n0mesorah,
” I’m not advocating this as the ikar. I’m saying this is the basic idea.”
Ok, so this seems like a big change from your initial stance, which ridiculed any debate about beliefs because they were irrelevant to Yiddishkeit. So now you’re holding that beliefs are relevant, but a lack of them is still within what you see as the “baseline” of normative Judaism. I vehemently disagree, but before we go on that merry-go-round again, given your new position that beliefs do matter inasmuch as they raise your level of Yiddishkeit – I don’t understand your point in this thread. Your initial argument seemed to advocate for people to leave Chabad alone, because who cares what they believe as long as they do mitzvos, as beliefs are irrelevant to Judaism, and it’s silly to quibble about beliefs since reality is beyond our comprehension anyway. Now, however, you seem to imply that beliefs can indeed raise your level. Fine. And maybe some are not ready to jump to higher levels, and pushing or berating them for it may do more harm than good. Ok, I can agree with that. But Chabad claims that their derech is the superior form of Judaism, and only through Chabad can you reach the absolute highest levels. They put this into action via missionary work, and they express considerable hostility towards Jews who disagree with their derech (the “snags”). The similarity between these attitudes and those of early Christianity is probably why there is so much consternation – Christianity after all resulted in 2000 years of torment for Jews. But to lay out my question simply: if beliefs do matter for your level, and a group claims to offer the highest level… should their claims not be checked into on behalf of those who want to climb higher?
“I doubt anyone’s commitment comes only from their awareness of Hashem. Bilam had a strong awareness of Hashem and moving else. So he was only absorbed in himself.”
I didn’t say that awareness alone was sufficient. We have mitzvos to love and fear Hashem, and a cursory reading of Chumash reveals the importance of faith in Hashem.
“A committed Jew is one that maintains his Judaism as his own identity.”
But what is Judaism if divorced from Hashem?
“The person with the personal beliefs that you outlined is rather stupid. That he still maintains all the mitzvos, is very special in the eyes of Hashem. What do you expect of such a person?”
There’s stupid and wrong, and stupid and right. Should we condemn the stupid to wrongness?
“A Jew with little insight into the divine, is limited in their spiritual growth. This is so obvious, it is almost redundant.”
On the contrary, it is so wrong, I almost don’t know where to begin. No, a simple person isn’t going to delve into esoteric kabbalistic concepts, but a simple and true faith can shake the heavens.
“A fully practicing atheist can say kiddush and kaddish for us.”
I don’t think so. If an athiest writes a perfect sefer Torah, we have to burn it. And I don’t think we can say amein to their brachos.
“I posted that piece to clarify why all of chabad is within the parameters of normative Judaism, as much as any other group. It was never intended as the ideal.”
But they claim the mantle if the ideal, hence the scrutiny.