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Jul 13, 2016

Tweet of the Day






Minister Naftali Bennet is saying that the reason the Reform Movement never took off in the Jewish communities of North Africa is because there was no need for the Reform as in these communities they accepted every Jew warmly even if they did not keep the mitzvos, and they did not push people away. Bennet tags this as "the entire Jewish story".

I am no expert in these matters, but it seems kind of too simplistic to be accurate. What do you think? Does he have a point?


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12 comments:

  1. SB, Beit ShemeshJuly 13, 2016 4:43 PM

    It's because they have the אמונה פשוטה that the Ashkenazim lack. Even those who don't keep all the mitzvos believe in Hashem.
    Reform is for those who want to have their cake and eat it, they may say they believe in G-d but the god they believe in is themselves.

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  2. Boy, Naftali knows how to put a spin on things. His reason make no sense.
    The reason is because the Reform Movement thankfully never reached North Africa or the Arab lands. The Rabbanim and Chachamim there would never have accepted the dilution of Torah. Being secular and/or not knowing has nothing do with Reform. Reform means changing the Torah which, of course, is impossible, as it is from H'.
    Observing the Torah is a personal thing and might be very innocent as one does not know the laws; but not changing it to fit their own desires and outlooks.

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    Replies
    1. And the rabbanim in Europe did?

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    2. Anonymous, please go read a book or two. Naftali Bennet's tweet was essentially correct, although not complete enough. It was not about diluting the Torah or not. The fact is that NONE of the liberal denominational splits that occurred in the European (Ashkenazi) world happened in the Sefardic world for precisely the reason that was explained in his Tweet - they accepted all Jews regardless of observance levels and turned no-one away. In fact, in places like Morocco the rabbinic leaders tried to work with the non-observant to bring them close and keep them within the functioning community, even if they did not observe Shabbat, kashrut, were intermarried, etc. Additionally, the Sefardic world never rejected science or secular learning, nor did they view it as a contradiction to a fully "orthodox" Jewish life. Ergo, there was simply no need or reason for less-religious or non-observant Jews to leave and form their own organizations to accommodate themselves and create their own communities - they were always welcome in the traditional ones. Seriously, do not speak or write about what you do not understand. I cannot stand it when people are still angry with Bennet over support for laws forcing Haredim to fulfill their duties as citizens and serve in the IDF, so they try to invalidate everything he says. Kol tuv, @forthodoxjew

      Delete
  3. What? You mean something written on social media was simplistic? Naah....

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  4. What? You mean something written on social media was simplistic? Naah....

    ReplyDelete
  5. What? You mean something written on social media was simplistic? Naah....

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  6. To all who don't seem to understand. The Reform movement was specially conjured up (in Germany) to be like the goyim. Plain and simple and that meant watering down Judaism; at first, it was little things but, of course, we all know about the slippery slope. Eventually we have arrived at this day and age where there is hardly a difference between their ridiculoux mockery of Judaism and avodah zorahs or better still, athiesm. It's not too difficult to understand why they are a danger to the Jewish people. More Jews have been lost to us because of intermarriage and assimilation which, they have been mainly responsible for, than the physical destruction of our people in these times.

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  7. I would probably agree with Minister Bennett because this should be the way we should be welcoming our fellow Jews, whether Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform. "Chaverim kol Yisrael"--we are one fellowship, and those who would undermine this, even if they believe they are "preserving" Judaism, are equally as much part of the problem as the ones they would write out of Judaism--and I am sorry to say this, but we all need to look at ourselves and whether we are causing the sinat chinam (groundless hatred) that has been the problem for years.

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  8. To Sheldan: This has nothing to do with sinat chinam. We need ACHDUT under Torah; needless to say, there are all types of Jews, whether, misnagdim, chasidim, ashkenazi, sephardi, etc. (all due to our galut for over two millenia)with different customs but we are all under the laws of the same Torah given to us at Sinai. The Reform movement has nothing to do with these differences. It is a different 'religion' in itself and there is an agenda attached to it. If you can't see that then you don't seem to have an understanding of what is at stake.

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  9. Anonymous: I know exactly what's at stake. Yes, some people will interpret Reform as a different "religion," but let's distinguish the "Reform movement" from Reform Jews. The Reform Jews may be "wrong" as far as their practices are concerned, but let's not write out huge numbers of our brethren from Judaism. Maybe the problem is that the suggestion that the Jews are illegitimate, rather than their practices, is the cause of the strife today.

    My point is that if you want to reach these Jews, don't use language that implies that they are the problem. That will keep them away. If you want to draw them closer to Torah, then you need to welcome your fellow Jews. Of course, there is the line called halacha which defines us. I think that we recognize this line. But I would welcome anyone who acknowledges that they, too, are bound by halacha, even though they do not strictly observe it.

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