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Idolatry Is Totally OK (Parshah Chukat)

June 11, 2013 by Patrick Beaulier

800px-Museo_nazionale_del_Cinema_-_Cabiria_(Turin)

 

Picture it: Limmud Weekend. Two summers ago.

I’m at a retreat for Jewish adults and families. It’s like summer camp, for everyone. And at this very moment, I’m having a shouting match with a rabbi.

I said, “Don’t you think, rabbi, that all the minhag and all the interpretations and Talmudic stuff detracts away from the original intention of the Torah? I mean, at what point are we putting the Baal Shem Tov above Moses?”

He replied, “It’s all Torah. In every generation someone comes along and clarifies it and expands on it. Rambam did it. Baal Shem Tov…”

“Isn’t that just idolatry? Building up another bronze snake that someone’s going to have to tear down in another generation?”

“Ah, but see. That’s it. Idolatry is OK as long as it’s the idolatry that HaShem tells us is OK.”

I get angry and storm off. Who does this guy think he is? Idolatry is OK as long as it comes from God? What kind of whack job non-sense is that?

But then again, what kind of whack job am I? Months later I would obsess about making sure that my vinegar was kosher for Passover, while at the same Passover seder advocating for gay marriage.

Life’s like that. We pick and choose the things that matter: even if that means picking and choosing to ignore that we’re picking and choosing.

An Anthology of What’s Wrong With Me (Circle Pit the Bimah)

This Torah Portion Won’t Stop Repeating Itself A La Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Judaism & Belief, Random (Feelin' Lucky?), Rants Tagged With: convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, dvar for the week, online conversion, Parsha Chukat, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier

Parsha Chukat: An Anthology Of What Is Wrong With Me (Num.19:1 – 22:1)

June 26, 2012 by Jeremiah

If Chukat is about faith in Hashem’s covenant to provide a home and good health to those who choose to follow him why has this week’s Torah portion done nothing but distract me during my meditation since early childhood? Why does it feed my naturally ingrown neurosis and “Jewish” flavored guilt? If I knew the answer to that then I would be a fully realized Jew and unfortunately for me I am light years away from being a fully realized anything.

For me personally, there is just way too much going on in Chukat that I can link directly to my life. First, Miriam dies in Zin meaning she never sets foot in the promised land. When I was young I used to have this recurring dream that I was at my Aunt and Uncle’s house, their last name is Zinn, in these dreams I am [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Rants Tagged With: chukat, Circle Pit The Bimah, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, Guilt, jeremiah, miriam, Moses, numbers, online conversion, Parsha Chukat, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier

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