Friday, January 4, 2008

Tradition or time-trap?

[A peek at what Passover's like in Candyland--LNM]

Hey guys, it's the Candyman, and wait till you hear about this latest candy I discovered! They're these shrink-wrapped, dried savory mushrooms a friend brought from me in China. Last night I woke up around 4 a.m. with the munchies and started snacking on some of these. You gotta try 'em! Not hechshered/certified of course, but probably kosher. Anyways, I'm snacking in bed, lying on my side, and what should pop into my mind but the Passover seder. 'Cuz we recline, of course! In my house, we do it the way it was meant to be done, in true Greek style: everyone gets a couch, lies down on her left side, and props her head up with her left arm, leaving the right arm free to handle the food. None of this leaning-to-the-left-in-your-chair phony baloney.

So lying on my side last night, snacking on this Chinese mushroom stuff, well it brought to my mind some questions about traditions and culture. I mean, on the one hand, we've got this interesting snack coming out of the Chinese culinary tradition. On the other hand, my Jewish tradition has come up with a very strange custom of lying on one side during the Passover meal. The Chinese tradition is all about enjoying a nice, convenient piece of food. The Jewish one is kinda strict, and is only one drop in a sea of rituals that make up the Passover meal.

So the question is, do these traditions reflect some deeper truth about Chinese or Jewish cultural values? Are they some kind of manifestation of divine will or human moral value? Or did they just arise like the patterns on the peacock's tail: random noise that caught someone's eye and managed to propagate itself through history? In a parallel universe, are the Jewish traditions the same, and the Chinese food? Or is it completely arbitrary?

This touches upon a sensitive point that arose the last time I posted, about discrimination in Judaism. Most folks seemed to agree that a little outreach building bridges in the non-Jewish world wouldn't hurt our great national cause. But when I dared to suggest, in the comments, that we ditch some of our current Jewish traditions in favor of actually doing said outreach, people balked. They thought this would be too great a sacrifice. They didn't want to lose extant traditions in favor of new ones. I think that attitude explains, in a large way, why Orthodox Jews have *so many* traditions/rules. They don't want to abandon any of them! But might not traditions like lying on your side at the seder have a half-life? I mean, does that still make us feel liberated? And if we aren't being discerning in the traditions we keep, what is their value?

And does anyone have the time to keep *all* these Jewish traditions and also do outreach among non-Jews? I mean, if you work for a living, go to shul/synagogue three times a day, and have a chavruta/study session after maariv/evening prayer, you barely have time to give your wife the face time she needs. And doesn't this blind fidelity to old traditions stifle the development of new ones? Especially given the attitude in Orthodox Judaism that the older the tradition, the more valuable and authoritative.

I'll close with two Passover traditions that deserve special attention. The first is actually eating roasted lamb at the seder. Now I know, I know, we can't bring sacrifices since the Temple isn't standing. But that doesn't stop us from having a delicious lamb barbeque on Passover eve! No, it's a Rabbinical technicality that has forced us to give up this delicious lamb in favor of turkey on Passover night. Well, the rabbis may not have realized they were asking Jews to give up their roasted lamb for a couple of millenia. To me, and hundreds of other yiddin/Jews who crave a little bassar/meat with their dried-out Eastern European matzos, a well-roasted lamb would make the seder a lot more pleasurable. I'd feel a lot more free having lamb than lying on my side. Bring back the lamb!

The second tradition is to put an orange on the seder plate, as a symbol of inclusion for marginalized Jews (such as gays and lesbians, who are still not free, neither in our religion nor in our country). The custom has been associated with a funny anecdote, although in true Rabbinic fashion it's been debated by the woman who came up with it. Anyways, I think it's a good idea.

Giving up old traditions, or old ways of living, doesn't mean they never had any value. Those things may have been necessary to get us where we are today. But don't get caught living in the past. The best thing I can say to you guys is, when it comes to religion, think big. You only live once. You're creative cats. Live inspired. Come up with your own traditions. Go out and change the world.

21 comments:

Rich said...

What drives me nuts is customs that are put in place for a reason that is specific to that time. Then we keep doing them because no rabbi now has the balls to override what a rabbi "back then" said.

Since you are talking about Passover, one of the things that gets me is kitniyot. So because they had trouble keeping the corn & rice separate from the wheat, I can't eat them?? Even worse is that all legumes somehow get lumped together. Please tell me how anyone could mix up up a string bean and wheat??

Another biggie for me is how chicken "became" meat. apparently, this was enacted at a time when the Jews could not afford meat and they "needed" meat for shabbat. so the rabbis decided that chicken would be considered meat. ever wonder why these animals are considered meat but another animal, fish, are parve??

Anonymous said...

"On the other hand, my Jewish tradition has come up with a very strange custom of lying on one side during the Passover meal."

We lean to one side. In the old days in the Roman Empire people lay to one side. In any event you want us to abandon Jewish customs for outreach. How are we supposed to do outreach if we abandon who we are. What is there for us to contribute. Why not ask the Muslims to abandon their religious customs for outreach.

Baal Habos said...

Candyman, nice post. I think Dov Bear discussed the fact that reclining may be copied from the Greeks.
Interestingly enough, the leaning thing is more than just a minhag. It has the status of a Din. I believe failure to recline voids the Mitsvah and requires stuffing your face with another 300 calories of Matsoh.

Holy Hyrax said...

You stil have not explained how keeping old traditions hinders reaching out to the world. Is praying three times a day that bothersome? When the tsunami hit did, charedi voluneteers refuse to go becuase the would not have enough time to pray mincha?

I agree some traditions should be put away for good. But your tone last time was to get rid of shabbat so we can go bowling with muslims. This is not a mere disposing of some tradition of not eating at a place that a Jew did not turn on the oven.

Anonymous said...

I like the orange on the seder plate. A fruit for a fruit. BTW gays are free to not act on their homosexual impulses! So try hard candyman YOU CAN DO IT!

Lubab No More said...

SDR,

> gays are free to not act on their homosexual impulses! So try hard candyman YOU CAN DO IT!

Really? What is this? 5th grade? Grow up please.

Anonymous said...

"Lubab No More said...
SDR,

> gays are free to not act on their homosexual impulses! So try hard candyman YOU CAN DO IT!

Really? What is this? 5th grade? Grow up please."

Lubabnomore are heteros free to not act on their sexual impulses? Is nobody free to not act on impulse?

The Candy Man said...

>Since you are talking about Passover, one of the things that gets me is kitniyot.

Rich, yeah, it's ridiculous. And pasta ain't chometz either. It needs to *leaven* with *yeast* to be chometz.

>Interestingly enough, the leaning thing is more than just a minhag. It has the status of a Din. I believe failure to recline voids the Mitsvah and requires stuffing your face with another 300 calories of Matsoh.

Great point. Of course, there's no basis for this in Scripture... just like there's no reason anyone should have to stuff his face to eat an olive's or egg's worth of matzo. It's outta control.

The Candy Man said...

>In any event you want us to abandon Jewish customs for outreach. How are we supposed to do outreach if we abandon who we are.

>I agree some traditions should be put away for good. But your tone last time was to get rid of shabbat so we can go bowling with muslims. This is not a mere disposing of some tradition of not eating at a place that a Jew did not turn on the oven.

OK, let me clear the air here. First off, if you can keep all the extant Jewish traditions and just add on outreach to non-Jews and community service, then great. Right now Orthodox Judaism, and to a lesser extent the other major branches, are 95% by-Jews for-Jews affairs. I want to see that change... I don't care how. I am merely suggesting that if people are busy, let's get creative with our traditions.

So, I never advocated getting rid of shabbat. The essence of shabbat is not going to work. Most Jews today don't believe God laid down "39 m'lachot (types of work)", and don't keep that kind of Orthodox Sabbath anyways. I suggested cutting back the temple/synagogue service in favor of spending time interacting with people of another faith. And if you're an Orthodox Jew, you can do it too... go to the early minyan, and substitute scrabble for bowling after kiddush. Using books to keep score, of course.

I have said it before, I'll say it again: the biggest challenge for Jews today is to make peace with the Arabs. That's our opportunity to do something big. Everything else is candy.

Some traditions do, however, deserve to be thrown into the dust bin. These are the ones that go beyond ritual, that hold us back as a people. They include copying and reading all those verses in Scripture that are discriminatory. As much as you guys claim these things are not practiced today, these horrible verses are still being read in synagogues and cherished as the word of God. You don't need to tear these verses out of the Torah if you can't bring yourself to do it, but at least you should not read them aloud in the synagogue.

>Why not ask the Muslims to abandon their religious customs for outreach.

I am asking that. But Muslims only listen to the Muslim Candyman.

The funny thing is, our respective religious traditions actually have the potential to bring our two peoples closer. The Jewish and Muslim traditions have a lot in common. If you don't want to abandon traditions for outreach, then use your traditions creatively to accomplish the same goal. To quote sdr: YOU CAN DO IT!

Holy Hyrax said...

>I have said it before, I'll say it again: the biggest challenge for Jews today is to make peace with the Arabs. That's our opportunity to do something big. Everything else is candy.

I don't know about you, but Im pretty much in peace with Arabs. I think what you mean is Israel and its Arab neighbors being at peace. Maybe Im pessimistic (or realistic), but me having some dialogue with Arabs here, will not help out. There are serious questions that are at stake here, that even if Israel or the rest of the Jews are ok with Arabs, they must be answered.

Orthoprax said...

Candyman,

You are free to do whatever you want with your Jewish heritage, but don't pretend that your heritage would look on proudly at what you'd like to do to it.

If you don't want to go to shul then don't, but don't pretend that shul is a barrier holding back peace. That's BS and you know it.

How about instead of wasting your time blogging you go play Scrabble with Hindus.

The Candy Man said...

Orthoprax,
>don't pretend that your heritage would look on proudly at what you'd like to do to it.

Does my heritage include Reform Jewish thought? Biblical Judaism? Or is it limited to the limited, self-contradictory chimera that is Orthodox Judaism, as your moniker might suggest?

>don't pretend that shul is a barrier holding back peace.

Oh, but it is. Do you actually understand what they are reading during Torah reading when they suggest wiping out every man, woman, and child of Amalek? Or when you disparage other nations saying Aleinu? Or are you just paying lip service at that time while you daydream... as your moniker might suggest?

Anonymous said...

"The Candy Man said...
Orthoprax,
>don't pretend that your heritage would look on proudly at what you'd like to do to it.

Does my heritage include Reform Jewish thought? Biblical Judaism? Or is it limited to the limited, self-contradictory chimera that is Orthodox Judaism, as your moniker might suggest?

>don't pretend that shul is a barrier holding back peace.

Oh, but it is. Do you actually understand what they are reading during Torah reading when they suggest wiping out every man, woman, and child of Amalek? Or when you disparage other nations saying Aleinu? Or are you just paying lip service at that time while you daydream... as your moniker might suggest?"

What's readily apparent is that you are not objective about your own people but prejudiced. You're just repeating biased nonsense and don't tell me about Amalek because we didn't wipe them out other than on the field of battle. And even if we did it has nothing to do with today. It's just a red herring.

Anonymous said...

You ask us to drop our customs in favor of what? To impress whom? Superficial moralists? Forget it. I'll pit the Jewish way of life against self righteous self important superficial morality. At least we can be superficial with a moral system not invented to impress anybody. If you do a Mitzva not for its own sake at least it could lead you to eventually be sincere.

Holy Hyrax said...

candyman

When we shul members are out there, with our bayonets, hunting suspected amalekites, then you would have a point.

The Candy Man said...

You guys keep using the fact that you're not slaying anyone as an excuse.

To me, Judaism is about more than just not being a horrible person. Can't words and ideas have an impact? The only reason you're defending these terrible verses is because OJ dictates that God wrote 'em.

Slaying people is impractical these days... but wiping out discriminatory ideas is a "mitva" we can keep.

Anonymous said...

"Can't words and ideas have an impact?"

Sure. Think of what words are really being said. Do we slay people or do we try to make peace? Do we use the story of Amalek to hang people and kill them? No.

"The only reason you're defending these terrible verses is because OJ dictates that God wrote 'em."

I can think of one other reason and that is that it gets somewhat wrong certainly from a secular eyeview to judge with no consideration for time and place especially when something wasn't even carried out in the manner you imply was the intention. It wasn't even like Shmuel rebuked Shaul for sparing so many people as he certainly did, but rather for sparing King Agag.

Orthoprax said...

CM,

"Does my heritage include Reform Jewish thought? Biblical Judaism? Or is it limited to the limited, self-contradictory chimera that is Orthodox Judaism, as your moniker might suggest?"

I'm not limiting any given conception of Judaism. Like I said, you're free to do with it what you will. But I am condemning your caricaturization of traditional observance and your oh so eagerness to gut Judaism for the sake of nice-sounding superficial platitudes. I am accusing you of disingenuity and putting a fake moral spin on what amounts to your bias against tradition.

"Oh, but it is. Do you actually understand what they are reading during Torah reading when they suggest wiping out every man, woman, and child of Amalek? Or when you disparage other nations saying Aleinu?"

Bullshit! And you know it! When have you ever heard an Orthodox Jew - or any Jew - refer to those things as basis for war?

There is, I agree, some sense of Jewish supremacism which is problematic. And attitudes about the divine-right to the land of Israel are troublesome. But these have to do with attitudes and beliefs and little to do with traditional observances.

You can just as easily read Aleinu and come to the conclusion that Jews are given a unique heritage and opportunity without concluding supremacy. And there are plenty of interpretations of Amalek that completely undermine the sense that it requires any actual killing of people. The real goal is to change minds while remaining who we are as a people.

But this was hardly the point of your posts. It had little to do with particular prayers or Torah verses, but with the whole of traditional observance which you consider a big waste of time. And that that time could have been better spent bowling with Muslims or teaching orphans how to ride bikes. It is that point which I object to strongly.

I think you're a big faker pretending to take some moral high ground. Like I said before, stop wasting your time blogging and go do some community service.

-suitepotato- said...

It is true that in some quarters things are so much less Jewish than Eastern European (insert smaller finer grain identification here) that it becomes silly, and in fact downright dangerous. Dangerous because we collectively use them to reinforce our mutual delusions that G-d has any serious interest in them and therefore we're doing something not very fun AND irrelevant to the faith at the same time. Going by my own personal ikkarim that G-d is not a sadistic bastard, I'd say He doesn't want us to be having no fun (physical/temporal sadism) AND doing something spiritually irrelevant while deceiving ourselves otherwise (spiritual sadism).

Of course, most run along the lines of other consensual crimes and the idea that if no one is hurt and everyone consents, who cares... that comes to mind. But then, if we don't accept that premise for johns and prostitutes then how do we accept it for corruptions of faith no matter how innocent and well-meaning?

Quite a pickle to ponder. I've done that before in Catholicism. Much not very joyful tradition masquerading as something pious and on top of that commanded when it appears in no book of either testament.

I guess the choice is up to the individual and if enough individuals make a choice and through preponderance of good results and reception and peace... then that is the right way if you believe that good begets good.

Though, I don't believe it will end the clash between Jews and Muslims. That one is over a thousand years old and deeply emotional.

The Candy Man said...

OP,
>I think you're a big faker pretending to take some moral high ground.

It's strange to be called a faker by someone orthoprax. Kinda the pot calling the kettle black. In social work, it's called projecting.

Your middot need some work. I suggest reviewing pirkei avot.

>Like I said before, stop wasting your time blogging and go do some community service.

Blogging is both fun and community service. There's time for both in life.

This Shabbat I went to a political meeting instead of shul. A bunch of people turned out for a cause they really believed in. Pretty cool.

Orthoprax said...

CM,

"It's strange to be called a faker by someone orthoprax. Kinda the pot calling the kettle black. In social work, it's called projecting."

I'm not projecting. I really do believe in the value of Jewish observance. I just have philosophical differences from the general observant Jewish population.

When I call you a faker I really mean it, truly and simply as a judgement call on your character. Deal with it.

You pretend there is a battle between traditional observance and general community service and therefore knock observance because it isn't community service. My point is that this "battle" is completely fictitious and is only your sophistic way of putting down observance by standing on a fake pile of moral superiority.

Go ahead, promote activism, promote outreach - those are great things. But you better think twice before you sully those great things by using them as truncheons in your battle against the traditional observances of your people.