TOWARD JEWISH SPIRITUALITY
Toward Jewish Spirituality
Yossi J. T. Sroufe, DPhil
Would you believe there was a time in Judaism when denominations did not exist? Imagine a time when Judaism was based on the Shema and keeping Torah. Each individual was free before Hashem to discover how to walk in righteousness.
Now let me issue the infamous disclaimer. I am not speaking against Maimonides and his thirteen statements. I am not speaking against the oral law. I am saying that Judaism was once simpler than it has become today.
I consider myself a “Post Denominational Jew.” I believe in being unapologetically Jewish and unapologetically pluralistic. At the same time, I choose to live free from denominational labels. My greatest belief is in the Shema and the freedom of each Jew to walk with Hashem. If you wish to have a denominational label, knock yourself out. As for me, I am happy to be a Jew. Period.
No matter how I live my Jewish life, I cannot escape the beauty and simplicity of Micah 6:8.
“He has told you, O man, what is good! What does Hashem require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6:8, Stone Edition
Maybe my approach is overly simplistic, but to me, this sums it all up. If I want a good life - a Jewish life - then I need to live out justice, demonstrate loving kindness, and walk humbly with God. These three steps do not require a denomination, but an obedient heart.
Micah 6:8 is my mission statement. I believe it directs me back to Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 6. I am to love God with all my being and to love others as myself. I eagerly keep His Statements and seek to walk in His justice. I will teach my children to do the same. This is Judaism at its core.
So, isn’t “Post Denominational Jew” another label? Could it not also become its own denomination? Sure, the possibility exists in both cases. For now, it is my current statement of where I am in my Judaism. To visualize my position, perhaps a little story will help.
Once upon a time, a well-known rabbi asked me about my Jewish denominational affiliation.
“What kind of a Jew do you consider yourself to be?” the rabbi asked.
“I just want to be me,” I answered.
The rabbi assured me that I had made the right choice.
Perhaps that is what Jews of all denominations want. Maybe we desire to simply be ourselves as Hashem is making us from one Shabbat to the next. It can be that simple. It can also be that profound.
Shalom.