Gafni and Haredi Judaism. I scratched my head for days to understand his logic and weltanschauung but now I think I do.

Every day in our morning prayers we recite the blessing over the Torah. “Blessed are you our God who chose (בחר) us from all the nations and gave us the Torah, Bless you God who gives the Torah.” When Moshe Gafni reads that he says to himself “I am chosen and consequently, I choose who is not chosen.” He feels God is speaking through him as someone who, in Gafni’s own mind and faith, has accepted the Torah and consequently has become an arbiter of chosen-ness . I read that same blessing every day but my interpretation is different. We were “chosen” for a mission, a mission of responsibility to the other. A mission to be humble in the face of other opinions while steadfast in our own belief and practice. We were “chosen” to reflect well on God and not be the individual arbiter of who is in nor who is out. Rarely have I found that excluding others reflects well on God who loves the stranger, the orphan and the widow, the eternal outcasts and “others.”

I too have theological differences with Reform Judaism and others. It is why I chose and choose to practice orthodoxy and observe every jot and tittle of halacha (Jewish law). I worry about the rate of assimilation of diaspora Jewry as well. It worries me a lot. But I choose to focus on my own behavior to reflect well on God and to interact positively with as many other people as possible. I choose to love my fellow Jew whether he is reform, orthodox, charedi or an Atheist and to help him come closer to God or to doing good by setting the best example I can. I love them all and they are wonderful people doing amazing things for our country and our people. You, Mr. Gafni, should meet some of my reform friends. Maybe you would change your mind.

It is my responsibility to love the other and my privilege to call these people and others like them my friends and landsman. For that matter, I think it behooves us to do the same for a Mormons, christians, muslims or atheists as well. As the prophet Micha says, all God asks from us is that we do justice, loving-kindness and walk humbly with God.” We must be kind so that it will reflect well on God who has given us extra responsibilities and fewer privileges and freedoms. For that matter, anyone who wants to join us in bathing in a ritual bath to come closer to God, we should give them a hug.

Gafni has spent too much time in divisive politics. It has clearly muted his religious sensitivity and left too little time for learning Torah so I will help him with two foundational stories. The first comes from the Talmud and is likely apocryphal but the Talmud told it to be instructional. I will borrow the Wikipedia description of the story in English.

In Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 107b and Sotah 47a:

“Jesus is described as a student of Rabbi Joshua ben Perachiah , and he (Jesus) was sent away for misinterpreting a word that in context should have been understood as referring to the Inn; he instead understood it to mean the innkeeper’s wife (the same word can mean “inn” and “hostess”). His teacher said “Here is a nice inn”, to which he replied “Her eyes are crooked”, to which his teacher responded “Evil one! Is this what you are occupied in?” (Gazing at women was considered sinful.) [87] After several returns for forgiveness he mistook Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Perachiah’s signal to wait a moment as a signal of final rejection, and so he turned to idolatry.”

The Talmud concludes from this that one should welcome people with the right strong hand, and distance people with the left, weaker hand. Much more love than rejection. When you reject people, they become idol worshippers. When you bring them close, they become your brothers and disciples.

Thousands of years earlier when Abraham left Haran, he took with him 70 people. They were not “Jews” nor orthodox. They were 70 souls who bound themselves to Abraham and hence to God. They followed him because he loved them and showed them a welcoming ethical path. When God explained to the world via the Torah why he chose Abraham he proclaimed “Because I know about him, that he will command his children to do charity and justice.” That is why God chose Abraham and why Abraham reflected well on God. This was exclaimed by God as Abraham was praying for and defending the very wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Be kind to the other. Include them despite their difference. Be strong enough in your own faith so that you should not feel threatened by them. They are our brothers and, even if they are not, we should be good to them. That is the way of God.