On Blogging
Well, It's been a while since my last blog post. It's not that I don't have what to say. It's that I'm not sure WHAT to say. There's tons to blog about, but much of it other bloggers have already said ad nauseum. There's Eternal Jew dude Tropper. There's Solomon Dwek. There's the ridiculous kol koreh prohibiting even Chareidi sites (talk about cutting off your nose to spite you face!). There's Rabbi Yosef Blau's absolutely amazing (in a very GOOD way) forum on homosexuality which so many not only in the chareidi world have misinterpreted, but that many in the YU world have misinterpreted as well.
As I've mentioned before, I've divorced myself from the ridiculous Chareidi/Yeshivish/Frummie world. It really and truly just has nothing to do with legitimate Judaism.
I've mentioned the possibility of Aliyah, but that's just not happening anytime in the near or foreseeable future. There are just too many factors keeping us here for now. Top of that list, is not screwing up my kids the my father screwed up his. If I go, it'll be AFTER my kids get the best education I can get them and let THEM make the choice, should my wife at that time agree to go, whether to join us.
Then there's politics. Oy.
So, I'm taking a short break while I try to decide where to go with this blog. I'm not gonna stop, that's for sure. But I do have to figure out my direction. Perhaps I'll do a weekly post on Choshen Mishpat, which I'm currently learning with a wonderful Chavrusa once a week. Maybe something original on the Parsha. Perhaps even something on Navi. I just completed Sefer Shoftim on Chanukah and have started Sefer Shmuel (OK, to be honest, I'm only in the introduction in the Mosad HaRav Kook publication, an introduction that's rather long, but very informative). We'll see.
In other news, work is still going great! I'm learning new things, and have started multi-tasking (not just preparing the doughs, pastries, and breads, but also baking them!). I'm also, and I'm still not quite clear how or why this happened, the Gabbai Sheini at my minyan on Shabbos. I'm loving that too! :)
More soon.
5 comments:
consider continuing blogging...we, those of us not in theChareidi/Yeshivish/Frummie world, need to continue to have our voices heard!
It is hard to find voices that counter the extreem that abounds!
anyways you have one of the best blog names around!
I do?! Wow! Thanks! I really appreciate and am sorry I've been absent.
As I've mentioned before, I've divorced myself from the ridiculous Chareidi/Yeshivish/Frummie world. It really and truly just has nothing to do with legitimate Judaism.
Tell us what you think "legitimate Judaism" is or should be. That's the issue I'd like to see discussed, at least. Not directed at you so much, but there are lots of negatives and not anywhere near as many positives in the OTD blogosphere.
Either way, though, keep on bloggin! :)
RR,
That's a good question, one for which there is no simple answer. Is Conservative Judaism legitimate? Reform? Any of the others are not halacha following? Is HALACHA legitimate? Don't know. I've been more inclined in certain areas to say absolutely not, and in certain areas absolutely yes. In the areas of Choshen Mishpat, interpersonal relationship laws, most of the laws are beautifully logical and as protective of all parties as they can be. In areas of Yoreh Deah? Not so much. In areas of Orach Chaim? Some yes, some no.
As I've stated in my short bio, I AM a halacha-following Jew. Some of it, as you can read on my blog, I simply hate. Some I adore. I have been negative a lot because my personal experiences with the "Chareidi" world has been awful.
Perhaps if I go the route of posting more about what I'm currently learning, the blog may become a more positive blog that DOES offer views on what beautiful Torah Judaism SHOULD be like.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Take a step back. Judaism as a system already exists. To question whether Conservatism, Reform or even basic halacha is legitimate is not a meaningful question. Judaism, as defined for thousands of years, is a national/religious system in which the Written Torah serves as the constitution and the Oral Torah serves as the corpus of law.
Just as there are many laws in America that people don't necessarily agree with but follow anyway, so Judaism has many laws, some we like and some make us scratch our heads but in order to be law-abiding we must follow them.
The problem in Orthodox these days isn't the Torah, it's the way people with agendae have mangled it out of recognition in order to achieve their selfish ends. But don't confuse the messengers with the message. Do your own learning with someone you trust and discover the depth of Torah yourself.
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