Who this book was written for
Dear reader,
We have scarcely gotten acquainted, but already I have to deliver a piece of news you may find disappointing, and perhaps off-putting. But before you close the book, and put it back where you found it, pause for a moment. If you read a few paragraphs, perhaps you will find that you want to read more. Perhaps you will find the news I am about to deliver less offensive, and more intriguing, than you first thought. But honesty compels me to disclose this one fact right at the outset.
You are almost certainly not one of the people for whom this book was written.
The people that I have written this book for are a small, select group of individuals, certainly numbering less than two hundred, probably less than one hundred, perhaps only three or four dozen, but definitely more than one.
This raises two questions. First, if the book is intended for such a small number of readers, why do I not simply send each of them a complimentary copy, with a note suggesting they read it? And second, if it is not intended for you, why should you spend any of your valuable time on it? These are fair questions, and I will try to answer them both. And since the second is, for you, the more urgent one, I will begin with it.
Even if, as is likely, you are not a member of the target audience for whom I wrote the book, there’s a good chance that you will find it interesting, informative, and thought-provoking. And by the time you reach the end, you may see ways of using it that could be of great practical benefit to you and your family. However, in order for you to find it worthwhile reading, you do need a certain minimum background.
First, you should be a Jewish person who keeps the Torah and its mitzvot (commandments), that is, as we usually say, an Orthodox Jew, or, at least, a person (Jewish or not) who is in sympathy with, and supportive of, those who meet this description. If you consider those old Jewish practices to be products of ignorance and superstition, which do nothing to make today’s world a better place to live in, then you will find very little of value to you here.
And in supposing that you are a Torah-observant Jew, or a supporter, I’m also assuming that you accept the fundamental principles of Jewish belief. These are conveniently summarized in a little poem called Yigdal and in a statement of faith called Ani Maamin, both of which can be found in most Jewish daily prayer books. If, upon examining them, you find that they contradict your deeply-held beliefs, read no further.
To get full benefit from this book, you will need to have a certain basic level of Jewish literacy, about what one might get from a good yeshiva high-school education, or from a few years of study in a yeshiva for the newly-religious. If your background is weaker, you are welcome to read the book anyway, but you may find certain parts hard going. You might find it more profitable to first spend some time filling in the gaps in your Jewish education, before tackling this volume.
Next, you should either live in Israel, or else have a genuine interest in, and concern for, the welfare of the Jews who live there and intend to keep living there. (Concern for the welfare of the non-Jews who live in Israel is also very helpful, but not essential.) You need not be an admirer of Israel’s current government, or even of its form of government. If you can name ten different ways these need to be improved and corrected without pausing to draw breath, that’s fine. Even if you think that the establishment of an independent state for the Jews in their ancient homeland is, after the Holocaust, one of the graver misfortunes to befall the Jewish people in the past hundred years, we might be able to get along. But if you find the presence of large numbers of Jews in that part of the world today unfortunate or unjust or simply irrelevant to your life, you had best put the book back where you found it. And if you think the world would be a better place if the Jews living in Israel could somehow be “sent back where they came from,” that is, driven once more into exile, don’t bother putting the book down nicely. Just drop it, and go away.
Finally, if you feel that the situation in the “camp” you belong to is just about perfect, and that our problems would all disappear, if only the rest of the Jewish people would get with the program that you and your friends are following—and that anyone who suggests otherwise is a dangerous radical—then you should put the book aside without delay. It helps if you have a curious, questioning personality, an interest in learning new things and being exposed to new ideas, and a willingness to “think outside the box”. But even if you don’t have all these traits, or any of them, you may still find the book worthwhile, so long as you are open to at least considering the possibility that the leaders you follow might not yet have a perfect solution at hand for each and every one of the Jewish people’s most pressing problems.
So as I say, if you meet these conditions, you may well find this book interesting, informative, and thought-provoking. Perhaps even entertaining, now and then. And although I cannot explain why at this point, I will say that if you read it from the beginning, in order, to the end, you may find you have gained something even more valuable in the process. If these are good enough reasons for you to spend time on my book, read on. If not, it’s been nice meeting you, and have a great day.
HE