Let My People Know

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz: “Kosher-centered Judaism.”

Kosher-centered Judaism is a Judaism that tries to fashion two worlds – one of which is a small world in which you can feel Jewish through those things that are somehow obligations.

They have to be of a material nature – easy to see, easy to discuss, easy to solve – things that you can easily work at.

You can work at being kosher.

You can buy another pair of tefillin.

I think this is an unhealthy sign – being kosher is only a part of being Jewish, as anybody who has any interest in Judaism knows.

It becomes some kind of routine, and people deal with this aspect because they are not interested in anything really important about Judaism.

Now, I don’t think that it can go on forever because it is boring and after some time it becomes boring even for those who participate in this sport.

Second, it is just a shell, and the shell has no inner core.

Therefore, I don’t believe that it will survive.

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz