Neither Judaism, nor its Christian derivative, was ever about "freedom". Neither religion even mentions the word.
"If you love me, keep my commandments."
John 14:15
"Fear God and obey His commandments."
Eccl. final sentence
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
Prov. 9:10
"I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me."
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even their own life-such a person cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 10:34-35
34. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
I use these anti-civilizational quotes as the end of subject topic closed what's there to clarify as a Jew you've got nothing to add to my reality.
If you abide by this how can I abide by anything you say?
As a disputational Jew amongst other variations it brings me satisfaction and the ability to disrupt the proselytizing evangelizing and hectoring that come at me in comment sections / online.
When a belief system is built upon misappropriated misquoted out of context non events with Jew derangement syndrome half baked into them... Dayenu 🤷
That book was everywhere, even on our reservation. I still see multiple copies in used book stores and imagine that used book stores have inside jokes about it. It really hit me when I first reas it when I was a kid. It was my first experience with poetic prose, I think.
This speaks to me. I don’t like rules. I don’t like being told what to do. I turn off Waze when I can because I don’t like being dictated to.
But I am at the extreme end of the rule-following spectrum as an Orthodox Jew. As a woman, the veneer of mindless obedience intensifies. As an FFB I am peak mindlessness. It actually gets worse, because I treasure my relationship with my parents and am viewed as an extension of my mother by people I am close to.
It’s a lot to swallow.
But I have found, like you say here, that true freedom comes only out of constraints, true actualization is only through duty. True morality only comes from doing what’s right.
Being a free spirit and thinking for myself is something essential to my essence. No jail could take that from me. I can’t even take it from myself, though sometimes I wish I could.
There is an aspect of individuality and honest introspection that is entirely compatible with a lifestyle that necessitates conformity. That’s the sweet spot.
“There is an aspect of individuality and honest introspection that is entirely compatible with a lifestyle that necessitates conformity. That’s the sweet spot.”— beautifully said.
Beautiful commentary. There are ways in Judaism to refresh oneself, for example, hitbodedut of the Breslovers.
I also went through spiritual journeys before living a Torah life. I certainly don’t regret those days, but for me, those paths can’t hold a candle to a full Jewish lifestyle, with all of its restrictions. I like to call it freedom within the fence, or as Bob Dylan said, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” (I think he might have been a Christian at that point, so…whatever). Even if you think you’re free, you are serving someone.
This brings me back! I will be reading it again after reading your post!
Neither Judaism, nor its Christian derivative, was ever about "freedom". Neither religion even mentions the word.
"If you love me, keep my commandments."
John 14:15
"Fear God and obey His commandments."
Eccl. final sentence
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
Prov. 9:10
"I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me."
Exodus 20:5
ChatGPT and the NIV disagree…
Galatians 5:1 (NIV):
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
(This is one of the clearest verses tying spiritual freedom to the message of Jesus.)
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV):
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Romans 8:21 (NIV):
“…that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
Luke 14:26
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even their own life-such a person cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 10:34-35
34. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
I use these anti-civilizational quotes as the end of subject topic closed what's there to clarify as a Jew you've got nothing to add to my reality.
If you abide by this how can I abide by anything you say?
As a disputational Jew amongst other variations it brings me satisfaction and the ability to disrupt the proselytizing evangelizing and hectoring that come at me in comment sections / online.
When a belief system is built upon misappropriated misquoted out of context non events with Jew derangement syndrome half baked into them... Dayenu 🤷
That book was everywhere, even on our reservation. I still see multiple copies in used book stores and imagine that used book stores have inside jokes about it. It really hit me when I first reas it when I was a kid. It was my first experience with poetic prose, I think.
For my generation, the ubiquitous little book was red, and for waving angrily in the air.
I think I read this book in school in a Hebrew translation. Wonder if I am misremembering.
This speaks to me. I don’t like rules. I don’t like being told what to do. I turn off Waze when I can because I don’t like being dictated to.
But I am at the extreme end of the rule-following spectrum as an Orthodox Jew. As a woman, the veneer of mindless obedience intensifies. As an FFB I am peak mindlessness. It actually gets worse, because I treasure my relationship with my parents and am viewed as an extension of my mother by people I am close to.
It’s a lot to swallow.
But I have found, like you say here, that true freedom comes only out of constraints, true actualization is only through duty. True morality only comes from doing what’s right.
Being a free spirit and thinking for myself is something essential to my essence. No jail could take that from me. I can’t even take it from myself, though sometimes I wish I could.
There is an aspect of individuality and honest introspection that is entirely compatible with a lifestyle that necessitates conformity. That’s the sweet spot.
The edges are a bit to navigate.
“There is an aspect of individuality and honest introspection that is entirely compatible with a lifestyle that necessitates conformity. That’s the sweet spot.”— beautifully said.
Thank you.
Beautiful commentary. There are ways in Judaism to refresh oneself, for example, hitbodedut of the Breslovers.
I also went through spiritual journeys before living a Torah life. I certainly don’t regret those days, but for me, those paths can’t hold a candle to a full Jewish lifestyle, with all of its restrictions. I like to call it freedom within the fence, or as Bob Dylan said, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” (I think he might have been a Christian at that point, so…whatever). Even if you think you’re free, you are serving someone.
A graceful reminiscence
Personally, I know Illusions better than Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and I don't think you'd get along with that. 🙂
Thanks for the revisit! Interesting reading.
Chris.