Is Judaism Too Wrapped Up In Doctrine?
 

There is something I've noticed about the Judaic Sub-Forum here at SF. It used to be an open place where people could dicuss all manner of aspects about 'Our Father' and Man/Woman and Creation.....

That is until the doctrine began to take over. It started becoming about details. About the Judaic explaination for this or that....This started when Judaic members decided to interpret everything according to the Kabbalah or the Torah or whatever.

My question is; do the details matter? Are they important?

What I find beautiful about Judaism is the broad interpretation. The general story of Man/Woman, God, Creation, The Fall, The Tree, The Devil etc.

Perhaps I'm only interested in what was passed down to Christianity..???!!!

The details don't interest me. So what! I say. Its only doctrine. I'm not interested in the RELIGION of Judaism, but rather in the story of creation which Judaism has to tell.

Hi again Honza :) hope your journey is taking you to many fantastic places.

Don't confuse the words 'doctrine' with 'detail'. Doctrine also exists at the 'big picture' level of things.

The thing about Judaism is, it's not a subjective religion. It doesn't leave things open to any and all interpretations like many other faiths do. Certainly there are debates and discussions about various topics, and massive disagreements between different groups on the interpretations of various passages of various texts, but all of the opinions have a basis in Logic and Tradition.

Judaism is, first and formost, a Tradition. The main reason we have a belief in God is because we have the tradition of His revelation passed down from generation to generation. All of our teachings are passed down from Rabbi to Student, generation after generation. This includes the mundane laws as well as the deeper mysteries. In my opinion that isn't a fault, but a strength - because the same truths have been passed down from great mind to great mind, granting us lowly people of this generation a rich and full accounting of... well, everything.

What you were experiencing before in this sub-forum was a bunch of people talking about Judaic things in a New Age way. The proper Jewish style of learning truly is detail oriented... because we are taught the truths to a high degree of detail, from big picture all the way down to small. We interpret everything according to Torah and Kabbalah because... well that's Judaism! lol....

Yea I agree, doctrines, there not really worth the paper there written on, no matter if there Christian, Judaism, Hindu, or whatever, its where the words point to that matters, if they don't point within you, to help you realize the truth, that can only be realized from within you, then there useless to you. There is nothing wrong with scriptures, its just the ones who try and tell you how they should be read that makes them bitter, or even poison.

psychoslice: That would only be true if we all had perfect hearts, being perfect judges of what is true and what is false. A basic premise of reality is that nobody is perfect and whole. When a person gives you true and whole advice you can still cover your heart and reject it.

One who calls oneself a perfect judge must be arrogant. One who says 'I and I alone know what is true and what is best' must be arrogant. That is why it is important to trust a truth that one cannot know.

You are only repeating what you have been told, but have you actually found out all that you believe you know, for your SELF ?

Yamah: One who calls oneself a perfect judge must be arrogant. One who says 'I and I alone know what is true and what is best' must be arrogant. That is why it is important to trust a truth that one cannot know.

Yes, these word are true, or have truth within them, you or i can never know the truth, it can only be known from within, but by no one, when you discover this truth from only within, you will never be able to write about it, you will never be able to talk about it, but, you can point to it, and this and only this, can the so called scripture can ever do.

No I haven't, and that's the point. God and His scriptures have proven themselves in part, and so I trust the whole. Just because I don't understand something or agree with something doesn't mean it's wrong... it just means I don't understand or agree with it. It is a difficult thing to say 'I don't know, but I trust you', but on the path to Humility and Truth those are necessary words. I pray that some day I will understand everything... and I strive to... but in the meantime I will trust.

The truth from within is also a truth, that I do not dispute... but only when the truth from within is true. The truth from without has the same problem... is the truth from without true? Both can be doubted, both have different qualities and both have different verification methods. But a cart on a path is safer than a horse through a swamp.

I agree with you, but still never believe anything that is told to you, this no matter how holy we believe it to be can never be truth, as I have already said, the truth that is found within can never be written, or shared in anyway, but can only be pointed to, and that's all we can ever do regarding truth, thank you.

"as I have already said, the truth that is found within can never be written, or shared in anyway, but can only be pointed to, and that's all we can ever do regarding truth, thank you."


This sentence above is very much a psychoslice way of looking at things. There are many other ways of seeing "truth". Many experiences. Many lives.

I for one don't agree with psychoslices conclusion. I think the truth can be known throughout everyday life and by words too.

That is my opinion and I'm sticking with it. Hinduism and Buddhism just does not do it for me.

Whereas Christianity and Judaism DOES.

So back to Yamah's point - about detail.

My question is then; is Judaism too wrapped up in DETAIL?

I do not know the details of Judaism. But every discussion these days always seems to come back down to details. Why are they important? Isn't it better to cast them off and live through experience, observation, attention, awareness, devotion, worship....etc. Through daily living rather than TEACHINGS!