All these rules! I feel like I’m in a strip joint

Anyone who knows anything about Judaism, knows there are lots of rules.

Lots of mitzvot

Lots of obligations

Lots of guilt

There are two main categories of Jewish rules

1) So many of these rules are logical…

Respecting parents

Caring for the widow…

the orphan

the poor

the sick

2) So many rules are illogical…

Oy vey… where do I begin?

It is on this second, illogical, category that I wish to focus my attention

Estimates vary, but there are approximately 15 million Jews in the world. After 3,500 years, only 15 million?

Hitler murdered 6 million within the past century, but surely there should be more than 15 million if we have had 3,500 years to be fruitful and multiply?

Why are our numbers so low?

Well, we Jews are notorious for our liberalism, our willingness to be open-minded and our inter-marriage rates. We are happy to show off our secularism, and our ease at which we integrate within the wider society.

It’s always been this way.

For 3,500 years

Assimilation and the discarding of our religion is, ironically, part of our heritage

Since the inception of our nation, we have been subjected to murders, pogroms and persecution. Our numbers are low, but murder, pogroms and persecution only partly account for the ‘leakage’.

Since our inception, we have also suffered from our willingness to discard our religion.

And who wouldn’t want to discard of a religion that has so many rules.

So many illogical rules

Oy vey….where do I begin?

Despite the lofty ideals of Judaism, the illogical demands of our religion are most often cited as reasons for non-practice, non-observance and non-interest in Judaism.

No rational being would willingly choose to follow Judaism (or any religion for that matter). Not when there are so many illogical rules associated with Torah observance

The many illogical rules of Judaism turn rational people off Judaism.

Rational people say that they want to be 'free', not governed by illogical rules.

Rational people don't want to be controlled, or limited, by a set of rules

I was watching BBC World News earlier this week

During the sports news, an item came up regarding some big golfing tournament. This particular news item covered a delay that occurred during this particular golfing championship.

The delay was caused by a bee.

Not by a golfer

Not by a tropical storm

Not by a major multi-national corporation pulling its sponsorship of the tournament

The delay was caused by a typical, black and yellow, buzzing bee.

Like Maya… the bee

This particular bee was enjoying the view of the green from one of the golfer’s golf balls. And while the bee sat, and toured the golf ball, tournament play was stopped.

They tried to get the bee off, but to no avail.

The bee on the golfball caused EVERYBODY to stop… and wait

They HAD to wait

There are rules of golf that had to be applied and enforced

After all, this was a big golfing championship

And there was lots of money involved…..Millions of dollars

And many big-name golfers

And sponsors…. Including many large multi-nationals

And TV crews…..representing sports networks from around the globe

And ofcourse, tens of millions of viewers around the world

But, the delay, caused by the bee on the ball, was logical

Why?

Because there are rules that govern the game of golf

Logical rules

Rules that determine, that when when a bee is on a golf ball, the professional golfers, the tournament, the millions of viewers, the game, the international sports networks, and the multi-national sponsors….

Must ALL wait

And they did all wait

And NOBODY complained

The minutae of golf, including its many rule, serve the greater purpose of the game. It keeps the game organized, focused and….logical

Rules and laws have a purpose.

In and of themselves, they may seem petty.

Rules serve a higher purpose. That purpose may be an organized game of golf due to various golfing rules, safer roads due to traffic laws, reduced fraud due to financial regulations, and even safety for exotic dancers due to strictly enforced house-rules.

Shabbos is a good example of where many rules exist

Less than 10% of world Jewry observe Shabbos

The laws of Shabbos are detailed and complex.

Most of these laws and rules are terribly illogical

The purpose of Shabbos, what it aims to achieve and what people can gain from it, is often overlooked, due to the petty, illogical, numerous Torah requirements

Shabbos has so many rules

Oy vey….where do I begin?

To many Jews, Shabbos is worth discarding. Shabbos is demanding, and its rules are extensive

It’s no wonder people are turned off by Judaism in general, and Shabbos in particular

I can understand why there are more Jews who play golf on Shabbos than there are Jews who actually keep Shabbos

After all, the illogical Jewish rules are not enough to attract rational people to the lofty values of their heritage, their people and their culture

It’s the logical “bee-on-the-golfball” rules that govern the world of golf that are far more attractive