They strove to keep everything the same but actually made big changes
Seventy years ago, still reeling and recovering from the Holocaust (we’re not going to blame Jews under attack for any imperfections) with Israel constantly under attack, the Jewish Tradition changed in three important ways. This, because circumstances had drastically changed, but old ideas were reapplied as if our teachers had not noticed, and maybe they didn’t.
Three major issues saw their circumstances change, but Jewish Law did not adapt. As a consequence, Orthodox Judaism changed, more than reform or Conservatism changed Judaism. It now suddenly forbids what was never forbidden or allows what was never allowed. So much for Tradition.
White Bread is a Threat to Our Health
Maybe Jews ate white-flour bread at special times like Shabbat and Festivals and special places like the Temple. As sort of cake, then.
Because wheat is the staple of human food, bread got the honor to open serious meals. An acknowledgment of G^d making (all) produce rise from the ground was pronounced before eating this quintessential nutrition: lechem. Lechem actually just means food. But, in the end, lechem became a nickname for bread. (The real Hebrew for bread is kikar or pat.)
However, in the last 70 years or so, most Jews eat white-flour bread every day. Whole-wheat bread they find ‘too heavy.’ The Rabbis never noticed the shift. They still think that we should pronounce a food blessing on this non-food. If white flour does anything then it takes away hunger by filling us up and serves (pardon the pun) as a surface to put on all kinds of ‘delicacies’ (meaty, cheesy, and sugary junk) that we don’t need either.
What used to be high-standard food became our daily junk food.
Unfortunately, in a democracy, everyone is entitled to eat junk. But how can the Rabbis agree that we make a food (or any) blessing on it? Besides, why does no Rabbi proclaim this as bad as cigarettes, which it is at least.
Homosexual Men Are Not Out-of-Control Heterosexual Men
Some 70 years ago, massive numbers of homosexual men and transsexual women started emerging, first in democracies, eventually everywhere.
The Rabbis assumed wrongly that these were uninhibited heterosexuals.
Anyone with a bit of common sense can see that the Hebrew Bible only (overtly) bans intercourse with Straight men (“instead of with a woman”).
But, the Rabbis glued the prohibition for Straight men against intermale intercourse onto Gay men. They started trashing Gay men and anyone who smelled of them. This gave all kinds of weird stuff like prohibiting half a million Jews to have sex, pretending they could do without and without a fitting partner, they could change their orientation (Freud already knew this was impossible), that people were sinners for what they were, not what they did, etc. Ridiculous. Later in life, Rabbis Kook and Feinstein noticed but their late pronouncements were ignored and hidden.
A whole industry developed to ‘help’ people change their preferences. It didn’t work, but the defrauding fake therapists made billions anyway.
But, the Rabbis still haven’t repented for their error. Meanwhile, countless Queer youths have committed suicide, Gentile nations execute Gays, but, with their hands red from blood, most Rabbis have not seen the light yet.
Me castigating the Rabbis by their lives is their only chance at Heaven.
The Autonomous State of Israel Means a New Era for Jewish Law
The establishment of the State of Israel, 70 years ago, ushered the Jewish People into a completely new era. We had little Jewish Law about running a State, having an army, and about our relationships with non-Jews. Some of Israel’s earlier chief rabbis did their best to institute new Jewish Law.
But what would a Jewish national economy look like? What to do with the Sabbatical year in a modern economy? What should the status be of non-Jews in the Jewish country? How about the separation between State and Synagogue? Should we try to be a Nation like any other, especially in the UN? (Antisemites always know before Jews that we’re not like everyone.)
Yet, overall, almost all stayed the same, as if nothing had changed. Jewish marriage, the relationship between secular and traditional Jews, with prospective converts, all are treated as if we all still live in the Diaspora.
If the core problem stopping Redemption is Jewish infighting, divisions, what should Jewish Law do to promote unity, mutual love (concern)?
Humanity in total finds itself on the brink of extinction (climate change). Yet, instead of helping Israel to be a Light unto the Nations, the Rabbis are absorbed in the old stuff as if we still live as an immaterial Jewish minority.
We need bold thinkers with big visions, but those who have kept silent.
It proved much easier to take the Jews out of the Diaspora than to take the Diaspora out of the Jews.
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
