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No, really – it’s been that long.
I’ve been working elsewhere, and something someone said in one of those elsewhere places got me to thinking about how close I come in my own mind to maybe wishing I were Jewish.
I figured out that I’m not really near that point at all, which wasn’t a huge surprise, but I also got a clearer perspective on where I stand as a goy in relation to the Jewish world.
This particular person, an Orthodox lady on Twitter (who shall remain nameless for the sake of this blog, since it’s what she said that matters, not who said it), seemed intrigued as to why I wanted to study Torah (or Talmud), and said something about how hard it is sometimes to keep all those mitzvot, but how wonderful it is to be in the privileged position to be under the obligation.
Wonderful, yes, it would be, but knowing I’m not, I got to thinking would I want to? That it is, would I want to convert? Simple answer – no. That, my friends, completely skewers any wannabe attitude. I mean, how could I say I wannabe, if given the chance, I would not. Not that I’ve really said here that I am or was a wannabe Jew – wannabe, or wouldabeen-nicetobeen actual Shabbos Goy, yes, but I don’t think I’ve ever said I thought I was a wannabe Jew. But I’ve thought about it.
And all that made me also think a little harder about what is it that I do want to be in relation to the Jewish people. I’m not sure if this constitutes a fall-back position, but my basic vista point (like one of those places on a scenic highway) is that I who was born into darkness have been shown the light because Am HaSefer carried that light for centuries, carefully preserving it and transmitting it from one generation to the next, until it shined on me.
Yes, of course it was through HaAdon Yeshua HaMashiach the Lord Jesus Christ that this occurred, but it’s not just a simple matter of saying that we ought to love the Jews because Jesus was (never mind that He still is) Jewish. It’s also because a nation, and not just a nation, but thousands and millions of individual people – men, women, children, families – lived and died for the purpose of carrying the light of life in the form of a book, and in the form of their own lives. Not everyone lived their daily lives thinking that way, nor likely many at all, but it was the fact of their lives nonetheless.
And because of the purpose and sacrifice of these many, many souls, I have life.
They had life given to them, to give to me, and they gave what they had, and now I have life.
I think perhaps some gratefulness is in order. Well, more than some. But a remarkable thing about gratefulness is that it’s human nature to begin to put on a pedestal those to whom we are rightly grateful. And that is not good. It does them a disservice, in that we then may begin to expect more from them from that point on than is fair, and it also is a first step toward idolizing them. Even if we don’t go that far, we tend to start thinking that most of what they do is right – that it must be, because that’s who they are. There is, for instance, a serious tendency among Christian Zionists to give cart blanche support to the State of Israel, defending its actions even when they are wrong and we know it. Or maybe sometimes we don’t know it when they’re wrong, because we’ve got them up on that pedestal.
So I have to watch myself on that account. But still my heart is deeply moved that, at no particular cost to me, I have life through the written Word of God, preserved at such great, great cost by the People of the Book.
A really great story from Yeshiva World, passed along in The Goy’s Guide to Israel!
In this news item, really, there are these shabbos goyim (real ones, not wannabes like me) who decided they should be paid as though they were, well, not goyim. If that’s not bad enough, they thought they could sue and win! For some reason, Tel Aviv Labor Court did not agree.
With such chutzpa, perhaps we should make them honorary yids? No. God forbid we should encourage such behavior!
I was sort of thinking what it might be like to be a people without a country for 2,000 years…
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So there we are, living in Germany, Spain, Russia, China – wherever, and what nationality are we? We’re Americans!
I always feel just a little bit uncomfortable, Mike, and I don’t really know why, whenever you say, “we’re Americans!” the way you did just now. Like it bothers you somehow. You know there hasn’t been an America for two thousand years. You’re a citizen of Germany. I mean, I know you’re an American, but you’re also a German.
Like, right, I’m a German! Tell that to my “fellow” Germans!
Well, yeah, they usually do call you an “American,” and maybe grudgingly admit that you have German citizenship… But it’s been two thousand years, Mike! Do you think there will ever be an “America” again?
Maybe not. I don’t know. But what else can I think? I’m not a German. I’m an American. And so was my father. And my grandfather lived in Russia. But he was an American. Who ever called him a “Russian?” And his grandfather before that lived in Spain. But he was an American.
But look at you! You’re prosperous and successful – more so than most non-Americans in this city.
Yeah – and they resent me for it, don’t they!?
[Laughing] Yes – they say you’re all part of a great global conspiracy to take over the world!
[Also laughing] Yes, of course we are… have you ever heard of “American work ethic,” Rolf?
But you can’t tell me that something like that – an ethic – has prospered your people for two thousand years?
Why not? And we haven’t always been prosperous. No, more often than not, we’re the off scouring of the earth. But, let up on us a generation or two, and we work our way back up to the top. It’s not that we’re special — it’s hard work. The “American work ethic.” We roll up our sleeves, work hard, send our children to University, their children become doctors or lawyers or bankers or government officials – and then they resent us for it!
Well, what do you want me to say, Mike? I don’t resent you.
No, Rolf, and I appreciate it. You’re my friend. I appreciate you. When we’re together, it’s like I’m a German like you. But I’m not. I’m an American.
Well, do you prefer being an American? What if you could hide the fact? I mean, you live really like the rest of us do.
But I’m still different, Rolf. Before I even told you I was an American, you knew it somehow, didn’t you?
Yes.
And, if it would work – if I could hide it and pass myself off as a German… Do I want to? No. But plenty of my “grandfathers” have chosen otherwise. But it never worked. Maybe for one generation, or even two, but they were always found out. And then the persecution began again. You know what they say – that we’re doomed to wander the earth forever, because of something they say our great-great-whatever grandfathers did two thousand years ago. Which, of course, we didn’t. But you know the history. There were three hundred million of us at that time, Rolf! Three hundred million!! And like, yeah, let’s all three hundred million of us get together and decide — in one week, mind you — to do that great and horrible thing that afterward you decided was all wrong. Oh, c’mon, Rolf! Three hundred million!
It was just the few million in Washington DC.
There you go! So you actually believe that load, don’t you Rolf!?
Well, I’m sorry — it’s what I was brought up with. I was raised as a German, and I am a German.
Yeah, Rolf. And I’m an American. But we’re still friends, aren’t we, Rolf?
Yeah, Mike. The best of friends.
I know. Hey – you know Charlie’s Boy Scout initiation is next week. You wanna come?
Uh, yeah, Mike. [slightly awkward pause] They’d let me?
[Laughing] Sure! Hey – I’ve even got a spare Scout Cap I’ll let you wear!
Uh – that’s ok, Mike… But sure, I’d love to come!
Great! But I was just kidding about the Scout Cap. It’s permitted, but it’s just kind of tacky.
Hey, what if I wanted to become an American, you know, convert?
Are you serious, Rolf? No, of course you’re not. But we try to discourage that sort of thing, anyway.
Why’s that?
Well, you can if you really, really want to, but you have to really want to, and study a long time, and then go thru a huge exam…
You’re kidding…
No, really…
But why?
We want to make sure someone is deadly serious about wanting to become an American. Because, you know, sometimes being an American can be deadly.
To my way of thinking, there are two kinds of people in the world: HaAm, and the rest of us. Not that I mind being in the second category. Not all that much, anyway. I mean, it’s what I’ve been given in life. I should be thankful, and therefore I am. And what if I were able only to keep 612 mitzvot?
I realize that some may consider the term derogatory, or embarrassing, or whatever. But I apply it proudly. Even if I am being very presumptuous in that, having not been a true SG as I explained earlier, but more like a wannabe.
But then, that’s rather what I’m saying about this entire blog – it’s as much about how I want the world to be as about how it really is. Which, when you think about it, is what just about everybody says or writes, anyway.
If need be, I invoke the Humpty Dumpty clause: “When I use a word, it means exactly what I want it to mean. Nothing more, nothing less.” Now, if that seems to be a cop-out, then why do we all relate to it so well?
As you may have gathered from my introduction, of central interest to me among the things of this world is Am Yisrael, and how the rest of the world regards the People. So you’ll likely see me writing a good deal on that. My friends tell me that my viewpoints tend to be, to put it euphemistically, “different,” so if you can relate to that, plunge ahead.
But I also have strong feelings in some other areas. As an American, I cannot sit still with my mouth shut about what has been happening to this country of late. Then again, I don’t see much point is merely pasting in what others have already said, other than for linking to general sites and other bloggers.
As a believer in the coming kingdom of God, when the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of David, makes a return appearance (oh my God! Yes, it’s going to happen!) to sit on His throne in Jerusalem, I will from time to time be writing things from that viewpoint. I may even quote a good deal of Scripture. I don’t usually thump my Bible, because to do that, you usually have to close it first. It makes more of a slapping noise than a thumping sound if it’s open. And I prefer to keep it open.
And I’m not sure at this point what other subjects I will spout off on – maybe I’ll even talk about you! Enjoy!
Shabbes Goy 