[Avodah] RSRH on Golus
Micha Berger
micha at aishdas.org
Fri Apr 20 11:40:44 PDT 2012
On Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 01:00:54PM -0400, Prof. Levine wrote:
> There has been considerable discussion on Areivim about living in Golus
> and the role of Jews in Golus. In light of this, I have posted the
> ninth letter from RSRH's The Nineteen Letters About Judaism at
> http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/ninth_letter.pdf . It deals
> in detail with Golus.
Or <http://books.google.com/books?id=q02JxKxj5jQC&pg=PA79#v=onepage>
for the Ninth Letter in R' Dr Bernard Drachman's 1899 edition. It
suffers in readability both due to 113 years of language drift and
because RDBD stayed very close to the German original. (That link
is to a full free and legal e-copy of the book.)
As I wrote on Areivim before seing that RYL took the discussion here...
RSRH was anti-Zionist. We don't know if his reasoning applied to
post-1948 realities would yeild different results or not. It's an
untestable hypothetical.
RSRH would have us take the culture of Yefes and bring it into ohalei
Sheim. Perhaps retreating to our own country before the final ge'ulah is
a bad idea, as it doesn't bring the yaft E-lokim leYefes to the service
of ohalei Shaim. I don't know. I wouldn't take it for granted.
The chapter ends with a long quote from Yeshaiah, but before that:
If in the midst of a world which reveres wealth and lust it should
live a tranquil life of righteousness and love if while everywhere
the generation is rapidly sinking into sensuality and immorality
Israel's sons and daughters should bloom forth in the best adornment
of youth purity and innocence if though everywhere the habitations of
men should cease to be the orchards in which are grown human fruit
pleasing in the sight of God and man every Israelitish house should
nevertheless be a temple of true faith in God of reverence and love
for Him if though everywhere avarice lust and greed should become the
motives of human actions every Jew should still in despite thereof be
a silent example and teacher of universal righteousness and universal
love if thus the dispersed of Israel should show themselves everywhere
on earth the glorious priests of God and pure humanity O my Benjamin
if we were if we would become what we should be if our lives were a
perfect reflection of our law what a mighty engine we would constitute
for propelling mankind to the final goal of all human education More
quietly but more forcefully and profoundly would it effect mankind
than even our tragical record of sorrows powerfully though this
latter teaches the intervention of providence in human affairs.
In the centuries of passion and scorn our mission was but imperfectly
attainable but the ages of mildness and justice now begun beckon
us to that glorious goal that every Jew and every Jewess should be
in his or her own life a modest and unassuming priest or priestess
of God and true humanity When such an ideal and such a mission
await us can we still my Benjamin lament our fate?
Perhaps RSRH would say that until mashiach, we priests need to continue
mingling with our flock?
:-)BBii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Today is the 13th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org 1 week and 6 days in/toward the omer.
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