Assimilation

Assimilation, something absolutely necessary for the growth and progress of a country. For a country to thrive it must have definable cultural values and dynamics. Many immigrants have swiftly adopted American values with open arms at the sight of financial stability promised to them. Few places have as great a reputation for immigrants achieving the American dream as New York does. Italians, Germans, Irish, and namely Jews have all flourished upon arriving to Eastern America over the last century. They have embraced American culture, values, socio-political agendas, etc. Our financial success in this land is truly miraculous and is seen as praise worthy to many Americans. But at what cost? At what point was physical achievement regarded in a higher place than our ancient spiritual/religious origins? Assimilation has created an easy pathway for success, but the cost is a forgotten history, a forgotten destiny. Our captivity has tempted us to conform, to become unified to a land not of our own. We are commanded and expected to be a set apart people, a people not of this world. We must set our lust for achievement towards heavenly ways and not worldly ways. Yes, befriending the nations has brought us satisfaction and success, but the further we go the more we become like them and eventually thats how we become them. As Jews we have a destiny in this world, one not of remembrance our glory, but one of divine origin and destination. We have seen how the world has rapidly advanced and consequently this advancement has come with just as advanced temptation. Look at and talk with almost any Jew and you will see that they have adopted gentile behavior and culture. You look at a secular Jew and it’s obvious by their shaven face and obsession with career, even as to work on Shabbat. Even the Haredim have adopted their clothing and language from central Europe and naively follow a Talmud of Babylonian Jewish moral code. Observing the average “lukewarm” Jew and she will have adorned makeup and jewelry. Almost every Jew spoken to will have personal morals foreign to Torah’s definition of right and wrong. They call for justice concerning gentile matters meanwhile turning a blind eye to the distresses of their own people. We are a people set apart to HaShem, to his ways, to the ancient ways, to the right ways. Becoming like the gentiles is how we lose our separation, mingling with them should be condemned today just as it was in Isaiahs time when he condemned parents letting their children play with gentiles. Making exception is always the beginning of disaster in nearly every story of Tanakh. Our ancestors made an exception when assimilating to gentile nations, and we suffer their blunders. We are raised and told we are a Jew, but our way of life would be seen as an abomination to the ancient people of Judah. We must purify ourselves and escape the vain “morals” of this world, this world that sees unclean food as a delight, but sees an unplanned child as something to be destroyed, this world that sees makeup, jewelry, and immodest clothing as harmless, but sees a man refusing to pledge allegiance as despicable scum. The world and it’s ways are dying, and as a Jew, do not be destroyed with it. -H