Gil

Rambam Was a Hasid

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Rambam, Maimonides, Abu Imran, or the Ra”m ba”r Maza”l, as he was variously known, was not just a legal scholar and judge, not just a doctor and a philosopher, but a contemplative mystic on the path of prophecy, not just practicing conceptual-emotional quietude through meditative prayer but actively living a life of self-abnegation, service, and the disciplined cultivation of virtue.

In short, it would be safe to say that Rambam was a Hasid.

It is hard to define what exactly Hasidism is.

The simple, popular definition is “piety.”

But piety tends to carry a rather narrow, religious meaning, that fails to capture or convey either the breadth or depth of Hasidism or things identifiable as Hasidic.

What can we say about Hasidism?

It is related to human development, to the balancing of psycho-somatic forces and the realization of human psycho-spiritual potential. It is related to the revelatory construction of the divine image in the human being and its attunement to the divine pathos in the world. It is related to the integration of heaven and earth, the perfection of the individual human and the entirety of creation as micro- and macrocosms of each other, the orbital harmony of souls dancing and singing praises of the Creator who loves all. It is related to love and to the transformation of a scared, savage animal into a compassionate being in love with humanity, the creation, and the Creator.

Within and beyond the stabilizing framework of the text and law, Hasidism exists as an active reading of the signs of divine love in the daily and mortal stories of our lives. The material of Hasidism can take any form but is often comprised of songs and stories and shocking intellectual-emotional prods to reconsider, reinvigorate, and reconstruct the world we live in. Its flavor, melody, and intoxicating scent come from the unique conditions in which Hasidism arises anew in every generation and in every community, adapting to the specific psycho-spiritual (but also socio-political!) needs of every time, place, and people. Hasidism reaches every person on their level and slowly lures them into different ways of feeling, thinking, speaking, and acting.

Every Hasid follows the same path to truly knowing their Creator – yet each Hasid travels the path differently, according to their own condition and the condition of their community.

Rambam, having absorbed the cultural and spiritual heritage of Andalus, was well-equipped not just to develop his own private practice as a Hasid but to guide the Jewish community of Egypt in his day (and much of the Jewish world) in the ways of Hasidism.

It is well-known but perhaps often overlooked that Rambam named the first three books of his magnum opus, the books of Knowledge, Love, and Times. The significance of setting these themes as the starting point for Maimonidean halakhic study and practice is profound: the entire system of law is cast as a path towards the Hasidic goals of True Knowledge and Love of God, structured by and filtered through the shifting conditions of the time cycles we inhabit in this earthly existence. It is of further note that in recording as settled law in the Book of Love the prayer practices of the ancient rabbis – including the full washing of face, hands of feet in preparation for prayer, meditating before prayer, kneeling and prostrating during prayer, among other things – Rambam was directing all those who sought his guidance to pray in a way that was decidedly Hasidic.

In his Guide (Signpost) for the Perplexed (Facing Diverging Paths), Rambam functions as a guide for the Hasid facing the limitations not just of his worldview but his mode of thinking, and seeking True Knowledge of his Creator. Addressing himself to the rational reader standing on the cusp of the transrational, Rambam drew on the terminology, ideas, writings, and contemplative practices of not just rabbinic Hasidim but Hasidim of the nations (known generally as Sufis), such as Ibn al-Arabi and Ibn Sina (who also transmitted many of the Neoaristotelian ideas and concepts Rambam saw as aligned with the rabbinic tradition), in slowly deconstructing the reader’s way of thinking about God, religion, language, truth, and power, and leading the attentive reader, by means of signs and hints and prods, to a new of thinking and practicing religion authentically, virtuously, and meditatively, setting them on the path to prophecy.

Once again, in this most well-known of Rambam’s works, his approach and guidance can be seen as decidedly Hasidic.

Unfortunately, as academics have methodological trouble studying and writing about phenomena that lack precise labels and definitions, little has been written about Rambam, Hasidism, and Sufism. Much more has been written about Rambam’s son, R Abraham Maimuni, and his (supposedly innovative) ideas and practices that are more easily identifiable as (and explicitly labeled) “Hasidic/Sufi.”

Starting with Rambam’s own son, generations of Maimonidean Hasidim studied, practiced, and taught the legal path of Rambam alongside what they likewise represented as his Hasidic path – expressing and elaborating on that path in an idiom shared with Sufis – without experiencing any form of conflict within their practice. It is highly unlikely that this intergenerational Hasidism originates in a rupture with Rambam’s teachings and practice – but rather, especially in light of the above, was a continuation of his work.

My hope is that this exceedingly short description of Hasidism and some Hasidic aspects of Rambam’s work will provide both greater understanding of the psycho-spiritual mode and aims of Maimonideanism as well as the roots, context, and ideas behind the Maimuni family’s Hasidism.

May our service and our love only be enhanced by our ever-deepening awareness of our service and our love.

Both Made-Up Peoples

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I see your “Palestinians/Israelis are a made-up people” and raise you “Palestinians and Israelis are both made-up peoples descended from second commonwealth Israelites”

New Deal for Israel

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Time for a New Deal for this country?

– annexation (better sixty years late than never)

– citizenship for all (regardless of ethnicity or religion)

– education for all (no more UNRWA or unregulated schools)

– national service for all (whether in the military or in public service projects and corps)

– economic reform (massive investment in domestic manufacturing, removal of barriers to small-scale entrepreneurship, and incentives for distribution to the domestic market)

– labor reform (bring all workers into a national union that is democratic, transparent, and effective)

– religious reform (transform rabbinate from bureaucratic authority to advisory body)

– political reform (no fascist parties, no criminal supporters allowed)

– environmental reform (end the corporate exploitation of the Galilee, the Dead Sea, and the water table beyond sustainable limits)

– energy development (massive investment in and disbursal of dividends from both renewables, like solar and wind farms, and non-renewables, like finding environmentally-safe ways to extract our oil shale and natural gas)

– constitutional convention (enshrine the basic laws that already have the standing of constitutional law into a document that enumerates and protects the the separation of powers, the responsibilities of government, and the rights of citizens)

“Shoot for the stars and you’ll wind up on the moon.”

Loyal to the Nazis

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As MAGA slowly embraces its antisemitic roots, will they lose the Jewish Republican vote? (Relatedly, is “Latinos for Trump” still a thing?)

“Although the fortunes of many have been wiped out, although their professions have been taken away from them, and although they live in a state of rigid suspense and fear of the moment when they will be humiliated, beaten, or imprisoned, a large number of German Jews continue to remain faithful to the fatherland.

A few of them even support the current anti-Semitic National Socialist administration because of the party’s policies on non-racial questions. They applaud the party’s success in uniting the various divergent parts of Germany. They strongly approve Germany’s demands for restoration of the old empire and the rearmament of the country. And in certain of its aspects they even support the current action of the Nazis against their race.”

– Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Dr. Max Naumann Still Loyal to Nazi Oppressors of His Race; Hits Zionists and Eastern Jews”, August 13, 1933

Sedé Teiman and False Equivalence

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Whatever crimes were committed at Sedé Teiman and other bases/prisons need to be investigated and the perpetrators need to be tried and fully punished, not just for immediate justice but to reform the popular indifference in too many circles towards war crimes, crimes against Israeli law, and crimes against the human conscience. The accusations are horrific. Examples must be made.

However.

It’s possible to effectively critique the rhetorical mobilization of “terrorism” to selectively punish certain classes of actors and deny them due process, without making a false equivalence between Hamas and the IDF.

The fact that most Palestinians’ experience of the IDF is understandably (and inexcusably, from my religious Zionist perspective) one of occupation, siege, or bombing, does not make the IDF the same as the military wing of an organization chartered to genocide Israelis, or the crimes of IDF soldiers – who are investigated and punished for violating Israeli and international law, even under a political regime trying its damnedest to defend and excuse them – similar to the crimes of Hamas soldiers, who violate international law (and sharia) with impunity as a matter of strategy, tactics, and ideology.

I don’t think the IDF deserves to be put on a pedestal – it’s just an army and it’s susceptible to the same lapses and crimes as any army. And the blindness of many Israelis towards the crimes committed by some of their sons and daughters deserves outspoken criticism, *primarily* from other Israelis and Jewish people. But this equivocation with Hamas is part of a parallel blindness towards fascism (and an affliction of latent antisemitism, among other things) that infects the meritorious pro-Palestinian movement.

Zionism for Palestinians

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Zionism for Palestinians?

I’ve been having great discussions with listeners to The Z Word ‘s first episode, my conversation with Palestinian author Mo Husseini .

A central point of not conflict nor disagreement but, rather I would say, creative tension, between Mo and I was in the relevance of Zionism to Palestinians.

Mo represented an honest perspective: Zionism can mean different things to different people, granted, but beyond dealing with the localized (and often adverse) effects of Zionism on Palestinian lives, why should Palestinians care about Zionism? Isn’t it just something that the Jews are doing “over there”?

I, in response, made a brief argument for Zionism’s relevance to Palestinians.

I want to elaborate a bit more on why I think joining the Zionist discourse is not just relevant to Palestinians but, suggesting as a non-Palestinian, possibly desirable for them.

Firstly, I think that being subject to the localized effects of Zionism – whether under the current conditions of occupation and discrimination or in a situation where a future Palestinian state must partner with the Israeli state – is sufficient to make developing an active concern with its voices, institutions, policies, and direction a priority to Palestinians not just in the West Bank but “Israel proper.” From this purely pragmatic perspective alone, I think Zionism – as an irreversible fact of life not just in the modern Levant – is clearly relevant to Palestinians.

But beyond the pragmatic level, I think that the Palestinian national aim – to establish a just and autonomous society on this land of their ancestors, free from foreign colonialism and imperialism – is so closely aligned with the Israeli national aim that their attainments mutually coincide. Far from being an ideology of foreign invasion and exploitation, Zionism was and is a liberation movement of indigenous de-colonization, which for Israelis included an explicit process of leaving socio-political exile and reestablishing traditional society in their homeland. The intersection with Palestinian liberation and de-colonization is obvious – as is the shared dream of a just, democratic society. (Shared by most – obviously both Israelis and Palestinians deal with their own internal fascist demons and reactionary religious conservatives.) Zionism, in this sense, can serve Palestinians equally well as a vehicle and vector for realizing their national dream, as it does Israelis.

Furthermore, in my personal (controversial) opinion, while Palestinians and Jews are two separate peoples, we are actually majority descended from the same nation of Israel (which, again in my personal and controversial opinion, was called Palaistine in both Jewish and non-Jewish Hellenistic sources). The Romans did not succeed in driving out the entire nation, and many Israelites remained in this land after the Roman conquest. In the face of waves of colonization over the ensuing centuries, many Israelites eventually chose to adopt Christianity and/or Islam and an independent consciousness of peoplehood emerged among their descendants here in this land. While many foreigners came and joined them over the years, the exact same thing can be said of every Israelite community in the diaspora. This historical narrative makes a lot more sense to me than competing narratives which position either Palestinians or Israelis as essential interlopers in the land, based on superficial demographic markers and what I contend amount to the effects of colonization. Accordingly, Zionism – in its pursuit of Israelite autonomy – is as much the heritage of Palestinians as it is of Israelis, and the cultural dimension of Zionism (including the Kookian revivalism and renaissance of Israelite culture in all its spiritual and creative depth and diversity) may itself be further accessible to and expanded by the unruptured relationship with land (as well as the Christian and Islamic elements, redeemed of their imperialism and supremacism) of the Palestinian (-Israelite) people.

So there you have it:

We share the same roots.

We share the same land.

And I would go so far as to say that we share the same future.

Can we share the dream of Zion?

Grok on Mamdani and Antisemitism

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After I called out Grok for relying on “X sentiment” of Mamdani critics and anti-Mamdani propaganda, and asked for a “facts and figures” based approach to answering the question “Based on all known statistics and trends, is antisemitic vandalism, harassment, and violence – justified as anti-Zionism – likely to increase, decrease, or stay the same if Mamdani is elected? Why?” – this is what it came up with:

“**Likely to **stay the same****.

### Baseline: NYC Antisemitic Incidents at Record Levels
| Year | ADL Total Incidents | NYPD Anti-Jewish Hate Crimes | % of All Hate Crimes | Notes |
|——|———————|——————————|———————-|——-|
| 2023 | ~850 (pre-Oct 7 low; post-surge) | 324 | ~50% | Pre-Oct 7 baseline. |
| **2024** | **976** (record high) | **344-345** | **53-54%** | **+6%** from 2023; **>5/day avg**. Vandalism/harassment ~70%; assaults rising.
| **2025 (thru Oct)** | **Hundreds more** (“brazen/intensified”) | July: **14** (monthly low) | **>50%** | Plateau/slight drop in some months **under current policing**; **~60% tied to anti-Zionist protests** (e.g., “Free Palestine” graffiti, “Zionist” assaults).

**NYPD Clearance**: **37%** arrests (128/344 in 2024)—deters via enforcement.

### Mamdani’s Quantifiable Policies
– **+800% funding** hate-crime prevention: **$3M → $26M** annually (community programs, not just police).
– **No defund**: Apologized for 2020 rhetoric; now **backs NYPD**, seeks collaboration.
– **Explicit anti-antisemitism**: Pledges to “tackle” it via funding. Maintains **37%+ clearance** possible.

### Proxy Data: Chicago (Progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson, DSA-Aligned)
| Year | Trend (Illinois/Chicago) |
|——|————————–|
| 2023 | Baseline |
| **2024** | **+59%** antisemitic incidents |
| **2025** | **Continued rise** (flyers, assaults) |

**No drop** despite similar left leadership/pro-Palestine stance.

### Why **Stay the Same** (Not Decrease/Increase)?
– **Decrease unlikely**: Post-Oct 7 surge **+1400%** nationally; **no city** with progressive/anti-Zionist leaders saw reversal (e.g., Chicago **+**). Programs unproven vs. **37% arrests** (deterrent).
– **Increase unlikely**: **$23M new funding** + NYPD support **matches** Adams’ efforts (new office, arrests). Recent **monthly lows** show feasibility.
– **Status quo drivers**: **Anti-Zionist protests** (60% incidents)—persistent regardless of mayor.

**Data Verdict**: **Plateau at ~900-1000/year**. Extra $26M **stabilizes**; monitor 2026 NYPD/ADL for confirmation.”

Go to Yourself

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Go to yourself
From what you were
Told you are
From your father’s
Hopes and dreams
From the limits
Of those around you
To the land that
I will show you
Within your soul
Beyond the horizon
Of your waking world
To the sacred soil
Of your questing heart
Searching for me
Before I called

Go for yourself
Go for your freedom, your beloved, your truth
Cross over the abyss
Between what is and what will be
Cross over the river
Flowing from Hermon
To the land of the rain
Justice sown
Salvation bloomed
Go for your blessing
Of the children of the earth

Get yourself
Abraham
To the land
I promise
You will become
Who you truly are

Yemen Blues Shabazi

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Finallllllly listening to
Shabazi – A Tribute to the Poet
On our way to Ma’ale Adummim
Beautiful, bold, brassy, funky, traditional all in one sound
*Chef’s Kiss*
Yemen Blues – Ravid Kahalani

Why Aren’t We Doing This

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From his Islamic context, R Abraham b haRambam drew the obvious conclusion – if our traditional laws describe ideas and prescribe practices, and it’s accepted in the prevailing milieu to discuss those ideas and do those practices, then why aren’t we?

Food for thought from the modern Middle East.