34 Friday, September 23, 1977 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
-
A E
AFFAIR
WITH
HAL
A Second Interpretation of Spinoza
Editor, The Jewish News:
The quotation from Spin-
oza's "Tractatus Theolog-
ico-Politicus" in your Sept.
9 issue, is interpreted as a
belief in a reconstructed
Jewish state. It is a hypo-
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thetical statement as can be
seen from its context and
the two "if" clauses.
"I would go so far as to
believe that. if the founda-
tions of religion have not
enfeebled their minds, they
may, if the occasion pre-
sents itself. . . even raise
their empire anew. and that
God may elect them a sec-
ond time."
The original has "emascu-
lated," not "enfeebled their
minds." The sentence just
before this speaks of the
importance of "circum-
cision. . . which alone would
preserve the nation for-
ever. This is the Gift of
Prophecy Was Peculiar to
Them."
The chapter, and the book
as well, attempts to cut
down the Jewish people and
to deny that God, if there is
a God, was able to "choose"
them any more than He did
other people. While Spinoza
did not accept Christianity,
in this book he damns the
Jews with the aid of Chris-
tian doctrine.
Hermann Cohen, German
Jewish philosopher, pointed
out Spinoza's acceptance of
the Christian critique ("He
opposes spiritual and uni-
versalistic Christianity to
carnal an particularistic
Judaism.")
Spinoza conceives of the
state entirely in terms of
power politcs and as long as
the Jews have no state of
their own. he said. they
deserve the "hatred"
against them which they
help perpetuate by their
"peculiarities," including
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circumcision.
And to five you the flavor
of this book by Spinoza. I
cite this : • "Pontius Pilate
made concession to the pas-
sion of the Pharisees in con-
senting to the crucifixion of
Christ. whom he knew to be
innocent."
According to Leon Polia-
kov, in "The History of
Anti-Semitism," 'Spinoza's
violent attacks on Judaism'
started the ball rolling' to
German philosophical anti-
Semitism.'
In the Soviet Union, Spin-
oza is honored as a philoso-
pher of "materialism."•
They see through Spinoza's
"God." in the "Tractatus."
Spinoza said, "By the help
of God, I mean the fixed
and unchangable order of
nature or the chain of natu-
ral events." Put in the scale
of ammunition against the
Jews, found in this book.
against the quotation which
you call a belief in a Jewish
state, before you recall
him to the Jewish fold.
When Spinoza received
the news of his excommuni-
cation, he - excommuni-
cated" himself first.
Spinoza's change of his
name, from "Baruch" to
"Benedict" marked his sev-
erance from the Jewish
people.
Readers Forum
Materials submitted to the Readers Forum must be brief. The
writer's name will be withheld from publication upon request.
No unsigned letters will be PUblished. Materials will not be re-
turned unless a stamped, self-addressed envelope is enclosed. -
Labor, Hadassah Challenged
Editor, The Jewish News:
The Detroit Zionist Feder-
ation is an umbrella organi-
zation of local Jewish
groups whose activities and
interests are concerned
primarily with Israel.
Among the stated purposes
of the DZF is. to present to
the media the Zionist point
of view. to counteract Arab
propaganda and to correct
erroneous information
regarding the Middle East.
It is difficult to under-
stand how a group such as
the DZF which claims to
represent the Zionists of our
community could fail to
accept a resolution of any
role for the PLO and the
need of secure borders for
Israel.
But. it was rejected=
rejected by delegates from
the Labor Zionists, the
Americans for a Progres-
sive Israel, Pioneer Women
and Hadassah.
All the arguments in sup-
port of the resolution by the
Revisionists and the Zionist
Organization of Detroit
were of no avail. It was
Sidney Koretz
Falls Church, Va. pointed out that the ideas of
that resolution represent the
views of the overwhelming
majority of Israelis and
High Holy Day ,
the Labor and Likud
Bond Campaign both
parties. The question was
raised.
ATLANTA (JTA)—The
How can the Detroit Zion-
1977 International Fall
ist Federation combat hos-
Leadership Conference of
tile propoganda and yet not
the Israel Bond Organiza-
support Israeli policy? The
tion closed after launching a
reply of those against the
special High Holidays effort
resolution was that the reso-
on behalf of Israel Bonds in
lution was "too political"
which more than 1,100 con-
and therefore it was
gregations in the United
States and Canada will
improper to be even dis-
participate.
cussed or considered.
The program was
This is not something
announced by Rabbi Leon
new. That same coalition
Kronish, chairman of the
from Labor Zionists, Pio-
National Rabbinic Cabinet
neer Women and Hadassah
of the Bond organization
has again and again
who said that the High Holi-
defeated any resolution sub-
days program will be the
mitted to the DZF con-
first major phase of the fall
demning the PLO!
campaign to sell Israel
All of us are aware of the
Bonds to aid Israel's trou-
murderous record of the
bled economy.
PLO, their repeated,
Rabbi Kronish expressed ,openly-stated intention to do
hope that the program will
away with Israel and the
produce substantially more
failure of the nations of the
than the $34 million realized
world to condemn their
in last year's Bonds effort
crimes. Should Jewish
on Rosh Hashana and Yom
organizations also be silent
Kippur. He said that High
when our people are being
Holidays worshippers will
killed?
be asked to enroll as
Would the ladies of
"Guardians of Jerusalem"
Hadassah after just com-
by subscribing to $1,000 or
pleting the magnificent
more in Israel Bonds in
rebuilding of their Mt.
observance of the 10th anni-
Scopus hospital not bother
versary of Jerusalem's
to defend Israel's sover-
reunification.
eignty of a unified Jerusa-
Synagogues participating
lem? Certainly it must be
in the program will have
that most members of the
special ceremonies during
Labor Zionists, Pioneer
the High Holidays •services
Women and Hadassah are
at which they will be pre-
aware that defensible bor-
sented with the flag of
ders saved Israel from anni-
Jerusalem flown from
hilation during the Yom
Israel to be awarded to con-
Kippur War.
gregations for their support
It is questionable whether
of that country's economic
the
members of those
development.
groups that opposed that
resolution are aware and
agree with the actions
taken. More than ever,
Israel desperately needs our
support.
For a community-wide
Zionist organization to
maintain a deliberate
silence on the major issues
.endangering Israel is to
encourage those against u:
and demoralize our friends.
Hymie Cutler
JerUSAlem
Who knows, it may be the
handwriting on the wall,
and since USA is embedded
in JerUSAlem, the embassy
of the USA sooner or later
will take leave from Tel
Aviv enroute to JerUSAlem.
At any rate', the USA is
inextricably associated with
the welfare of the state of
Israel.
Herzl B. Shtu.
Message Issued
for Yom Kippur
NEW YORK—Terming
the Jewish High Holy Days
"an appropriate time for all
mankind to reflect and be
penitent," the president of
the National Conference of
Christians and Jews, Dr.
David Hyatt, called for "a
greater feeling of mutual
respect and understanding
among people" in a mes-
sage celebrating Yom
Kippur.
Nothing that Rosh Hash-
ana marked the beginning
of the Jewish year 5738, the
NCCJ leader said that the
High Holy Days are a time
when Jews and non-sews
can stop and give thoughtful
consideration to problems
facing now only Jews, but
all people around the world.
He added that "each in his
or her own way might pray -
for peace."
Hyatt said that the Na-
tional Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews "joins
in prayer with our Jew-
ish brethren worldwide and
indeed with all religiously
motivated people in the
hope that there will be
greater encouragement of
human rights, freedom
and dignity."
Orlinsky Stumping
for Maryland Post
BALTIMORE—Walter S.
Orlinsky. son of Bible schol-
ar ,Prof. Harry M. Orlinsky,
is campaigning hard for the
1978 Democratic nomi-
nation for governor of Mary-
land.
Labelled a liberal. he
began his campaign in July
stumping through Mary-
land's historically conserva-
tive Eastern Shore.
There are more than six
announced and potential
candidates already fighting
for the nomination.