Welcome to the Nishma Insight Discussion Forum blog.


The NISHMA INSIGHT is our popular dvar Torah, distributed almost every week by e-mail, that touches upon an important concept in the Parsha, theme in a holiday or event in contemporary society.

Often, readers respond, via e-mail, with comments that initiate a further dialogue. Through this Discussion Forum, we now wish to open this dialogue to others. If you have a comment on the INSIGHT, we invite you place to your comments here; then we invite everyone to join the discussion.

(If you are not receiving the NISHMA INSIGHT, we invite you join our mailing/e-mail list through completing our sign-up form available at our website.)

Friday, January 13, 2012

Insight 5772-14: The Jew in a Foreign Land

For Shemot

Not yet available on the Nishma website.

1 comment:

  1. As I wrote this Insight, my thoughts were also on the famous midrash that Bnei Yisrael were saved from Egypt because they didn't change their language, dress or names. This would seem to support the view that the option of maintaining identity even without recognizing the distinctiveness of Jewish values does have some merit. In fact, I heard in the name of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein that he said that we must recognize that even Reform Judaism had some purpose in that it came some people connected as Jews, even in a most minimal way, until some fully returned to Torah. This is actually, though, not a contradiction with what I said in the Insight. It may be better that someone has such a minimal and totally cultural Jewish identity for it does keep someone connected and thus able in the future to possibly grow closer to Torah. Nonetheless, such a minimal Jewish identity may still raise the ire of non-Jews for they see a person projecting Jewish pride and declaring himself/herself special yet really being no different.

    Rabbi Ben Hecht

    ReplyDelete