Talk:Orthodox Judaism

What is 'Orthodox Judaism?'

According to this article, Orthodox Judaism is a "movement" that is "modern phenomenon." According to a discussion I had with a different editor in this Talk page, Orthodoxy is distinct from previously existing observant Judaism. Apparently, even Sefardi Jews only "became Orthodox" upon moving to the State of Israel (for what it's worth, Sefardic Jews that I have discussed this with have no clue what this means, they generally refer to the Jewish populations they joined after leaving Middle Eastern states as "less Orthodox.") The definition given in this article for Orthodox Judaism is "Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully transmitted ever since. Orthodox Judaism therefore advocates a strict observance of Jewish Law, or halakha, which is to be interpreted and determined only according to traditional methods and in adherence to the continuum of received precedent through the ages. It regards the entire halakhic system as ultimately grounded in immutable revelation, essentially beyond external and historical influence. More than any theoretical issue, obeying the dietary, purity, ethical and other laws of halakha is the hallmark of Orthodoxy. Practicing members are easily distinguishable by their lifestyle, refraining from doing numerous routine actions on the Sabbath and holidays, consuming only kosher food, praying thrice a day, studying the Torah often, donning head covering and tassels for men and modest clothing for women, and so forth. Other key doctrines include belief in a future bodily resurrection of the dead, divine reward and punishment for the righteous and the sinners, the Election of Israel as a people bound by a covenant with God, and an eventual Messianic Age ruled by a salvific Messiah-King who will restore the Temple in Jerusalem and gather the people to Zion." what about that is "modern movement/phenomenon?" Shaked13 (talk) 16:29, 15 December 2024 (UTC)

Domination of the Lead by user AddMore-III

User @AddMore-III is insistent on keeping an unsourced passage with misleading implications about the nature of Orthodox Judaism, instead of any slightl modifications of the passage that are based on mainstream sources. AddMore-III always reverts any changes to the paragraph:

"While adhering to traditional beliefs, the movement is a modern phenomenon. It arose as a result of the breakdown of the autonomous Jewish community since the late 18th century, and was much shaped by a conscious struggle against the pressures of secularization, acculturation and rival alternatives. The strictly observant Orthodox are a definite minority among all Jews, but there are also numerous semi- and non-practicing persons who are officially affiliated or personally identify with the movement. In total, Orthodox Judaism is the largest Jewish religious group, estimated to have over 2 million practicing adherents, and at least an equal number of nominal members or self-identifying supporters."

This paragraph implies that Orthodox Judaism is a single, unified movement which is not the opinion of mainstream academia (a simple Google search demonstrates this). The unsourced sentence that the "movement" 'arose as a result of the breakdown of the autonomous Jewish community since the late 18th century' is ambiguous. The passage also follows an in-depth description of traditional Jewish beliefs and practices from a roughly two thousand year period and this passage then implies that adherence to these beliefs is a recent phenomenon.

I have never before encountered a user so intent on dominating the content of a section of a page that he reverts any edits made, even if reflecting mainstream sources. (Additionally, in discussions and edit descriptions the user tends to make up grammar rules and editing rules to justify his Word being Final, which I can provide examples of if needed.)

I propose the passage:

"The term is a modern phenomenon used to refer to the various streams of Judaism who maintain traditional beliefs and practices. It was first applied to a more traditionalist attitude toward Judaism in the early 19th Century, and came into common use in response to the Reform Movement's rejections of certain traditional Jewish beliefs. The Orthodox streams of Judaism have been defined by a conscious struggle against the pressures of secularization, and a steadfast commitment to maintaining classical Jewish rituals and observances. The strictly observant Orthodox are a definite minority among all Jews, but there are also numerous semi- and non-practicing persons who are officially affiliated or personally identify with the movement. In total, Orthodox Judaism is the largest Jewish religious group, estimated to have over 2 million practicing adherents, and at least an equal number of nominal members or self-identifying supporters."

This is based on information found in MyJewishLearning, Britannica, and JewishVirtualLibrary:

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/background-and-overview-of-orthodox-judaism https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/orthodox-judaism/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Orthodox-Judaism

I invite other users to assess for themselves if this passage is a valid modification and accurately reflects the mainstream sources.

p.s. Unfortunately I am not well-versed enough in Wikipedia's rules to know if there is a more formal process to combat domination of content by a single user, as I have never previously encountered such a situation. If there is an alternative process, please advise. Shaked13 (talk) 00:55, 26 December 2024 (UTC)