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The following is from this week's Jewish Page Magazine Inbox. It
deals with the question of why there have never been any movements like
reform in the Sephardic world. Note the statements
"<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Jacob
Ka</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">z
te</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ls us that the doctrine of
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">daas
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Torah later became cemented in the
1870s, </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">when
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">the<br>
Church
deve</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">oped a doctrine of
papa</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">infa</font>
<font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
libili</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">y." and "As Rabbi Marc
Ange</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">wr</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">tes on p.
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">175
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">o</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
f </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Foundations of Sephardic
Spirituality: "Sephardic tradition eschewed extreme
posit</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ons, trying to keep as many Jews
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">within
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">the
fo</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">d as possible. It is no
acc</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">dent that
Sephard</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">m </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">never
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">broke into
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">various religious
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">movements, as did the
Ashkenazim." <br><br>
</font><font size=3>I think the points he makes are something to think
about. YL<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">The reason
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">why
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
here never </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">was
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">a need for
non-ha</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">achic movements
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">(Haftorah
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Happenings, 4-19) among the
Sepharadim is quite simple: our<br>
societies developed a horizonta</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">approach to religious
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
i</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">f</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
e, as opposed to a vertical one. Sephardic Judaism is Judaism of the
sacred book;
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
earning for<br>
us entails a straight reading of the entire Torah (including the Tanach,
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">which
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">has
fa</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">len out of favor in Ashkenaz yeshivot),
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">with
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">an emphasis on bekiyut.<br>
Whi</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">e our chachamim are
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">respected
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">and
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">revered,
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">the doctrine of "daas
Torah" </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">was
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">never
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">part
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">of our experience. Tosafot, in
Berachot 31b, DH Moreh<br>
Halacha Bifenei Rabach At, give </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">us
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">one of the early
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">references
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">to a doctrine of "gadol
hador," and<br>
Jacob
Ka</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">z
te</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ls us that the doctrine of
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">daas
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Torah later became cemented in the
1870s, </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">when
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">the<br>
Church
deve</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">oped a doctrine of
papa</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">infa</font>
<font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
libili</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">y. In addition, an authoritarian asceticism
developed<br>
among
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
he Chasidei Ashkenaz, </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">who were
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">no</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
t</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">orious for
ex</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">reme
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">forms of
morti</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">fi</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">cation of the<br>
flesh (not
un</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ike German
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">Martin
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Luther), such as makkos
(self-flage</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">lation), rolling
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">in
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">the snow, and<br>
other extreme physical, </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">masochistic
measures </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">as a kaparah. This
proclivity towards stringency also<br>
manifests
itse</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">f in halachic
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">ru</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ings,
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
ending the Ashkenazic approach closer to that of Shammai.<br>
In Andalus and other Sephardic environs, there
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">was
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">a</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
l</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">ways
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">an openness and a
rea</font><font size=3 color="#222B03">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">ization
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">that<br>
there is a
re</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ig</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ous
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
mpera</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">ti</font>
<font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">ve </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">to
know abou</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">God's
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">world,
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">and the riches of
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">he
ar</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">s, literature,<br>
science, and all areas of human
knowledge</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">.
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Sepharad created a society that
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">was
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">re</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">igious and<br>
humanistic, led by the teachings of the Rambam, and others. As Rabbi Marc
Ange</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">wr</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">tes on p.<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">175
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">o</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
f </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Foundations of Sephardic
Spirituality: "Sephardic tradition eschewed extreme
posit</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ons,<br>
trying to keep as many Jews </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">within
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">the
fo</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">d as possible. It is no
acc</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">dent that
Sephard</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">m
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">never<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">broke into
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">various religious
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">movements, as did the
Ashkenazim."<br><br>
The
religious</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">y
analphabe</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ic </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">world
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">of Ashkenaz, as seen today
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
n Lakewood, Bnei Brak, and<br>
Meah Shearim, is one type of extremism
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">which
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">led to the extremism of
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">
he haskalah, whereas </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">in<br>
the Sephardic
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">wor</font>
<font size=3 color="#222B03">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">d, the
idea</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">s of Torah, maddah, Jewish unity,
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">intellectual
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">openness, peaceful,<br>
positive
re</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">at</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ons
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">with
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">all
peop</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">e, and a pleasant, lenient,
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">halachic
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">approach led
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">to
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">a
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">religious<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">
ife that was </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">open,
to</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">erant, humane, intellectually
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">vigorous,
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">and much-beloved.
Scho</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ars like<br>
Chacham Uziel, Chacham Yose</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">f
F</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">aur, Rabbi
Ange</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">,
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Yisrael Moshe
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">H</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
azan,
E</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
iyahu Benamozegh,<br>
Chacham Haim David Ha
</font><font size=3 color="#222B03">L</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
evy, and others best </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">represent
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">this
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">wo</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
rl</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">dview</font>
<font size=3 color="#353F0E">.
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Instead of
minima</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">izing<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">and
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">rejecting, we
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">seek to accommodate and make sense of
the
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">wor</font>
<font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">d, and
how modernity can<br>
magnify our lives </font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">while
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">staying planted
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
n our
pr</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">nciples.
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">T</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">
h</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
s
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
s the key to our
re</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ig</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">
i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ous
v</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
gor.<br>
Lov</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ng
tru</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">h,
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
aking a Hille</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">approach, and
be</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">i</font>
<font size=3 color="#4F5A20">ng
</font><font size=3 color="#5E6A2B">receptiv</font>
<font size=3 color="#353F0E">e </font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">to all
is
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
he key
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">t</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
o Sephardic
</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">l</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
i</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">f</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">
e</font><font size=3 color="#353F0E">.<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#4F5A20">Daniel Solomon Sayani</font></body>
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