Orthodoxe Judaism

The orthodoxe term Judaism recovers the beliefs and practices of the Juif S faithful to the written law and the oral Law, transmitted has Moise with the Sinai Mount, with the interpretations and halachic nuances established during the centuries. They regard their religious designs and their lifestyle as authentic, and the other currents like far away from the true Judaism, even heretics. The qualifier d'" orthodoxe" , which was given to them to the 19th century by reformed Jews, is accepted, even asserted, by a part of them, whereas others reject it completely. These prefer being named Haredi

The orthodoxe Jews regard as power station fidelity with a transmission chain of the halakha since the time of Brace until today while passing through the writers of Talmud and the commentators later. Orthodoxe that is Jewish which admits duty acting according to Halakha (corpus of established rules by the oral tradition, since Talmud until today). Progressively of time, Halakha was codified in codes of laws making authority for the future generations. Example: Rambam (Maïmonide) wrote a code of Laws called Michné Thora , which was, with works of Roch (Rabbénou Acher) and Rif (Rabbi Itzhak Elfassi), one of the pillars of Choulkhan Aroukh. Choulkhan Aroukh, written by Rabbi Yosef Caro at the 16th century marks an important stake in the development of the halakha. Indeed, after Choulkhan Aroukh, it becomes difficult to go against decisions considered as the ultimate syntheses as regards halakha. Difficult does not want to say impossible: there exist many cases in which large Masters of the Jewish Tradition (Gaon de Vilna, Hafets Hayim) sliced all the same differently of Choulkhan Aroukh.

However, an orthodoxe Jew recognizes this transmission chain of the halakha in his entirety, contrary to the liberals (who do not attach major importance to him) and of Massorati (who will be authorized to go back to a decision of Talmud called then into question by the chain of the Masters of the oral tradition to justify a practice in conformity with manners of the contemporary time).

The orthodoxe Judaism thus stresses particularly adhesion at the Law, of the Torah in Halakha, and the respect of the established traditions.

The orthodoxe ones regard as nonvalid the decisions taken by the other currents, conversions with the Judaism which they carry out and authority of their rabbis.

If the respect due to Halakha is paramount for the orthodoxe ones, the orthodoxe Jewish world however is very coloured according to the importance given to the study, the Community life, the profane studies or the importance of the ground of Israel.

Hassidim, the Zionist-monks, the modern-orthodox in the United States or Haredim in Israel are all of the orthodoxe Jews.

The orthodoxe ones are thus found everywhere where there are Jews, the most important populations being in Israel, with the the United States, in Belgium, in England, with the Canada and in France.

Origins of the " term; orthodoxe"

At the 19th century in Germany an important Jewish population kept away of the Christian company by the legal restrictions due to religious intolerance lived. The appearance, particularly with the government Bismarck, of reforms tending to decrease the capacity of the Churches and with émanciper the Jews, involved in their center the creation of a new movement wanting to reconcile Jewish identity and emancipation total of the Jew within the company: it is about the reformed Judaism. The traditional Judaism, such as it continued to be lived in Poland, Russia or even in North Africa were called starting from this date orthodoxe Judaism .

Some accommodated with joy the possibility of forming part as Jews of the company and recommended lifestyles close to those of the not-Jews, all as a practitioner their religion in deprived, ideal expressed by Leib Gordon: " to be Jewish at home and mentsch (human being) in the monde". They also adopted divergent theological attitudes of those of the traditional communities: design of the Halakha like intrinsically dynamic, suitable for new interpretations answering the new sociocultural contexts (Massorti), or even opinion that the Jewish law was not automatically constraining and that only the Mitzvot (commands) moral were obligatory, and not the ritual ones (movement reformed).

Others, on the contrary, considering that the emancipation was to be managed with more the greatest caution in order not to lose the substantial marrow of their religion, reacted by inviting their co-religionists not to preserve their religious designs and not to yield to the sirens modernity. The leader of this position was the rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch who recommended the respect of Mitzvot (commands), the study of the Torah and Talmud, associated with the study of the history and modern philosophy and a limited degree of relations with the outside world. This current, called néo-orthodoxy or School of Frankfurt, will generate what one call often today orthodoxy " moderne". This current will take part in the creation of the party " Agoudat Israel " , but it of it is distant between the two wars. It since rather largely adopted the Sionisme.

Outwards even of Germany, this debate between religious tradition and modernity take place also, but with some differences. Thus, in the Blade with the borders of the Poland and the Russia, integration in the existing companies was difficult: the feeling anti-Jew was powerful there. The integrationists thus decided to change the company into engaging in the local political oppositions (in particular of left). Those which wished the modernization of the Jewish company but which did not believe in the assimilation chose Jewish nationalism through the Bund or the Sionisme. These two attitudes (integrationist or nationalist) in general went hand in hand with a rejection of whole or part of the habits and traditional religious practices. The traditionalists (orthodoxe) considered this rejection was a revolt against God.

The traditional Judaism, called orthodoxe in the Ashkénaze world, already complex at the 19th century continued to evolve/move with certain regional differences. It split up in two great units (themselves composite).

Those which refuse any integration at the laic companies (even Jewish in Israel) are called Haredim.
Those which accept it, while remaining in favor of a strict application of the Jewish laws, are simply the Orthodoxe ones. But themselves are not homogeneous:

one notes the appearance a little everywhere of an orthodoxe religious Zionism (Mizrahi or PNR, or MAFDAL),
in the United States developed current said " orthodoxe moderne" () of which the ideal of living at ease in the modern world without anything to sacrifice to the observance of the halakha.
in a less structured way, much of Jews makes a point of remaining strictly practitioners in many Jewish communities, without cutting modern world.

Theorthodoxe ones, or Haredim

Within Jewish religious orthodoxy were gradually distinguished 2 branches: the orthodoxe ones and theorthodoxe ones.

The Israeli sociologists often make a distinction between the laic Jews (not very interested by the religion, but not inevitably anti-monk), the traditionalists (partial religious practice), the orthodoxe ones (strict religious practice, but immersion in the modern world) and theorthodoxe ones, or Haredim, or fear-god (strict religious practice, broad refusal of modernity, will of social separatism extremely: specific clothing, specific districts, specific religious institutions).

To note that the Haredim are not defined themselves as theorthodoxe ones, but like Jews Haredim (" trembleurs" , within the meaning of " those which tremble in front of Dieu" , or " Craignants-Dieu").

The orthodoxe ones and Haredim do not differ from a theological point of view, but in their lifestyle and their political orientations.

Towards the beginning of the 20th century, the distinction between orthodoxe Jews " modernes" (alive in the modern world) and ultra-orthodoxe Jews " Haredim" (refusing to compromise itself there) gradually affirmed itself.

The ideal of Haredim, close to the first orthodoxe ones, remains a Jewish life centered on the rabbis, refusing many aspects of the modern world (television is particularly rejettée), gathered in separated districts, as well of the not-Jews as of the other Jews. Physically, their clothing (" men in noirs" or " hats noirs") point out easily.

Compared to the other orthodoxe ones, Haredim thus have as specificities:

social separatism (specific schools, specific stores), geographical (separated districts, sometimes physically closed during the Shabbat) and vestimentary, even with respect to the other Jews;
an extremely thorough religiosity. In Israel, the financings of State of the yeshivot make it possible a strong proportion of Hassidim (at the men) to study the Talmud all their life, without paid work;
a going report/ratio of a visceral hostility (very minority) to a positive vision (minority), while passing by an interested but critical neutrality (majority) with respect to the Zionism. What makes an exception in the Jewish political scene of it.

Haredim themselves are divided besides into Mitnagdim and Hassidim.

Acceptance or rather adaptation to modernity, unquestionable Haredim is expressed today (primarily in Israel) through political parties:

Shass for Sépharades.
Agoudat Israel.
HaTorah Thaw.

Specific aspects

The nonhomogeneity of the orthodoxe unit enormously admits variation between groups or individuals. What follows is only one outline of the principal theological divergences with theorthodoxe ones and of the lifestyles often, but always, not associated with this religious choice.

Theology

the Torah and the oral law of the Talmud indissociable and divine, are directly dictated by God on the the Sinai with Moïse which transcribed them; they cannot be changed to agree with the circumstances.
God made with the children of Israel an exclusive alliance which imposes the observance of the Torah to them and of the oral law which accompanies it; it is thus necessary to observe the Halakha such as it is expressed in the Choulhan Aroukh because it is the expression of the divine will. One can note on this subject that if the Séfarade S are based directly on the Choulhan Aroukh , the Ashkénaze S use his comment, the Ramah , written by Rabbi Moses Isserles and more recent the Mishnah Berurah (comment of the Orah Hayim ) composed before the Second world war by Rabbi Meir Kagan the Hafetz Haïm.
the interpretation of the phenomena of the world present and the attitude to be adopted with respect to this world must be defined by the Rabbin S chiefs of the community and the Posqim, specialists in talmudic legislation and rabbinical literature. Any believer must yield with their interpretation.
the study of Talmud is a Mitsva (command) for the men. The yeshivot (talmudic schools) are thus an indissociable structure of the orthodoxe life. The critical study of Talmud is sometimes allowed (orthodoxe modern), but the preserving vision of the Jewish law does not encourage the development of new legislations.

Lifestyles

It reigns there a certain diversity. Certain communities live in an extreme insulation where external television, Internet, newspapers and books are prohibited and the children and young people are maintained in the circuit of religious teaching, whereas others live in the world. The relations with new technologies go from mistrust to the easy acceptance framed if need be by halachic rules adapted.

The vestimentary codes impose for the two sexes arm and legs covered as well as the port with a cover-chief (called yarmulke or Kippa at the men), but the exact shape of this clothing and accessories varies according to the communities or the traditions. The men hassidims wear thus sometimes a frock coat to old (bekeshes) and a typical hat bordered of Fourrure (shtreimel) for the Shabbat and feastdays. The orthodoxe women can wear a hat, a scarf or a wig (sheitel), at the origin choice of the ladies Ashkénaze S who considered the too country scarf. The men wear a beard and adopt sometimes a special hairstyle which frames the face of two large spiral wicks (payos), scrupulously to respect the law of the Torah which prohibits to shave the corners of the head.

During the services, men and women are separated by a partition (méchitza). In the field of the religious life, the orthodoxe ones do not follow the movement of egalitarianism which makes reach in the other currents the women the ceremonies and traditionnellements activities reserved to the men: Bar Mitsva public with the Synagog, readings of the Torah during the worship, participation in the groups of prayer (Minian), Woman rabbi. Nevertheless, one notes at part of the orthodoxe women an increasing tendency to invest oneself in religious studies. More and more of organizations courses intended for the women propose. The precursor on the matter was Bais Yaakov founded in 1917, by Sarah Schenirer. In Israel, women haredis launch out in the Halakha (training of the law). Mitsvot beats are organized between women, apart from the synagog.

The Mariage S are often done on presentation (shidduch) and in certain mediums the Généalogie of the husbands is taken into account. Nevertheless, some organize themselves to find the soul mate and the modern orthodoxe single people of the district Upper West Side with New York would be at the origin of the concept of Speed dating. In the traditional communities, the very many families are current. Sometimes the men devote themselves primarily to the study of Talmud and the Torah (for example in the Kollel which receive the married men specifically), while their wives choose to leave to work.

The orthodoxe ones estimate all that their design of the Jewish religion is the only correct one, and declare that the movements reformed and Massorti do not respect the Judaism. The attitudes vary total avoidance with the frequentation. Chabad and other institutions of bringing together (for example, Aish Hatorah) organize events or structures accommodating the not-monks with an aim of bringing them closer to the Judaism (common celebrations of Shabbat, kindergartens, etc).

Random links: