In this installment of Current Jewish Question, Rabbi Yuter discusses sources and approaches to the laws of "chukkat hagoy" - following the practices of non-Jews
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Ep. 58 Current Jewish Questions 5 - Chukkat Hagoy[ 50:12 | 8.62 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (198)
The topic of "tzniut" or "modesty" has recently become a prominent point of discussion in the Jewish community, mostly in response recent incidents of religious violence in Israel (some of which we covered in the previous class on Religious Coercion). Recent essays by Rabbi Dov Linzer in the New York Times, Rabbi Aryeh Klapper for a Rabbinical Council of America blog, and an earlier one by Rabbi Marc Angel for The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals have all attempted to present a more "moderate" view from what is often conveyed by Orthodox Jewish society.
But the common theme in these essays, and indeed what dominates the discussion of Jewish modesty, is almost exclusively framing the issue in the context of women. In particular, modesty is most frequently defined in terms of how women ought to dress, how a woman is supposed to behave, and in some general instances the appropriate role of women in Jewish if not secular society. With this focus on women, it is not surprising that tzniut/modesty is almost exclusively construed as a sexual ethic.
In this shiur I challenge this assumption by approaching the topic of modesty not from the socially defined understanding of tzniut, but rather how and when the root "צנע" is used in the Talmud. While the term is certainly used in the context of female sexuality or displays of femininity (B. Ketuvot 3b, B. Berachot 8b, B. Shabbat 113b, B. Sotah 49b), the Rabbinic tradition also applies tzniut to men as it pertains to his relationship with his wife (B. Shabbat 53b) and his mode of dress (B. Menachot 43a). Furthermore, the ethic of tzniut is asserted in the contexts of going to the bathroom (B. Berachot 8b, 62a), eating (B. Berachot 8b), not displaying one's wealth (B. Pesachim 113a), and even religious observance (M. Ma'aser Sheni 5:1, B. Sukkah 49b/B. Makkot 24a). (These and additional sources are in the attached source sheet with a modified Soncino translation.)
Given the contextual range of the root צנע, I suggest that tzniut in the Rabbinic tradition may best be described not as a sexual ethic at all (let alone a female one), but a general attitude of behavior of which sexual behavior is only one component. In other words, the true Jewish ethos of modesty does not exclusively pertain to sexuality, but rather reflects a universal ethic, one which is equally applicable to men and women in all facets of life.
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Ep. 48 Fundamentals of Judaism 4 - What God Wants[ 51:15 | 5.87 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (237)
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Ep. 46 Fundamentals of Judaism 3 - God in the Torah[ 41:07 | 4.71 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (185)
Rabbi Yuter begins a brand new shiur series titled "Confronting Chosenness" which will discuss Jewish exceptionalism in thought and practice. This first class begins exploring the biblical foundations the Jews being God's "chosen people".
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Rabbi Josh Yuter concludes the Politics of Exclusion shiur series with a general discussion incorporating and previous classes. Many thanks for following!
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Episode 40: Politics of Exclusion - Conclusion and Summary[ 1:25:12 | 9.75 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (310)
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Episode 36 – Politics of Exclusion: Saul Lieberman and the Orthodox Part 3[ 43:00 | 4.92 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (358)
Rabbi Yuter's Politics of Exclusion segment on Saul Lieberman continues with a specific charge against Saul Lieberman, his response, and concludes with a game changing twist.
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Episode 36 - Politics of Exclusion: Saul Lieberman and the Orthodox Part 2[ 37:44 | 4.32 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (661)
Rabbi Josh Yuter starts a new section in his Politics of Exclusion series discussing the Orthodox reaction to Saul Lieberman after accepting his position at JTS.
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Episode 35 - Politics of Exclusion: Saul Lieberman and the Orthodox Part 1[ 39:31 | 4.52 MB ]Play NowPlay in Popup | Download (466)
By community request, my class topic for this past Shavuot was on the issues related to kosher cheese. For obvious reasons there is no audio, but for those interested in the topic I'm attaching the source sheet. If anyone is interested in the details I would be happy to discuss offline, or you're more than welcome to book a speaking engagement :-)
