Any comment would really be superfluous, but I want to say that I’m suspending moral judgment. I should, however, say that as a scholar of religion and modern Judaism I’m caught between professional curiosity and personal incredulity. Thanks to Adam, Daniel, and Nitzan for sending these along to me.
Why are you incredulous?
It’s so weird looking, archaic and modern, almost like sci fi. It takes Judaism to very strange and alien places.
is this the archaic past and the modern morphing or the archaic past puncturing the presen(t)ce… strange and alien, yes.
This can be dangerously monsterous- or perhaps redemptive- or an entangled mix of the two (which i guess would tend to the monsterous unless there was some solid intervention from enlightened representatives of the archaic)
If there is any, THIS post is a true sign of the split between American and Israeli Jewry. So, what you are basically saying here is that I, as a religious soldier might not take a Torah scroll to the battlefield while defending my country and family – because this would hurt the pacifistic sensibilities of the liberal American Jewish majority?
This has nothing to do with the U.S. or Israel. I’m sure that there are plenty of Israelis who feel the same as I do. And I’m sure there are a lot of modern orthodox Jews who think the same as you. Personally, I just think it looks weird. But the substantive thing has more to do with what kind of Torah is brought into battle. Torat Ha’Melech?