No Religion without Idolatry: Mendelssohn's Jewish Enlightenment

Chapter 7: Idolatry in Contemporary Judaism

C H A P T E R 7 Idolatry in Contemporary Judaism Mendessohn defends Jewish ceremonial law with the argument that it alerts the practitioner to the truths of natural religion and that it does not promote idolatry. The Jewish service consists only in actions that are transitory: “[T]here is nothing lasting, nothing enduring about them that, like hieroglyphic script, could lead to idolatry through abuse or misunderstanding” (Jerusalem, 119). Once enduring objects are involved , the “great multitude” (encouraged and deceived by priests) is likely to understand the signs “not as mere signs” but as “the things themselves” (Jerusalem, 110–11). The claim that in Jewish ceremonies “there is nothing lasting, nothing enduring,” is simply false. Mendelssohn passes in silence over the existence of ritual articles that are used in ceremonies. He discusses the tsitsit as a conventional sign, as prealphabetic script, but not the Torah scrolls, the phylacteries, the mezuzah,1 the shofar, or the Four Species taken during the holy day of Sukkot (Leviticus 23:40). This confronts us with a dilemma: either these ritual articles are conducive to idolatry in Judaism, so that Mendelssohn’s recommendation of the ceremonial law as a bulwark against idolatry is ill founded; or these ritual articles do not promote idolatry, although they serve in the ceremonial law, so that Mendelssohn’s theory of idolatry cannot be true. 161 162 No Religion without Idolatry R I T UA L A R T I C L E S Not only in ancient times were objects in Judaism ascribed magical powers or holiness. This also occurs in modern times. Especially troubling for the enlightener is that the use of ritual objects may lead to the conception of the regular service as a magical performance. In Judaism, two kinds of “ritual articles” are distinguished: those in which the tetragrammaton is mentioned (or objects that are contiguous with them; although these rank lower) (sacred articles, ‫תשמישי‬ ‫)קדושה‬ and those that serve in the performance of precepts and deserve respect but on which the name of God is not written (ritual articles, ‫מצווה‬ ‫)תשמישי‬. When the former cannot be used any longer, they are put in special repositories (‫)גניזה‬ and kept there or buried in a Jewish cemetery. These are above all sheets with sacred text but also the objects in close contact with them enjoy a similar status: not only the Torah scroll but also its cloth cover; not only the parchment in the phylacteries but also the case, the straps, and so on. This is Halakhah.2 It is easy to see that it is not the divine message alone that is venerated but the “real symbol.” The meaning of the text is here inseparably connected with the material article. An electronic medium with the entire text of the Bible, whether in Hebrew or in Hebrew letters and with the cantillations, does not enjoy respect; the same text written on parchment does. Simple ritual articles that are not ascribed intrinsic sanctity but merely serve the fulfillment of a mitzvah may be disposed of—but in fact they are not. While religious law does not forbid putting a broken shofar or a worn-out tsitsit in the garbage, this is not done. They are put in the same repositories as the sacred articles or used for a “dignified” purpose, until they “disappear.” Both kinds of ritual articles may be and often are venerated. Torah scrolls are shown respect according to religious law: people should rise when in the presence of a Torah scroll and not turn their backs to it, and so on. This is Halakhah. But the custom does not stop there: Torah scrolls are kissed (not directly— the scroll is touched with the tsitsit, and the tsitsit is kissed), mezuzot are kissed (not directly—the mezuzah is touched with the hand, and the hand is kissed) and are often believed to have magical powers—as are phylacteries.3 In general, all ritual articles are handled with special respect that often turns into veneration. Idolatry in Contemporary Judaism 163 This is not a reflection on Jewish practices from today’s perspective . In his Vindiciae Judaeorum (Defense of the Jews, 1656), Menasseh ben Israel defends Judaism against the allegation that the veneration shown towards the Torah scroll in ceremony is, in fact, idolatry. His answer consists in distinguishing between showing respect and worshiping ; between venerari and adorare (JubA 8, 44–46). But this is a...