Comments for Beyond The Near http://beyondthenear.net/blog Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:04:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 Comment on Cain and Abel Midrash by Aharon’s Omphalos » Cain and Abel http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/05/25/cain-and-abel-midrash/#comment-23645 Aharon’s Omphalos » Cain and Abel Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:27:38 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/05/25/cain-and-abel-midrash/#comment-23645 [...] she’s recently composed on the story of Cain and Abel (or transliterated, Qayin and Hevel). Her midrash, narrated by Cain is deeply humanistic — Cain expresses himself and his experience of [...] […] she’s recently composed on the story of Cain and Abel (or transliterated, Qayin and Hevel). Her midrash, narrated by Cain is deeply humanistic — Cain expresses himself and his experience of […]

]]> Comment on Sichot and First-Order Theology by kende http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/06/04/sichot-and-first-order-theology/#comment-22848 kende Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:28:44 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/06/04/sichot-and-first-order-theology/#comment-22848 I'm concerned by the language and the conceptual structures I am hearing behind them here. What is this God of which you speak? It is all fine and good to say it is a question of the second order, but simply saying so does not make it so. How can you have a concept that permeates your life you cannot distinguish very much at all what that concept is? To say you can have such a thing without being able to express it well is perfectly understandable and even wise, but to say God permeates this and that without at that same time clarifying the difference between a concept and self root where God = life, or more accurately exalted life, versus what I think was difficult about the conceptualization of the person asking you that question: God = this anthropromorphized "thing" of some sort that fills all these various blanks. The second concept, whether in the first order of living theology, or second order of analytical theology is utterly meaningless. It is the God of the Gaps, and is not something healthy for Jewish living, or any other examined human life. Gently getting others to think about these distinctions seems to me of ultimate importance, not just within Jewish theology, but in everything. So yes, true, I might grant you that knowing you well I'd get what you mean even if you aren't conveying it clearly... But I still think the way you were putting it directly impacts the nature, and not just the understanding, of what's conveyed. I’m concerned by the language and the conceptual structures I am hearing behind them here.

What is this God of which you speak? It is all fine and good to say it is a question of the second order, but simply saying so does not make it so. How can you have a concept that permeates your life you cannot distinguish very much at all what that concept is? To say you can have such a thing without being able to express it well is perfectly understandable and even wise, but to say God permeates this and that without at that same time clarifying the difference between a concept and self root where God = life, or more accurately exalted life, versus what I think was difficult about the conceptualization of the person asking you that question: God = this anthropromorphized “thing” of some sort that fills all these various blanks. The second concept, whether in the first order of living theology, or second order of analytical theology is utterly meaningless. It is the God of the Gaps, and is not something healthy for Jewish living, or any other examined human life.

Gently getting others to think about these distinctions seems to me of ultimate importance, not just within Jewish theology, but in everything.

So yes, true, I might grant you that knowing you well I’d get what you mean even if you aren’t conveying it clearly… But I still think the way you were putting it directly impacts the nature, and not just the understanding, of what’s conveyed.

]]> Comment on Hafsaka from Haskala by Beyond The Near » Blog Archive » Sichot and First-Order Theology http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2007/07/22/hafsaka-from-haskala/#comment-22800 Beyond The Near » Blog Archive » Sichot and First-Order Theology Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:55:23 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2007/07/22/hafsaka-from-haskala/#comment-22800 [...] Conservative Movement especially puts a great deal of emphasis. This year, as I mentioned way back last July, I made a decision to take a step back from second-order analysis of my Judaism and my theology and [...] […] Conservative Movement especially puts a great deal of emphasis. This year, as I mentioned way back last July, I made a decision to take a step back from second-order analysis of my Judaism and my theology and […]

]]> Comment on Outside The Cave by kende http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/05/27/outside-the-cave/#comment-22604 kende Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:09:21 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/05/27/outside-the-cave/#comment-22604 I'd say the answer for why we should care about what isn't relevant in a readily apparent way is simple: Watch the Karate Kid. The surest path to understanding Judaism is "Wax on. Wax off." ...now go study. :P I’d say the answer for why we should care about what isn’t relevant in a readily apparent way is simple: Watch the Karate Kid. The surest path to understanding Judaism is “Wax on. Wax off.”

…now go study. :P

]]> Comment on Lashon Lashon! Rah Rah Rah! by Beyond The Near » Blog Archive » Shmirat HaLashon http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2005/06/20/lashon-lashon-rah-rah-rah/#comment-22482 Beyond The Near » Blog Archive » Shmirat HaLashon Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:48:30 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2005/06/20/lashon-lashon-rah-rah-rah/#comment-22482 [...] couple of years ago I made a decision to work on watching my tongue. I decided to take on lashon hara as my project for the year and I became very aware of what I said [...] […] couple of years ago I made a decision to work on watching my tongue. I decided to take on lashon hara as my project for the year and I became very aware of what I said […]

]]> Comment on Relating. Just Thoughts. by Barbara http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/03/10/relating-just-thoughts/#comment-14421 Barbara Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:30:55 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/03/10/relating-just-thoughts/#comment-14421 dear goo; remember the saying; they came for the ---- and I made no protest; they came for the ---and I made no protest; when they came for me, there was no one left to protest. not only are we K'lal Yisrael, we are the people who need to be free, to study, to learn, to flourish. Human Rights, within borders (physical or legal) that protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities are what are key here. dear goo; remember the saying; they came for the —- and I made no protest; they came for the —and I made no protest; when they came for me, there was no one left to protest. not only are we K’lal Yisrael, we are the people who need to be free, to study, to learn, to flourish. Human Rights, within borders (physical or legal) that protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities are what are key here.

]]> Comment on Terror Attacks and Klal Yisrael by A.J. http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/03/09/terror-attacks-and-klal-yisrael/#comment-14095 A.J. Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:07:41 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/03/09/terror-attacks-and-klal-yisrael/#comment-14095 While there is obviously a political component to the terror attack. One thought that brings together the elements you mention is religious extremism. I think that it is really religious extremism in all its forms that is the greatest danger in the world right now. Fanatical Christians, fanatical Jews, fanatical Muslims... they are all dangerous and crazy. Their perceptions of everything are warped by their ideas. Not simply shaped, but truly, grossly distorted. This factor is a major component to terrorism, because these people do not seem to have any of the normal mental processes that keep the rest of us from doing things like that. I don't know what to do about it, but until we solve the problem of religious extremism we are going to have terrorism, and divisions between peoples of all stripes. While there is obviously a political component to the terror attack. One thought that brings together the elements you mention is religious extremism. I think that it is really religious extremism in all its forms that is the greatest danger in the world right now. Fanatical Christians, fanatical Jews, fanatical Muslims… they are all dangerous and crazy. Their perceptions of everything are warped by their ideas. Not simply shaped, but truly, grossly distorted. This factor is a major component to terrorism, because these people do not seem to have any of the normal mental processes that keep the rest of us from doing things like that. I don’t know what to do about it, but until we solve the problem of religious extremism we are going to have terrorism, and divisions between peoples of all stripes.

]]> Comment on Ramah by Azadi http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/02/09/ramah/#comment-14077 Azadi Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:23:09 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/02/09/ramah/#comment-14077 Indeed you do recognize me from OSJ... funny, I was just thinking of contacting Doug to tell him about learning in Israel... might be good for him :) Indeed you do recognize me from OSJ… funny, I was just thinking of contacting Doug to tell him about learning in Israel… might be good for him :)

]]> Comment on Ramah by richardf8 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/02/09/ramah/#comment-13348 richardf8 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:34:25 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/02/09/ramah/#comment-13348 Camp is difficult for the nerds, the intellectuals, the introverts. Mostly its about keeping kids arranged in groups that are easily overseen. For those of us not prone to run in packs, its unworkable, unless you design programming for introverts. By the way, do I recognize you from the old Open Source Judaism board? Camp is difficult for the nerds, the intellectuals, the introverts. Mostly its about keeping kids arranged in groups that are easily overseen. For those of us not prone to run in packs, its unworkable, unless you design programming for introverts.

By the way, do I recognize you from the old Open Source Judaism board?

]]> Comment on Ramah by Barbara http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/02/09/ramah/#comment-13127 Barbara Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:48:34 +0000 http://beyondthenear.net/blog/2008/02/09/ramah/#comment-13127 I think it's both; good camping policy informed by well-thought out Judaic values. From the Ramah people I met at various camping conferences in the 90s' they were a totally clueless bunch, both about camping and about Judaism. Have you EVER met a kid who said that they had a BAD time at Discovery? I don't mean bumps, I mean the kind of totally BAD kind that you had at Ramah? I will remind you that I spent all of that summer (and the summers that Adina was there) calling them and trying to get them to understand what they, as the grownups were supposed to be doing. They just, never got it. shabbat shalom, mommy I think it’s both; good camping policy informed by well-thought out Judaic values. From the Ramah people I met at various camping conferences in the 90s’ they were a totally clueless bunch, both about camping and about Judaism. Have you EVER met a kid who said that they had a BAD time at Discovery? I don’t mean bumps, I mean the kind of totally BAD kind that you had at Ramah? I will remind you that I spent all of that summer (and the summers that Adina was there) calling them and trying to get them to understand what they, as the grownups were supposed to be doing. They just, never got it. shabbat shalom, mommy

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