{"id":910,"date":"2023-09-12T20:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T20:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/?p=910"},"modified":"2023-09-27T19:06:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T19:06:28","slug":"indigenous-judaism-for-the-21st-century-ce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/2023\/09\/12\/indigenous-judaism-for-the-21st-century-ce\/","title":{"rendered":"Indigenous Judaism for the 21st Century CE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every Jewish home library should have this book on the shelf. Judaism from an Indigenous perspective. Gift one to your local synagogue, as well! \u2013 Indigenous Judaism for the 21st Century CE, available on Amazon (link at bottom of post). Decades of expressions all in \u201ca nutshell\u201d. I only want to see us Jews having the honest conversation with the ruling majorities around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Indigenous<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To answer your desire to understand Jews, who we are, and what we believe\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Jews are a victim of a Colonial Arab-European established false equivalency. Jews are an Indigenous Judean people\/nation of the Levant, with an ethno-religion and Judean-orignating law system that informs and defines us \u2013 both in the land of Israel and in the Arab-European colonized diasporas. The majority of people in this world are either Christians, Muslims, Hindus, or Marxists. Of these \u2013 Christians, Muslims, and Marxists are adherents to a Colonial religion\/theology that is universalist and ethnic assimilating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Antisemitism was invented in the Aegean north by the Church Fathers of Roman Christianity. It is foundational to Christian doctrine. Jewish history and beliefs since Roman times has been directly informed and defined by this Christian antisemitism. They taught the Muslims of Arab Islam in the Hejaz south this anti-Indigenous racism, as well. We Jews, being an extreme minority people in this world, do not get the opportunity to define ourselves within the social world of Colonial Christian-Muslim supremacy. Instead, we survive this world by capitulation and secrecy. We behave like chameleons, matching our environment just enough to not be (hopefully) genocided and to survive as the Indigenous Judeans of the Canaan Levant that we Jews are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) There is no set \u201ctheology\u201d in Judaism, Judea-people-ism, other than the fulfillment of mitzvot\/halachot \u2013 our indigenous Jewish laws of the land of Israel. Jews are a people who observe our people\u2019s laws, regardless whether we are theistic or atheistic in our personal views. Rabbinic Judaism is only one version of traditional Judaism, and does not speak for all Jews. Jews have no set established \u201ceschatology\u201d, being not<\/em> a religion like Christianity and Islam. There is no \u201cHell\u201d, some Jews believe in reincarnation, and some Jews in a \u201cworld to come\u201d (resurrection to live again here on earth in Israel during the messianic age of world peace).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) As to \u201clife after death\u201d, some Jews believe what Torah teaches: That ha\u2019Shem \u2013 the Jewish deity of the Levant, YHWH, who is the \u201cGod\u201d of the people of Israel \u2013 is a god \u201cof the living\u201d and not of the dead, full stop. That only \u201cGod\u201d has a \u201csoul\u201d that is breathed into all nefesh (humans, animals, birds, fish, and insects) at their birth with the first breath, and this \u201csoul\u201d is removed from the dying nefesh at the last breath. Other beliefs within Judaism, especially among Jews of the Western diasporas, were a later introduction to Judaism through European\/Christian colonialism of planet Earth. By default, being an Indigenous Judean people with an ethno-religion, we Jews have a \u201cworld-accepting\u201d Levantine worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the words of Hasidic rabbi, Menachem Manis HaKohen Friedman, on what Judaism is \u2013 for comparison:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad Judaism is not a religion\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion offers salvation, enlightenment, a place in heaven. Religion teaches self-improvement: humility, devotion, patience, faith. Religion demands a standard of behavior that benefits our souls, our bodies and our society. I\u2019m glad Judaism is not a religion. Because all of the above can be self-serving and narcissistic. Religion can be its own worst enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion emphasizes the importance of being good, and of being right. It condemns those who are bad and those who are wrong. Those who practice a religion strive to be perfect. If they fail they may be condemned, and if they succeed they may become intolerant of others. I\u2019m glad Judaism is not a religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion must invariably create a caste system \u2014 more religious is better, higher, holier. Less religious is lesser, lower, more profane. The pious can be measured in percentages. 100%, 50%, 2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion insists our nature is evil. To be good, we are told, we must resist our natural impulses and replace them with other worldly virtues. You can\u2019t be \u201cyou\u201d and good at the same time. You must therefore sacrifice the \u201cyou\u201d and choose \u201cgood.\u201d I\u2019m glad Judaism is not a religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Judaism?\u2026 The opportunity to serve provides an escape from narcissism by taking us beyond ourselves. The objective now focuses on the deed rather than on the person. Is it good? Is it right? That is the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own goodness and righteousness is not the issue. Even when I\u2019m not all good I can do that which is truly good. And when you do a mitzvah it is as good regardless of who you are or what you are. The gratitude for this opportunity brings real joy to life\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooperation, not religious competition. Equally significant is the fact that we are born to these mitzvahs. G\u2011d created us for this mission. It is therefore our truest self that fulfills the mitzvah, not a denial of self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 613 mitzvahs don\u2019t make you religious or pious. They simply bridge the most Jewish in the Jew with the most G\u2011dly in G\u2011d. One to One. The mitzvahs are the many intimacies we can share with G\u2011d. They express the Jew in you. Every mitzvah counts \u2014 every Jew is precious. Now, that\u2019s Judaism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Menachem Manis HaKohen Friedman \u05de\u05e0\u05d7\u05dd \u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e1 \u05d4\u05db\u05d4\u05df \u05e4\u05e8\u05d9\u05d3\u05de\u05df\u200e; born 1946, is a Chabad Lubavitch Hassid, Shliach, rabbi, author, social philosopher and public speaker. He is also the dean of the Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more blogs available on this site, click here now<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

META Description : We Jews are so glad that Judaism is not a religion. We want others to understand. Indigenous Judaism for the 21st century!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to the book directly below. Touch the cover!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n