Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (aka Rambam and Maimonides)

ב"ה

Tonight, I went to my synagogue to see a showing of a movie about
Rambam (aka Maimonides). I had previously seen a Rabbi Berel Wein production of a movie about Rashi and enjoyed it immensely. I assumed I would like this one too, and I was not disappointed.

The movie told about the life of Rambam. There were interesting details that included scenes with Muslim zealots called the Almohads coming into Jewish Cordoba and giving the Jews there the traditional non-choice -- leave with just the possessions on your back, convert or die.

To some degree, I understand why Muslims (and a few centuries later, Christians) would give Jews the choice of convert or die. When you know you don't have the truth on your side, you need to keep people under the thumb of death threats. But Judaism is the truth and Jews understand this in a way that people whose version of the truth is anything but the truth will never understand. Because their version of the truth has more holes in it than all the golf courses in the world, they don't understand what the real truth looks like, so they don't understand why we can't give up our way of life.

I understand why the Karaites of Fustat, Egypt, had issues with Rambam. They didn't want the other Karaite Jews to realize that the truth in Rabbinic Judaism and leave the Karaite fold.

What I don't understand is why so many Ashkenazic Jews feel the need to force their customs and interpretations on Sephardic Jews. I don't understand they Sephardic Rabbis are often threatened (by threats of non-acceptance within the Orthodox community) for having different opinions or following their own halakha (version of Jewish Law). I have been learning Shulhan Arukh -- the Code of Jewish Law -- written by the Sephardic scholar Rab Yoseph Karo. In the Shulhan Arukh is also versions of the writings of the Polish Ashkenazic scholar Rav Moshe Isserles (Rama). Right there in one volume is not only the Halakhot for Sephardic Jews and for Ashkenazic Jews side by side. Both are equally acceptable.

Which sort of begs the question: why are so many Ashkenazic Jews bullying Sephardic Jews into discarding their own traditions? Why can't these people accept variations in Halakha that don't match their opinions? Can it be that they are concerned that their way isn't the truth?

Well, Torah bullies, ease your minds. Both versions are Tora, both versions are equally valid Tora paths. Stop trying to create a monolithic Judaism. Monolithic Judaism is antithetical to a living Tora and to the concept of Halakha as a growing, living, breathing, developing entity. Keep Rambam's dream alive and continue protecting his ideals.

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Losing our religion

B"H

By heritage I'm mostly Ashkenzic. But in my heart, I'm Sephardic. I think it might have something to do with Sephardic ancestors or maybe it's that I'm drawn to the Spanish language (and, by extension, or perhaps it's Spanish by extension, Ladino). I've been in love with Sephardic (and Mizrahi) culture since I knew there was a difference between Ashkenazic and Sephardic.

The Sephardic (and Mizrahi) cultures grew around the Mediterranean area where the weather is similar to that of Israel. Ashkenazic culture grew away from the Mediterranean area, in the more Northern areas of Europe (like Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Russia, all in colder climates than Spain, Turkey, Morocco, etc. where the Sephardic culture grew).

Because of the change of venue, Ashkenazic Jews often had to come up with other customs. An example of this is Marror (bitter herb for the Passover Seder -- in the Talmud, romaine lettuce is the preferred Marror but because Jews moved to areas of the world where romaine lettuce would not be available in April (around the time of year Passover occurs), the current more popular Marror in Ashkenazic communities is grated horseradish root.

Unfortunately, Ashkenazim (and I am officially Ashkenazic) have a tendancy to be chauvinistic (in this specific case I don't mean sexist, even though a lot of Orthodox and "black hatter" Orthodox have a tendancy to be sexist too). That is, they think only their way is right.

Often, the Sephardic way of doing things is different from the Ashkenazic way. Sephardim follow the Shulhan Arukh, a book of Halakha (Jewish Law) written by Rabbi Yosef Caro in the 16th Century. It didn't take long for the Ashkenazic community to start adding on to this work.

The biggest issue in this regard is that since Ashkenazim are woefully uninformed about Sephardic customs, they often interpret Sephardic customs, culture and halakha as being inferior in some way to their "brand" of observance.

I see this happen in just about every Sephardic community -- Sephardim often have to defer to the Ashkenazic way of doing things. Sephardim, consequently, are forgetting their customs and observances.

Since the Sephardic way is often the way of the Mediterranean area and, hence, the original Israel custom, it is important that these customs be preserved. It is wrong for Ashkenazim to treat Sephardic customs as substandard. It is wrong for Ashkenazim to push their ideas and opinions on Sephardim. But it is equally wrong for Sephardim to allow it. Sephardim should stand up to Ashkenazim.

When Moshiah comes, he will be the one to figure out which is the appropriate custom. In the meantime, all customs and variations of Halakha need to be respected. Always.

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi

Check out my other blogs:

Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

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