THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 16, 1983 41
Rabbi Scolds Orthodox Factionalism in New Volume
perfunctory adherence to a
commandment coupled
TORONTO — Rabbi Re= with a rejection of the
uven Bulka, editor of the humane, and sensitive
Journal of Judaism and ethos of Judaism."
In his audit of the weak-
Psychology and the
spiritual leader of Cong. nesses among sectarian Or-
Machzikei Hadas in Ot- thodox groups, Bulka points
tawa, Canada, says in the out that inconsistent and
introduction to a new book, unethical behavioral pat-
"Dimensions of Orthodox terns "reflect adversely on
Judaism" (Ktav), that Orthodoxy and create a re-
minority separatist ele- pellent flow away from Or-
ments within American Or- thodoxy instead of a magne-
thodoxy are doing grave tic pull towards it."
One of those behavioral
damage.
Rabbi Bulka, the editor of patterns is the co-existence
the volume of essays on var- of a functional observance
ious aspects of Orthodoxy, is which masks a multitude of
extremely critical of several sins. Bulka identifies the
trends which he has re- divorce syndrome as an
corded in the introductory example of the latter — in
remarks to the book.
which the pseudo-religious
The first stricture pivots demand huge financial set-
around the "holier than tlements in exchange for a
thou" syndrome seen in get.
right-wing groups which
A practicing psychol-
automatically disparage ogist, Bulka suggests that
any bona fide hefsher (kas- a functional observance
hrut attestation) not up to devoid of true religious
their particular standards.
sensitivity is perhaps one
Bulka says that this of the reasons for mar-
exercise is not restricted riage break-down be-
to food but spills over cause misdirected
into the synagogue- and punctilliousness in ob-
yeshiva environment. serving the mitzvot can
The teaching of contempt produce an inflexible and
for groups slightly to the insensitive mind-set.
left is one of the most un-
Bulka is careful to note
savory aspects about cer- that the behavior de-
tain branches of Or- scribed above represents
thodoxy.
an extreme "but there is a
"From a purely religious lingering residual side ef-
view, such behavior — i.e. fect in which the extremes
scrupulousness about what of a few impact on the
goes into one's mouth bye whole." He finds it espe-
concomitant laxity about cially repugnant that many
what comes out — betrays a Orthodox react
By ARNOLD AGES
(Copyright 1983, JTA, Inc.)
passionately when obser-
vant Israelis are killed but
remain silent when non-
religious Israelis are vic-
tims.
In
identifying
the
parochialism within the Or-
thodox community, Bulka
refers to the stork, known in
Hebrew as hasida — kind-
ness. Why is the stork un-
kosher? Because it exercises
its kindness only with its
own. Bulka uses this as a
paradigm for the "out-
fruthming" activity of cer-
tain Orthodox groups which
will not hesitate to destroy
an existing synagogue
which does not appeal to
their religious tastes.
"The ancestral enemy of
the Jews, Balaam, was able
to laud the beauty of Israel's
tents and dwelling places.
Today, too many Jews, in an
ironic twist, do not hesitate
to defame Jewish institu-
tions, even to brand them as
ugly."
The tendency to seal
oneself off from the
larger community is re-
ferred to by Bulka as "on-
tological insecurity," and
he sees manifestations of
this in the rift between
the yeshiva world and the
Orthodox rabbis who oc-
cupy pulpits. The latter
tend to look down on the
pulpit rabbis while the
yeshiva leaders are seen
as impractical and un-
realistic. The result of
this attitude, especially
on the part of roshei
yeshiva, is that many
yeshiva graduates, in-
stead of becoming part of
the support system for
congregational rabbis,
"become gutter-sniping
fifth columnists,
alienated from the rabbi
and the congregation of
which they should have
been part."
One of the most painful
aspects of intra-Orthodox
strife is what Bulka calls
"terrorism in the name of
Halakha." Great Torah
scholars are being pilloried
in the most obscene way by
the fringe elements who
react negatively to every
decision which they con-
sider insufficiently severe.
In this way some of the most
distinguished rabbis in the
Orthodox community have
been terrorized into silence.
In his survey of Orthodox
habits Bulka also condemns
the lukewarm feelings
which the yeshiva world
tends to inculcate towards
the state of Israel. "The
question of Israel is a ques-
tion of survival: the ques-
tion of survival is a religious
priority above all others.
"How can an outsider to
Orthodoxy be expected to
react to such a neutral-
cum-anti stance than to ex-
press utter revulsion at this
narrow-minded, self-
destructive behavior?"
Bulka is equally im-
patient with Orthodox
Jews whose politics are
an extension of their
theology. Their stand on
the impermissibility of
handing back any terri-
tory to the Arabs had led
to degrading conduct in
which other bona fide
religious Jews are sav-
agely attacked when they
appeal for the politics of
compromise.
Says Bulka in a final
statement: "Undoubtedly
Orthodoxy's strengths have
served it much better than
its weaknesses have hin-
dered it. But, over the long
haul, it is imperative that
Orthodoxy seriously con-
front its situation and for-
mulate far-sighted general
and particular strategies if
it is to become the acknowl-
edged mode for Jewish ex-
pression in America."
Neila Service Explained
By RABBI SAMUEL FOX
(Copyright 1983, JTA, Inc.)
The concluding liturgical
service of Yom Kippur is
called "Neila."
This is considered a short
form of the title "Neilat
Sh'arim" mentioned in the
Talmud which means "the
closing of the gates." This
title was that given to the
liturgical service which was
added to the number of daily
services on all public fast
days. The "closing of the
gates" has at least two dis-
tinct meanings.
interpretation
One
claims that the phrase re-
fers to the closing of the
gates of heaven. This might
refer to the time of set-
ting of the sun and would
infer that the basic time for
prayer is duing the daytime.
On a fast day as many
prayers as possible are in-
volved up to the end of the
day which is determined by
the time of sunset. Neila is
thus timed at sunset so that
the day ends with prayer.
Another interpretation
claims that the "closing
of the gates" refers to the
gates of the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem which were
closed at sunset. During a
public fast day, a day of
deep concern, prayers
were recited until the last
moment when the Tem-
ple gates were closed.
Even today, when there is
no physical structure of the
Temple in existence, many
customs remind us of the
First Temple's existence.
Offe of these is the added
prayer on public fast days.
London Benefit
Entertainer Barry Man-
ilow's Oct. 6 concert at the
Royal Festival Hall in Lon-
don will be a benefit for the
Royal College of Music
Centenary Appeal and the
Central British Fund for
World Jewish Relief.
We must distinguish be-
tween speaking to deceive
and being silent to be im-
penetrable.
—Voltaire
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