"Love they neighbor as thyself" is both Jewish and Christian ethics, as claimed, and honored in the breach in both, often.
A fellow Jewish Atheist friend of mine interpreted "neighbor" as the guy next door, or maybe the surrounding burrough at most. I tend to prefer the "everyone" interpretation, or at least "anyone," as in anyone whose life you can positively improve.
From the standpoint of a deeply religious Jew, the Holocaust ought be seen as an act of God, requiring contemplation. What had Jewish Society done wrong?
Sadly, the people who sacrificed their lives may have been among the very best in God's eyes. Sadly, that's the way these mass death things usually work.
But clearly, there were errors, in other sectors. Such as, indeed, in Jewish Banking. And Jewish Crime. (Not to mention, later, in Zionism. I hope indeed the Holocaust might be some kind of pre-payement on that, at least once Zionism is finally reverted back to Judaism. But I have no way of knowing if that might be true. It's probably wishful thinking. Except for the fact that the Balfour Agreement, delivered to Lord Rothschild--a Zionist banker, who also made sure it was interpreted his way--did actually precede the Holocaust so indeed part was already on the bill already. Ultimately, all I can say is that, if God causes all, God caused the Holocaust too, for God's infinite reasons which we can only seek to comprehend.)
Even if we assume that Jews were no worse than their non-Jewish contemporaries in things like Banking and Organized Crime. They should not have been plutocrats or ciminals at all. Why were they not held to a fully "loving they neighbor" standard? Why were they not denounced, if not disabled, by Jews and Jewish organizations?
These kinds of operations may have only involved a few Jews...but they had wide impact.
Now, you may not consider the Holocaust an act of God. But surely, only a person with very poor religion could say it required reconsidering one's relationship with God. Such as, with the expectation to be lead to Israel by God, not the reverse.
For me, I put it a little differently. It's not at all a matter of God at all, my atheist judaism is a matter of ethics toward others. The Holocaust doesn't change one iota one's future requirements to "love they neighbor" one iota.
The Ethical State needed to be a model of ethics from way before day one, before it used the name "Israel." Before, say, the collusion (aka Theft) of the Balfour Agreement. When the partner in a transaction doesn't have a fair offer, a fair opportunity to refuse, or lacks any other kind of fairness, it's not a sale. It's a Theft, which began right there.
So in no way, does the Holocaust justify waiving any rules, for example, with the creation and maintenance of the State of Israel. No theft or murder was permissable. No kicking they neighbor out of his home. (Or even coveting it, according to Mosaic Commandments.) Of that we can be absolutely certain, and regardless of previous unwarranted deaths and other loss. Two wrongs don't make a right, and especially for the moral people.
A fellow Jewish Atheist friend of mine interpreted "neighbor" as the guy next door, or maybe the surrounding burrough at most. I tend to prefer the "everyone" interpretation, or at least "anyone," as in anyone whose life you can positively improve.
From the standpoint of a deeply religious Jew, the Holocaust ought be seen as an act of God, requiring contemplation. What had Jewish Society done wrong?
Sadly, the people who sacrificed their lives may have been among the very best in God's eyes. Sadly, that's the way these mass death things usually work.
But clearly, there were errors, in other sectors. Such as, indeed, in Jewish Banking. And Jewish Crime. (Not to mention, later, in Zionism. I hope indeed the Holocaust might be some kind of pre-payement on that, at least once Zionism is finally reverted back to Judaism. But I have no way of knowing if that might be true. It's probably wishful thinking. Except for the fact that the Balfour Agreement, delivered to Lord Rothschild--a Zionist banker, who also made sure it was interpreted his way--did actually precede the Holocaust so indeed part was already on the bill already. Ultimately, all I can say is that, if God causes all, God caused the Holocaust too, for God's infinite reasons which we can only seek to comprehend.)
Even if we assume that Jews were no worse than their non-Jewish contemporaries in things like Banking and Organized Crime. They should not have been plutocrats or ciminals at all. Why were they not held to a fully "loving they neighbor" standard? Why were they not denounced, if not disabled, by Jews and Jewish organizations?
These kinds of operations may have only involved a few Jews...but they had wide impact.
Now, you may not consider the Holocaust an act of God. But surely, only a person with very poor religion could say it required reconsidering one's relationship with God. Such as, with the expectation to be lead to Israel by God, not the reverse.
For me, I put it a little differently. It's not at all a matter of God at all, my atheist judaism is a matter of ethics toward others. The Holocaust doesn't change one iota one's future requirements to "love they neighbor" one iota.
The Ethical State needed to be a model of ethics from way before day one, before it used the name "Israel." Before, say, the collusion (aka Theft) of the Balfour Agreement. When the partner in a transaction doesn't have a fair offer, a fair opportunity to refuse, or lacks any other kind of fairness, it's not a sale. It's a Theft, which began right there.
So in no way, does the Holocaust justify waiving any rules, for example, with the creation and maintenance of the State of Israel. No theft or murder was permissable. No kicking they neighbor out of his home. (Or even coveting it, according to Mosaic Commandments.) Of that we can be absolutely certain, and regardless of previous unwarranted deaths and other loss. Two wrongs don't make a right, and especially for the moral people.
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