Goodbye, Spinoza

I interact often with highly educated and secular Jews as well as goyim. I am recently working with a brilliant retired Austrian Freudian psychologist . She has a few PhD’s as well as a world of exposure to the philosophies and thinking of ancient religions. I discuss cases with her often . I send her the most ...     more I interact often with highly educated and secular Jews as well as goyim. I am recently working with a brilliant retired Austrian Freudian psychologist . She has a few PhD’s as well as a world of exposure to the philosophies and thinking of ancient religions. I discuss cases with her often . I send her the most difficult problems that I encounter, and I have become like her colleague in treating the orthodox people she treats. I cannot overestimate the awe and respect she has gained of Torah and Judaism from hearing my thoughts on many matters . I have this woman studying Duties of the Heart !!l I know first hand that Judaism has much to teach the world . I interact with these people all the time . I will enjoy the coming letters.     less

Hermann Cohen considered Spinoza to be a soneh yisrael and approved of his excommunication . For a long time liberal Jews believed that liberal, secular culture, in any conflict with Jewish Tradition, was always right. We may now be prepared to be critical of secular culture and affirm that, sometimes, secular ...     more Hermann Cohen considered Spinoza to be a soneh yisrael and approved of his excommunication . For a long time liberal Jews believed that liberal, secular culture, in any conflict with Jewish Tradition, was always right. We may now be prepared to be critical of secular culture and affirm that, sometimes, secular culture is wrong and the Tradition is right. Moses Hadas said that only the Jews knew what to do with Hellenism, to take from it what they needed and wanted without being swallowed up by it. Hopefully, we can do this with the Enlightenment.     less

"Daft and Dangerous" -- I liked that.I enjoyed what you wrote and am intrigued. I have to share a story from a History seminar at Brown University many moons ago (c.1990). We were discussing TS Elliot's "Christianity and Culture". I was struck by the fact that his proposed Christian society in England resembled 2 ...     more "Daft and Dangerous" -- I liked that.

I enjoyed what you wrote and am intrigued. I have to share a story from a History seminar at Brown University many moons ago (c.1990). We were discussing TS Elliot's "Christianity and Culture". I was struck by the fact that his proposed Christian society in England resembled 2nd Temple Judea with a Sanhedrin and other features. Professor Mary Gluck who is herself Jewish had to really pull this comparison out of me as I just felt none of my fellow students(many Jewish) would share my point of reference. Indeed, I spent the entire rest of the period trying to explain what the Mishna was and what the Sanhedrin was and the Priestly class etcetera. The experience was traumatic, but I think I"ll look up that book again.     less

Hermann Cohen considered Spinoza to be a soneh yisrael and approved of his excommunication . For a long time liberal Jews believed that liberal, secular culture, in any conflict with Jewish Tradition, was always right. We may now be prepared to be critical of secular culture and affirm that, sometimes, secular ...     more Hermann Cohen considered Spinoza to be a soneh yisrael and approved of his excommunication . For a long time liberal Jews believed that liberal, secular culture, in any conflict with Jewish Tradition, was always right. We may now be prepared to be critical of secular culture and affirm that, sometimes, secular culture is wrong and the Tradition is right. Moses Hadas said that only the Jews knew what to do with Hellenism, to take from it what they needed and wanted without being swallowed up by it. Hopefully, we can do this with the Enlightenment.     less

The nub of the problem seems to me not that Jewish wisdom is either parochial or universally available, but that it rests on a rejected metaphysical system.The Talmud says "chachma ba'goyim ta'amin, Torah ba'goyim, al ta'amin." I take the point they're making is that the uniqueness of Torah is not in deeper understan ...     more The nub of the problem seems to me not that Jewish wisdom is either parochial or universally available, but that it rests on a rejected metaphysical system.

The Talmud says "chachma ba'goyim ta'amin, Torah ba'goyim, al ta'amin."

I take the point they're making is that the uniqueness of Torah is not in deeper understanding of human relations, or how to run an economy or a political system--all that is available elsewhere. The uniqueness of Torah is in knitting man together with G-d. Milton and Locke accepted the unique wisdom of Torah, but they also accepted the goal Torah specified -- Man in a rich relationship with his creator.

The challenge then seems to me how or whether Torah has something powerful and unique to say about life and society in a world that doesn't accept that goal.     less

Thanks for a fascinating, if titillating, first installment... I'd be interested in how you deal with the issue of the relationship of ideas and thought to culture. Was Jewish culture thought of the same way after Spinoza? And not just the culture, but the role of the culture as a catalyst for the creation of a vastl ...     more Thanks for a fascinating, if titillating, first installment...

I'd be interested in how you deal with the issue of the relationship of ideas and thought to culture. Was Jewish culture thought of the same way after Spinoza?

And not just the culture, but the role of the culture as a catalyst for the creation of a vastly disproportionat e number of the most creative people on earth?     less

Good piece. You wrote:Unanticipated though it may be, we seem to have entered a moment in the history of the West in which the lowly status of Judaism is not, any longer, a given. For the first time in perhaps 250 years, the texts and traditions of the Jews are not just tolerated, the way one tolerates something that ...     more Good piece. You wrote:
Unanticipated though it may be, we seem to have entered a moment in the history of the West in which the lowly status of Judaism is not, any longer, a given. For the first time in perhaps 250 years, the texts and traditions of the Jews are not just tolerated, the way one tolerates something that is in any case on the verge of extinction. The door is actually open: Judaism can now make its way and win a renewed respect in many circles. And if it does not, this may well be due to confusion on the part of the Jews themselves, who have been trained to expect disinterest and rejection, and conduct themselves accordingly.

This is the key point. But it's not just about a new appreciation of past contributions. It's not about being proud of what we've done. That's just the beginning. We replaced the pagan world with Western civilization. But that was then. The real question is "now what?" Now that the door is open to what we have to offer, what do we have to offer in the modern world?

This question of "now what?" is what I call moving from survival to purpose. The Jewish conversation is about survival ("continuity" is the euphemism), not about purpose. And so long as it is not about purpose we will never win the battle for hearts of minds of Jews, let alone anyone else. More importantly, until we start talking about purpose we will be betraying the sacrifices made over two millennia to get to this point when the door has opened and we can return to the path of purpose.     less

Thanks for the very interesting letter. I strongly agree that there is a big opportunity now - the door is open. Two examples that come to mind out of many: The growing interest in courses of Jewish Law in universities throughout the world: Look at what happens in NYU in this field, and our community member - David ...     more Thanks for the very interesting letter. I strongly agree that there is a big opportunity now - the door is open. Two examples that come to mind out of many: The growing interest in courses of Jewish Law in universities throughout the world: Look at what happens in NYU in this field, and our community member - David Pardes - is giving such a course in Brussels, with very positive feed backs. In the field of medical ethics, Rabbi Shafran, told us already 5 years ago how people from all around the world are seeking for the Jewish perspective on these hard questions, including sending "cahvot daat" to courts on questions that are not dealing with Jews as the parties.     less

I am far removed from academic life but my sense is that, though it is true that the Enlightenment citadel is disintegrating and there might be some consequent interest in Judaism, it seems that that interest is something like the interest of an anthropologist or archaeologist. Regrettably, I have seen no indication ...     more I am far removed from academic life but my sense is that, though it is true that the Enlightenment citadel is disintegrating and there might be some consequent interest in Judaism, it seems that that interest is something like the interest of an anthropologist or archaeologist. Regrettably, I have seen no indication that there is any interest in any monotheistic tradition (except the generally perverse and limited interest in Islam) as a source of values or as a way of understanding life. Where can one find an interest in revelation?

(Ask an American or European college student to explain the Apple logo. Biblical literacy is commonly and probably correctly thought to be at an all-time low. [When Abraham Lincoln delivered his brief and beautiful Second Inaugural Address, he quoted from the Psalms and from the Christian Scriptures without citing his sources because, I have always assumed, he was confident that his audience knew the sources.])     less

I enjoyed reading your first letter.I am anything, but an intellectual.I learn and drift according to an inner compass that is unique from others. What you have written is an explanation to a conclusion I have reached on my own without having footnotes to back them up. I believe that the essence Bible (Torah) is m ...     more I enjoyed reading your first letter.
I am anything, but an intellectual.
I learn and drift according to an inner compass that is unique from others.

What you have written is an explanation to a conclusion I have reached on my own without having footnotes to back them up.

I believe that the essence Bible (Torah) is moving to a place, that will allow members of the tribe of Israel, to once again touch the world in a very special way.

I am not sure what the form will be, but my instincts tell me that the time is ripe, and that it is just a matter of who does it, and how they do it.

I have some ideas of my own, and I see you do as well.     less

I enjoyed reading your introductory letters and I feel that I will enjoy reading your Jerusalem Letters. The prime directive for the blog should be: Respect each other. No name calling. Let us talk with each other and share our thoughts in a respectful manner--even when we disagree with each other.On that note, I ...     more I enjoyed reading your introductory letters and I feel that I will enjoy reading your Jerusalem Letters.

The prime directive for the blog should be: Respect each other. No name calling. Let us talk with each other and share our thoughts in a respectful manner--even when we disagree with each other.

On that note, I would just like to share with you some of my negative reactions to what you have written.

First of all, a short introduction. I am an American subscriber of "Azure" magazine which is how I became hooked up with the Shalem Center. I am also most definitely on the Left Wing/Progressive side of the political spectrum.

My politics that becomes very complicated when it comes to Middle East/Israel/Palestine because I feel that the left has a tendency to "blame Israel" for everything and that there is, unfortunately, real anti-Semitism (anti-Jewish) tendencies among some people.

That being said I also feel very strongly that eventually there will be an independent Palestinian state but of course the real sticking point is the borders of the new Palestinian state and of course the real, real problem is the status of the holy city of Jerusalem.

Now, that you now you have my general introduction you should also know that I believe that as a general rule "The Enlightenment" was a good thing--that the good far outweighs the evil--but of course there was a real anti-Jewish (and anti-Catholic) tendencies among Enlightenment thinkers.

I think that we as Jews have to be real, real careful in cheering the end of Enlightenment thinking, if that is in fact happening. Our prime enemies--the Islamic jihadists-have as their reason d'etre the mission of turning back "The Enlightenment" and establishing a fundamentalist Islamic state that is world wide.

I also don't feel comfortable in blaming Spinoza for the anti-Jewish thinking. Again, I view myself as an inheritor of the good that Spinoza's philosophy unleashed in Europe--which ultimately became transported to what became the USA.     less

I just read your first Jerusalem Letter and am in awe. It had never even occurred to me to wonder before how the Jewish tradition fell out of intellectual favor (though if I had, I would have predicted a Jew would be to blame!), and you make a persuasive case for arguing that the collapse of the Enlightment tradition ...     more I just read your first Jerusalem Letter and am in awe. It had never even occurred to me to wonder before how the Jewish tradition fell out of intellectual favor (though if I had, I would have predicted a Jew would be to blame!), and you make a persuasive case for arguing that the collapse of the Enlightment tradition provides an opportunity to bring it back into favor. I look forward to reading your ideas on how to do this and what we should say!     less

Steve Shaw sent me your piece on Spinoza which was simply fascinating. Spinoza had a centralrole in the devaluation of our tradition and our teachings. I need to think about this. Of course,there were many other forces of the "modern age" which trivialized our value as a serious academicdiscipline. But Spinoza had a ...     more Steve Shaw sent me your piece on Spinoza which was simply fascinating. Spinoza had a central
role in the devaluation of our tradition and our teachings. I need to think about this. Of course,
there were many other forces of the "modern age" which trivialized our value as a serious academic
discipline. But Spinoza had a big role here.     less

Thank you for your thought-provoking inaugural Jerusalem letter, "Goodbye, Spinoza". Beyond your analysis, I look forward to you addressing the questions that you ask about how to speak to the world from a Jewish center, and what we would say.I assume that your focus is on political teachings, philosophy and perhaps ...     more Thank you for your thought-provoking inaugural Jerusalem letter, "Goodbye, Spinoza". Beyond your analysis, I look forward to you addressing the questions that you ask about how to speak to the world from a Jewish center, and what we would say.

I assume that your focus is on political teachings, philosophy and perhaps religion. But I think one of the changes that has happened in parallel with the rise in "respect for the identities and traditions of others" is the tendency to see texts - whether of Sinaitic revelation, or prophetic teachings - primarily as literary narratives.

And the orientation towards narratives and stories ties in to the greatly increased importance of (especially) popular culture - songs, movies, etc.

So, for example, the movie Avatar is in this sense a multimedia scripture-like narrative vastly more influential than any political, philosophic or religious tract. (see "Heaven and Nature" -
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/opinion/21douthat1.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Which suggests another avenue to speak to the world - Jewish cultural production. (cf Achad Ha'am)

In this regard, I believe that you would find this YouTube music video of interest, both for its particular content, and as an example of popular cultural production out of a Jewish narrative tradition.

It is an original song, set to an old Bob Dylan tune.

In part it is a personal response to this anxiety-laden moment in Jewish history, from the perspective of a committed Hebrew-speaking Diaspora Jew with strong personal and family connections to Israel.

But it is also a response to our electronic dream world amalgam of pop culture, pop politics, information overload, and the difficulty, amongst all the connectivity, in finding solid philosophical ground.

After recording it with really good musicians, it was set to tightly edited visuals and posted on YouTube.

You can watch and listen here:

Lifeboat Blues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maFEyTqAoMs

If you are interested in the lyrics, they are posted here:

http://web.me.com/ebenmobile/eBenBrandeis/eBenBrandeis.html     less

I don’t recall much of my study of Spinoza in college, but it seems to me that his argument was one of reason over faith, and that he was not singling out Judaism. That others might have later distorted his writing for their own purposes is irrelevant to the idea itself. I don’t perceive the media (at least the ...     more I don’t recall much of my study of Spinoza in college, but it seems to me that his argument was one of reason over faith, and that he was not singling out Judaism. That others might have later distorted his writing for their own purposes is irrelevant to the idea itself. I don’t perceive the media (at least the part I peruse) of purposely ignoring the input of Jewish thought, but just being secular in general. When the Vatican recently complained that the movie Avatar depicted the worship of nature rather than God, it was reported in newspapers as a human interest item, and not as an attempt to sway readers. They consult the church on matters such as abortion because they are vocal in their opposition and they want to get the viewpoint of both sides (and sell more papers).     less

I thank you for your article on Spinoza. I am an undergraduate student at Queens College City University of New York. This past semester I took a philosophy course on Spinoza's Ethics. As a religious Jew I was quite frustrated sitting in the class, especially since the professor did not discuss the reasons why Spinoza ...     more I thank you for your article on Spinoza. I am an undergraduate student at Queens College City University of New York. This past semester I took a philosophy course on Spinoza's Ethics. As a religious Jew I was quite frustrated sitting in the class, especially since the professor did not discuss the reasons why Spinoza was so rejected in the Jewish community. The professor considers himself a proud liberal, and as such he passionately taught his students about Spinoza. One could tell that he supported the philosophy, as whenever a student asked a question he came to defend Spinoza's philosophy. I learned a great deal in the class, but I believe I would have learned even more had the professor been less convinced that his view was the only correct one. As a Jew it is important for me to understand what Spinoza's place was in Jewish history and I appreciate your insight greatly.     less

I hope you will write at length and often. A couple of points on this one: 1) Judaism is parochial--at least in the sense that it is uniquely for the people who are supposed to be the apple of God's eye. Adherence to it is not necessary for everyone--a big advantage, I should think if we are to propagate it, as we are ...     more I hope you will write at length and often.

A couple of points on this one:

1) Judaism is parochial--at least in the sense that it is uniquely for the people who are supposed to be the apple of God's eye. Adherence to it is not necessary for everyone--a big advantage, I should think if we are to propagate it, as we are not about to kill those who disagree with us. Notwithstanding that, there is much that the world could learn from Talmud and other writings, and we should make that known
2) And in your third paragraph from the end:
"All this is new, and it requires us to reconsider much that we’ve taken for granted. What does it mean to say that the categorical rejection of Judaism that was so central a part of the Enlightenment has spent much of its force? [Though you seem to think otherwise, I am afraid you are referring to a few specialists in the academy. For the general public outside of the US, categorical rejection has only been replaced by nothing. What does it mean? It means that, for the most part, the ruling religion of the West today is nihilism. It's going to be an uphill battle.] And what would it mean for the Jews to shake off their confusion and begin speaking clearly to those others who might take an interest in what we have to say? [I look forward to hearing what you have to say!] To whom would we speak? [I can think of two receptive audiences: One that is identifiable is committed Christians. The other is people who recognize the nihilism of the day, but believe there is no alternative to radical historicism; how you identify them and reach them, I leave to better heads than mine--yours for example.] And what would we say? [I look forward to hearing what you think.] Or should we, perhaps, just keep quiet—whether out of a preference for the old intellectual order, or from fear of drawing undesired attention to ourselves? [No. We may be banging our head against a stone wall, but we should not keep quiet.]"

By the way, an interesting aspect of this would be dialogue with learned Muslims who recognize the decadent state of Islam in general and sha'aria in particular. Halacha and sha'aria have much in common; and a reformed Islam should be an ally with us in the battle against nihilism. Moreover, there really is a great deal of prejudice against Muslims on the part of Christians. Judaism is the natural bridge between reformist Muslims and the Christians who are in this with us. Wouldn't it be great if, while we are at it, we could foster better understanding between Muslims and Christians?     less

Thank you for your interesting post. Your claim that there is a historical intellectual opportunity currently before us reminds me of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s claim, at the end of Halakhic Mind, that the intellectual pluralism inherent in mid-20th century philosophy of science opened the door to a philosophy of Halakhah ...     more Thank you for your interesting post. Your claim that there is a historical intellectual opportunity currently before us reminds me of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s claim, at the end of Halakhic Mind, that the intellectual pluralism inherent in mid-20th century philosophy of science opened the door to a philosophy of Halakhah (Jewish law) that had previously not existed. Though he himself engaged in some of that (he was actually interested in a religious anthropology more than a philosophy of halakhah, at least based on the writings that have so far emerged), there was little response on the part of Jews to that putative “invitation.”
While I might agree with you regarding the low position strict Enlightenment thinking currently occupies, I do think we need to acknowledge that, at least in much of the West, religion in general has become, for many, a non-, if not anti-, intellectual affair. Perhaps you want to distinguish the educated elite from the rest of the masses, but I have found that ideas qua ideas – be they religious or not – are of interest to very, very few people. Following Huxley’s “Brave New World” depiction of our future, where “we amuse ourselves to death and truth is drowned in irrelevance” (Michael Wesch’s phrasing in his Personal democracy Forum talk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6eMdMZezAQ), the opportunity afforded by the Enlightenment’s retreat is sadly ensconced in a culture that is inhospitable to serious thought and critical inquiry. Indeed, I wonder aloud if the turn to “spirituality” that many sociologists of religion have documented and studied has also rendered the rich intellectual traditions of Judaism, Christianity and the other world faiths simply beside the point for millions of people. The intellectual integrity of the great faiths and their systems of thought do not fit easily in the non-ideological, pragmatic world of bricoleurs (tinkerers) as described by Levi-Straus and Wuthnow. Of course, we may want to choose the life of secluding ourselves in caves and waiting for a more opportune cultural moment, but we should not delude ourselves that the removal of one centuries-old impediment means the door is now open for us to walk through easily. Be-khol dor va-dor…
I look forward to the next post.     less

Thank you for making your letters on a very thought provoking theme available. Just one short observation in response - interest in Judaism and the Hebrew Bible has certainly spread through the Interfaith Movement which was partly initiated through the Second Vatican Council. One of the realizations that religions ...     more Thank you for making your letters on a very thought provoking theme available. Just one short observation in response - interest in Judaism and the Hebrew Bible has certainly spread through the Interfaith Movement which was partly initiated through the Second Vatican Council. One of the realizations that religions come to is that they are facing the challenges of secularism in similar ways. This makes adherents of the different religions come together and learn from each other in unprecedented ways.     less

The intro to the Jerusalem letters seems to place a huge burden of guilt on "the enlightenment". As a dedicated Reform Jew, I believe that the faithful preservation of Judaism has always meant that major reforms are constantly in order, so that we may continue to live and breathe the truest meanings of our Hebre ...     more The intro to the Jerusalem letters seems to place a huge burden of guilt on "the enlightenment".
As a dedicated Reform Jew, I believe that the faithful preservation of Judaism has always meant that major reforms are constantly in order, so that we may continue to live and breathe the truest meanings of our Hebrew scriptures.
If your interpretation is that the fundamentalists maintain Judaism and that the Enlightened Jews destroy it, then please remove me from your e-list of subscribers. If your explanations aim to unite all Jews, bringing a balanced picture of the different contributions and bringing peace between and amongst Jews, then I wil continue to stay on your e-list.     less

I enjoyed your adieu to Spinoza. However, you need to provide more support for your belief that the academy's attitude toward Israel will not adversely color its receptiveness toward Judaism, expressed in the scriptures, as an intellectual construct.

“The Western Question”Yoram’s inaugural letter, “Goodbye Spinoza,” contains a strong argument for the rehabilitation of the Jewish tradition as an intellectual force in the contemporary world. As some of its themes will no doubt form the subject of future letters, I will limit myself here to a discussion ...     more “The Western Question”

Yoram’s inaugural letter, “Goodbye Spinoza,” contains a strong argument for the rehabilitation of the Jewish tradition as an intellectual force in the contemporary world. As some of its themes will no doubt form the subject of future letters, I will limit myself here to a discussion of one particularly interesting aspect of the position of the Jewish intellectual tradition in our times, namely its parallels to late antiquity. Today, as throughout Jewish history, I believe there is room for optimism and cause for caution. The history of late antiquity, so rich in analogies to the present age, furnishes us with the opportunity of appraising the present from a deeper and broader perspective.

The popular interest in Judaism in late antiquity was indeed intense at times. Following the Roman exile and destruction of the Temple in 70A.D., the already established Jewish communities throughout the Roman empire swelled and new ones arose far afield. The world they inhabited was one of declining belief and dubious morality. The pagan religion of Rome had lost much of its ability to inspire enthusiasm, and the satirist Juvenal lashes out, almost in one breath, against both the new Eastern mystery religions which had made their way into the heart of the “eternal city” and the Jews themselves. In the midst of this decay and confusion, the Jews seemed to many to offer a sober, ancient and successful mode of life. To others, the Jews and the Christians (not as yet distinguished in the popular imagination) were harbingers of Rome’s decline.

Jewish ideas in late antiquity, alike in the minds of sympathizers and opponents, were revolutionary from the point of view of Roman history. They were revolutionary in the sense of being foreign to the long established and now nearly exhausted ideas and principals of the Roman and Greek civilizations. Naturally, then, they did not appeal so much to conservatives as to spiritual malcontents whose ways of life had become empty and unsatisfying to themselves.

The modern world in many ways finds itself in a similar mood of spiritual experimentation and unease. Today as then, the established systems of belief have ceased to inspire and many turn to foreign ideas and religions to guide their lives. However, unlike late antiquity, Judaism is today recognized as one of the foundational pillars of existing Western civilization. The expression “Judeo-Christian” clearly expresses the idea that Judaism is woven finely into the spirit upon which our common civilization was built. Contemporary Judaism thus appears to many to be not so much a foreign religion, as a cornerstone of Western culture. As such, it inspires sympathy in the modern age (at least so far as the gentile world is concerned) less often among radicals than among conservatives.

Judaism again enters a world where much which had been settled is become unsettled. Again it competes in a free market of ideas. Free markets of ideas, however, tend not to be so orderly or well-policed as free markets of goods and services. The spiritual flee-markets of late antiquity gave rise to modern anti-Semitism. The first pogroms of history occurred in most of the major cities of the Roman empire, including fabled Alexandria where a true free market of ideas came closest to being realized. Polemics for and against Judaism abounded, and with the rise of Judaism’s influence came the decline of the ancient liberalism which had protected Jews from governmental or mob intolerance. Do Jews today face the same dual evolution, of being taken seriously and being threatened? If being taken seriously entails danger, is it not perhaps better to be ignored?

But this question sinks under another obvious and essential difference between then and now. I have mentioned that Judaism now finds it sympathizers among the defenders of Western civilization just as it once found them among Rome’s malcontents. Perhaps even more importantly, late antiquity was for Jews the start of a 2,000 year exile from their land. Late modernity, by contrast, is witness to Zionism’s fantastic success in rebuilding the state of the Jews. Jews approached the ancient world as a deracinated people, today we face the world as a settled nation. Though the Diaspora is broad and strong, it no longer represents the spiritual center of the Jewish people. This means, among other things, that Jewish intellectual influence today, insofar as it speaks with the soul of the whole Jewish experience, passes through the medium of national life. Jews remain important in many countries, but Judaism again finds its center in sovereign Jerusalem.

This represents a paradoxical inversion from late antiquity, and we must consider its meaning. The essential question confronting modern Judaism surrounds its relation to that Western civilization which it is credited with having helped form. The “Western question,” if we may invert an older phrase, is in turn reflected in the political and cultural life of the Jews. To what extent and in what ways should Israel strive to be Western, and to what extent braze its own trail? It is this question, I believe, more than the direct appeal of Jewish ideas to gentiles, which will determine the course of Jewish influence and the health of Jewish ideas in the generations and centuries to come.

“The Western question” is exceedingly delicate. Precisely in line with late antiquity, the malcontents now have a controlling share in much nominally Western discourse. Post-modernism is in fact nothing but their confused battle cry. It is true that it has opened wide the floodgates of the free markets of ideas, and also that it has encouraged a number of the once proud adversaries of Judaism, the Christians, to seek alliance with their formerly despised older brothers. But post-modernism has also reduced, perhaps irrevocably, the confidence and unity of purpose of the Western world. If Christianity again rises to become the religion of the West, many Jews fear with historical justice that it will not be in the role of a tolerant grandfather, but rather with the fanaticism of a brash young conqueror. It is not certain where Jewish intellectual and practical interests lie, caught as they are between a radicalized discontent and the long shadow of a new religious intolerance.

Pagan culture in late antiquity sunk under superstition, Christianity, mysticism and finally barbarism. While still occasionally producing men of historical interest, late Rome had so far removed itself from the glory of Athenian learning that Edward Gibbon writes thus of the late philosophers:

Consuming their reason in these deep but unsubstantial meditations, their minds were exposed to illusions of fancy... The ancient sages had derided the popular superstition; after disguising its extravagances by the thin pretense of allegory, the disciples of Plotinus and Porphyry became its most zealous defenders... The new Platonists would scarcely deserve a place in the history of science, but in that of the church the mention of them will very frequently occur.

It may be argued, though I think with little conviction, that today’s West is still intellectually and spiritually vibrant. Nonetheless, the study of this age’s parallels to late antiquity teaches us that all who desire to remain Jews, and particularly Israeli Jews, must take “the Western question” seriously. If the West abandons our shared heritage, how should the state of the Jews respond - not diplomatically, politically or militarily, but spiritually?

As we work to build a new civilization in Zion, small but ancient, we may allow ourselves to be enriched by the great Western civilization we helped to build. But we must also be discriminating pupils, for much now grows in the West which is poisonous to our best aspirations. The West’s old “Jewish question” is now become the Jews’ “Western question.”

We must answer “the Western question” for ourselves, and only afterwards for the West. If other nations learn from our example of regeneration, that would be fitting recompense for all the West has shared with the Jews over the centuries.     less

I enjoyed reading this brief (and first) Jerusalem Letter which you end by seeking comments. I have often wondered why nothing about the Hebrew tradition was included in my college courses here in the US on Western Civilization taken many years ago. Though your essay implies that this changed, I wonder if you could ...     more I enjoyed reading this brief (and first) Jerusalem Letter which you end by seeking comments. I have often wondered why nothing about the Hebrew tradition was included in my college courses here in the US on Western Civilization taken many years ago. Though your essay implies that this changed, I wonder if you could cite some supporting evidence rather than asserting it.

The essay attributes the start of the neglect of the Hebrew Bible and its interpreters to Spinoza and then the Enlightenment both of which rejected any uniqueness of the source of ideas basic to Western civilization.
However, you assert that there has been a reversal without indicating both the causes and citations of examples supporting your contention. In other words, Yes, "Goodbye Spinoza", but why was he forced to leave and to whom shall we say "welcome".

I am really proud of the establishment of the new Shalem College and wish it a successful future....     less