Dear S (Stu?), I have a few minutes here at work to try and respond. You are correct in my view to point out that H and J (Hinduism and Judaism) both have a caste structure. There is an interesting note a friend of mine told me (can't recall if he said it was actually an opinion written in the Gemorra) which stated that the main reason that the Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva perished was because they felt in their hearts to be of a higher (caste) than their brothers in the rest of the country. This type of arrogance was spiritually a big no-no and they were summarily punished, etc. I should really look more into that story one day.
The children of Israel were more tribal than caste but the point is well taken. The division within the Levites into the highest caste (Cohanim - Priests) and Leviim (the rest of the Levites) functioned very well in Israelite society until after the First Temple Period. In the second temple period, great corruption crept into the system and it was all downhill from there. The choices you outline for Jews to take are well said but not entirely what I would say. Its a bit too much 'all this or all that' when I think you'd agree that Judaism has so many variants and colorations. The reformulation of J into a modern formula started the day Napoleon freed the Jews from the ghettos of Europe. The Haskala sprouted, Jews shaved their beards off, doffed their head coverings, neglected fringes, wore the same clothes as their non-Jews and became "civilized" and tried to melt in. At the same time a counter-reformation sprung up in Germany with Rabbi S.R. Hirsch. That's the way it always is in religions. As soon as a new wave arrives, there is a resistance to that change. Same thing happened with the schisms in Chassidism and C verus Mitnagim, etc. Always fragmentation and we grow further apart as a people. The tunnel vision medieval approach you speak of has worked just fine for the Ultra's and always will. It might not suit you or me and that's also fine. There are many J's in the world who have no trouble following each of the hundreds of commandments. It's a lifestyle maybe you and me choose not to follow, but it is a valid one for those whose hearts are drawn to it or who are born into it. You write: "Fred, why are you obsessing on this short phrase from the OT and the remote possibility that a fantasy creature is going to respond to your calling its name silently? Isn't it time to wake up? Isn't waking up the goal?" A single point clearly made makes not an obsession. Short phrase from OT was succinctly written and for me is unambiguous even on the "p'shat", literal level. The religion was given in all it's exclusivity with a purpose and as far as I can tell, no shelf life to that exclusivity. I am not entirely sure what fantasy creature you are referring to here? If by this you refer to a deva within the H system, then I could not comment on how remote the possibility is. The point is not the percent chances of connection. The point is we are supposed to avoid looking in the first place. When you tell a child not to poke its finger in the electric socket you don't do so by looking at the odds but by stating that it is dangerous and just don't do it. You might find the danger overstated or entirely false. You might be right. I doubt that the restrictions were given for no good reason and for me I trust that it should be paid attention to. Kind regards, Fred [snip]
