I have been accused of holding a “euro-centric” view in my new book “God is God: God is the Creator and Law-Giver” and to this charge I plead “guilty.” Right off the bat, I should note that I am an unapologetic and unabashed American Jew which automatically places me in the euro-centric category along with my fellow Americans and my fellow American Jews. If I were an Iranian Muslim or an Indian Hindu I would’ve most likely written my book from a perspective influenced by those respective cultures.
Yet, I realize that the accusation of euro-centrism has nothing to do with nationality or religion per se but, rather, the accusation is specifically aimed at me as a white American. And yet, it occurs to me, America is at least by principle if not always by practice a pluralistic society when it comes to race, ethnicity and religion. Indeed, American culture is, by principle, a pluralistic culture that strives to honor the individual first and, in that sense, America has been and largely remains an exceptional culture. …
Charles Moscowitz is the author of the new book: God is God: God is the Creator and Law-Giver
I study Talmud on Zoom with a Rabbi and a small group. Today we discussed the intricacies of a tract of Mishna. We then recited the afternoon prayer which includes the Aleinu which praises God for not making us like other nations. This causes me to reflect on the question of why God wanted us to be separate from other nations. If this is the will of God then why did God separate and what is our mission?
The Talmud tract we studied and the conversation focused on the intricacies and even the minutiae of Jewish law, known as Halacha, which was codified at a time when the Jewish people had lost sovereignty in Roman Judaea after the destruction of the Second Temple, 70 CE, and the bar-Kockba rebellion, 136 CE. At the time Jews were banned from entering Jerusalem and were severely prosecuted. The Roman Emperor Hadrian, after crushing the rebellion, attempted to abolish Judaism outright by renaming Judaea “Palestina” which was a reference to the ancient Philistines who had disappeared from the pages of history millennia earlier at the time of King David. Hadrian renamed Jerusalem Alia Capitolina and he set up an idol on the ruins of the Temple. …
Charles Moscowitz is the author of: God is God: God is the Creator and Law-Giver
The infamous Access Hollywood tape revealed Donald Trump engaging in a vulgar conversation about women with host Billy Bush. Trump’s response to the release of the secretly taped conversation was apologetic as he acknowledged his embarrassment. …
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