So, I was learning Talmud tonight at the Jewish Learning Initiative at Hillel. We were learning the second chapter of Talmud in Baba Metziah. We were learning what the Rabbis had to say about what our responsibilies are when we find something that has been lost, misplaced, or dropped. It made me think about Judaism. I saw a parallel to the fact that here is this "Judaism" and from what I can tell, it has been lost, misplaced, and dropped. Here we are finding it and picking it up...what are we going to do with it?
Now Rashi (10th cent commentator) says that one can legally keep what they find only if the person who lost it has given up hope that they will find it. Going along the parallel, I wonder if that means that we, the "next generation" (Irit told me they are calling us Generation Aleph in some circles), can only actually take ownership of Judaism once he/she who once owned it gives up all hope of finding it again.
To me it rings true of a passing on the reigns. A sense of letting us, the youth, run away with Judaism. Now that we have found it, let us take ownership.
Nu?
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Nice... I like that idea. I remember when I was younger and I realized I didn't identify with the Judaism I was being taught at JDS. However, when I became an adult (or rather, matured in my thinking), and realized that my Judaism was something I had to make for my myself.
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