[Avodah] Judaism Is Not a Religion

[Yitzchok Levine]

The following is from the new translation of RSRH's commentary on 
Chumash Shemos.

6: 7 I will take you to Myself as a people and I will be a God to 
you; you will come to know that I am Hashem, your God, Who brings you 
out from under the burdens of Egypt.


7 v'lakachti. Once you are standing tall, when you will be free and aware of
your human rights, I will take you to be My people. As soon as you
are free, you will become My people! You will become My people, without
a land, without territory of your own, solely through Me!

li l'ahm. These two short words are the first statement of Israel's
destiny. They express the quality that makes Judaism so unique. It is
entirely inappropriate to refer to Judaism as "the Jewish religion"; it is
thoughtless to define Judaism as a religion, to classify it with the other
religions, and then to be amazed that this "religion" includes so many
elements that transcend the conventional bounds of "religion." li l'ahm:
Israel is to be a people unto God.

This statement alone already makes it clear that Judaism, as established
by God, is not a religion at all. True, Judaism also embraces
elements generally characterized as "religion," but the term "Judaism"
is completely different and infinitely broader. In "religion," God has
only temples, churches, priestly orders, congregations, etc. Nations, peoples,
are subject only to kings and governments; they are founded on
the concept of statehood, not on religion and God. In Judaism, however,
God founded not a church, but a nation; a whole national life is to be
fashioned by Him. Israel will be His people, not just a congregation of
believers.

How different are the ways of the "holy tongue" in its choice of
fitting expressions for the concepts "people" and its correlate, "king"!

<snip>

Only through their experience in the wilderness will they come to
realize that Hashem did not just redeem them once from Egypt, but, rather,
would always be their God; at present and at all times in the future He
would protect them, so that they not succumb under the "burdens of
Egypt," and would lead them out from under such burdens.

I have placed the entire commentary of Rav Hirsch on this pasuk at

http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/shemos_6_7.pdf

Yitzchok Levine 
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