RethinkingWhat it Means to be Observant By Rabbi Yaakov Fisch, Etz Chaim Synagogue
As we prepare ourselves for the Jewish New Year, it's an opportunity for us to remind
ourselves of our cherished values and traditions. These values and traditions have been with our people for thousands of years and have kept our people anchored to its tradition throughout centuries of upheaval. It defies a rational explanation of how our people have remained intact and robust considering the grim circumstances. I mention this as a way of appreciating all of the mitzvos and customs that have kept us within our faith close to G-d and His Torah. For that reason, it is particularly painful to witness multiple distorted productions coming out of Hollywood and adopted by the general public as iron-clad gospel that paints Orthodox Judaism as fundamentalism.
The latest spiel was released by Netflix entitled My Unorthodox Life, and a firestorm of controversy erupted. It features an individual who chose to discontinue her practice as an Orthodox Jew. The individual now alleges that the practices of Orthodox Jews and commitments to halachic observance as fundamentalism. The individual is not content with her own decision to leave her faith but campaigns her family and others to abandon their commitment to faith. There are too many distortions and inaccuracies depicted in the series and, quite frankly, beyond this space's scope. Instead, I would like to address and respond to a central theme of the series. The show's primary theme is that halachic observance is full of illogical restrictions and results in fundamentalism which the show compares to Muslim fundamentalism. Unfortunately, this narrative misrepresents the entire purpose of the Mitzvos and why we have an opportunity and privilege to adhere to it. Our rabbis have taught that Mitzvos are a means of connection to G-d in this world. When a person fulfills a mitzvah, the individual connects to G-dliness and holiness in this world. If an individual does not recognize the true meaning of Mitzvos and halachic practice, he will consider the ritual as a mindless restriction. It is our responsibility to properly educate our children and students that the ultimate purpose of the Mitzvos is because G-d loves us and gave us a medium of connection in our finite days of the world. This idea is articulated in the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), as it states Va’yetzeveinu Hashem La’asos Es Kol Hachukim Ha’elah L’yirah Es Hashem Eleikunu L’tov Lanu Kol Hayamim. This is translated as "Hashem our G-d commanded us to perform these Mitzvos and to be in awe of Him, as it is good for us". Every time a person stands in prayer and utters the words Baruch Attah Hashem or Blessed are you G-d, he or she gets more connected to the divine presence of the Almighty. Indeed, it is sad and painful to go around mindlessly practicing rituals without appreciating the larger mission of connecting to G-d and having a relationship with Him in this world. Even if a person does not choose to abandon their halachic observance outwardly, they walk around unfulfilled and empty. The damage that this Netflix series will cause remains to be seen. There has been a variety of reactions from the Jewish Twitterverse and beyond. My Unorthodox Life should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to examine the consequences when a healthy relationship with Hashem is not at the foundation of Observant Jewish life. As we are on the cusp of a New Year, this should behoove us to rethink what it means to be observant of Jewish practices and traditions.
