First a definition of terms for those not familliar.
Halachah: Related to the verb "to walk", refers to the entire corpus of Jewish law as it exists now and continues to develop in response to new situations. Not a biblical, but a rabbinic term. Development follows specific rules of logic, some of which have been shown to parallel the ways the Greeks approached their texts.
Psycho-halachic process: A modern approach that developed within Jewish Renewal which applies halachah in a more personalized manner, also taking more into account than just the rules traditional halachah looks at.
Jewish Renewal: A post or trans-denominational mystical movement that formed out of the 60s counterculture, influenced (with degree of influence varying greatly from place to place) by hasidism, feminism, shamanism, and process theology as well as to some degree Eastern religions, sufism, Jung, Wilber and various other sources, known for its radical theology, innovation and liberalism.
So why did I make this thread? The other day I was with some people at a virtual shul in the virtual world of Second Life. One person remarked that it would be interesting to do torah readings and such. It's not a direction the shul is going. Mostly it serves as a gathering place, virtual candle lighting for worldwide timezones, maybe some classes in the future, but I've digressed. The conversation continued until the question was raised about participation, who can participate in the service and how do you regulate that in a virtual world. My response was that it's virtual so it's not as much of an issue. The response I got back was that if it feels real to us, then it's real, that it's more a matter of what we believe than anything else.
The issue I had with this, which I raised, is that it's not a matter of what feels real and what we believe. It's a matter of halachah. My issue with the type of approach I was confronted with is that it is essentially wishy washy. Going by whatever you feel like moment to moment, in the clouds with no roots in the ground. I knew that because of the way I was responding I was probably coming off sounding more traditional, and I never corrected that view. But this is also not the way psycho-halachah operates. Psycho-halachah certainly does go beyond what has been done before (as I will get into in a moment) but this other approach simply tosses it all to the wayside.
What is a psycho-halachic approach to the question of spiritual practices within a virtual world? It begins just like halachah. You look at whatever you have already that might relate to the issue. One of the things that came to mind for me is the ruling about the Tetragrammaton on a computer. It's okay to delete it. Writing on a computer isn't the same as writing on a paper because the computer writing is really lots of flashes imperceptible to the eye. Now to be sure, this is not liscense to be disrespectful, but I think it's something that may have some bearing on this issue. It is here however that psycho-halachah departs. Because after the sources have been considered, it wants to consider those contemporary issues that might have bearing, and it also wants to consider the feelings of the individual. It'll also suggest some sort of spiritual practice to connect with something higher about the issue. But in all of this, there is no split second decision, no sudden pivot, and no single voice. There is a process. And the traditional sources are not ignored. They are taken into account. This does not mean theirs is the final say because there are other factors involved that are equally important, but part of the process is consulting them, learning from them. Even if diverging from them it is possible to still be influenced by these very sources.
How are the psycho-halachic process and halachah similar? They are involved approaches that lead to a systematic Jewish practice.
For a long time now kashrut has been an issue for me. I do not find meaning or relevance in it. But I see the importance of a dietary practice as part of Judaism. It's a piece of the puzzle. If kashrut isn't working, or any practice, better to have something in its place. So lately I have been more and more considering veganism, and this decision was influenced by Jewish sources, by the way man originally lived in the Torah, by the emphasis in Judaism on reducing the suffering of animals. I know that there was a time when animals were treated differently before they were slaughtered, when it was more localized and there was less demand. But today the way they live, as a Jew the situation has changed, and as is oft quoted: "if not now, when?"
Dauer
Halachah: Related to the verb "to walk", refers to the entire corpus of Jewish law as it exists now and continues to develop in response to new situations. Not a biblical, but a rabbinic term. Development follows specific rules of logic, some of which have been shown to parallel the ways the Greeks approached their texts.
Psycho-halachic process: A modern approach that developed within Jewish Renewal which applies halachah in a more personalized manner, also taking more into account than just the rules traditional halachah looks at.
Jewish Renewal: A post or trans-denominational mystical movement that formed out of the 60s counterculture, influenced (with degree of influence varying greatly from place to place) by hasidism, feminism, shamanism, and process theology as well as to some degree Eastern religions, sufism, Jung, Wilber and various other sources, known for its radical theology, innovation and liberalism.
So why did I make this thread? The other day I was with some people at a virtual shul in the virtual world of Second Life. One person remarked that it would be interesting to do torah readings and such. It's not a direction the shul is going. Mostly it serves as a gathering place, virtual candle lighting for worldwide timezones, maybe some classes in the future, but I've digressed. The conversation continued until the question was raised about participation, who can participate in the service and how do you regulate that in a virtual world. My response was that it's virtual so it's not as much of an issue. The response I got back was that if it feels real to us, then it's real, that it's more a matter of what we believe than anything else.
The issue I had with this, which I raised, is that it's not a matter of what feels real and what we believe. It's a matter of halachah. My issue with the type of approach I was confronted with is that it is essentially wishy washy. Going by whatever you feel like moment to moment, in the clouds with no roots in the ground. I knew that because of the way I was responding I was probably coming off sounding more traditional, and I never corrected that view. But this is also not the way psycho-halachah operates. Psycho-halachah certainly does go beyond what has been done before (as I will get into in a moment) but this other approach simply tosses it all to the wayside.
What is a psycho-halachic approach to the question of spiritual practices within a virtual world? It begins just like halachah. You look at whatever you have already that might relate to the issue. One of the things that came to mind for me is the ruling about the Tetragrammaton on a computer. It's okay to delete it. Writing on a computer isn't the same as writing on a paper because the computer writing is really lots of flashes imperceptible to the eye. Now to be sure, this is not liscense to be disrespectful, but I think it's something that may have some bearing on this issue. It is here however that psycho-halachah departs. Because after the sources have been considered, it wants to consider those contemporary issues that might have bearing, and it also wants to consider the feelings of the individual. It'll also suggest some sort of spiritual practice to connect with something higher about the issue. But in all of this, there is no split second decision, no sudden pivot, and no single voice. There is a process. And the traditional sources are not ignored. They are taken into account. This does not mean theirs is the final say because there are other factors involved that are equally important, but part of the process is consulting them, learning from them. Even if diverging from them it is possible to still be influenced by these very sources.
How are the psycho-halachic process and halachah similar? They are involved approaches that lead to a systematic Jewish practice.
For a long time now kashrut has been an issue for me. I do not find meaning or relevance in it. But I see the importance of a dietary practice as part of Judaism. It's a piece of the puzzle. If kashrut isn't working, or any practice, better to have something in its place. So lately I have been more and more considering veganism, and this decision was influenced by Jewish sources, by the way man originally lived in the Torah, by the emphasis in Judaism on reducing the suffering of animals. I know that there was a time when animals were treated differently before they were slaughtered, when it was more localized and there was less demand. But today the way they live, as a Jew the situation has changed, and as is oft quoted: "if not now, when?"
Dauer
