What do we KNOW is true? And when what we know to be true is not true .. .what do we do? Some double down and push/assert the old truths since they may be, especially if historical, useful backings to the myths of today.
A recent book review looked at books about the American Revolution and its effect on other countries who soon after had revolutions, etc. France, Haiti, and perhaps Italy and Germany... and others. In the "new" telling we were not the great inspiration many of us may think and BELIEVE... Ahhh.. BELIEF!
Let me turn to us Jews ... who are literate, intelligent, etc etc... in apparently higher per capita than other groups. Are we genetically superior? Was there some natural selection events that favored us?
Here is a sequence of hateful asserted perceptions: anti-Israel, anti-Judaism, anti-semitism, anti-Zionism, anti-Israel, AND AGAIN... ANTI-SEMITISM... to cover all the past "antis". In each case I would suggest there were instances that justified the sentiments in a small percentage of cases... yet the "hate", fear, angers were amplified for purposes of some.... Some who were in power and wanted more power. Some who may just have liked hating.
ONCE upon a time for some reason I thought hate was ok... IF I hated one thing, person, etc... in one year and then moved onto to some other subject. I could have said the same thing about LOVE... Or in other words - have limited but very strong passionate feelings about something for a while!
Back to us Jews... What is true about us? And special - if there IS something special...
One thing that comes to mind is we are a people who look to our Torah as the source of all. It is a book. It is full of stories and laws and there is history and instruction. Following on the importance of the Torah comes the idea that we were and are an unusually literate people BUT - who had books and who could read? Perhaps as there were few books there were few readers and few people who could read... BUT we had laws, etc from the Torah... the Five BOOKS of Moses... and we heard, listened, and remembered teaching from the Torah delivered by the few who themselves may have had copies to read and could read ... or who had great memories. The common people did not have books and probably did not and could not read. Why bother? As for Jews who were learned and who served Christian overlords as ministers or managers ... were they not another minority!?
YES - those minorities in our communities were highly respected... I can grant that... and so when printing begins in the late 1400's and emancipations from ghettos, etc.. happen - Jews do what they have seen as respectable and now acceptable and always a means to a good life. We learn to read and write and the idea, myth, that Jews were a literate and especially learned people really arises in the 1500's and later... much to our good fortune and advantage.
It is not genetic... it is social. It was permitted and it was grasped for its utility! Is that The Truth? Or is my telling of the story with only a vague grasp of history and historical facts ... missing something? Is it the essence of Sophmoric? Maybe....
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Failing... - Not enough praise for my daughters... too much "realism"... instead of inspiration and appreciation... AND - a Yod for Amy and the fixed candle sticks for Sarah....
Also failed myself.... not recognizing what I did was valuable ... to me and to others. Not having compassion, appreciation, respect for myself... OY!!!!
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