Shavuot 5774
Behaving and Believing (Naaseh
V’Nishma)
Some Thoughts on “Social Orthodoxy”
According
to traditional Jewish thought, the Jewish People experienced a revelation on
this day 3,326 years ago; during which Hashem revealed both the Written and
Oral traditions that we continue to revere to this day. What if you don’t
believe that- can you still be Orthodox?
According to the recent Pew Survey of
American Jews, 77% of Modern Orthodox Jews believe with certitude in the
existence of God. What about the other 23%? Can you be Orthodox and be
agnostic, or not think much about God’s existence or role in the world?
The answer to both questions could be
yes, according to Jay Lefkowitz, in a recent article in Commentary Magazine. In
Lefkowitz’s words, “I root my identity much more in Jewish culture, history
nationality than in faith and commandments. “ Mr. Lefkowitz admits to being
Shomer Mitzvot (by and large) and living a life that from the outside would be
considered Orthodox. He puts on tefillin every day, observes Shabbat and
holidays and sends his children to Jewish day schools. But not because God
commanded him to do so, but because he wants to connect with the Jewish,
Halachik community: past, present and future. He calls this type of Judaism:
Social Orthodoxy. The Social Orthodox may daven daily (perhaps even with a
minyan) but question the efficacy of prayer, or even whether there is God listening.
Social Orthodox will abide by the laws of Kashrut and Shabbat; but not because
they are commanded by Hashem but rather because it is through these practices
that one finds his/her place in the Orthodox community and assures its
continuity. Social Orthodox will celebrate Shavuot, even as they question whether
Matan Torah ever occurred.
There is some merit to Mr. Lefkowitz
argument. Judaism, in contrast to Christianity, is much more interested in what
we do than in what we believe. For us it’s deed more so than creed. Jewish
tradition also believes in the value of a mitzvah even when performed for the
wrong reasons. The Rabbis of the Talmud firmly believed in the power of a
mitzvah- and mitoch shelo lishma, ba lishma.
The
community factor of Judaism is an important element to the religious
experience. For instance, our famous declaration of the unity of God begins
with Shema Yisrael- turning to the community first- before continuing with
Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad. In Megillat Rut which we will read tomorrow, Ruth’s
declaration of commitment begins Amech Ami- your people are my people” – and
only then is there mention of Elokayich Elokai- your God is my God. The social
bonds of Jewish community seem to preface/ be more important than the theological
underpinnings. And even the expression Na’aseh V’Nishma is written in the first
person plural. Acceptance of Torah and community are inextricably linked.
Lefkowitz also defends Social
Orthodoxy based on a famous verse related to Matan Torah. In Parshat Mishpatim
we read that Bnei Yisrael responded to Moshe’s offer of the Torah with the
phrase, “Na’aseh V’Nishma.” According to Mr. Lefkowitz, “There is a long
tradition in Judaism of engaging first in religious practices and letting
matters of faith come later……And so for me, and I imagine for many others like
me, the key to Jewish living is not our religious beliefs but our commitment to
a set of practices and values that foster community and continuity.” It may be that Social Orthodoxy keeps some
Jews within the fold of tradition. And I certainly would not tell a person that
s/he must believe all Jewish principles of faith in order to be part of the
Halachik community. There is no thought police in our community.
Nevertheless, I have my concerns. One
concern is stated by Mr. Lefkowitz himself: sustainability. “Whether such a
cultural tradition can be sufficiently transmitted to the next generation is a
fair question.” Causes without religious underpinnings are difficult to
transmit in the long term.
Mr. Lefkowitz suggested that there can
be a movement predicated on Naaseh that puts Nishma on the back burner
indefinitely. I think that this is impossible, based on the Seforno
Seforno:
Naaseh L’Tachlit Shenishma B’Kolo
K’avadim Hameshamshim et Harav Shelo Al Menat Lekabel Peras
Purpose
of doing is to foster a love for God to the degree that your actions ultimately
are an expression of that relationship with the Divine. When you love someone
you do even before you understand. But even if you don’t understand exactly why
you are doing what you’re doing, you at least recognize that these actions are
done in the context of a relationship with Hashem.
The story is told that Mrs. Albert
Einstein was asked whether she understood the Theory of Relativity. To which
she responded, “No, I do not understand Professor Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity- but I understand Professor Einstein.” We may not understand the
meaning of all of our mitzvah actions and we may not need to. But we need to have
some semblance of a recognition that these actions are the way we demonstrate
our relationship with A Metzaveh- God, the Commander in Chief.
Social Orthodoxy presumes that
community is enough of a reason to maintain a traditional lifestyle. However
people and communities can disappoint us. If our religious observance depends
on the response we receive from others within the community, then what happens
when others in the community don’t care about the particulars of our
observance? Or even worse- what happens if you find yourself in a situation where no one cares about you at
all. Then what? To whom do we turn if we have not fostered a relationship with
Hashem such that we can state with confidence ”Ezri Me’Im Hashem.”
Of the three Regalim, Shavuot is most
focused on the individual. On Pesach the korban Pesach was eaten in a large
group- just as our seders are celebrated. On Sukkot, everyone eats together in
a sukkah, and the four species symbolize the unity of all Jews. On Shavuot, the
Biblical command is Bikurim- each individual farmer comes to the Beit Hamikdash
to declare his gratitude to Hashem and his relationship with the Divine.
Nowadays, there are no unique Shavuot mitzvoth to occupy our time. And
therefore Shavuot is an appropriate time to consider our religious identities and
the meaning of our personal observance. I think on some level we are all
a little bit Social Orthodox. We want our religious observance to help us
foster a sense of Jewish community, Jewish continuity and Jewish pride. The
growth of Modern Orthodoxy in America testifies to how successful our community
building efforts have been in the past 50 years. But let us not lose sight of
the twofold declaration of our ancestors. Naaseh V’Nishma. To behave
according to the Torah’s mandates, AND to Believe that God is an important
piece of the picture: charging us, challenging us and cheering us on.
