If You Really Want to Know What LA is Really Like...

Head on over to this post by Esther (who also happens to be my wife). :)

Way too many people who are not from LA, have spent very little to no time there, and who do not currently live there think that LA is this magical land of wonders and great weather. It's not. It's really, really not. I'm from there, my wife is from there, and many of our friends are from there. None of us live there any longer. It's nasty, congested, smoggy, dirty, noisy, people have started gridlocking and double parking, there's no sense of community, and it is way, way, WAY too freaking expensive to live there. And it's absolutely not worth the money. And that's just the tip of the iceberg (forgive the cliche).

Head over to debtandlife.blogspot.com and check it out. And comment!

Just a Reminder

With the Three Weeks fast approaching, our saddest time of the year, it is important to remember why the Three Weeks are the saddest time of year.

We are in Golus. Even those of us who live in Israel (and how I would love to!) are in Golus, even though I do truly believe that having Eretz Yisrael in the hands of the Jews is indeed "Raishis Tzmichas Ge'Ulaseinu - the beginning of our redemption."

We are in Golus for a reason. For many reasons. I'll probably expound on them as the Three Weeks draw nearer.

But we have had, with the formation of the State of Israel and with Israel being in Jewish hands, a taste of the Geulah. And this taste, apparently, seems to be fading fast from the politicians who run the State of Israel, be it through agreeing to give away land (Gaza, Sinai, and now, apparently, even the Golan Heights to Syria - see here and here), or through allowing Shabbos to become a "day of leisure" rather than Israel's official day of rest (see here and here [hattip - Rabbi Harry Maryles]).

As this time of year approaches and we once again are given the bitter taste of the ashes of golus, we have to remember that some of those ashes are from the present, not the past. Giving away a bit of land here and another there, chipping away at Eretz Yisrael, both physically and spiritually, makes the taste of those ashes even more bitter, and makes the golus even stronger.

Here are links to a couple of little songs that, while some will say are Zionist dribble, are truly meant, if one really reads and internalizes the words of these songs, to remind us of the longing we, or at least I, feel about our home.

Yerushalayim Shel Zahav

Background on Yerushalayim Shel Zavav

HaTikva

Background on HaTikva


More later.

Good Shabbos

Post About California...

So, this cute chick I know, who also happens to be my wife (Hi, dear!!:) wrote an excellent post tonight about the lovely California. Here it is. Enjoy!!

Awesome Picture...

My EXTREMELY Republican, very close friend, sent this to me, and I couldn't resist posting it! After, of course, I picked myself up from the floor after falling over from laughing so hard!! It's funny, but SOOOOOOO TRUE!! Enjoy...

Very Funny!!

Bush's Continuing Legacy of Being a Complete Disaster

Note to Mother of Very Cute Twins: Don't read this post. It'll just piss you off. It's going to be very anti your president...

So, not only has Bush Almighty, as he apparently sees himself, pissed off the entire Arab World, not only has he screwed up our economy (the Dow Jones closing high doesn't mean the economy is fine; it just means things are more expensive, which they are; and if the economy was so great, why does the Fed keep raising Prime Rate to "give the economy a boost?"), not only has he mostly ignored domestic policy during his reign (except, of course, the all important "issues" of flag burning and gay marriage), not only has he made Israel even more hated by the Arab world because of his wars in the Middle East (see this post), and not only is he a complete idiot, and pretty evil to boot (a very bad combination), now, the Russians are pissed at him and relations with them are at almost the same level they were at during the Cold War, which is to say: Pretty Damn Bad!

According to this article from Reuters, Putin and Bush haven't met face to face since November of last year. In February Putin, rightly, I might add, "accused Washington [read: Bush] of trying to force its will on the world and become its 'single master.'"

The reason for this onslaught by the Russian president? Apparently, the US plans to deploy a bunch of missiles in Poland and in the Czech Republic, which has kind of pissed off the Russians, who believe this will "upset the global strategic balance." Russia said it would aim its own missiles at Europe if Bush went through with his plans.

Bush, in his naive ignorance and lack of grasp of world matters (except, of course, what he sees as his God-given right to do whatever the hell he wants wherever the hell he wants), laughed off Putin's remarks, saying Russia wasn't a danger to Europe.

Now, Russia also played down Putin's remarks and said targeting Europe was just one option, which Putin threatened "hypothetically," that they were considering, and I'm not going to defend Putin. He's a thug. But don't you think Bush has pissed off enough people? Sure, the US is saying they are deploying the missiles as a defense against rogue nations, like Iran and North Korea. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But did the US consult with Russia, which is still a major world power, before putting missiles, which Russia is afraid can be used for spying, right in Russia's back yard?

"Bush said he hoped to use the summit and his first bilateral meeting with Putin since November to ease Russian concerns." Shouldn't Bush have spoken to Putin in January, during the planning stages, maybe met with him face-to-face, and allayed those fears? Mr. President, what the hell are you thinking?! Or, maybe more the point: Don't you think you should start thinking about consequences your actions and decisions might have BEFORE you make those decisions and take those actions?

Mr. President,

The US is not a world empire. It is one country among many. Stop pissing the world off. You obviously don't know how to play this game. The US has lost more credibility in the last six years than it has ever in history. No president has EVER pissed off as many nations around the globe as you have. You have done, and continue to do, irreparable damage to country!

KNOCK IT OFF!!!!!!!

Oy.

Random Thought for the Day...

Lots of people like to say, "If God had wanted us to fly, he'd have given us wings."

Um, he did. They're called airplanes...

Apologetics, Part III, and Rabbinic Racism...

I've been cheerfully following DovBear's posts about Moshe Rabbeinu marrying a Cushite woman, who may or may not have been Tzipporah. It's been interesting, though I've posted no thoughts of my own there, since In don't feel like getting sucked into arguments with some of the cuckoos commenting there.

Anyway, I think there is a point being missed by many people: Looking at the Perushim by people like Rashi and Ibn Ezra, they might have been racist! And it was racism due to ignorance more than anything else. What do I mean? Let's take a look (thanks to DovBear for easy translation access to Ibn Ezra):

1. Says the Ibn Ezra: Cushite is slang for ugly. The verse is speaking of Tzipporah, who was black, and therefore ugly.

2. Rashi, Bereishis, 12:11 - Avraham says to Sarah, "Babe, we gotta worry about your beauty. We are coming to a land filled with black, ugly people, brothers of the Cushites, and they are not used to beauty like yours."

Let's discuss:

Ibn Ezra: Have you seen some black women out there? There are some who would put most white women to shame with their beauty! Also, not all white women are pretty. Every race has its beauties and its uglies. Ibn Ezra was Spanish, and travelled extensively, and to him, I guess, black people were ugly. But that was his taste. In truth, we don't even know if he saw any actual black people in his travels in mediterranean countries (both Northern Africa and Southern Europe). Was he a racist? Might have been!

Rashi: Rashi lived in France and Germany all his life. Likely, he didn't even know what an Egyptian looked like, and carvings we have uncovered over the last couple of centuries pretty conclusively prove they were NOT black (and Egyptians today are not Arabs, they are Egyptians, descendants of old Egyptians, and just happen to be Muslim). Rashi probably had no idea what they looked like. He probably figured since they lived in Africa, in close proximity to Ethiopia, that they were black. In fact, some carvings show Egyptians to be quite attractive. Further, he probably never saw a black person in his life! Most likely, Avraham really just feared his wife being taken from him and himself getting killed if he told them he was Sarah's husband. Further, since Avraham uses the tactic with the Plishtim (as does his son Yitzchak) what's the excuse there? Rashi gives no explanation there. And in all three cases, two by Avraham and one by Yitzchak, they get in trouble for lying about Sarah, though they probably were justified in lying about her.

No, most likely, these rabbanim had an idea in their heads of what type of people lived where and stereotyped those people. The other funny thing is that most likely, Avraham and his direct descendants were probably closer to brown than white, considering the region from which they originated...And the Avraham probably had reasons other than "ooh, they black and evil" for telling the Mitzrim Sarah was Avraham's sister rather than his wife. And that reason was probably a very mundane "Sarah, babe, you are hot, and they are gonna take you from me, so let's tell them your my sister rather than my wife. This way, they'll just take you and not kill me, whereas if I tell them you're my wife, they'll kill me and take you." You see, Avraham was being very practical here. He did not wish to die, and did not want to be somech al Hanais in thinking no matter what his destiny, that the Mitzrim couldn't kill him if he told them he was Sarah's husband. Instead, he did not rely on a miracle, and very practically told them he was her brother, figuring he did his hishtadlus to stay allive and whatever happened after that would be in the hands of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

So, were these rabbanim racist? Very possibly. Does that therefore nullify their perushim? No. As I've said before, gedolim are human, both past and present, and as humans, they are fallible and have human failings. They were not perfect, and they had their own preconceived notions of the world in which they lived and in which they were educated that, if they were living today, would probably have been different than what they were living then.

Why can't the same be applied Rashi or Ibn Ezra? Those were their preconceived notions, without ever having seen black people or Egyptian people. Again, it doesn't mean these people weren't Gedolim. It just means they were human. And just as we can learn how TO act from a great person, so too can we learn how NOT TO act from a great person. We don't need apologetics to explain these people's actions. We need to learn from their actions.

Anniversary of the Six Day War

This from the AFP News Service, in an article published today:
"President Mahmud Abbas said the creation of a Palestinian state would expunge the memory of the crushing Arab defeat in the war which saw Israel wipe out three Arab armies and conquer vast swathes of territory."

Vast swathes of territory?! Has anybody ever compared a map of Israel, including the "occupied terrirories," to one of the rest of the Arab world?!

Like here:


Or here:


VAST SWATHES OF TERRITORY?!

More Apologetics...

I've been reading a fascinating post over at DovBear about Moshe marrying a Cushite woman. And the point isn't even so much the story itself, but how it changed between the time when Josephus, the noted Jewish historian of Roman times, wrote about it, and the time of the author of Sefer HaYashar, who wrote many centuries later. In DovBear's own words:

"Close readers will notice that the Sefer Hayashar's account differs from the story Josephes tells in one crucial detail. According to J, Moshe and his Ethiopian hottie lived as husband and wife. Sefer Hayashar, written 9-14 centuries later, says the marriage was never consummated. What explains the change? Did the author of the Sefer Hayashar doctor the tradition to fit medieval sensibilities? Perhaps. The audience that knew Josephus would have been less likely to object to an interracial marriage. Readers of the Sefer Hayashar, on the other hand, would have been scandalized."

And so, as time slowly crept by, the story had to change to fit the image of how people began to perceive Moshe Rabbeinu, not as a man, but closer to an angel, or a god since he began to be perceived as infallible...And this, folks, takes away from, rather than adding to the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu. As I've mentioned before, I'd much rather see all these Gedolim, historic and present, as fallible beings who make mistakes rather than as godlike beings who are completely infallible and actually incapable of being wrong and making mistakes. Seeing them as fallible human beings means they are an example we can look to and use in our own life; whereas if they are as angelic or godlike, how can we live up to that? What hope have we of emulating them, and even learning from their mistakes, if they were indeed infallible? Wouldn't one think, logically, that the Torah and Nach include these stories of their fallibility in order from us to learn from it? Wouldn't that make more sense than somehow finding a contrived way to tell us these people, these human beings, were completely infallible?

The State of Health Care in Our Glorious Country...

You gotta get sicker and sicker to be able to use your coverage, if you can even get it...

The day probably isn't far off when "pre-existing conditions" will be applied to employer based coverage as well.

It's embarrassing that the primary First World country in the world doesn't offer universal health coverage to all its citizens.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Well, actually, kind of sad and true. I couldn't resist posting this one.

What a Beautiful Person!!

WOW!! I just read the most amazing article on Arutz 7. A Russian Oleh, Arcady Gaydamak, who last year built a tent city for refugees from the now infamous "Second Lebanon War," has recently built a similar tent city for refugees from the terrorist rocket bombings in Sderot. The tent city is located in the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, and Gaydamak has spent tens of thousands of dollars of his own money to finance it. It includes living quarters, a small shul, all day activities and performaces, and food and drink for the refugees.

Gaydamak is not doing this for personal aggrandizement or to gather political power, though these are things of which he has been accused. He has even avoided appearing at the tent city in order not to seem like he is trying "score points" with the residents.

He is doing this for one reason: He saw Jews in need, and he filled that need. This man is a true Ba'al Chesed. LIke I said before: WOW!!

Another Gay Pride Parade - A Chance for yet Another Chilul Hashem - Part II

See my part one on this topic here. Basically, I relate a story from Arutz 7 about the Jerusalem Police give the green light for another Gay Pride Parade. The Hareidim warned again of violence, giving them another chance to create a huge Chilul Hashem, as they had the first time around when they ran amok, burning dumpsters in the middle of streets and stabbing people who supported the parade, instead of doing their best to protest peacefully, and forgetting the dictum of "Divrei Chachamim B'Nachas Nishma'im - the words of the wise are peaceful."

So, instead of taking this chance to use as a tikkun for what they messed up last time, they warned in advance that again, there would be violence. Now, in this follow up article at Arutz 7, members of a committee set up to protest the Gay Pride Parade scheduled in Jerusalem on June 21, may indeed be using a different tactic. This committee, using signatures of big-time rabbanim in Eretz Yisrael, are stating they "will act legally, but if there is a demonstration by hundreds of thousands [against the march], the possibility of holding [it] in Jerusalem will be erased." They are planning a large protest at the gates of the city, and are hoping for about half a million people, giving protestors a (hopefully) non-violent outlet to protest the parade.

Let's hope they go through with actually doing things in a way that will create a Kiddush Hashem. It's not often a second chance comes along to right a wrong. Let's hope they take this chance and do the right thing.

SNIFF!!!

Ok. For those of you who don't know me, there is something very important about me to know: I LOVE Science Fiction. Not all of it, and in fact I'm not so much into more "classic" Sci Fi, like Heinlein or Niven. I'm more a Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate fan.

And now, I'm very sad! Not only are they ending one of my favorite shows, Stargate SG-1 in the next few weeks:(, though there will be at least a pair of movies come this fall:), now I've found out they are ending another really good Sci Fi show, a remake of a really campy show from the late 1970s: Battlestar Galactica. Now, the original was a bit of a ripoff of Star Wars (loved it nevertheless...), but the remake, which began with a four hour miniseries in 2003, has been incredible, gritty, and very, very human.

Fortunately, knowing the show will end next season, by choice of its producers, not the network that airs it, I hope the producers create a really great last season and series finale.

As for Star Wars, the franchise just celebrated its 30th anniversary. I was four years old when I first went to see the original at the Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, and keeping true to that tradition, I've seen every episode but Episode Three (since they didn't screen at the Chinese) at the Mann's Chinese.

Here's hoping for another great thirty years (even though episodes 1, 2, and 3, weren't all that great).

Speaking of Dating...

So, according to a Reuters article (I don't know how long this link will be valid) I just read, eHarmony, the Mega dating site, is being sued for refusing to offer its services to gay, lesbians, and homosexuals. Apparently, eHarmony has been pissing off the G/L/Bi community for quite a while for not offering "men seeking men" and "women seeking women" options on its site, though I'm not 100% sure what bisexuals are complaining about...

Anyway, one person tried, was denied, and she wrote the California-based dating site, asking them to change their illegal discriminatory (according to her, at least) policy, which they refused to do. So, she's suing. And the lawyers are trying to make this a class action suit.

Here's my thought on homosexuality. You want to be gay? Great. To pun a phrase in Yiddish - Gay Gesundeheit.:) What I don't find acceptable is the same thing I don't find acceptable with heterosexuals - what you do behind closed doors is none of my business and, quite honestly, I don't want to know about it. Period. I don't want to see a gay pride parade, and I don't want to see gays making out. Honestly, I don't really want to see heterosexuals making out in public either. Now, some would say I might be a little hypocritical when it comes to TV and movies. I have no problems with heterosexuals getting it on. I don't really like seeing gays (men or women) doing "it" in my face. Sorry, but for me it's just personal preference.

eHarmony was founded by an evangelical Christian, Dr. Neil Clark Warren, and had strong early ties with the influential religious conservative group Focus on the Family, according to the Reuters article. As an evangelical Christian, Warren decided not to offer homosexuals his services. Regardless of interpretation of the law in California, Warren has the right to not provide certain services. It's kind of like the sign you see in many stores: "We reserve the right to deny anyone service for any reason." Or "No shirt, no tie, no service." In Warren's case with eHarmony, the policy is "we service heterosexual dating."

Imagine walking into a supermarket, not finding kosher meat, and being told "sorry, we don't carry that here and don't plan to because we don't feel like servicing the Jewish community." OK. Great. You've lost my business because I'll go to supermarket B and buy my kosher meat there. The same applies here. The site refuses to service homosexuals. Great. GO TO ANOTHER SITE!!!! STOP FORCING A STORE TO CARRY A PRODUCT IT DOES NOT WANT TO CARRY. Further, if carrying that product goes against the owner's religious beliefs, when you sue him for that, you are suing him for his religious beliefs. Maybe, in turn, Warren should sue this woman, and the entire class action if it becomes a class action suit, for inhibiting his freedom of religion.

Imagine a non-Jew going on JDate.com, not finding any non-Jewish women on it, and suing JDate for discriminating against him for not providing an option for non-Jewish women. Or imagine a non-Orthodox Jew going on a frum dating site, like Saw You At Sinai and not finding an option for denomination and suing SYAS for discriminating against him by not offering an option for someone of his Jewish practices. Pretty stupid, huh?

Or, imagine a non-Jew walking into a kosher deli (not kosher style, but actually kosher) and asking for ham and cheese on white bread. He'll be told they don't offer ham because it's not kosher and they don't offer cheese because it's a meat restaurant. Is he going to sue for the deli for not catering to his desires?

The answer to all these: NO. The person, if they really want they are looking for and not finding it in one place, will leave and find it elsewhere. If you are gay and trying to find a date on a heterosexual site, you’re not going to have any luck. So, go to another site and find a date there!

I hope the California Superior Court will find this lawsuit to be completely frivolous. Otherwise, it opens doors to a lot of very silly lawsuits out there that will drain resources that could be used for other, more deserving purposes.

Sorry to have gone on so long, but this was a too good to leave alone, and it's my blog, so I'll write if I want to...:)

One Last Comment:

Sorry, but I missed the last paragraph in that Reuters article about eHarmony. This is just too precious:

"Carlson's lawyers expect a significant number of gays and lesbians to join the class action, which seeks to force eHarmony to end its policy and unspecified damages for those denied eHarmony services based on their sexual orientation."

Excuse me? What? Damages? Hee hee Yikes!!

AAAHHHHH!! THE SHIDDUCH SYSTEM...

A very close friend of ours, a single woman living in New York, forwarded to us the following invitation to a Singles Event in Monsey, New York. The name of the person organizing the event has been changed to protect the not so innocent. See my comments below:

"Ruchie Yentastein’s June 17 Monsey event (and poem etc) for : 25-35 year old frum professionals

Greetings to all my Dear Friends (and Forgotten Acquaintances),

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to my next event. But first, a short sonnet that I have written in honor of this occasion.

Ode to Dating
Blind Date, how do I love thee,
Let me count the ways,
Like a beautiful train with a luxurious dining car,
And first class seating,
Then being run over by it.
And like a magnificent rose,
On a clear summer day
Pink and fragrant and new,
Being devoured by two brown worms,
But much worse.

(By the way, this poem describes blind dating in my day. I am sure things have improved by now. But if not, you may want to come to this event.)

Still the Record to Beat
Five Shidduchim from one event.

And Now for the details
Where:
When:
Why: Because it is time to get married
Who: 25-35 year old frum professionals
How much: See Schedule

Schedule
Amazing Early Bird Special Until May 23---------------------------------> 33 dollars
Pretty Good Early Bird Special May 24 Until June 8 -----------------> 40 dollars
Ho Hum Regular Rate after June 8 ------------------------------------------> 50 dollars

Please send check payable to:
Ruchie Yentastein
Monsey, New York

Very Scary Request
If you would like to come, please confirm as soon as possible! Last time I had many sad people on the waiting list. Remember, you must have reservations or you will not be allowed in....

Speed Dating
As we all know how much, um, fun, speed dating can be, I am thinking of doing it again at this event. There are many good things to be said about speed dating.

What is Good About Speed Dating
Speed dating is a very good thing. Speed dating is exciting. Speed dating is cost effective. A gentleman who participates in speed dating will save 4967 dollars. A gentleman from out of town will save 64967 dollars. These are good deals. A woman will save herself 99 manicures. This is a good deal, too.

How I Derived these Calculations
For the gentleman: The average date runs about 50 dollars. Meet 100 women in speed dating, multiply by 50 and subtract event fee.
For the out of town gentleman: Take an average of 400 dollars for airfare, 200 dollars for car rental and 500 dollars for date, multiply by 100 and subtract event fee.
For the woman: Take 100 manicures, subtract one (and pick a color).

And Now for a Beautiful Story that is Sure to Bring Tears to your Eyes
This is a story about a handsome and charming young man who did not want to participate in speed dating, though he could have saved 4967 dollars. I will call him Rich Ralph. This is also a story about a beautiful and sweet young woman who did not either want to participate in speed dating (could have saved 99 manicures). I will call her Shy Shirley. Despite my begging, pleading and pitiful weeping, Shirley and Ralph remained unconvinced.
Epilogue: Forced to spend three hours together on the sidelines, while everyone else had fun speed dating, Ralph and Shirley got engaged three months later.
Moral of this Story: Whether you choose to speed date or not, statistically speaking, you have a good chance of getting engaged from the event.
Conclusion: There may or may not be speed dating, depending on the weather and depending on my mood. Hope to see you! "

OY!! As our friend in New York said, there are just no words, but I'll try to find some.

First, a sonnet is 14 lines, not ten. People really need to know what they are talking about before the talk about it or name it.

Second, Seriously, the grammar is atrocious! Come on, lady! You're inviting professionals to this event! Be professional!

Third, this invitation almost makes a mockery of singles and I, a happily married person with two children, found it quite offensive.

Now, don't get me wrong. According to our friend in New York, the person organizing this event means very well and opens her house to these things. But guilt tripping people into coming is just wrong. I've heard many first hand accounts of these "meet markets" and 99% of what I've heard is just offensive, including the term "meet market." Are singles a piece of meat to be auctioned off to the highest bidder?

There have been many blogs with many not so favorable critiques about the Shidduch System, and I am in agreement with most of them, so there is no need for me to degrade it further. Others do it better and far more eloquently than I. I just wanted to share this email.

Gotta Love Israeli MK Avigdor Lieberman!!

And I'm not being facetious. He will propose a great idea to PM Olmert, an idea I had ages ago.

The idea goes like this: Hey, Palestinians! You want your own state? You got it. We're going to completely withdraw from Gaza, close the borders, stop supplying you with economic support, water, and electricity, and declare you an enemy state to the State of Israel. Continues Lieberman: "We must sever all connections with Gaza and declare it an independent enemy entity. There is no reason Egypt cannot supply the electricity and water for Gaza and let the European Union build infrastructure and provide security if they care about the poor Palestinians so much. Membership in the axis of evil has a heavy price—financially, politically, and militarily.” For the complete article, click here.

Awesome. I may be pretty left wing when it comes to American politics and even Frumkeit, but when it comes to Israel, the security of Jews there, and politics there, I'm pretty darn far to the right. It's been forty years, and despite repeated good faith efforts by the Israelis, the Arabs in YESHA (Yehuda, Shomron, and Gaza) have time and again rebuffed any efforts at peace and have sabotaged pretty much every effort made by Israel.

Now, it's time to let go. It sucked that Israel had to give up Gaza, a part of Eretz Yisrael that rightfully belongs to the Jews, but if we had to give it, we need to give it up completely. It's time to stop pandering to the Arabs and it's time for them to start taking responsibility for themselves. Don't like it? Tough. You've had plenty of chances at peace, and you've squandered all of them. If, once the borders are closed and the Israelis completely disassociate from you, you decide to kill each other off, your problem. If you decide to attack Israel, you are declaring war and you are fair game. If you decide you want to try for true peace and accept that Israel is there to stay, good too. Whatever. But now it's time for the Palestinians to start taking responsibility for themselves, grow up, join the 21st century and start acting like civilized people, not a bunch murderous gangs of thugs who can't even get along with each other, much less with neighboring countries.

WOW!!! What an Eye Opener!!!

So, I just spoke to a fellow over at Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa. For those who don't know, Agriprocessors produces Rubashkin meats and Aaron's Rubashkin meats (and poultry). We spoke for about twenty minutes about the cost of kosher meat and why it's so high. Now, I still don't agree that it should be that expensive, but it is, at least for the glatt.

Here are the stats he gave me: Agriprocessors slaughters about five hundred (500) head of cattle a day. Of those, only 25% are KOSHER, glatt and non-glatt included. That's about 125 head of actually kosher cattle. Of those, only about 30%, which is no more than about 40 heads of cattle, are glatt. Then, glatt or not, they have to get rid of the back end of the cow because for some idiotic reason, Ashkenazim don't "hold" from the Mesora of Traiboring the Gid HaNasheh.

So, in a month, only about 120 cows shechted are glatt, and only about 3750 cows total come out actually kosher.

Chicken, he said was another problem. They just can't get enough chickens, which explains why they are so expensive.

I did ask him why it's so hard to find the non-glatt meat. He said they do distribute it under the label of David's Meat, under the OK Hechsher. He gave the number of the distributor in my area, and if anyone is interested, I would suggest calling Agriprocessors at 563-864-7811 and finding out who the distributor is in your area and finding out where you can get it. As I understand it, Trader Joe's does carry it. Still quite curious why the kosher stores or mainstream supermarkets don't.

Now, here's the problem, as I've discussed before. The person to whom I spoke at Agriprocessors was in agreement with me that the system is very flawed and needs to change. He just didn't really have any idea how to go about doing that. Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Stop putting more than one hechsher on the meat. Obviously, when it comes to the glatt meat coming out of Agriprocessors, all the machshirim have the same standards. Otherwise, they would not give hechsherim to the same meat that other hechsherim deem kosher/glatt. It's time to put politics aside and make it a little easier for Jews to keep kosher.

2. Anshkenazim need to let go of their fear of traiboring and start making the back half of the cow available for consumptions. This would allow a lot more kosher meat on the market, and allow people to have better cuts of meat. Believe it or not, brisket is actually the crapiest cut of meat on the cow. The only time it tastes good is when its very well done and cooked for four or five hours. Also, imagine being allowed to eat T-Bone, Filet Mignon, and other back-half-of-the-cow meats!

3. The whole hashgacha industry needs reform (GASP!! THE "R" WORD!!!). Not only with food manufacturing and meat, but in stores and restaurants as well. There is a mitzvah in the Torah that states you must charge honest prices for goods. I believe this includes not paying for freaking much money to an industry that doesn't do a whole lot of good and is certainly not as effective as they think it is in enforcing kashrus in the stores to which they give hashgacha. Far too many "incidents" have occurred over the last 30 years that prove that if a person wants to get away with selling traif in a "kosher" establishment, they will find a way to do so.

Dear Mr. President...

I know your party of Republicans loves to say that those of us who don't support your war means we don't support our troops. I know you and your party think, or least you pretend to think, that you are bringing "freedom" to the world with your illegal war fought with the excuse of "WMDs." I know you think you are leading some kind of war against global terrorism.

I also know you are completely wrong. Today, Memorial Day 2007, we honor our troops who have fallen in battle in numerous wars, including the illegal one you are currently waging in Iraq. So many of our kids have died needlessly in pointless wars, the most pointless among them being Korea, Vietnam, and the current war in Iraq.

The more liberal of us do indeed support our troops. We support them coming home safe, and as each day passes, fewer troops will have the chance to do so. It's time for Iraq to take responsibility for itself. Please, bring home the troops. Turn your attentions to your own country, its economy, which is in a shambles, its healthcare system, which is currently non-existent, its big-business-takeovers, which are blatantly violating anti-trust laws and making people's jobs harder to do, and which show no loyalty toward employees.

For years, now, your domestic policy has been unimportant to you, except when you find silly campaign "issues" to get people's votes, like gay marriage and flag burning. Perhaps now is the time to turn you presidency around and be remembered as someone who changed America for the better rather than someone who will go down as perhaps one of this country's most disastrous presidents in it 231 year existance.

But most importantly, as you must take one step at a time, please bring home our troops. They deserve to live for this country, not die needlessly for it.

In memory of our troops who have perished needlessly since April 26, 2006, here is the May 27th Doonesbury comic strip.

Another Gay Pride Parade - A Chance for yet Another Chilul Hashem

According to this article from Arutz 7 today, the Jerusalem Police have given their approval for another attempt at a Gay Pride Parade in Yerushalayim.

Regardless of my feelings about such a parade (why doesn't someone organize a Heterosexual Pride Parade?!), what really worries me are the Chareidi factions in Yerushalayim, who, when the parade was attempted about six months ago, made a huge Chilul Hashem to get their way. They were violent, burned things in the middle of busy streets, and were all around unruly. Is this going to happen again? You bet. Check out the above article, where, at a meeting held a few days ago in the home of the head of the Eidah Hareidit court, Rabbi Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss, head of the Eidah Hareidit Court, said, "Tell [Public Security Minister Avi] Dichter that he had better build another ten jails to hold all the protestors. This will be a real war."

So, instead of taking the chance to create a Kiddush Hashem at this early stage and get the parade cancelled before it is ever scheduled, the Chareidi camp is gearing up to create another huge Chilul Hashem.

It just goes along with my theory that these people aren't truly frum. They are pretenders who look for any chance to cause chaos, mayhem, and Chilulei Hashem, one of the greatest Issurim there is, instead of taking the chance to fix what they damaged six months ago and do things that would create a Kiddush Hashem. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is giving these people to opportunity to right a wrong done recently. Can we hope they will take this opportunity? At the risk of sounding pessimistic, and if the quotes coming out of the meeting of the Eidah Hareidit court, I would say, probably not. In fact, it sure sounds like to opposite is going to happen.

Troop Support...

Ok, this post has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with politics. :)

So, the Democrats agreed to capitulate to Bush and his posse and not set a deadline for troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. They gave him a very large check to continue waging a largely illegal war half a world away, causing chaos in those countries and getting innocent American kids killed everyday for no good reason.

Ok, this is politics at work. I may not agree with it, but it is a game, and as my father-in-law likes to point out, "The First Rule of Politics is you can't take the politics out of politics."

What I really can't stand is the pro-war Republicans like McCain and Romney who blasted those who voted against the bill, specifically high visibility senators like Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, claiming they don't support our troops and by voting against more money for the wars are causing our troops to get killed or be ill-supplied. See this article from Reuters.

This, unfortunately, is politics at its worst. The intention of those voting against funding a continuously disastrous war isn't to get our troops killed. It's to force the hand of a president, who has waged an illegal war justified by false information (remember WMDs?), to bring the surviving troops home safely. And it's not like those politicians on the Right don't know this. They just don't care. They are war-mongers. It's time to end this ridiculous, unjustified war, which has caused nothing but animosity toward the United States, and, as a bi-product, toward Israel, which the Arab world sees as the United States' democratic proxy in the Middle east.

Let's hope that the 2008 elections will bring a return of sanity Washington and get the RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) out of office and out of positions in which they can cause, and have caused, irreparable damage the United States.

Dairy on Shavuos

As it's been a long time since I looked up reasons for eating dairy on Shavuos, I decided to a search. I came up with
this article at Torah.org. The second reason, which is the standard one I learned in school, was fine. I've no problem with it. It basically tells us that since the Jews came away from Har Sinai with the new Halachas of kosher meat and and had to resort to dairy. Great.

It's the first explanation with which I have a major problem. The first explanation reads as follows:

"Another custom that we have is to eat dairy foods on Shavu'os. There are many reasons give for this. The reason that the Rama (in 494:3) mentions has to do with the special offering brought on Shavu'os, the Shtei HaLechem (see YomTov # 23). The Rama says that just as on Pesach, we have food items that represent the offerings brought on that day (on the Seder plate - The Z'roa/Shankbone to represent the Paschal offering, and the Beitza/Egg to represent the Chagiga/Holiday offering), so, too on Shavu'os we should eat something to remember the bringing of the Shtei HaLechem. How is this done? The law (which is being oversimplified here for brevity's sake) is that one can not use the same loaf of bread for both a meat meal and a dairy meal. If a loaf is eaten with the dairy meal, it can not be used at a meat meal. Therefore, on Shavu'os, before we begin our meat meal, we should have dairy foods. This way, when we continue our meal and have meat, we will need another loaf of bread to eat with it. This will result in our having two loaves of bread on our table, which is a remembrance of the two loaves that were offered in the Temple on Shavu'os. The Mishna B'rura adds to this that one should make the first loaf dairy by adding butter to it, so that it will be absolutely necessary to have a second loaf when eating the meat portion of the meal.

(***A caveat - before one undertakes having milk and meat at the same meal, one should make sure that they act in accordance with proper Halacha - only meat can be eaten after dairy. Dairy cannot be immediately eaten after meat.

Also, all vestiges of the dairy meal should be removed from the table before the meat is served. As there are many other applicable laws with varying levels of complexity, many people no longer eat both milk and meat and the same meal. Some eat only dairy at the meal, or they eat two separate meals, one after another, the first being dairy, the second being meat. For any questions as to how one should conduct themselves, they should speak to their local Rabbi. ***)"

This explanation is so wrong on so many levels. First of all, you want to commemorate the Sh'tei Halechem? Great. Use rolls instead of whole challahs. You're more likely to eat them. This solution solves a whole lot of problems inherent with have a dairy-then-meat meal, such as accidentally leaving dairy on the table and eating it, or leaving a piece of bread from the dairy meal on the table and accidentally eating it.

Second, there are so many chumras we are forced to keep in the interest of not being oveir an issur, such as kitniyos on Pesach, which the Halachic authorities who came up with the halacha told us we can't have because it may have a piece of grain that could become chametz mixed in with the split peas, green beans, or whatever. They didn't trust us to check, as the Sephardim do. They just said no. But then, they turn around and allow us to be in danger of eating Basar B'Chalav! Ok, the Issurim are not necessarily comparable since chametz on Pesach involves Kareis and Basar B'Chalav does not. But the idea behind the reasoning should have been the same.

This reason, which, in and of itself, is quite beautiful in that we are commemorating the Shtei Halechem brought the Bais Hamikdash on Shavuos. However, the mechanics involved, IMHO, truly negate reasonings behind other chumras we are forced to keep because rabbanim today are too scared of their own shadows and of Kanaim to change the halacha to conform, within the confines of Torah law, to living in today's world.

So Much For Intelligent Conversation

Well, I decided to stop posting comments on other blogs. Not because I don't like what the other blogs, like DovBear and Emes Ve'Emuna have to say (though I don't necessarily agree with what they say all the time). I love their stuff, even when I disagree, mainly because it's usually presented intelligently and with forethought.

I stopped commenting because, while there are moderate people from both sides whom I respect, the extreme nut jobs, on both ends of the spectrum, but especially at the Right end of the spectrum (i.e. RWNJs - Right Wing Nut Jobs) yell and scream at each other, dominate the threads, and basically bring them to a low level of intelligence.

My goal when I started blogging, both reading and writing, was to find an intelligent forum in which to express views and perhaps find some answers and solutions to the many questions I've raised. I've been fortunate in making a connection with both Rabbi Maryles of Emes Ve'Emuna and DovBear and being able to discuss issues with them and even guest post on DovBear, which was fun, and quite an honor.

I was hoping, when I started blogging, that I would be able to have intelligent conversations with intelligent people, and, as I've said, perhaps come up with answers and solutions. Instead, I found screaming, especially from the RWNJs, essentially Bible Thumpers who cannot and will not think for themselves and swallow anything someone who thinks is greater than them without question or thought. I found this to be quite distasteful. Unfortunately, even I found myself sucked into these yelling matches, especially with people identifying themselves as Ed, Enforcer (what a sad ID - since when does Yiddishkeit have to be "enforced?), and Meishiv K'Halacha (who apparently believes himself to be the blog world's leading halachic authority).

So, I decided to stop. Maybe at some point I'll find a forum where the very pertinent questions many of us have been raising can be discussed without the RWNJs, or even the LWNJs (Left Wing Nut Jobs) screaming from both ends of the spectrum and drowning out everyone in between.

Now, I'll certainly make a comment when I really feel a need to say something about the original post, but unless I find intelligent conversation without the Bible Thumping, I'll pretty much keep to myself to avoid being brought down to the level of the RWNJs and LWNJs.

Schnorring

I'll be honest. I hate this. I can't stand it when a schnorrer comes to my door asking for money so some schmuck can sit in Yeshiva or kollel in Bnei Brak or Yerushalayim while my wife and I are struggling 7000 miles away to make a living and make ends meet, which we are not most of the time.

My wife and I are in financial trouble because of the yeshiva thing, because I decided not to take early responsibility and instead of going to work, I went to yeshiva. Now, my wife and I are paying the price, and it's a heavy one.

What's worse is, even if I gave this guy money, would he respect me as a Jew? He came to my door in full gear, funny round hat, white shirt (no tie, must be Chassidish), kapota (long black coat), and nice long Paiyos. I told him I don't give, and I told him that "Aniyei Ircha Kodmin" - the poor of your own city come before those of another. This is a guy probably from Me'a She'arim or Bnei Brak, and if I and my wife walked down their streets, me wearing jeans and her wearing a tichel and a denim skirt, he'd probably be first in line to through bleach at us, declaring us to be dressed in a non-Tznius fashion.

These Schnorrers are sucking the funds out of our communities, and they have no Hakaras Hatov. Our communities are already in trouble financially with schools that are too expensive and living expenses that are very high because frum Jews tend to live in more expensive neighborhoods. We don't need these Schnorrers coming 'round and taking funds away from our own city to support some schnook sitting in kollel, some schnook who would consider us beneath contempt because we're not like him but who would take our money just the same.

Whatever.

Jewish Educational System - In Trouble?

Oh, yeah. And it's really bad. This has been blogged about many times, in many places, most thoroughly on Orthonomics, a blog by SephardiLady, an incredibly smart woman with lots of a financial savvy and also a close personal friend.

Now, it's hitting closer to home. As my son enters Kindergarten next year, tuition will not only go up because he'll be in close longer. It'll also go up because the school, liike most Orthodox day schools, is in a financial bind.

Last night, I spoke with my Chavrusa, who also happens to be the Hebrew Studies principal at the school. I asked him what was going on, as the parents had two major meetings this week protesting the tuition hike. My chavrusa told me this crisis is hitting most schools. The biggest problem is no matter how much tuition is, it's still less, believe it or not, than what it costs to educate one child at the public school. Schools plan to and expect to survive not only off the tuition, but also off of donations from the community. Now, while there are people who give plenty of money to the school (one very wealthy person in the community, all by himself and with no desire for recognition gives $350,000 yearly to the school - and he doesn't even have kids in the school!), it's still not enough. Part of the reason for this is that people prefer to build fancier and fancier shuls rather support the schools, going directly against the halacha, which states that one must support Torah education before even building a shul.

A shul, said my chavrusa, and I agree wholeheartedly with him, needs to be functional. It does not need to cost, as our shul did (and it's in trouble as well because of the expense), six million dollars. A school, on the other hand, needs to be able to pay competitive salaries, especially to secular studies teachers, and it needs to have the facilities to fulfill its educational obligations and goals.

Here's another thing my chavrusa told me. One of the things that sucks a lot money from the school is the sports programs. Our school in particular has a very complete sports program, from basketball to wrestling and everything in between. He thinks this is a waste of money. The kids, he told me, would be happy to create teams amongst themselves and play. He thinks they should just cut the program and use the money for better purposes. This does not mean getting rid of P.E. classes. It does mean getting rid of school paid extracurricular acitivities, an expense the school just doesn't need.

Another factor is that we pay taxes that pay for the public schools, but get no benefit from them at all. An idea might be to approach the school district and ask for vouchers or an exemption so people may better afford to pay for private school.

And the fact that it is private school, I believe, is part of the problem. For the rest of the non-Jewish country, private school is a luxury for the upper middle class and upper class. For the rest of, there is public school. However, as Orthodox Jews, we ALL have to send our kids to private school, AKA Orthodox day schools, so our children may receive a Torah education and have instilled in them Torah/Jewish values. This is a very expensive venture that most of us simply cannot afford, but have no choice but to find a way. Thankfully, many schools, including ours, offer partial and full scholarships, such as our school. We are able to get a scholarship for our son and we love the school for it. Many other schools, however, are unbeding and absolutely refuse to offer scholarships.

One other solution might be to either start sending our kids to public school (if you live in an area that has a really good school) for secular studies and then send the kids for Jewish studies in the afternoon, as is done in many Conservative and Reform communities. Another might be to homeschool kids in secular studies and send the kids out for Jewish Studies in the afternoon.

I don't know. This is a problem that has been getting worse as the years have passed, and there is no real solution. But the system currently in place is very unhealthy. Depending on one, or two, or a few wealthy people in the community to finance an entire school is very shortsighted. What happens when that person passes away? What if his inheritors do not want to conitnue in their father's footsteps? Then the school is in major trouble!

A solution has to be found, and soon. Otherwise Orthodox Day Schools, like many other aspects of Jewish Orthodox life, will simply become prohibitively expensive and more and more people will be unable to give their children a Torah education.

Halachic Judaism

So, based on recommendations from a couple of readers, I've begun reading a book by Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits called "Not in Heaven," which, in essence, tells us that the formal codification of Jewish law might have been a mistake:

"Halakha is the bridge over which the Torah moves from written word into the living deed. Normally, there is a confrontation between the text, which is set [Torah She'B'Ksav - Tanach], and life, which is forever in motion. Even such an apparently easily understood commandment as ['don't work on Shabbos]' requires lengthy explanation. There is an obvious need to define what is meant by 'work.' As soon as one undertakes that task, one is involved in the confrontation between a real-life situation and a text. There are innumerable possibilities for human behavior and action, innumerable human needs and problems arising from them. How to apply them to the specific definition of 'work' requires further explanation and interpretations. How to face the confrontation between the text and the actual life situation, how to resolve the problems arising of this confrontation, is the task of Torah Sh'B'al Peh - the Oral Law...It is the wisdom of Torah implementation in the daily life of the Jewish people. It renders the Torah into a Torat Hsyim, living and teaching relevant law....

The essence of the Oral Torah is Halakah...[which] teaches the way along which the Jew is required to walk in accordance with the Torah. Halakha is the application of Torah to life. But, since there is no such thing as life in general, since it is always a certain form of life at a specific time in history, in a specific situation, Torah application means application to a specific time in a specific situation. The result of this process I call Halkhic Judaism...." (from the introduction.

"The Torah is all inclusive. It comprehends the entire life of the Jewish people. Halakha, therefore, has to interpret the intention of the Torah for all the areas of Jewish existence, the spiritual, the ethical, the economic, the socio-economic." (Opening words of the first chapter.)

In other words, Rabbi Berkovits tells us that Halacha's (the root of which is Holech - walking - as in walking through our daily lives) job is to help us walk a Torah life, a living Torah's life, based upon the the times in which we live, not based on halacha's paskined two thousand years ago, or even five hundred years ago, or even a hundred years ago. Halacha coalesces with the world around us and allows for us to live in the real world while following a Living Torah's life.

I find this fascinating. I've been thinking for a long time that perhaps the time has come for a new Torah kosher movement within Orthodox Judaism. I'd been loathe to call it Halachic or Halacha Judaism because a lot about Halacha has been bothering me of late (see many previous posts). Don't get me wrong. I follow Halacha. But I also believe Halacha should have coalesced around life as it is lived, not the other way around. Now, however, using Rabbi Berkovits' understanding of the function of Halacha, I think perhaps a new movement could actually be called Halachic Judaism.

More as I continue to read.

The Misdirection of Glatt

Unfortunately, today, even the actual term "Glatt" is misleading. When I lived in Israel as a kid, my father used to pick up the salads for kiddush in our shul. Someone came up to him and asked them if they were glatt kosher. My father, not sure what else to say, replied, "sure, they check the lungs on the eggplants."

Way too many people, people who are otherwise perfectly frum, have no idea what glatt actually means, and the industry has used that ignorance in its marketing.

Now, I'm not looking to start a new movement for kulas. I'm trying to put things back the way they were. Economically, it'd be better for everyone.

According to Rabbi Harry Maryles:

"The Shechita business has always been plagued with standards issues. Some meat packing houses being concerned more with profits that the standards of Kashrus... have employed questionable Shochtim who are barely Shomer Shabbos. They were usually imported Israelis ...single men whose public religious behavior left a lot to be desired. These are not the kind of people you want responsible for Kosher slaughtering. They were trained in the mechanics of how to Shecht but they were not Yerei Shamayim.

There was also the issue of mass production. The demand for Kosher meat outweighed the level of Kosher meat produced. This resulted in some questionable Psak about which lungs (the organ that is checked to see if it has any adhesions that would make it treif) looked Kosher.

I had a friend who ran the union for such Shochtim and he was plagued with problems of actual Kashrus. Glatt, he told me was not even an issue anymore. All meat was glatt. Anything which required removal of a blemsih in a kosher way thus making it Kosher but not Glatt was not deemed worthy of the time it takes to do it and was just thrown into the Treif pile which was automatically sold to the non Kosher market.

So it isn't really about Glatt. It is about whether the Kosher label is trustworthy at all.

When a beef product is labled Glatt, that usually means it was carefully prepared along the entirety of the Kosher process, which includes ehrliche Shochtim, no compromises on Psak about adhesions, proper Koshering and all other details.

But even Glatt labels these days are not always trustworthy. Anyone can label his product Glatt. That's why one should only use products certified by a reputable Hechsher organization like the OU."

Ok, good. These were problems in the past, but since then things in the kosher slaughtering business have changed. The companies are a lot more organized, their techniques and practices have much improved in the last twenty-thirty years, and things are run differently now than they were back then. There is also the question of the kosher slaughterhouses creating a deliberate shortage to raise the prices (this from a reliable source who is intimately connected with the kosher meat business). It's assur to charge inflated prices for things. I believe this is included in the lav of accurate weights and measures and charging correct prices.

Olmert = Bush

Ok, for those of you who don't know me, here is what I think of Bush. And Olmert, for that matter.

Yes, I hate Bush. Can't stand him. Counting down the days till he's out of office.

Yet another difference between me and Chareidim...And many Religious Zionists, for that matter.

You see, I understand Chareidim thinking Bush and his Republicans are so great because of the religious thing. Ok. I don't agree, but I understand, even though they don't realize Bush believes, and has actually said that Jews are going to burn in Hell for eternity because they rejected Jesus. Whatever.

Religious Zionists who think Bush is so great for Israel (not all of them believe this, but enough do because they don't actually analyze the situation) are just plain wrong. Sure, at a glance, Bush has been good for Israel and supported her policies. Great. However, by waging his illegal war in the Middle East, which he started based on completely false and dishonest pretences (WMDs, right...sure...whatever), has caused the Arab world to hate the West, and more specifically, the United States, even more than they already did, and by orders of magnitude. Now, then, who is the United States' proxy, at least in Arab eyes in the Middle East? Hmmm. Let's see. It's the only real democracy, it's mostly Jewish, and it's a sore spot in the Arab World. Oh, yeah! Israel! So, as if they didn't have enough reason before to hate the Jews and Israel, now they all hate it even more!

So, is Bush really good for Israel in the long run? NO!!! He's causing irreparable damage!!

Well, that's my political tirade of the day.

Smooth (Glatt) Irony

I've had an interesting observation about Glatt meat I think is very ironic. One thing about glatt today, excluding Beit Yosef Shechita, is that it is not true glatt. It is only glatt B'Dieved. This I know from someone intimately familiar with the process.

Here's the irony: If the Lubavitchers and Chassidim 20-30 years ago hadn't all insisted that EVERYTHING be glatt, and had the OU not adopted the standard as the common standard of kashrus (as mentioned in this article), there would today be plenty of actual, L'Chatchila glatt meat for those who care (since so many more of us would have been brought up not to care), and the rest of us would have been eating perfectly kosher, non-glatt meat. And the price of meat probably wouldn't even be close to what it is today. And even the Chareidi/Yeshivish world and their ilk (thank you Yaakov Silver for that word), would be perfectly happy eating non-glatt.

Ironic, isn't it?

And finally, I ask again: WHAT THE HELL IS A GLATT KOSHER CHICKEN?!

So...Just Ignore Them...

About three years, my wife, son, and I spent a Shabbos in Phoenix, AZ. We were at the time considering moving there from Los Angeles, and friends of ours put us in touch with the Rosh Kollel there, Rabbi Zvi Holland. He invited us for Shabbos and to come see the community.

Rabbi Holland, who is a couple of years younger than me but many years wiser, is an amazing person and tried to convince me of something. This was at a time when I was starting to question the Chareidi/Yeshivish way of life and how that way of life was really bothering me. We sat up on Friday night until about midnight talking about this. Now, you have to understand, Rabbi Holland is a certified, black-hat-wearing Yeshiva Musmach (from the Mir in Yerushalayim), but he is anything but Yeshivish in the traditional sense.

With all the hours of talking, he had one piece of advice about how the Yeshivish/Chareidim were acting, and still do act today. "You're not going to change them," he said. "So, just IGNORE THEM."

"What do you care what they think about you?" he continued. "You are a halacha following Jew, you keep Torah and Mitzvos. Let them do what they want to do, and you do what you need to do. Don't let them bother you. They are not worth your Ugmas Nefesh. They are not worth you being angry over them. JUST IGNORE THEM." He reiterated this many times in the conversation.

It took me almost three years, but I am finally taking his lesson to heart. They really are not worth our time.

Regarding the Glatt Meat Craze...

A commentor pointed me to this article by Professor Marc Shapiro at the University of Scranton.

Dr. Shapiro pretty much says what I, and many others, have been saying. Of course, the Chareidi community probably wouldn't like this article since it appeared in the Jewish Forward...

The Chareidi World

Just a small note - when I speak of the Chareidi world, I'm not talking about people like my next door neighbor, whose middos, and those of his children, are exemplary and who doesn't look down at people who don't do the things he does. People like him have my complete respect and are certainly members of the Orthodox world.

When I talk about the Chareidi/Yeshivish world, I'm talking about the RWNJs (Right Wiing Nut Jobs) who run around saying no one to the left of them is frum at all. These are the people who have extricated themselves from the Klal. These are people who have no concept of Bein Adam L'Chaveiro - how to treat others who don't follow their practices with respect.

Unfortunately, these RWNJs are a loud and powerful minority who have, quite successfully, taken control of many aspect of daily Jewish life.

Sorry if my earlier posts were misunderstood.

Thinking for Oneself

In a previous post, I touched upon the Chareidi world merrily putting people into Cherem in order to prevent their "dangerous ideas" from spreading and "infecting" those living in the Chareidi world.

Along the lines of leaving the rest of us alone, here is what Rabbi Natan (formerly Nosson) Slifkin has done: He has extracted himself from the Chareidi element and has directed his writings to people who do indeed prefer to think for themselves and are looking for logical, good explanations to a slew of questions, including that of the Age of the Universe (can it really be 13.7 BILLION years old?! Answer: Yes, it can.)

Realizing he does not need the Chareidi world for support and certainly not to tell him how to think, R' Slifkin stopped worrying about how he appears to the Chareidi world and continues to write and revise his wonderfully intellectual books.

Along the lines of my previous post, I think a wonderful solution is that of Rabbi Natan Slifkin's. If we all have the courage to not worry about what the Chareidi world will say about us, we would, as a Klal, have the power to institute changes within our own, mainstream Orthodox world, changes that will do away with too many chumras and allow us to start seeing Torah Judaism, not as a financial and intellectual burden.

Chareidi society has stopped thinking for itself. Its members are content to allow its leaders to do all the thinking for them, tell them how to everything, what to do, and when to do it. This is a society that has stagnated. Its leaders keep heaping on the chumras and stirring the pot with all sorts of made up controversies, like the R' Slifkin Cherem, and before that the Sheitel incident. They keep doing this because they know they have stagnated and they know if they don't create these controversies and keep making up new chumras that its members might just awaken from their stupor and start thinking for themselves again.

Insead of being upset about the Chareidi world, it's time for the Orthodox world to completely disassociate itelf from the Chareidi world, consider the Chareidi world not part of the Orthodox world, and start repairing the damage the Chareidim have inflicted on the rest of us.

Thinking...Thinking...Thinking...There!

So, the more I think about this idea of simply writing off the Chareidi movement as a non-Torah movement, the more I like it, as much as anyone can like an idea of writing off a portion of Klal Yisrael. However, the Chareidi movement has brought this on itself. They have indeed removed themselves from the Tzibur and, while doing so, have declared all other Torah Judaism to be not kosher. By doing so, by declaring that other sections of Orthodoxy that keep Torah, Mitzovs, and Halacha, they have declared themselves a non-Torah movement.

There is a posuk in Yirmiyahu that asks how could Hashem have brought such destruction onto the Jewish people. This posuk is generally regarded to be asking specifically about the destruction of both Batei Mikdash. Hashem answers - "Al asher azvu Torasi" - because they abandoned my Torah. Ok, says the Medrash. We understand that answer for the destruction of the first Bais HaMikdash, when Avoda Zara, Shfichus Damim, and Gilui Arayos (idol worship, murder, and immoral sexual behavior) were rampant. The people had indeed abandoned the Torah in a time when prophets roamed the land trying to teach the word of Hashem. There was Gilui Panim at the time - God's presence was felt and noticeable. The punishment was for sins that were also un-hidden, out in the open. Nobody bothered to hide what he or she was doing.

Along came the second Bais Hamikdash. The Medrash asks: But everyone was Torah observant at the time! No one had abandoned the Torah. Answers the Medrash - Hashem destroyed the Bais Hamikdash because people stopped saying Bircas HaTorah. Asks the Medrash, What do you mean? Of course everyone said Bircas HaTorah! Yes, the Medrash replies. But no one meant it. Torah study had become an exercise in academics, not something people were learning and internalizing as a way of life, a way of treating other people, as well as a guide for one's relationship with God. For this, says the Medrash, the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed. It was a time of Hester Paniim, a time when Hashem's presence wasn't as tangible in the physical world, and the reasons for the destruction of the second Bais Hamikdash were not as clear as well; some research had to be done to find the reason.

Sound familiar? This is what is going on in the Yeshivish/Chareidi world. And when I called a rabbi to whom I was very close on this one Shabbos morning in bright, sunny Los Angeles, he glared at me and told me I was a Choteh Plili, a criminal sinner for saying such things about the Yeshiva world. We never spoke again.

But it's true. There is no internalization any longer. It's just an exercise in academics, as it was two thousand years ago. That's why not one rabbi rose in defense of Bar-Kamtza. Torah was no longer internalized, as it is no longer internalized today in the Yeshiva/Chareidi world. And perhaps this is the reason for them heaping on the Chumras. Perhaps it is their way of looking for meaning in practices that, when not internalized, have no meaning.

So, as a knee-jerk reaction, the Chareidi world makes Pasul the entire rest of Orthodox Judaism. I say again: Great! Since the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed because of people like that, we need to do is ignore them and be the best Torah Jews we can be, which means internalizing our Torah, not just using it as an academic tool. We need to move on past the Chareidi world and start worrying about ourselves and fixing the damage the Chareidi/Yeshivish world has inflicted on us. Once this healing starts and the repairs begin, maybe they'll decide to rejoin the Jewish Nation instead of separating themselves from the Tzibur.

Taking Oneself Out of the Klal

There is a halacha in Pirkei Avos (yes it's in the mishna, Hillel said it, and it's a very explicit order, not a suggestion) that tells us one should not separate oneself from the Tzibur.

Many of us in the anti-Establishment blog world have been upset and writing about the Chareidi world and how it has hi-jacked Torah Judaism. Many Chumras have been pushed on the rest of us because the Chareidiim insist on them, most notably that of "Glatt" kosher meat (and chicken, though I'm at a loss to explain that one...), we see more and more black hats in shuls, even Modern Orthodox ones, and more and more people in that world are content to allow their rabbis and their "gedolim" to do the thinking for them.

But there is something we of the mainstream/left leaning elements of Orthodoxy have to remember: We are the majority in the Orthodox world. The Chassidim are, and always have been, perfectly happy to stay in their little worlds without pushing their way of life on the rest of us. That's great and I admire that they have adhered to their set of rules as well as they have while largely dismissing the rest of the world. The rest of the Chareidim are pretty much the Yeshiva/Yeshivish world, which is not particularly large. By doing the things they have been doing, from "Gedolim" worship to being chumra happy to merrily putting people they don't like in Cherem in order to prevent those people's "dangerous" ideas from spreading in the Chareidi world, they have essentially been taking themselves out of the Klal. They are the ones who are being Poresh Min HaTzibur - separating themselves from the rest of the Jewish Nation.

I say: Great! Let them separate themselves. What do the rest of us care? Leave us alone, do your thing, and go as crazy as you want to. Just give the rest of us who are happy to follow halacha without all the Nareshkeit of Chumras on top of Chumras, over more Chumras the courtesy being allowed to be who we are. Allow us to have non-glatt meat if we want it. Allow us to dress in a tznius manner without looking like shapeless lumps. You want to think we are yet another "non-kosher: form of Judaism? Great! Just leave us alone and do your thing.

Bottom line: The Chareidi world has taken itself out of the Tzibur, out of the mainstream of Klal Yisrael. It is now up to the rest of us to continue upon the path of Lo Sasur Yamin O Smol - to not deviate right or left, and continue upholding Jewish law without living in a Taliban-like fundamentalist society.

Post at DovBear!

So, DovBear honored yesterday with allowing me to guest post on his blog about glatt, a subject I touched on recently as well.

There was a very interesting mixed response. Some people were all for the change. Some were completely against and just tried looking for contradictions in what I said. Others just bashed. No one offered a solution. Too bad. Well, the good fight must go on.

Later, I visited this blog by XGH. The comments, especially nearer the bottom, are quite interesting. One person decided, because he saw a rebbi of his once do it, the word Hashem should be written without vowels and with dashes: H-sh-m. Never mind that Hashem literally means "The Name," and is used in order to not use God's name. He then said this:

"If people like me stick to the mesorah so tenaciosly, if we emulate our Rebbes in every trivial thing, how is it possible for the meosorah to be "hijacked"? I do everything that my Rebbe did exactly as he did it, he did what his Rebbe did, and so on, all the way back to Sinai. I don't consider myself a frummie, but look at how I keep my Rebbe's seemingly trivial minhag. He did the same thing."

It's this sort of automaton mentality I've been railing against. Let the rebbi do the thinking. This guy wasn't listening to or reading his own words! Things being done a certain way does not mean they HAVE to be done that way. So many people have just stopped thinking for themselves and depend on others to do the thinking for them. This leads to the state of the Orthodox world as it is today.

I welcome suggestions for change.

Good Shabbos.

The Serenity Prayer

A couple of days ago, I posted the "Serenity Prayer." I don't know its origins, and frankly, I don't care. I do like its message and would like to try and take it to heart.

I've kvetched a lot these last few months about many things I think have gone wrong with Orthodox Judaism. Some of these things, like second day of Yom Tov, can probably never be changed, though I suspect when Moshiach comes, he's going to laugh himself to death about some of these things.

However, some of these things can be changed, and they can be changed quite easily. I'm going to start proposing ways to make these changes, and I welcome any positive suggestions my readers, few though you are, may have. I've been in touch with another blogger, a major player in the Jewish Blogosphere, and he too would love to see some changes and take back Judaism, which seems to have been hi-jacked by a bunch of crazies.

Stay tuned.

A Bit Old, But Still Just As Funny...Or Sad

My wife and I came across a letter sent in to that great Jewish Metropolitan Newspaper, The Jewish Press. A woman who had just moved to Brooklyn complained that no one responded when she wished people a Good Shabbos. She wanted to know why Frum Jews aren't acting nicely. Rabbi Yaakov S. (name withheld - no Loshon Hara here! And yes, this dude PROUDLY SIGNED HIS NAME) sent a response to the Jewish Press.

So, basically, the Jews of Brooklyn are so holy, as holy, perhaps, as the Kohen Gadol performing the Avoda in the Bais Hamikdash, it is actually assur to interrupt their oh, so lofty thoughts and wish them a Good Shabbos or worse, expect them to wish you a Good Shabbos. Wow. Who knew?

Oh! And all you Modern Orthodox Jews out there: You are officially part of an "ilk." :)

Here's the full text:

In this week's edition, we find a suggestion that Ariel Sharon may have used the word "occupation" in reference to the Palestinians, but not to the Land Itself (Stupid Letter Honorable Mention), complaints about kashrus organizations, attacks on Rabbi Riskin (who "demonstrate[s] the ignorance and irresponsibility that plague this generation"), and a supposed dearth of Jewish singles events in The City (obviously this writer has never heard of "Shabbas Davening", held weekly at OZ). However, the big topic was last week's denouncement of frum brooklyn Jews who don't say "Good Shabbas" to their neighbors. Rabbi Yaakov Silver comes to their defense, and in doing so writes the Stupid Letter Of The Week:

It is difficult to say “Good Shabbos” to hundreds of people passing you (compared to living in a remote area where there are relatively few Yidden). Moreover, you would never make it home for the chulent if you stopped to greet each passerby.
But there is another reason why in frummer areas people don`t say “Good Shabbos.” Simply stated, in frummer crowds people are more focused on the holiness of Shabbos. I see many frum people (unlike many of the Modern Orthodox ilk) who are almost in a state of awe. When you are so focused on the holiness of Shabbos, you tend not to notice many things around you in the mundane physical world. In short, it`s not that they don`t want to be friendly to a fellow Yid. Rather, it`s that they are in an intense, uplifted state.

If one would see the kohen gadol doing the avoda in Yerushalayim, it would be easily understood why he couldn’t be distracted with greeting everyone. The same is true of the lofty spiritual people of Boro Park. They are no different than the kohen gadol in the bais hamikdash. Don`t forget, it`s these very same frum Yidden who help all in times of crisis, be it through Hatzoloh, Shomrim, Chaveirim, etc.

In other words, Modern Orthodox Jews show common decency and goodwill towards their neighbors because of their lesser spiritual awareness, and the frum people who walk past you without so much as a nod are in tune with true Godliness. Either that, or they really want to get home to that cholent.

This letter speaks for itself. Brooklyn Jews are apparently the equals of the Kohen Gadol performing the avoda in the Bais Hamikdash!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Yaakov Silver, you are the official village idiot of Brooklyn!

Neat Saying...

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

So, I changed my blog Template! :)

The Religious Holiday of Independence Day: Where to From Here?

Tomorrow, we celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. Many, including myself, believe the creation of the State of Israel, though a secular State, is nevertheless the Atchalta D'Geula - the beginning of God's long-prophesied final redemption of the Jews. But what does this holiday mean?

Arutz 7, Israel's Religious Zionist News Service, published a beautiful article in today's news brief, and I'd like to share it with my readers.

Chag Sameach, and may we merit a speedy culmination of our complete Geula.

Yom HaZikaron

Today is Yom HaZikaron - the Israeli version of Memorial Day, when we remember those who gave their lives conquering and protecting the Eretz Yisrael and its citizens. Following are the number of Jews killed between the War of Independence and throught the current Intifida, according to Arutz 7, Israel Religious Zionist News Service:

The 1948 War of Independence was Israel's costliest war, with more than 6,000 dead, one percent of the Jewish population at the time, and 15,000 wounded.

Then followed seven years of relative quiet - during which there were "1,339 cases of armed clashes with Egyptian armed forces, 435 cases of incursion from Egyptian-controlled territory, and 172 cases of sabotage perpetrated by Egyptian military units and fedayeen [terrorists] in Israel," in which 101 Israelis were killed, as Israeli Ambassador to the UN Abba Eban explained to the Security Council on October 30, 1956. A total of 231 Israeli soldiers died in Sinai Campaig.
The Six-Day War broke out on June 5, 1967. Along with the stunning victories, over 770 Israelis were killed.

Then began the period of the War of Attrition, which claimed 424 soldiers and more than 100 civilians. A ceasefire was declared on August 8, 1970.

Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on Yom Kippur, 1973. The IDF ultimately emerged victorious, but a total of 2,688 soldiers were killed.

In June 1982, in response to continued terrorist attacks and Katyusha shellings from across the Lebanese border, as well as an assassination attempt upon Israel's late Ambassador to Great Britain Shlomo Argov, Israel attacked the terrorists in Lebanon in what was known as Operation Peace for Galilee. Close to 460 soldiers were killed between June and December 1982, and another 760 in daily ambushes against Israeli forces over the next two and a half years.

Between December 1987, when the first Arab "intifada" broke out, and the signing of the Oslo Accords in late 1993, 90 Israelis were murdered.

Between the Oslo signing and the beginning of what became known as the Oslo War in September, 2000, 251 Israelis were murdered by terrorists.

Another 1,287 have been felled by Palestinian Authority terrorists and gunmen since September 2000.

Keep in mind - the Arab terrorists, who have been merrily murdering Jews in the name of Allah and with the promise that being martyred will bring them seventy virgins Heaven, did not differentiate between Chareidi or Chiloni (secular Israeli) or anything in between. All the saw was a holy mission to kill any Jews they could.

Now, while Yom HaZikaron may not be the "frum" way to remember the lives of those who were murdered and killed in battle, it is a way to remember. And the Chareidi community MUST remember that the soldiers who died, whether secular or Orthodox or anything in between, died defending the rights of ALL JEWS to live in Eretz Yisrael, be they Chareidi, Chiloni, Dati Leumi, or anything else.

So please, instead of decrying Yom HaZikaron as a non-Jewish custom adopted by Jews, use this opportunity to make a Kiddush Hashem and remember those who died defending our homeland so everyone there might live free to work, learn, play, and just be alive.

The Truth Will Be Absent - Sanhedrin 97A

I came across an interesting post by Rabbi Yitchok Adlerstein from Jauary 11, 2007, available here on Cross-Currents. The post is entitles "The Bais Yaakov Edicts – Are We Next?"

Rabbi Adlerstein tells us of the difference between Torah Judaism when Reb Moshe and Reb Yaakov were alive, as opposed to today:

"...Like fashion trends moving from Paris to New York, there is a tendency in Torah matters (lehavdil) for Bene Brak to call the shots even when they do not intend to.

This is not the way it always was. Some people think that it is one of the most unhealthy developments in Torah life in our times. While Rav Moshe and Rav Yaakov were both alive, American haredim turned primarily to them for leadership. People did not regard this as a slight to Torah luminaries in Israel. Rather, they recognized that not only did Torah leaders in America have a better grasp of local realities, but that HKBH Himself had different plans for, and different expectations of, communities in Israel and America. Forcing square pegs into round spiritual holes was not going to get people very far.

The existence of different Torah communities, each different and each legitimate, is perhaps adumbrated by the Gemara Sanhedrin 97A. Speaking of the prelude to the messianic age, the Gemara invokes Yeshaya: “The truth will be absent (nederes).” The Gemara proceeds to explain that truth will form different groups, or flocks (adarim), and go off on their own.

Rav Aryeh Kaplan told me a number of times that he didn’t think that the Gemara meant that truth would simply disappear. Alternatively, it meant that truth would no longer be available on a one-stop shopping basis. Different groups would each specialize in different aspects of the truth.

Similarly, perhaps, different groups would each have their own legitimate approaches and reactions, each generated by the Divine Providence that led to their formation."

This is a beautiful lesson by Rav Kaplan, one that many orthodox group, especially those furthest to the right, fail to accept. I've seen many comments on many blogs by RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) who claim they are ranting and raving because they can't stand it if someone speaks or writes something that is not their version of Emes. But who is to say that one person's version of Emes is invalid if that person is, at the end of the day, shomer Torah and Mizvos, learns regularly, and performs acts of chesed?

Unfortunately, the same may be said for many groups. It all goes back to one of my original posts, When Moshiach Will Come. The truth being "ne'ederes," absent, is an extension of Bnai Yisrael being Chayav or Zakai in each others' eyes.

But we have a choice. Each group may, and should have its own version of Emes, as long and it does not go against Torah. Obviously, a group that says we believe in God but worship Buddha would not quite constitute an Emes version of Yiddishkeit. Our choice, however, is to either accept each group as legitimate, live and let live, or to reject all the other groups as not frum, not Yirei Hashem, not kosher Judaism.

Good Shabbos.

"The More You Tighten Your Grip..."

Along the lines of my previous post, I'd like again to discuss this grip tightening of the Chareidi/Yeshivish world, a world, as I said earlier, is no longer in any way, a form of Kosher, halacha following Judaism.

The grip coninues to tighten in that world. Mehadrin busses, how women should dress, how men dress, the continued chumra heaping, etc.

And with all this, there is the kids at risk thing going on in that world. What does Kids At Risk mean? Well, unlike in the regular world, where it means kids are at risk to do drugs, join gangs, or become involved in any other number of self-destructive behavior, kids at risk in the Chareidi/Yeshivish world means kids who might, (read sarcastically) become Modern Orthodox, or Centrist, or they might trade in their black hats and pants and white shirts for jeans, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap!! Even worse, it means kids who might become not frum at all because they are so sick of their parents and communities being so chumra happy that being frum has become a burden rather than a joy.

Unfortunately, in response to this, the parents, very often musmachim of yeshivas who are now embarrassed by their own children, fight back, tighten their grip with even more restrictions. The result: They keep pushing their kids farther and farther away.

I've known plenty of really good kids who would have been perfectly happy remaining frum if only they had been given the freedom to be frum on their own terms while always following halacha, without all the extraneous chumras attached. But when the parents, oh, so embarrassed by their childrens' "awful" behavior keep limiting that freedom more and more, those kids also pushed back and kept getting more and more distant from wanting to be frum at all, or even have any association with the frum world.

Parents: So what if your kid doesn't want to spend thirteen years in Yeshiva and another ten in Kollel? So what if they actually want to go and learn a profession and be contributing members of society? Let them find their own way! Children do not need to be clones of their parents. They are individuals who need to discover their own path in life. All parents can do is try to give gentle guidance and teach them the Judaism is a religion of Nachas, something that is a joy to observe, not a burden.

After the European emancipation of the Jews, people wanted more freedom, a easing of restrictions that would not go against the essence of Halacha. The rigid rabbinic leadership adamantly refused. Guess what happened? The Reform Movement and the secularization of many, many Jews over the following 250 years.

It's interesting how history repeats itself. After Shlomo Hamelech died, Rachavam, his son, took over as king. He was asked to ease taxes, restrictions, and heavy burdens of his father. The elders suggested he do so, but his buddies of childhood told him not only to not ease up, they told him to make it even harder. Well, with that response to the nation, Yeravam ben Nevat became king of the ten tribes, seceded from the Rechavam's rule, and went about his merry way, causing the ten tribes to slide into a dark age of avoda zara, one from which the ten tribes would never recover, one which would cause the vast majority of the ten tribes to disappear forever.

Did the rigid, rabbinic leadership learn from Rechavam's mistake? Obviously not. They said no, and over the next 250 years, about 98% of the Jewish nation no longer follows halacha at all, many have assimilated, many have intermarried, and most carry an intense dislike of Orthodox Judaism.

When I mention this, people like to respond that I'm wrong. After all, look at the Ba'al Teshuva movement! It's huge. However, they forget to take into account the half of the equation - the ones who are leaving because they are so turned off by the burden being Orthodox has become that they want nothing to do with it any longer.

Taliban Judaism

Quote from comments on Emes Ve-Emunah: "If having a JewishTaliban would guarentee 2 million more Shomer Shabbos, are you saying that you'd rather have a non Talibanic state and those 2 million people be Mechalel Shabbos instead? ed | 04.16.07 - 12:52 pm."

Is this where the Chareidi world is headed? Forcing people to do things? What happens to Bechira Chofshis. Of course, this type of Judaism, which is not Judaism at all, would be the dream culmination of those who keep heaping on the Chumras, wouldn't it?

It is a sad day when Jews want to rule with an iron fist and force people to do things rather than teaching b'nachas. As the line went in Star Wars: A New Hope: "The more you tighten your grip, the more will slip through your fingers."

When will this rabbinic/Chareidi tyranny end? What happened to Judaism being a religion of Ki Karov Eilecha? Dovbear asked a beautiful question a few days ago on his blog:

Answer me this with every ounce of honesty that you can summon from your tainted and subjective human soul: If Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Dovid, Yosef, the Tannaim, the Amoraim, the Geonim, or any of the Rishonim were to time travel into Boro Park [or any Chareidi community] would they recognize the rituals, customs, chumras and forms represented by the people as authentic and essential to Judaism?

My answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! They would, however, probably die (a second time) laughing hysterically!! Unfortunately, this is no laughing matter.

There is a paradigm in right wing Jewish Orthodox thought. On the one hand, we can't change any halacha set forth by the generations before us (a concept I think is completely wrong - see my post on Minhag Avoseichem B'Yedeichem). On the other, that same camp keeps putting forth more and more chumras to be treated as halacha, adding and adding until one really lives in a state of Talibanism. And apparently, from the quote above, this is what they want!

I don't think it's possible to include such people as part of the Jewish Orthodox world anymore. They are, in how they treat other people, especially women, simply not frum. They are not a version of kosher, halacha following Judaism.

Talibnist Judaism is an oxymoron. It really just has to stop.

Should Everybody be in Yeshiva?

Rabbi Harry Maryles' post today, while citing an impressive list of accomplishments by Israelis, proposed that perhaps a few of the "Bnei Torah" in Yeshivas in Israel today should be allowed to pursue other fields and contribute to the pool of accomplishments. Thus, he says, they won't have to scrounge for low paying jobs and actually be productive members of society.

Of course, all the RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) said how can you propose something as preposterous as this?! All these people should be in Yeshiva learning because Torah learning is the greatest thing they can do.

I say, Rabbi Maryles did not go far enough. It wasn't too long ago when most people worked for a living, supported their families, and didn't have to scrounge for money, live in poverty, or depend on their in-laws. Now, most do. How much longer can a system like this survive? What happens when the money runs out?

No. I propose most should be out of Yeshivas, both in Israel and abroad, learn a trade, and become productive members of society. We do not live in the Utopia that might have been had Adam Harishon not sinned and eaten from the Eitz Hada'as. We have a curse that says we need to work for a living, not sit on our asses and use Torah for academic purposes, which is pretty much what 99% of Yeshiva Bochurim do these days, and then walk around with arrogance at the Am Ha'Aratzus of everyone else who didn't spend as much time in Yeshiva as they did.

It's time to stop living in a fantasy world. It's time to stop spending unlimited amounts of time in yeshiva and Kollel and it's time to go live a normal, Torah life that involves both learning and Parnassah. The business/bein adam la'chaveiro laws in three volumes of Choshen Mishpat are not there for academic purposes. They are there to put into use and into practice. Well, Start practicing!!