By RABBI J. IMMANUEL SCHOCHET
 ecently the media covered a controversy about the burial of a man born Jewish but converted to Christianity, who wished to be buried in a Jewish cemetery.
The family and friends of the deceased argued that as a "messianic Jew" he retained Jewish identity and his body should be allowed to rest among Jews. Our community rightly rejected this claim.
Guest Voices
The issue created some confusion, even among Jews, because of our principle that a Jew remains a Jew regardless of what he does or fails to do. Thus some clarification is in order.
The Talmud states unequivocally: An Israelite,though he sinned, remains an Israelite. Maimonides thus writes in his famous Epistle to Yemen: "No descendant of Jacob [the patriarch] can ever free himself from this Torah, neither he, nor his children or children's children, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Nonetheless, he will be punished for negating any of its commands or violating any of its prohibitions."
Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi) uses this principle as the premise for ruling that even apostates are regarded Jewish in matters of marital and other laws. He is followed in this by most authorities, including the Code of Jewish Law.
Many people, however, miss a crucial point. The inclusiveness of the apostate is only in the negative context of imposing legal stringencies (chumrot), and not to favor him with status or legal leniencies.
One could simply summarize the status of the apostate in the following words: The heretic or apostate, by his rejection of Judaism and adoption of another religion, has effectively excommunicated himself. Practically speaking, this means that he loses all privileges of Judaism even while retaining all obligations.
This may be compared to one entitled to natural citizenship by virtue of being born in a country: when betraying his country, he may lose all privileges of his citizenship, yet remains subject to all laws and obligations.
Jewish law spells this out quite clearly: A meshumad (apostate) loses his status of being a member of the covenant (Sifra on Leviticus 1:2; Tossafot, Sanhedrin 72b).
The issue becomes more sensitive in context of a Jew accepting Christianity or the basic Christian doctrines. Judaism regards the Christian beliefs in the Trinity, Divine incarnation and that Jesus is a mediator between God and man, as idolatrous.
This is subject to the following qualification: Most authorities (especially of the Ashkenazi tradition) do not regard Christians who follow these doctrines of their faith to be idol-worshippers.
|
Their ruling is based mainly on the fact that Christians do recognize and worship the One Supreme Being who created the universe.
In their view, non-Jews are allowed to add to this the acceptance of another being as a deity or mediator. This is known as the principle of shituf, associating another power with that of the Almighty.
For a Jew, however, any form of shituf is tantamount to idolatry in the fullest sense of the word. There is then no way that a Jew can ever accept Jesus as a deity, mediator or savior (messiah), or even as a prophet, without betraying Judaism. To call oneself, therefore, a "Hebrew-Christian," a "Jew for Jesus," or in the latest version a "messianic Jew," is an oxymoron. Just as one cannot be a "Christian Buddhist," or a "Christian for Krishna," one cannot be a "Jew for Jesus."
The fact that they presently use deceptive practices of wearing skullcaps, tzitzit and other symbols of traditional Judaism, or that they have services on the Jewish holy days with readings of the Torah, kiddush and candlelighting etc., does not change one iota of their idolatrous status or excommunication.
Indeed, if and when any of them decide to return to the fold, Jewish law mandates that they must undergo a form of conversion to regain their Jewishness.
This new type of apostate often argues that Judaism is inconsistent in its judgment about them while continuing to regard non-believing and non-practising Jews as full Jews.
The Jewish position, however, is clearly defined by the rabbis: "Anyone who repudiates idolatry is called a Jew." Or in different terminology: "Repudiation of idolatry is tantamount to acknowledging the whole Torah, all the prophets and all that the prophets were commanded from the time of Adam to the end of time. Acceptance of idolatry is tantamount to repudiating the whole Torah, the prophets and everything that they were commanded from Adam to the end of time."
Maimonides thus rules: A Jew who worships idolatry (which includes the acceptance of Jesus), is like a gentile in every respect, and is not at all like a Jew who commits capital offence. Moreover, whoever acknowledges the validity of idolatry, even if he does not worship it, reviles and blasphemes the honored and revered Name of God.
These principles are so intrinsic to Jewish identity that even the Israeli Supreme Court, in the famous case of "Brother Daniel [Rufeisen]," rejected the demand of an apostate to enjoy the privileges of Israel's Law of Return just because he continued to regard himself as Jewish.
Judaism, and Judaism alone, can define legitimate membership in its faith-community. It is the height of absurdity and chutzpah to reject Judaism and then redefine its original tradition. While the doors for tshuvah, for returning to the fold, remain forever open to anyone without exception, those who consciously betray their roots and identity have no place in the midst of their people, whether dead or alive.
|
