Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version nyu B notes v1.5 12/10/84; site csd2.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ucbvax!ucdavis!lll-crg!gymble!umcp-cs!seismo!cmcl2!csd2!martillo From: martillo@csd2.UUCP (Joachim Martillo) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: sex Message-ID: <3780091@csd2.UUCP> Date: Fri, 13-Sep-85 00:40:00 EDT Article-I.D.: csd2.3780091 Posted: Fri Sep 13 00:40:00 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 15-Sep-85 05:39:04 EDT References: <1160@ihlpg.UUCP> Organization: New York University Lines: 39 In re: Jewish Behavior. Actually, there were cases before the beginning of the 19th century of individuals who started say in a backward place like Vilna then moved to Berlin, then to Soloniki, to Livorno, to Marrakkesh, to Cairo, to Sana`a and then finally settled in Cochin and never commented on differences in Jewish behavior or ways except perhaps for the most trivial of differences. Traditional Jewish behavior is basically the same everywhere because the way of the shas simply does not permit so much variance. Every morning I say in Hebrew: Thes are things that have no measure: the peah, the first fruits, the pilgrimage, and charity, and talmud torah. These are things which a human being does, eats from their fruit in this world while the capital is laid up for him in the world to come: And they are these: Honoring father and mother, charity, visiting the sich, welcoming guests, early rising for the synogogue, bringing peace between a man and his fellow, between a husband and his wife, and talmud torah above all. To tell the truth, I am probably failing fairly miserably in at least five of the last list but these are most important parts of being Jewish (of course some are just important parts of being decent human beings). The sages have given us very explicity descriptions of how to carry out these commandments. These descriptions given a fairly complete description of Jewishness which was basically the same wherever you were in the Jewish world. Unfortunately somewhere along the last couple of centuries the vast majority of Ashkenazim dropped out from the Jewish world and adopted western ways. I think the corruption began when Ashkenazim adopted some very explicit Christian practices many centuries ago. Then Ashkenazim took the attitude that Yahudut was foremost a religion (as David Sherman posted not so long ago). This attitude would have been an anathema to all the great sages of the Sefardi world. What happens when we come to an age like now when religion is not so important? Most of the Jews become either Rosens or Harazduks.