Mere Social Groups
This article touches the kernel, orthodox Jews are a social group. This was what the GR"A wanted to prevent and change, but he failed. The article makes a distinction between "lernen" and learning. The distinction is kind of nice, though at first there was of course no difference, and in Hebrew both are the same, ללמוד. The difference arose when modern knowledge came up, and was rejected by the orthodox.
That is when they became a mere social group. Although there are differences, all orthodox groups today are mere social groups. Because even the religious Zionists do not accept all science. The truth together with a little conscious lie is barely different from a big lie, and if one goes according to this "truth," one does not go, from one perspective, according to the truth at all. It is all or nothing with the truth.
But the truth keeps knocking on the door, because Orthodoxy implies that it knows the truth, although it does not. The Orthodox even ruled out the truth, as during "lerning" the uncomfortable external questions are ruled out. One can only ask the comfortable internal questions. But it is not sufficient to be a social group. The knocking on the door keeps getting stronger. We need a group that goes for the truth.
But at the end of the day religion is one of the only arenas left where there is the possibility of pursuing truth, authenticity and clarity in a chaotic and Fake News world (sic, Ephraim Epstein).
That is when they became a mere social group. Although there are differences, all orthodox groups today are mere social groups. Because even the religious Zionists do not accept all science. The truth together with a little conscious lie is barely different from a big lie, and if one goes according to this "truth," one does not go, from one perspective, according to the truth at all. It is all or nothing with the truth.
But the truth keeps knocking on the door, because Orthodoxy implies that it knows the truth, although it does not. The Orthodox even ruled out the truth, as during "lerning" the uncomfortable external questions are ruled out. One can only ask the comfortable internal questions. But it is not sufficient to be a social group. The knocking on the door keeps getting stronger. We need a group that goes for the truth.
But at the end of the day religion is one of the only arenas left where there is the possibility of pursuing truth, authenticity and clarity in a chaotic and Fake News world (sic, Ephraim Epstein).