Message to Chareidi: A Few Weeks Ago...

...A fellow who uses the handle "Chareidi" when he comments on blogs (I've primarily seen him on Rabbi Maryles' blog, Emes Ve-Emunah) accused me of being a hate-monger because I was once a Chareidi, was apparently really lousy at it, became bitter and jealous, and now hate Chareidim because I couldn't be like them. Funny thing is, aside from reading my blog (I'm not sure why he does as he keeps insisting it's a TERRIBLE blog!) and reading some of my (admittedly angry) rants, this person knows absolutely NOTHING about me!! What's even funnier is how wrong he was! Ironically, I made a great Yeshivish/Chareidi person. I toed the party line, I bought into all the crap they espoused, and followed unquestioningly. The truth is, I was GREAT at it.

Thankfully, I awoke from the deep, dark sleep into which I had been lulled. I started using my mind, realized things were not all hunky-dory. I started to question. I started to think. Critically. I had lots of help, thank God. And I finally came to the realization I discussed recently: Yeshivishness and Chareidism are NOT kosher Judaism any more than Reform Judaism is kosher Judaism, and perhaps even less so.

So, to Chareidi I say. No. I didn't make a lousy Chareidi. I made a great one. Ask anyone who knew back then. Oh, wait. You can't. You don't actually know anything about me. You did, however, transgress a saying of Chazal: "Al Tadin Es Chavercha Ad She'Tagia L'Mekomo" - don't judge someone until you're in the same spot he's in. Of course, Chareidi, since you've deemed me not a frum Jew, I guess I don't qualify as "Chavercha," which makes it alright for you to judge me, right?

Well, anyway, everytime some idiocy takes place in the Chareidi world, I just laught, post a quick comment about it, and just show, again and again, that Chareidism as practiced by so many of these people, is simply NOT kosher Judaism.

Me jealous?! Heh. No. More like relieved I'm no longer part of that world.

So, Chareidi, my message to you is this: You keep judging me, but you know NOTHING about me. Not my background, my history, or even who I am now. At all. If you're going to judge someone, judge yourself and stop defending all the garbage your universe espouses...:)

Hug, hug. Kiss, kiss...