Law and Jewish Law…

A Memory from 2015:

In my last sentence, I reflect:
“In a world gone mad in the conflict between the total freedom of hedonism and the death cult fanaticism of Islamist ideologies, Jewish Law remains a source of both reasoning and inspiration.”

This is true and…
The Great Arab Muslim Sectarian Civil War continues apace but, some Arabs and/or Muslims are taking sides to reject Death cult Islamism and…
“The total freedom of hedonism” only appears to be winning in America with the ascendancy of the Big Tech Media Democrat State.

I suspect, as always, that this reality will soon prevail:
“Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud, hatch out.”
Claudius in “I, Claudius”

Life Is Beautiful All The Time

Friends of mine have often posted lovely pictures of their yard or neighborhood this winter.

As I enjoy the balmy Minnesota ten degree temperature this morning, and as the lovely flakes lightly fall, I thought I would try a capture the beauty of my front yard.

Ah well, maybe you have to be here…

It’s almost Adar! Be Happy!

“They say that wakin’ up is hard to do

Wear a smile don’t you be blue

Just wipe the sleep from your eyes

Instead of going back to bed

You got to stretch and face the day…”

– Neil Sedaka

Indeed, waking up has been harder to do.

My back is stiff and painful in the morning. I hurt. But, duty calls. Davening Shacharis (praying the morning prayers) begins at 6:30 AM at the synagogue. I have often been a little bit late as the body slowly clanks into mobility, resisting my morning exercises of a leetle bit of yoga and some minor Tai Chi Chuan, yet nowadays – well, my dear wife Marcie’s Aunt Mary just passed away at 101 years of age a couple weeks ago. She was my wife’s last remaining aunt/uncle/ parent/ grandparent/ etc. and. as she never married and has no relatives who are Torah observant Jew, I have the privilege of saying Kaddish for her and will be doing so for the next 11 months; which means that I have to be at shul on time!

And so I am; trying my best to help elevate the neshama of Miriam bas Dov Ber.

After daveing, we learn Daf Yomi, which is a Page a Day from the Talmud. We are bit behind the rest of the world, about two weeks, as we just started Mesechta Kesubos which has to do with the laws of marriage.

This morning, while learning, I actually internally reflected for a moment on Plato’s Republic and his idea that the ideal Republic would be ruled by a Philosopher King.

Why in the world…? Plato?

Because I was actually reflecting on Jewish Law as it has been brought down for last few thousand years.

Jewish Law, from the time before the Kingdom of Israel was even formed, up until today, claims that those who know and study the Law should be those who decide the Law in all of its various permutations.

Thinking upon this, I realized that for Western thought rooted in Plato, that this was not an unusual idea. It is one that is inherent in most cultures and governments.

Aye, but here’s the rub – as we sat there and struggled with, what were for me, esoteric concepts from the Talmud, I thought upon the fact that today, in 2015, Jewish Law says that the only people qualified to decide Jewish Law are those that have mastered the Talmud; the Torah; Tanach (commonly called the old testament); and all of the commentaries and decisions that have been discussed for the last 3,000 years!

This is a bit different from the lip service we pay to having “lawyers” be knowledgeable in American jurisprudence or to have Judges be experts in all facets of Law.

But more importantly, this puts paid to the idea that Jews can simply proclaim new Jewish “law” and practices because… they feel like it; because they want to “modernize” Jewish Law; because they want to rid Jewish practices of what they consider antiquated customs or unrealistic standards.

It is fundamental principle of Jewish Law that a later generation cannot abrogate or overturn the halachic (legal; “jurisprudence”) decisions of a previous generation.

And, that to even discuss such a thing with any clarity, one would have to be a Talmud Chacham; a true expert in Jewish Law.

For me, it is a beautiful idea that our burgeoning population of Torah observant Jews in This World struggle to practice and implement Jewish Law as it has been passed down from Mt. Sinai and beyond.

In a world gone mad in the conflict between the total freedom of hedonism and the death cult fanaticism of Islamist ideologies, Jewish Law remains a source of both reasoning and inspiration.

Cool.