Perhaps the most chilling words contained in any of the thousands of rabbinic works on the Torah are those written by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk in his Meshech Chochmah commentary to the passages of Tochacha-Rebuke of Bechukotai. Describing historical cycles of Jewish communities in exile – a phenomenon expanded upon more recently by Rabbi Berel Wein – the Meshech Chochmah writes how, with the lengthening of each exilic sojourn, new generations of Jews arise who are disillusioned with their heritage and start to identify more strongly with the culture of their host nation. Such assimilation, the Meshech Chochmah darkly predicts from 1920s Germany, would lead to a “storm” which would uproot the nation from its complacency and delusions.
The immediate focus of Rabbi Meir Simcha is to impress upon us the vital role of a fully-functioning Sanhedrin in ensuring the continuing relevance and applicability of Jewish law to new generations. Talmud Reclaimed explores in detail the scope of such a judicial power and the implications for the Jewish people in exile who lack its wisdom and legislative ability.
But I believe that this cycle of exilic disillusionment is part of a much broader phenomenon, in which our Judaism and distinct Jewish identity can become relegated to increasingly irrelevant background ritual if not constantly rejuvenated and renewed. This can manifest itself in several ways:
1. In terms of our unique Jewish identity, new generations have repeatedly shown an alarming lack of awareness of our national history. When my grandmother, a child-refugee from Czechoslovakia, warned us of the need to have a spare passport and ability to flee the country we would smile at each other, sure that we were growing up in a new civilized modern era in the West in which such anti-Semitism could no longer threaten us. Reading the thoughts of German Jews from the late 19th century and Spanish Jews from the Golden Age I know that our naivety and complacency had strong precedent.
2. This phenomenon of disillusionment and complacency is not limited to the Diaspora. In fact biblical warnings to the Israelites of religious and societal decay are prefaced with phrases like “And you grow old in the land and become corrupt…” (Devarim 4:25); initial stages of punishment are regarded with “keri” – apathy and complacency, leading to more severe suffering.
Instead of working to secure greater unity and finding ways to coexist together in our hard fought for State, we turned our energies inward to generate distrust and hatred for “enemies” and “traitors” elsewhere on the political spectrum.
Again, this corrupt and decadent attitude is not without historical precedent. Both Josephus (War of the Jews) and the Talmud provide vivid accounts of how the Jews possessed sufficient military capabilities to withstand the Roman siege. The walls of Jerusalem with its millions of citizens and holy Mikdash only fell because they turned so viciously on each other rather than unite against the common enemy.
3. A third manifestation of this national decay and complacency is in the religious sphere. Our Judaism becomes stultified and institutionalized – focused on high-profile rituals to supposedly ward off harmful spirits and divine wrath rather than building a genuine personal relationship with God and improving ourselves as individuals and communities. Heartfelt prophetic objections to decadent and corrupt elites prioritizing rote-performed ritual over the needs of the downtrodden and oppressed are as relevant today as they were 3000 years ago.
Bearing in mind the multiple very real dangers posed by such complacency and apathy, the opening words of our parashah take on a particular significance. “If you will walk in my statutes…” is an unusual phrase, interpreted by our sages to mean that we must remain dynamic, fresh and enthusiastic in our observance of the Torah – and in our Judaism in general. If so, continues the Torah, we can anticipate the fulfilment of the ultimate blessings, when we are spiritually, morally and nationally rejuvenated, that: “the Sword shall not pass through our land” and that we will “dwell with security in our own land”.
First posted on Facebook 26 May 2024, here.
