No - I am not talking about Palestinians and Israelis. I am talking about Klal Yisroel and the rabble of Meah Shearim. I think we ought to finally submit to the will of the people in that neighborhood and let them have their own state. Yes Meah Shearim is worthy of that. Let them secede from Israel.
Of course one cannot predict how they will function as a society without the necessary services provided by a government, such as water and sanitation; health and welfare services; police and fire departments; - to name just a few vital services. But their rejection of the state of Israel is very clear. They are opposed to its existence. They do not vote nor take any government assistance at all.
They operate as though the Government doesn’t exist. And if they don’t like something - they riot. Giving them their own state is perhaps only a half a loaf for them but at least they will not have to suffer the indignities of an anti Frum government harassing them all the time.
The fact that none of their people is properly trained to run any of these institutions should not be an issue for them. Meah Shearim can easily federate with the Palestinians or Jordan. I know that is preferable to them theologically even if the Israeli government was completely religious - since they believe that God Himself is opposed to Jewish control of Eretz Israel until the advent of the Messiah.
Until then they believe we ought to let the Umos HaOlam – the nations of the world have it. That’s why one of their factions travels to Iran and kisses its leader who has called for the destruction of the State. True – that faction is an extremist group that even their own community has rejected. But the theology is the same. None of those people believe that any Jewish State is permitted Halachicly.
Give them Meah Shearim. They can then keep all their parking lots closed on Shabbos and bar anyone from entering that is not in accordance with their Tznius standards. They can provide their own health care system where no Charedi mother will ever be falsely accused again. Nor will they ever have to endure another autopsy.
As things stand now - they act as though there is no state anyway. They continue to run the show as they see fit! Any issue that comes before them is rarely if ever handled in a civilized way. Everything is met with violence. Even as recently as yesterday and the day before.
Consider the following:
The protest of a Jerusalem parking lot opening on Shabbos was more violent than ever:
The latest protests are reportedly more violent than usual and have drawn numerous teenagers and children. Several vehicles traveling on the road leading to the parking lot were attacked by haredim who pounded the cars, while others hurled stones, eggs and plastic bottles at police, secular protestors, and journalists.
This followed another violent protest last week where a Charedi protestor threw himself under a car:
An ultra-Orthodox Jew threw himself under the wheels of idling car and was moderately injured Saturday during a protest against the operation of a Jerusalem parking garage on the Jewish Sabbath, police said.
And then there was this little exercise yesterday to prevent an autopsy:
The crime scene in Jerusalem's Geula neighborhood has turned into a battleground between police and haredim. A few dozen ultra-Orthodox people threw stones at police officers dispatched to the hostel on Tsfaniya Street, where a 50-year-old man was murdered Sunday night during a fight.
In the Mea Shearim neighborhood intense clashes broke out between the two sides. Haredim threw stones and metal objects at police officers, who responded with stun grenades. Eight police officers and an ultra-Orthodox man were lightly wounded. Three police officers were evacuated to the hospital for medical attention. The rest of the wounded were treated by ambulance crews on the spot. Damage was caused to a police patrol car and two motorcycles.
Haredim started fires at a number of different locations throughout the city. A police cruiser was set ablaze on David Yellin Street. The cruiser was parked there as its police passengers investigated Sunday's murder. Police believe that haredi protesters are behind the arson. No one was injured in the incident.
Haredim tried to set fire to the welfare bureau on Yehezkel Street, however, a police force on site prevented this. A haredi man was arrested while throwing stones at the welfare bureau building.
Of course the defenders of this bunch will say that all they were doing was preventing an autopsy from occurring. Violent protests is the only way the government will listen. Police in Israel automatically do one in criminal murder cases. Autopsies are generally Halachicly forbidden because of the prohibition of Nivul HaMes. A dead body may not be tampered with and must be buried intact.
What many people do not realize is that autopsies are not always automatically Assur. There are times and ways that it is permitted. But there is a blanket presumption that when the government is involved it will not be conducted in accordance with Halacha. So all autopsies are always protested.
I do not know the details of ‘Hilchos autopsies’. But it doesn’t matter. These savages did far worse than desecrate a corpse. Their acts in this regard and in every issue dealing with the government ends up painting religious Jews as savages not much more civilized than prehistoric man. That in the past issues like this have been successfully negotiated between various religious leaders and the government is immaterial to the protesters.
As I have pointed out on numerous occasions, the leadership in Meah Shearim does precious little to prevent violence. In fact the opposite is true. The protests are increasingly more numerous and more violent.
As far as I am concerned they are all responsible - the rabble who actually does the rioting and their leadership who at best look the other way while feigning disapproval thus encouraging the violence.
I used to think that vehement protests by Gedolim of all other Orthodox enclaves – perhaps even ostracizing them - might knock some sense into their collective heads. I’m still not entirely convinced that it won’t.
Meanwhilet I am becoming more convinced than ever that the Meah Shearim crowd is an Am B’Fnei Atzmam – a people unto themselves. They reject the State of Israel and all its institutions? Fine. Give them their own State - let them secede.
Let us cut off this plague from our midst once and for all. They can have their own country. They can call it Palestine… or whatever they want. Then their primitive savagery will be self contained and they can live the pure and pristine lives they strive for without ever encountering any interference from the ‘evil authorities’ again!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
What Kind of Yeshiva is Chaim Berlin?
There has been a lot of interesting discussion on the Internet about a photo taken of Yeshivas Chaim Berlin’s Beis Hamedrash. It is a photo that is being used in their 2010 calendar. It happens to be the same photo they used last year (shown here). Most people would look at it and say that this is a very nice depiction of their Beis Hamedrash. It is full of students all being Omeil BaTorah - toiling in the study of Torah.But the discussion is not about how wonderful that picture is. It is about how this year the picture was altered to remove a flaw. To the unsophisticated eye, that change would hardly be noticed. But in the Yeshiva world this ‘flaw’ was cause for great concern. In the original picture one of the students is wearing a blue shirt. In the altered one that student is now wearing a white shirt. And one empty table now has a couple of students added to it.
What’s the big deal - one may ask? Why does anyone care what color one student’s shirt is? Or if one table happened to be empty? And so what if it was photo-shopped?
The answer to this question is not as simple as the photo-shopping was. This is a perfect illustration of how important appearances are in the Charedi world. It is not enough for Charedim to be learning Torah B’Hasmada Rabba - with great fervor and intensity. One must wear the Charedi uniform that goes with that image. The uniform - for those who haven’t figured it out yet - is dark pants and a white shirt.
Why is that important to Judaism? The answer is that it is utterly unimportant. There is absolutely no significance whatsoever to that ‘outfit’ - other than as an identifier. If you wear that outfit, you are clearly a Ben Torah. If you don’t…
What is the thinking that goes into this mindset? Why the emphasis on belonging to this particular slice of Orthodoxy? Why do Chaim Berliners - or anyone in the right wing Yeshiva world - care so much about being identified this way?
Apparently the very thought of being misidentified frightens them. So much so - that they are upset by even a small detail in a picture that all but the most sophisticated eye would even notice. The sophisticated eye in this case is the world of right wing Yeshivos. They notice.
The fact is that the typical right wing Yeshiva Bachur shuns - or at best looks down upon other Orthodox Jews who are not like themselves. They refer to them as ‘Nisht Fun Unzera’ - a Yiddish aphorism meaning ‘not one of us!’ ‘Us’ is defined as Torah true Jews. All other Orthodox Jews are therefore dubbed... not quite Torah true.
Well - if one is not Torah true is he then Torah false? That's quite the insult if you are an Orthodox Jew.
White shirts equal Torah true. Blue shirts equal Torah false.
Who wears blue shirts? Goyim, secular Jews, modern Orthodox Jews, some Balei Baatim, and of course YU students. It is apparently an unbearable burden for them to be thought of as any of these - especially as a YU student!
YU is an actual Yeshiva where many of the students learn with the same fervor and intensity as many of the Chaim Berlin students do. But no matter. It may as well be UC Berkely. In fact YU is worse they will tell you. It teaches the wrong things and claims to be religious! Besides - everyone knows that YU guys are a bunch of Shkotzim. At least most of them are. The few there who happen to be sincere - Nebech… they don’t know any better. Someday they too will see the light, change their shirts, and dissociate themselves from YU.
In any case the world of the right wing Yeshiva Bachur - of which Chaim Berliners are card carrying members - want a clear separation from all of that. They want separation from anything that is not ‘Torah true’. Like blue shirts. Chaim Berliners are real! No different from any right wing yeshiva student. They wear white shirts to prove it. And they want the world to know it! There is no way they will let their image be tarnished by a blue shirt in their calendar!
I’m sure there are plenty of people reading this who think I am exaggerating. This is probably nothing more than an artistic decision by a photographer to take a photo and make it prettier. Pictures are photo-shopped all the time. There is nothing wrong with tweaking a picture to make it look more aesthetic. There was no nefarious plot to alter the truth – neither physically nor spiritually.
Well, think again.
Dr Yitzchak Levine sent this message Friday to an email list to which I belong. I republish it here with his permission:
Someone associated with Yeshiva Rabbenu Chaim Berlin told me the following this morning:
He inquired about the photo-shopping of the original picture so that in the new picture the fellow wearing a blue shirt is wearing a white shirt and so that the empty table is now full. Last year after the picture appeared there was a great deal of discussion about it on the Internet.
"What kind of a yeshiva is Chaim Berlin, if boys wear blue shirts?" etc.
The empty table was also used as a vehicle for criticism of the yeshiva. The photographer, who is not employed directly by Chaim Berlin but who does their photography work, decided on his own that he would "fix" this situation by making the blue shirt white and by adding two people to the empty table.
There you have it. It was the photographer's decision. But it was not made for artistic reasons. It was made to salvage the 'poor image' projected by last years unaltered picture - as evidenced by all that talk over the Internet last year. The photographer had to do something to make things right!
What kind of yeshiva is Chaim Berlin? Answer this year: A yeshiva where all the Bachurim wear white shirts.
Hat tip: Mordy Ovits of the Knish.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Day Moshiach Came
Guest Post by Yossi Ginzberg
(This guest post is much longer than I usually allow here. But its message is important so I have made an exception. Read and enjoy – HM)
Later, no one understood how it had happened that the light started at the same time everywhere in the world, yet also in the late morning of that same day. Somehow, the whole globe was for a brief few moments at the same time, with the sun shining on a hot summer day, when the Moshiach came.
That August morning in 2017 was otherwise just another late-summer day, the temperature slowly rising, when everyone saw the same unimaginably bright light at the same time. It was accompanied by a loud low-pitched keening sound, so loud it took a while to realize it was the wail of an amplified Shofar. Later, people would debate if Moshiach came and brought the light or if the light preceded him. Either way, what people saw was a very old man with a long white beard, yet he looked fit and virile. He rode across the sky slowly, on what looked to me to be a magnificent steed but others claim it was a mule. Barely opening his mouth, he boomed in a voice so loud it shook the earth: Behold Moshiach comes!
I heard it in English, but others have told me they heard it in Ladino, in French, and Hebrew, in Yiddish, and in Russian. I don’t know any Greeks, but I would presume they heard it in Greek.
It was so far beyond anyone’s wildest imagination that no one considered even for a moment that it might be a trick.
For the first few hours, nothing happened other than everyone comparing stories and calling everyone they knew to double-check what they had seen. After that, slowly, news reports began to come in.
My neighbors elderly mother, confined to a wheelchair for years, got up and walked, albeit slowly.
A Down’s syndrome boy across the street suddenly spoke coherently to his mother, for the first time ever.
Hospitals started to notice a steep decline in emergency-room admissions. Ambulances sat out their shifts in garages. Doctors suddenly felt able to relax a bit, albeit while holding their breath. Likewise the police.
For several days, nothing else happened other than the gradual slow elimination of daily crises. People started to question whether the man seen was actually the Moshiach himself, or perhaps he was the precursor that the Midrash spoke of, Moshiach son of Yosef rather than the real Moshiach ben David.
The difference took on great importance a few days later. Someone had noticed that the Arab residents around the Temple-mount area, as well as most of the members of the Moslem waqf, the governing board of the Temple authority for the Moslems, were suddenly wealthy and were making haste to move with their families to places like Dubai and Switzerland.
It quickly became known that Moshiach, whichever Moshiach he was, had money. A lot of money. And he was spreading it around lavishly, quickly and quietly buying out any opposition and accumulating the rights to the Temple mount. Apparently with enough funds, one can get things done, no matter how impossible they seem. In this case, people who had urged their followers to die rather than allow infidels access to the holy site had taken suitcases of cash and fled the area.
It was about this time that the first mutterings were heard. Apparently, there were those who felt that the area had to be taken by force rather than in the traditional Middle-eastern way of bribery. Presumably these proponents were Zionist party members.
Soon the wackos of the Neturei Karta group started, via placards pasted around Jerusalem in the dead of night, to deny the reality of his being the awaited Moshiach, because the Midrash tells of the Third Temple descending wholly-built from heaven. Obviously, that had not happened, so following this Moshiach was obviously a false trail. The fact that the Moshiach had not requested anything yet from anyone appeared to have no bearing on this.
The silence from Moshiach was itself unnerving. What did he want from us? He made no demands, he made no requests, in fact he made no public statements whatsoever. For the first time people understood the biblical sequences where the Jews saw Godly manifestations, yet a day later sinned anyway. We knew that he was here somewhere, yet because we saw not anything for us to do, we started to doubt.
Of course, not everyone. Those whose children or parents were not whole, those whose life had been miraculously improved overnight, they believed with a complete faith. Others, many others, became skeptical quickly. Perhaps thousands of years of waiting prepares one only for that- more waiting.
A month had gone by without any word from Moshiach. The Temple mount was soon rumored too be entirely owned by him, hospitals were mostly empty, as were asylums and hospices. Pilgrimages to the famous rabbinic graves in Eastern Europe and Safed had dropped dramatically, as had donations to the miracle-working charities. It was also said that visits to the great Rebbes had dropped enough that some were in dire financial straits.
Bloggers, who had mostly been quietly adoring of the new situation through the whole period, suddenly seemed inspired to spring back to their traditional roles. Those who had been gadflies igniting controversy stated doing so again, those making serious inquiries about the Jewish future resumed doing so. The non-Jewish world in general mostly ignored the whole thing: The fundamentalists seeing it as the end-times, the more traditional sects waiting to see what would happen.
It was only very, very slowly that the jockeying for power became visible.
First, the followers of the largest Chassidic sect in Israel made the announcement that their Rebbe was the Moshiach, and that the other was merely preparing the way for him to reveal himself. They hinted vaguely about having direct connections to Moshiach.
It seemed to take only minutes after that announcement for followers of several other Rebbes (some of them dead), to make public that the actual Moshiach was their Rebbe. Closely on the heels of this the Syrian, Moroccan, and Safed communities announced that their Chachams and Kabbalists were the real Moshiach. Some proposed Aryeh Deri, and a few promoted the “candidacy” of Matisyahu, as he was considered by them to be the “Great Unifier”. Others took the same position but claimed that title for Rabbi Hartman. Non-Jewish candidates were advocated, too, and ran the gamut from Sun Myung Moon to Oprah and from Dr. Phil to Condoleeza Rice and Jimmy Carter. All implied that they had the endorsement of the Moshiach, but were very careful with their exact wording.
It was at this point that the organizations and their experts publicly stepped in to voice their weighty opinions.
First, the Reform and Deconstructionist organizations took to the airwaves to welcome the Moshiach and announce their fealty to him, while pointing out that he had not told anyone that the Orthodox were the only right way to serve God. This implied the legitimacy of those non-Halachic movements, they said. The Conservative, Humanist, and Renewal streams immediately made the same claim, only wording it slightly differently.
Unable to let this pass, the most vocal Orthodox organization presented the issue to their rabbinic governing panel, and several weeks later issued a public response.
Their Rabbis, they said, were the only legitimate rabbis because they were the only ones carrying on the traditional roles of rabbis, and anyway the various reformed movements were allowing women to serve. They had proof, too: Moshiach had obviously come because of the great strides in getting Jews everywhere to learn Daf Yomi, the daily Talmud portion, plus of course the great sanctification of His name made at their annual convention. “What then”, the spokesman said, “he came because of those who fress bacon?” Their carefully-worded press release denounced those who would try to utilize this opportunity to advocate for relaxed observance and insisted that only the strictest adherence to the Torah-true message of their organization was valid, being that it not only provided an overview of the religion, only it distilled the wisdom of Sinai in the crucible of the modern vernacular. This message received wide distribution only throughout the religious world of Brooklyn, being posted on lampposts and hand-delivered to every house.1
This of course called for rebuttal, so the Jewish Press published a side-by-side pair of articles debating who the most valid Moshiach was: They had a piece by the dean of yeshiva university, and another by a representative of right-wing Orthodoxy and regular writer for the paper, who was especially paroled for the occasion.
Israeli news commentators weighed in, proposing names for the “real” Moshiach, the candidates covering from on end of the political spectrum to the other, from Rabbi Adin Steinsalz to the first Maharat, and from the Ethiopian religious leaders to the interfaith dialogue promoters.
Once the floodgates were opened, every group started to promote their own religious leader: Belz, Bobov, Satmar, Nodverna, Sadigur, Stropkov, Tosch, Aleksander, and even the smallest groups seized the opportunity to get publicity for their leaders such as the Rebbes from Faltishan, Sponje, Muzhai, Sasregen, Ashdod, Soblov, Pittsburg, Caracas, and Horodenke.
The more the media reported on these various groups and positions, the less people took the whole situation with any gravity. Most fell back into their old habits, and soon the frauds and the scams started to resurface, the crime level which had dropped to almost zero started to rise again, and that aura of Messianic times which had led everyone for months to walk around smiling started to dissipate. All this despite the fact that for months now the death and crime rates were effectively at zero, hospitals were empty, and no one had even caught a cold.
The doings of the Moshiach were mysterious and only rarely visible: His purchase of the Temple mount area was complete, all residents of the area had been happily or at least quietly relocated, and the Silwan valley was now a gigantic farm, raising cattle presumably destined for eventual sacrifice. It was unclear who was actually operating it, nor was anyone ever seen working there, but it appeared scrupulously clean and well-tended.
Every silversmith and Jeweler in Jerusalem was suddenly working almost around the clock, locked into their workshops and not breathing a word about what exactly they were doing. Even their families were in the dark, although they did see a sudden and dramatic increase in household funds.
And yet, despite the miracle seen, the promise of happiness to come, and the pregnant promise of the future, the level of unease continued to rise.
More articles, more sectarian promoting of the “right” candidate for a position that no one was sure even existed, more disqualifications of others based on Midrashim of dubious origins or on the parsed words of long-dead sages and Rebbes, all lead to a rapidly-increasing unhappiness quotient.
It was probably inevitable that the factions would eventually clash.
It started with the Israeli Charedi parties denying the validity of the opinion of the American Council of Charedi rabbis. In turn, they denounced the Israeli faction as overly committed to a single Rabbi manipulating the stage, while himself being manipulated by another younger right-wing rabbi with a lengthy agenda, jockeying himself for eventual Gadol-Hador status.
Only days after that, placards denouncing the Israeli Charedi parties for cooperating with the government (exactly how was unclear) appeared all over Jerusalem. One was even audaciously affixed to the Western Wall itself, a site that had seen increased attendance over the recent past.
The next step was perhaps inevitable: Jerusalem politics has for decades followed steps as predictable and precise as the tango. Demonstrations were announced to protest Zionist and American-influenced attempts to control what was clearly a heavenly decision.
Whether it was the issue or just the excitement, attendance at the rally was huge. Police, bored by months of minimal activity, chafed at the edges, and eventually someone provided the spark although it was never cleared up which side it was from. In any case, horse-mounted police armed with nightsticks and huge intimidating water cannons rapidly deployed around the crowd and let loose with everything they had.
No one knows –or at least no one will admit- whether it was human error or Machiavellian evil that led to this total encirclement of the demonstrators. Either way, the tactic led to a disaster when crowds were unable to escape the police and the high-pressure hoses. Although neither the night sticks nor the water pressure were strong enough to be fatal, the hysterical crowds running in a vain attempt to escape trampled upon each other, tripping and slipping on fallen bodies and wet pavement. The screams of those hurt increased the terror of those still standing and led to an adrenaline-fueled frenzy, but unable to escape the fear fed upon itself and panic led to a paralysis of the group brain.
Bodies piled on each other, resulting in a toll that without a shot being fired dwarfed the Chinese Tiananmen massacre, were the sight that became visible only the next morning when the frenzy ended after the water ran out, the horses tired, and there were no more screams from the encircled crowd.
Jerusalem was in mourning that day, and within hours the entire world Jewish community was.
Live television broadcasts from the disaster scene unintentionally caught the greatest scoop in history that day, when some enterprising reporters looking for a good vantage point scaled the Calatrava bridge tower for a panoramic view of the city, and caught Moshiach himself standing at the scene, shaking his head sadly.
They followed him with their lenses as he walked slowly and sadly back towards the Old City of Jerusalem. Without it being clear exactly how it happened, he was at the Western Wall plaza within minutes.
There, he raised his hands towards heaven and seemed to pray for a few moments.
A bright light appeared to fill the sky, brighter than anything anyone had ever seen, even stronger than when he himself had appeared. From the light emerged a huge building, shining as if it were made of gold, slowly descending from the sky onto the Temple mount.
It was magnificent. Whether the music was coming from it or whether the angelic sounds were from elsewhere will never be known, but the sight and sound were riveting. Awe, majesty, beauty, words fail to convey the image seen around the world. As it slowly settled into place, on the site where over two thousand years ago the Holy temple was destroyed because of Jewish inability to get along, hearts worldwide were clenched with joy.
For a few moments.
The scene had barely been absorbed by the eyes- there was so much beauty to see- when it started to dissolve. The building itself seemed to dissipate as if it had been made of clouds or sugar-candy. Within moments, it went from a gigantic solid stone facade trimmed in gold to a ghostly apparition through which the distant mountains could be seen.
A few moments more and everything was gone, as if it had never been.
Moshiach turned around to face the cameras as if he knew he was being broadcast. He gave a sad look, raised his palms to the camera as if to say sorry, and vanished.
And that’s the story of the day Moshiach came.
(This guest post is much longer than I usually allow here. But its message is important so I have made an exception. Read and enjoy – HM)
Later, no one understood how it had happened that the light started at the same time everywhere in the world, yet also in the late morning of that same day. Somehow, the whole globe was for a brief few moments at the same time, with the sun shining on a hot summer day, when the Moshiach came.
That August morning in 2017 was otherwise just another late-summer day, the temperature slowly rising, when everyone saw the same unimaginably bright light at the same time. It was accompanied by a loud low-pitched keening sound, so loud it took a while to realize it was the wail of an amplified Shofar. Later, people would debate if Moshiach came and brought the light or if the light preceded him. Either way, what people saw was a very old man with a long white beard, yet he looked fit and virile. He rode across the sky slowly, on what looked to me to be a magnificent steed but others claim it was a mule. Barely opening his mouth, he boomed in a voice so loud it shook the earth: Behold Moshiach comes!
I heard it in English, but others have told me they heard it in Ladino, in French, and Hebrew, in Yiddish, and in Russian. I don’t know any Greeks, but I would presume they heard it in Greek.
It was so far beyond anyone’s wildest imagination that no one considered even for a moment that it might be a trick.
For the first few hours, nothing happened other than everyone comparing stories and calling everyone they knew to double-check what they had seen. After that, slowly, news reports began to come in.
My neighbors elderly mother, confined to a wheelchair for years, got up and walked, albeit slowly.
A Down’s syndrome boy across the street suddenly spoke coherently to his mother, for the first time ever.
Hospitals started to notice a steep decline in emergency-room admissions. Ambulances sat out their shifts in garages. Doctors suddenly felt able to relax a bit, albeit while holding their breath. Likewise the police.
For several days, nothing else happened other than the gradual slow elimination of daily crises. People started to question whether the man seen was actually the Moshiach himself, or perhaps he was the precursor that the Midrash spoke of, Moshiach son of Yosef rather than the real Moshiach ben David.
The difference took on great importance a few days later. Someone had noticed that the Arab residents around the Temple-mount area, as well as most of the members of the Moslem waqf, the governing board of the Temple authority for the Moslems, were suddenly wealthy and were making haste to move with their families to places like Dubai and Switzerland.
It quickly became known that Moshiach, whichever Moshiach he was, had money. A lot of money. And he was spreading it around lavishly, quickly and quietly buying out any opposition and accumulating the rights to the Temple mount. Apparently with enough funds, one can get things done, no matter how impossible they seem. In this case, people who had urged their followers to die rather than allow infidels access to the holy site had taken suitcases of cash and fled the area.
It was about this time that the first mutterings were heard. Apparently, there were those who felt that the area had to be taken by force rather than in the traditional Middle-eastern way of bribery. Presumably these proponents were Zionist party members.
Soon the wackos of the Neturei Karta group started, via placards pasted around Jerusalem in the dead of night, to deny the reality of his being the awaited Moshiach, because the Midrash tells of the Third Temple descending wholly-built from heaven. Obviously, that had not happened, so following this Moshiach was obviously a false trail. The fact that the Moshiach had not requested anything yet from anyone appeared to have no bearing on this.
The silence from Moshiach was itself unnerving. What did he want from us? He made no demands, he made no requests, in fact he made no public statements whatsoever. For the first time people understood the biblical sequences where the Jews saw Godly manifestations, yet a day later sinned anyway. We knew that he was here somewhere, yet because we saw not anything for us to do, we started to doubt.
Of course, not everyone. Those whose children or parents were not whole, those whose life had been miraculously improved overnight, they believed with a complete faith. Others, many others, became skeptical quickly. Perhaps thousands of years of waiting prepares one only for that- more waiting.
A month had gone by without any word from Moshiach. The Temple mount was soon rumored too be entirely owned by him, hospitals were mostly empty, as were asylums and hospices. Pilgrimages to the famous rabbinic graves in Eastern Europe and Safed had dropped dramatically, as had donations to the miracle-working charities. It was also said that visits to the great Rebbes had dropped enough that some were in dire financial straits.
Bloggers, who had mostly been quietly adoring of the new situation through the whole period, suddenly seemed inspired to spring back to their traditional roles. Those who had been gadflies igniting controversy stated doing so again, those making serious inquiries about the Jewish future resumed doing so. The non-Jewish world in general mostly ignored the whole thing: The fundamentalists seeing it as the end-times, the more traditional sects waiting to see what would happen.
It was only very, very slowly that the jockeying for power became visible.
First, the followers of the largest Chassidic sect in Israel made the announcement that their Rebbe was the Moshiach, and that the other was merely preparing the way for him to reveal himself. They hinted vaguely about having direct connections to Moshiach.
It seemed to take only minutes after that announcement for followers of several other Rebbes (some of them dead), to make public that the actual Moshiach was their Rebbe. Closely on the heels of this the Syrian, Moroccan, and Safed communities announced that their Chachams and Kabbalists were the real Moshiach. Some proposed Aryeh Deri, and a few promoted the “candidacy” of Matisyahu, as he was considered by them to be the “Great Unifier”. Others took the same position but claimed that title for Rabbi Hartman. Non-Jewish candidates were advocated, too, and ran the gamut from Sun Myung Moon to Oprah and from Dr. Phil to Condoleeza Rice and Jimmy Carter. All implied that they had the endorsement of the Moshiach, but were very careful with their exact wording.
It was at this point that the organizations and their experts publicly stepped in to voice their weighty opinions.
First, the Reform and Deconstructionist organizations took to the airwaves to welcome the Moshiach and announce their fealty to him, while pointing out that he had not told anyone that the Orthodox were the only right way to serve God. This implied the legitimacy of those non-Halachic movements, they said. The Conservative, Humanist, and Renewal streams immediately made the same claim, only wording it slightly differently.
Unable to let this pass, the most vocal Orthodox organization presented the issue to their rabbinic governing panel, and several weeks later issued a public response.
Their Rabbis, they said, were the only legitimate rabbis because they were the only ones carrying on the traditional roles of rabbis, and anyway the various reformed movements were allowing women to serve. They had proof, too: Moshiach had obviously come because of the great strides in getting Jews everywhere to learn Daf Yomi, the daily Talmud portion, plus of course the great sanctification of His name made at their annual convention. “What then”, the spokesman said, “he came because of those who fress bacon?” Their carefully-worded press release denounced those who would try to utilize this opportunity to advocate for relaxed observance and insisted that only the strictest adherence to the Torah-true message of their organization was valid, being that it not only provided an overview of the religion, only it distilled the wisdom of Sinai in the crucible of the modern vernacular. This message received wide distribution only throughout the religious world of Brooklyn, being posted on lampposts and hand-delivered to every house.1
This of course called for rebuttal, so the Jewish Press published a side-by-side pair of articles debating who the most valid Moshiach was: They had a piece by the dean of yeshiva university, and another by a representative of right-wing Orthodoxy and regular writer for the paper, who was especially paroled for the occasion.
Israeli news commentators weighed in, proposing names for the “real” Moshiach, the candidates covering from on end of the political spectrum to the other, from Rabbi Adin Steinsalz to the first Maharat, and from the Ethiopian religious leaders to the interfaith dialogue promoters.
Once the floodgates were opened, every group started to promote their own religious leader: Belz, Bobov, Satmar, Nodverna, Sadigur, Stropkov, Tosch, Aleksander, and even the smallest groups seized the opportunity to get publicity for their leaders such as the Rebbes from Faltishan, Sponje, Muzhai, Sasregen, Ashdod, Soblov, Pittsburg, Caracas, and Horodenke.
The more the media reported on these various groups and positions, the less people took the whole situation with any gravity. Most fell back into their old habits, and soon the frauds and the scams started to resurface, the crime level which had dropped to almost zero started to rise again, and that aura of Messianic times which had led everyone for months to walk around smiling started to dissipate. All this despite the fact that for months now the death and crime rates were effectively at zero, hospitals were empty, and no one had even caught a cold.
The doings of the Moshiach were mysterious and only rarely visible: His purchase of the Temple mount area was complete, all residents of the area had been happily or at least quietly relocated, and the Silwan valley was now a gigantic farm, raising cattle presumably destined for eventual sacrifice. It was unclear who was actually operating it, nor was anyone ever seen working there, but it appeared scrupulously clean and well-tended.
Every silversmith and Jeweler in Jerusalem was suddenly working almost around the clock, locked into their workshops and not breathing a word about what exactly they were doing. Even their families were in the dark, although they did see a sudden and dramatic increase in household funds.
And yet, despite the miracle seen, the promise of happiness to come, and the pregnant promise of the future, the level of unease continued to rise.
More articles, more sectarian promoting of the “right” candidate for a position that no one was sure even existed, more disqualifications of others based on Midrashim of dubious origins or on the parsed words of long-dead sages and Rebbes, all lead to a rapidly-increasing unhappiness quotient.
It was probably inevitable that the factions would eventually clash.
It started with the Israeli Charedi parties denying the validity of the opinion of the American Council of Charedi rabbis. In turn, they denounced the Israeli faction as overly committed to a single Rabbi manipulating the stage, while himself being manipulated by another younger right-wing rabbi with a lengthy agenda, jockeying himself for eventual Gadol-Hador status.
Only days after that, placards denouncing the Israeli Charedi parties for cooperating with the government (exactly how was unclear) appeared all over Jerusalem. One was even audaciously affixed to the Western Wall itself, a site that had seen increased attendance over the recent past.
The next step was perhaps inevitable: Jerusalem politics has for decades followed steps as predictable and precise as the tango. Demonstrations were announced to protest Zionist and American-influenced attempts to control what was clearly a heavenly decision.
Whether it was the issue or just the excitement, attendance at the rally was huge. Police, bored by months of minimal activity, chafed at the edges, and eventually someone provided the spark although it was never cleared up which side it was from. In any case, horse-mounted police armed with nightsticks and huge intimidating water cannons rapidly deployed around the crowd and let loose with everything they had.
No one knows –or at least no one will admit- whether it was human error or Machiavellian evil that led to this total encirclement of the demonstrators. Either way, the tactic led to a disaster when crowds were unable to escape the police and the high-pressure hoses. Although neither the night sticks nor the water pressure were strong enough to be fatal, the hysterical crowds running in a vain attempt to escape trampled upon each other, tripping and slipping on fallen bodies and wet pavement. The screams of those hurt increased the terror of those still standing and led to an adrenaline-fueled frenzy, but unable to escape the fear fed upon itself and panic led to a paralysis of the group brain.
Bodies piled on each other, resulting in a toll that without a shot being fired dwarfed the Chinese Tiananmen massacre, were the sight that became visible only the next morning when the frenzy ended after the water ran out, the horses tired, and there were no more screams from the encircled crowd.
Jerusalem was in mourning that day, and within hours the entire world Jewish community was.
Live television broadcasts from the disaster scene unintentionally caught the greatest scoop in history that day, when some enterprising reporters looking for a good vantage point scaled the Calatrava bridge tower for a panoramic view of the city, and caught Moshiach himself standing at the scene, shaking his head sadly.
They followed him with their lenses as he walked slowly and sadly back towards the Old City of Jerusalem. Without it being clear exactly how it happened, he was at the Western Wall plaza within minutes.
There, he raised his hands towards heaven and seemed to pray for a few moments.
A bright light appeared to fill the sky, brighter than anything anyone had ever seen, even stronger than when he himself had appeared. From the light emerged a huge building, shining as if it were made of gold, slowly descending from the sky onto the Temple mount.
It was magnificent. Whether the music was coming from it or whether the angelic sounds were from elsewhere will never be known, but the sight and sound were riveting. Awe, majesty, beauty, words fail to convey the image seen around the world. As it slowly settled into place, on the site where over two thousand years ago the Holy temple was destroyed because of Jewish inability to get along, hearts worldwide were clenched with joy.
For a few moments.
The scene had barely been absorbed by the eyes- there was so much beauty to see- when it started to dissolve. The building itself seemed to dissipate as if it had been made of clouds or sugar-candy. Within moments, it went from a gigantic solid stone facade trimmed in gold to a ghostly apparition through which the distant mountains could be seen.
A few moments more and everything was gone, as if it had never been.
Moshiach turned around to face the cameras as if he knew he was being broadcast. He gave a sad look, raised his palms to the camera as if to say sorry, and vanished.
And that’s the story of the day Moshiach came.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Some Ideas for Funding Jewish Education
There is a lot of wisdom out there.
In a recent post I wrote about the overwhelming expense of Jewish education and the underwhelming resources available to pay for it. That post drew a lot of responses. 89 comments have passed moderation thus far. Many of them contained various suggestions - both good and bad - on how to improve things.
I thought it might be useful to review some of them and to include some of my own ideas.
First I should define the type of school that I think is indispensible for a successful Jewish education. I am not necessarily suggesting an ideal school. Nor am I promoting a specific Hashkafa. I am only suggesting that it is at a minimum - what is needed.
I also am limiting this to elementary schools and high schools. Post high school is a stand-alone subject that deserves its own treatment.
Here is the model. A school should have both a good religious and secular studies program. It should have the religious studies in the morning and secular studies in the afternoon. Both the religious and secular studies faculty should be well trained and paid in accordance with their talents, skills, and level of education.
There ought to be one principal and two vice principals –one for religious studies and one for secular studies. The Religious curriculum should be geared toward advanced Yeshiva learning and the secular studies should be an academic one. In high school there should be a college preparatory type curriculum. The building facilities need not be lavish but do need to be in good repair, clean, and user friendly.
That is the basic outline that in my view would produce a well rounded, educated, and productive Jew.
Obviously a good faculty and administration will necessitate teachers being well paid. You will not get good people to work in a school for peanuts no matter how dedicated they are. Nobody wants to struggle just to pay for their food bills. Nor should they have to. Good teachers deserve to be paid well so they can live like the rest of us. There is also a competitive market out there requiring every school to compete for its teaching talent. Housing for the school is not free either.
How to pay for it
A huge portion of course comes from tuition paying parents. But as I said - that can only pay for a part of it. Almost all parents are on at least a partial scholarship. And the current economy has caused an increase in that.
Then there are the general Jewish community dollars that religious schools receive via Jewish federations. Some cities do better than others. But none get full funding for the budget gap. It has been suggested that federations should be scrutinized to explore ways to better prioritize their financial allocations.
I suppose from an Orthodox perspective - that’s right. But it is not a realistic option. Most federation members are not Orthodox and do not have that perspective. Trying to convince them otherwise would be an exercise in futility and would be counterproductive. Factoring in the fact that federations are not orthodox - they are very generous to religious education. At least here in Chicago. I would not want to jeopardize that.
That leaves fundraising events to fill the gap. But that too is not enough as the increasing budget deficits of day schools and Yeshivos show. Due to the state of the economy philanthropy dollars are decreasing too. In that regard it is usually worthwhile hiring a good executive director who can raise more than his salary. He would also add tremendously to all fundraising events by organizing them to run smoothly.
There is one idea that is being tried here in Chicago that adds annual revenue to all the religious schools. It’s called The Chicago Kehilla Jewish Education Fund. Jews are asked to pledge a monthly amount that is distributed annually to all the schools. Donations can vary anywhere from 10 dollars per month - and up. All donor amounts are automatically deducted from checking accounts. Most people will not feel a ten dollar monthly deduction. Those who are more affluent they will not feel their higher monthly deductions. There are currently over a thousand members distributing about $600,000 per year to the schools here. And the list keeps growing.
Another thing would be to reduce costs. But how does one do that without reducing the quality of education?
I have long proposed that religious studies teachers be trained to teach secular studies. That would not only reduce costs but it would increase the quality of the education. Doing this one thing would have multiple benefits not the least of which is financial.
Schools could reduce the overall expense of teachers’ salary packages. Instead of having two teachers with two expensive benefits/health care packages we would have one teacher with one health care package. Addionally it is always cheaper to have one salary than two.
What I am saying is that a religious teacher who teaches secular subjects in the afternoon would not necessarily need to be paid the additional full salary of an afternoon secular teacher. He or she would get a sizable increase but less than a separate teacher would.
This is fair because it does not involve a separate commitment from someone outside the school, nor is transportation an issue. They are already there. Religious school teachers are already making relatively decent salaries and health packages. And if they have children in the schools that usually includes hefty tuition discounts for their children.
In my view afternoon secular teaching duties should not require the salary demands a teacher from the outside would make. That’s where dedication to the ideal comes in. The resulting salary increases and tuition reductions would provide a very decent middle class lifestyle and it would significantly lower costs for the school.
Not only would you decrease the size of the budget – but you would have religious teachers there for the entire school day. They would not only be role models in the mornings, they would be role models in the afternoon. What better role model could there be than a Rebbe or Morah who teaches Gemarah or Navi in the morning and math, science, or English in the afternoon.
Another good idea in my view is increasing the class sizes. I’m not sure what they typically are now but I’m sure they can be increased slightly without sacrificing the quality of the education. If even one teacher’s salary package can be eliminated that would help.
What would not work in my view is using the public school system. The idea would be to have an afternoon school system for religious studies. While saving money it is a very risky move. I realize it’s possible but it has not worked well in the past. Even if we were to try eliminating the deficiencies of the past or improving the quality of education in religious afternoon schools, I don’t think the odds are very good for a successful Jewish education. No child is happy to see their public school classmates go home and have fun while they are forced to go to another school in the afternoon. I think most kids will end up building resentment toward religion.
Nor is home schooling such a hot idea in my view. True that it has been successful in a few cases but it requires a lot of time and dedication on the part of parents who are generally ill-equipped to do it. And the very important –in my view – social component is missing. Interacting with peers during a school day is an important part of a child’s education in my view.
Going back to the era of the 1950s is not a good idea either. The idea that teachers do not go into education for the money but for the ideal sound goods, but starvation wages will chase even the most dedicated teachers away.
These are but a few ideas that I have either thought about or have gleaned for the collective wisdom of the readership here. There is more but I do not want to make this post too long and cumbersome to read. I do however want to thank all of those who made positive contributions to this very difficult issue.
In a recent post I wrote about the overwhelming expense of Jewish education and the underwhelming resources available to pay for it. That post drew a lot of responses. 89 comments have passed moderation thus far. Many of them contained various suggestions - both good and bad - on how to improve things.
I thought it might be useful to review some of them and to include some of my own ideas.
First I should define the type of school that I think is indispensible for a successful Jewish education. I am not necessarily suggesting an ideal school. Nor am I promoting a specific Hashkafa. I am only suggesting that it is at a minimum - what is needed.
I also am limiting this to elementary schools and high schools. Post high school is a stand-alone subject that deserves its own treatment.
Here is the model. A school should have both a good religious and secular studies program. It should have the religious studies in the morning and secular studies in the afternoon. Both the religious and secular studies faculty should be well trained and paid in accordance with their talents, skills, and level of education.
There ought to be one principal and two vice principals –one for religious studies and one for secular studies. The Religious curriculum should be geared toward advanced Yeshiva learning and the secular studies should be an academic one. In high school there should be a college preparatory type curriculum. The building facilities need not be lavish but do need to be in good repair, clean, and user friendly.
That is the basic outline that in my view would produce a well rounded, educated, and productive Jew.
Obviously a good faculty and administration will necessitate teachers being well paid. You will not get good people to work in a school for peanuts no matter how dedicated they are. Nobody wants to struggle just to pay for their food bills. Nor should they have to. Good teachers deserve to be paid well so they can live like the rest of us. There is also a competitive market out there requiring every school to compete for its teaching talent. Housing for the school is not free either.
How to pay for it
A huge portion of course comes from tuition paying parents. But as I said - that can only pay for a part of it. Almost all parents are on at least a partial scholarship. And the current economy has caused an increase in that.
Then there are the general Jewish community dollars that religious schools receive via Jewish federations. Some cities do better than others. But none get full funding for the budget gap. It has been suggested that federations should be scrutinized to explore ways to better prioritize their financial allocations.
I suppose from an Orthodox perspective - that’s right. But it is not a realistic option. Most federation members are not Orthodox and do not have that perspective. Trying to convince them otherwise would be an exercise in futility and would be counterproductive. Factoring in the fact that federations are not orthodox - they are very generous to religious education. At least here in Chicago. I would not want to jeopardize that.
That leaves fundraising events to fill the gap. But that too is not enough as the increasing budget deficits of day schools and Yeshivos show. Due to the state of the economy philanthropy dollars are decreasing too. In that regard it is usually worthwhile hiring a good executive director who can raise more than his salary. He would also add tremendously to all fundraising events by organizing them to run smoothly.
There is one idea that is being tried here in Chicago that adds annual revenue to all the religious schools. It’s called The Chicago Kehilla Jewish Education Fund. Jews are asked to pledge a monthly amount that is distributed annually to all the schools. Donations can vary anywhere from 10 dollars per month - and up. All donor amounts are automatically deducted from checking accounts. Most people will not feel a ten dollar monthly deduction. Those who are more affluent they will not feel their higher monthly deductions. There are currently over a thousand members distributing about $600,000 per year to the schools here. And the list keeps growing.
Another thing would be to reduce costs. But how does one do that without reducing the quality of education?
I have long proposed that religious studies teachers be trained to teach secular studies. That would not only reduce costs but it would increase the quality of the education. Doing this one thing would have multiple benefits not the least of which is financial.
Schools could reduce the overall expense of teachers’ salary packages. Instead of having two teachers with two expensive benefits/health care packages we would have one teacher with one health care package. Addionally it is always cheaper to have one salary than two.
What I am saying is that a religious teacher who teaches secular subjects in the afternoon would not necessarily need to be paid the additional full salary of an afternoon secular teacher. He or she would get a sizable increase but less than a separate teacher would.
This is fair because it does not involve a separate commitment from someone outside the school, nor is transportation an issue. They are already there. Religious school teachers are already making relatively decent salaries and health packages. And if they have children in the schools that usually includes hefty tuition discounts for their children.
In my view afternoon secular teaching duties should not require the salary demands a teacher from the outside would make. That’s where dedication to the ideal comes in. The resulting salary increases and tuition reductions would provide a very decent middle class lifestyle and it would significantly lower costs for the school.
Not only would you decrease the size of the budget – but you would have religious teachers there for the entire school day. They would not only be role models in the mornings, they would be role models in the afternoon. What better role model could there be than a Rebbe or Morah who teaches Gemarah or Navi in the morning and math, science, or English in the afternoon.
Another good idea in my view is increasing the class sizes. I’m not sure what they typically are now but I’m sure they can be increased slightly without sacrificing the quality of the education. If even one teacher’s salary package can be eliminated that would help.
What would not work in my view is using the public school system. The idea would be to have an afternoon school system for religious studies. While saving money it is a very risky move. I realize it’s possible but it has not worked well in the past. Even if we were to try eliminating the deficiencies of the past or improving the quality of education in religious afternoon schools, I don’t think the odds are very good for a successful Jewish education. No child is happy to see their public school classmates go home and have fun while they are forced to go to another school in the afternoon. I think most kids will end up building resentment toward religion.
Nor is home schooling such a hot idea in my view. True that it has been successful in a few cases but it requires a lot of time and dedication on the part of parents who are generally ill-equipped to do it. And the very important –in my view – social component is missing. Interacting with peers during a school day is an important part of a child’s education in my view.
Going back to the era of the 1950s is not a good idea either. The idea that teachers do not go into education for the money but for the ideal sound goods, but starvation wages will chase even the most dedicated teachers away.
These are but a few ideas that I have either thought about or have gleaned for the collective wisdom of the readership here. There is more but I do not want to make this post too long and cumbersome to read. I do however want to thank all of those who made positive contributions to this very difficult issue.
The Jewish Bloggers Convention
Once again Nefesh B’Nefesh and WebAds is sponsoring a conference in Israel - The Second International Jewish Bloggers Convention. It will take place on Sunday September 13th. And once again I was invited to attend via a prepaid round trip filght from JFK I was also invited to be on one of the panels. Alas, I had to turn down the invitation again this year for various reasons.
I regret not being able to attend. It promises to be an exciting and productive event. And it will include some surprise guests speakers – I’m told. Last year’s surprise guest speaker was none other than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – a blogger himself. Of course last year he was only a candidate. This year he is a little busier and probably won’t make it. (You never know though). Be that as it may I’m sure it will be a very worthwhile experience. So if any blogger has an opportunity to attend, I’m sure they will not be disappointed.
The organizers of this event are running a contest. Bloggers are invited to nominate fellow bloggers for a free round trip ticket from JFK to attend the convention. Details are available at the website.
Hirhurim has already nominated some excellent bloggers, among them Chana of The Curious Jew a bright and rising star in the world of journalism... and Ezzie of SerandEz. I think he would have been a wonderful choice - but he has turned it down for reasons of his own.
I would like to see more variety of Hashkafos and perspectives from some of the more Charedi Orthodox bloggers. So I nominate two of the members of the group blog Cross-Currents: Rabbi Avi Shafran and Jonathan Rosenblum. I think they would make excellent panel members. They are both brilliant writers and - as Charedim - would contrast very nicely to the virtual monopoly of non Charedi and secular Jewish bloggers at that meeting. If one is going to get a true picture of the Orthodox blogging world we need members of the right to show up.
I regret not being able to attend. It promises to be an exciting and productive event. And it will include some surprise guests speakers – I’m told. Last year’s surprise guest speaker was none other than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – a blogger himself. Of course last year he was only a candidate. This year he is a little busier and probably won’t make it. (You never know though). Be that as it may I’m sure it will be a very worthwhile experience. So if any blogger has an opportunity to attend, I’m sure they will not be disappointed.
The organizers of this event are running a contest. Bloggers are invited to nominate fellow bloggers for a free round trip ticket from JFK to attend the convention. Details are available at the website.
Hirhurim has already nominated some excellent bloggers, among them Chana of The Curious Jew a bright and rising star in the world of journalism... and Ezzie of SerandEz. I think he would have been a wonderful choice - but he has turned it down for reasons of his own.
I would like to see more variety of Hashkafos and perspectives from some of the more Charedi Orthodox bloggers. So I nominate two of the members of the group blog Cross-Currents: Rabbi Avi Shafran and Jonathan Rosenblum. I think they would make excellent panel members. They are both brilliant writers and - as Charedim - would contrast very nicely to the virtual monopoly of non Charedi and secular Jewish bloggers at that meeting. If one is going to get a true picture of the Orthodox blogging world we need members of the right to show up.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Exemplars of the Jewish Faith
It’s nice to know that the Edah HaCharedis has an e-mail address. One can send them comments about their activities. Of course that doesn’t mean they will pay any attention to them or even read them. But at least they give you the address.Here it is: edaharedit@gmail.com
How do I know this? It was sent to me by several people - accompanied by some photos presumably published and distributed by the Edah.
The most fascinating photo is the one where you see a caricature of the selection process at a Nazi death camp. Hitler is standing at the gate while he selects who goes left and lives; who goes right and dies. There are signs posted that obviate the actual selection process though. One points right and says Charedim. The other points left and says Chilonim.
Chilonim get to live. Charedim get to die.
Aiding Hitler is a hospital worker - presumably from Hadassah. Next in line standing before them is a 'Yiddishe Mama' - presumably the Meah Shearim mother accused of nearly starving one of her children to death - with two children clinging to her shivering and sweating in fear. Hitler seems to be listening to his ‘advisor’ as he points his long finger to the right.
This - my friends - is what your Edah is doing for you. I strongly urge that you show your support for this lovely organization and send them your dollars right away.
Hat tip: Marty Bluke
How do I know this? It was sent to me by several people - accompanied by some photos presumably published and distributed by the Edah.
The most fascinating photo is the one where you see a caricature of the selection process at a Nazi death camp. Hitler is standing at the gate while he selects who goes left and lives; who goes right and dies. There are signs posted that obviate the actual selection process though. One points right and says Charedim. The other points left and says Chilonim.
Chilonim get to live. Charedim get to die.
Aiding Hitler is a hospital worker - presumably from Hadassah. Next in line standing before them is a 'Yiddishe Mama' - presumably the Meah Shearim mother accused of nearly starving one of her children to death - with two children clinging to her shivering and sweating in fear. Hitler seems to be listening to his ‘advisor’ as he points his long finger to the right.
This - my friends - is what your Edah is doing for you. I strongly urge that you show your support for this lovely organization and send them your dollars right away.
Hat tip: Marty Bluke
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
When Harry Met Sally
There was a movie a while ago called 'When Harry Met Sally'. It asked the question about whether it is possible for a man and a woman to have a platonic relationship.
Judasim deals with this issue.
What are the Halachic parameters of interacting with members of the opposite sex? May we do anything we want as long as Halacha is followed? That may be the letter of the law. But the Mishna in Avos (1:5) admonishes us to be careful: Al Tarbeh Sicha Im Ha-Isha - Do not speak excessively with a woman - and adds that this refers to one’s own wife let alone the wife of of your friend.
There are several questions this warning by the sages raises. Does this mean men and women are never to utter a word between them? Even if married to each other? Obviously not.
I believe the purpose of this admonition is to prevent immoral behavior between the sexes. I do not think it is Halacha but rather advice - as is most of Meseches Avos. This particular Mesechta is also called Pirkei Avos or ‘Chapters of the Fathers’. It is more commonly referred to as ‘Ethics of the Fathers’ because it consists almost entirely of ethical guidelines to live by as offered by our ‘fathers’ - the sages.
So - what exactly does excessive mean? Do individual circumstances matter? What about local custum? What about Hashkafos or family tradition?
I think all of these items matter.
I have heard various rabbinic leaders of different communities respond differently to this issue. In my view there is no ‘one size fits all’ rule about it. Which is one reason I think that Pirkei Avos is more of a guideline than Halacha - one that is subject to local custom and designed to prevent immorality.
For those societies that have virtual brick walls of separtion between men and women - such as many Chasidic communities - any contact at all might be considered risqué. So any conversation is strongly discouraged. And is avoided like the plague.
If one goes to neighborhoods like Williamsburg in Brooklyn or Meah Sharim in Jerusalem - one will almost never see even passing pleasantries exchanged. On the other hand if one finds himself in the wolrd of German Jewry - social kissing (as in a peck on the cheek) is not uncommon. Certainly casual conversation should not be a problem either.
The Modern Orthodox world does not even think about conversations between the sexes as an issue. As modern individuals engaged in the culture, men and women having conversations of any type or of any duration is very common.
The non Chasidic ‘Lithuanian’ yeshiva world is somewhere in between the two extremes. They generally do not have conversations with members of the opposite sex. They do however generally exchange pleasantries when passing each other in the street – if they know each other.
What is the ideal behavior for our time? If one is not a member of any given Hashkafa - which of the above models makes sense? I think a lot depends on what one has become accustomed to. A lot also depends on what one’s intent is. Another important factor in my mind is whether there is any attraction involved. One need to be honest with themselves about that.
This doesn’t mean that if one has a physical attraction to a member of the oppsoiutge sex that they are forbidden to ever speak to each other. But they should certainly avoid forming close personal relationships. That can easily lead them astray under the ‘right’ conditions.
For practical purposes – and what works for me – is along the guidelines of Yichud - secluding oneself with a member of the opposite sex. It is forbidden by Halacha. Chazal undertood human nature and what might develop.
The Torah in fact tells us that if a wife is warned by her husband not to seclude herself with a given man and she does so she is subject to the Sotah ordeal if the husband suspects an affair. I believe this is illustrative of why Yichud was forbidden by Chazal.
The same underlying idea should be applied to casual conversations. In my long term relationships should be avoided especially if there is any attraction at all. Unless they are dating for purposes of marriage. Long and private conversationsshould be avoided. Relatively brief conversations should not be a problem. Especially if they are in public.
The one thing that absolutely should be avoided is embarrassing people. Under normal circumstances one should not ignore people they know when passing them in the street for fear of ‘violating’ the Mishna in Avos. The key word in that phrase is ‘excessively’. A two hour private conversation alone in hotel lobby might be excessive. But a brief ‘hello’ or good morning is certainly not. Not returning a ‘hello’ and may be a violation of the prohibition against embarrassing others.
What about in between those extremes? Like I said it depends on intent and custom.
If one is used to speaking to women in general one should not fear having a ten or 20 minute conversation in the public square. Of course that precludes anything directly sexual in nature. If one is attracted to the other, they should probably avoid speaking at all.
Just some thoughts on this subject generated by a debate on an e-mail list I belong to.
Judasim deals with this issue.
What are the Halachic parameters of interacting with members of the opposite sex? May we do anything we want as long as Halacha is followed? That may be the letter of the law. But the Mishna in Avos (1:5) admonishes us to be careful: Al Tarbeh Sicha Im Ha-Isha - Do not speak excessively with a woman - and adds that this refers to one’s own wife let alone the wife of of your friend.
There are several questions this warning by the sages raises. Does this mean men and women are never to utter a word between them? Even if married to each other? Obviously not.
I believe the purpose of this admonition is to prevent immoral behavior between the sexes. I do not think it is Halacha but rather advice - as is most of Meseches Avos. This particular Mesechta is also called Pirkei Avos or ‘Chapters of the Fathers’. It is more commonly referred to as ‘Ethics of the Fathers’ because it consists almost entirely of ethical guidelines to live by as offered by our ‘fathers’ - the sages.
So - what exactly does excessive mean? Do individual circumstances matter? What about local custum? What about Hashkafos or family tradition?
I think all of these items matter.
I have heard various rabbinic leaders of different communities respond differently to this issue. In my view there is no ‘one size fits all’ rule about it. Which is one reason I think that Pirkei Avos is more of a guideline than Halacha - one that is subject to local custom and designed to prevent immorality.
For those societies that have virtual brick walls of separtion between men and women - such as many Chasidic communities - any contact at all might be considered risqué. So any conversation is strongly discouraged. And is avoided like the plague.
If one goes to neighborhoods like Williamsburg in Brooklyn or Meah Sharim in Jerusalem - one will almost never see even passing pleasantries exchanged. On the other hand if one finds himself in the wolrd of German Jewry - social kissing (as in a peck on the cheek) is not uncommon. Certainly casual conversation should not be a problem either.
The Modern Orthodox world does not even think about conversations between the sexes as an issue. As modern individuals engaged in the culture, men and women having conversations of any type or of any duration is very common.
The non Chasidic ‘Lithuanian’ yeshiva world is somewhere in between the two extremes. They generally do not have conversations with members of the opposite sex. They do however generally exchange pleasantries when passing each other in the street – if they know each other.
What is the ideal behavior for our time? If one is not a member of any given Hashkafa - which of the above models makes sense? I think a lot depends on what one has become accustomed to. A lot also depends on what one’s intent is. Another important factor in my mind is whether there is any attraction involved. One need to be honest with themselves about that.
This doesn’t mean that if one has a physical attraction to a member of the oppsoiutge sex that they are forbidden to ever speak to each other. But they should certainly avoid forming close personal relationships. That can easily lead them astray under the ‘right’ conditions.
For practical purposes – and what works for me – is along the guidelines of Yichud - secluding oneself with a member of the opposite sex. It is forbidden by Halacha. Chazal undertood human nature and what might develop.
The Torah in fact tells us that if a wife is warned by her husband not to seclude herself with a given man and she does so she is subject to the Sotah ordeal if the husband suspects an affair. I believe this is illustrative of why Yichud was forbidden by Chazal.
The same underlying idea should be applied to casual conversations. In my long term relationships should be avoided especially if there is any attraction at all. Unless they are dating for purposes of marriage. Long and private conversationsshould be avoided. Relatively brief conversations should not be a problem. Especially if they are in public.
The one thing that absolutely should be avoided is embarrassing people. Under normal circumstances one should not ignore people they know when passing them in the street for fear of ‘violating’ the Mishna in Avos. The key word in that phrase is ‘excessively’. A two hour private conversation alone in hotel lobby might be excessive. But a brief ‘hello’ or good morning is certainly not. Not returning a ‘hello’ and may be a violation of the prohibition against embarrassing others.
What about in between those extremes? Like I said it depends on intent and custom.
If one is used to speaking to women in general one should not fear having a ten or 20 minute conversation in the public square. Of course that precludes anything directly sexual in nature. If one is attracted to the other, they should probably avoid speaking at all.
Just some thoughts on this subject generated by a debate on an e-mail list I belong to.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Paying for Jewish Education
It’s that time of year again. In a few days the new school year will begin. Tuition and scholarship committees are in full gear right now dealing with a record number of applications.
That there is a financial crisis in American Jewish education is not news. This has almost always been the case. I recall many a strike by Rebbeim at my elementary Jewish day school because they hadn’t been paid in months. And that was in the late 50s when tuition's were actually more or less affordable (and teachers salaries were embarrassingly low)!
Fast forward to 2009. The current financial crisis is greater than ever. Tuitions are at record levels and teachers still do not make enough – although their situation has vastly improved since the 50s - even since the 70s. Although tuitions are at record high levels so too are the deficits of nearly all the religious educational institutions.
The financial structure of most religious schools is as follows.
Tuitions generally represent the cost of education per child. Simply stated - the entire budget of the school is divided by the number of students enrolled and that should more or less equal tuition – plus a slight excess to cover scholarship children.
Most parents I know cannot possibly afford full tuitions arrived at by this formula. If a tuition is $12,000 per child (a low figure for most Yeshivos and day schools if I understand correctly) then a family of four children pays $48,000 per year; a family of five children - $60,000. So it is quite understandable that the typical parent rarely pays full tuition. Deficits run up pretty quickly if the student body is large enough.
In the past fund raisers like banquets and concerts helped make up the difference. Some cities like Chicago have generous allocations from their Jewish Federations as well. And there are always the ‘sugar daddies’ – those generous Jewish philanthropists who are always turned to in order to save an institution form going under. But all that is not enough. Religious schools are not solvent. Most of them are in debt and getting deeper into it.
And the current economic situation is accelerating that. Some parents have lost their jobs. Some cases two income families have become one income families. Some philanthropists’ finances have actually crashed and burned and others have had their incomes cut severely and their donations reflect that. School budgets have increased - but so have scholarships.
Looking at these factors it is not all that difficult to understand the crisis that we are in.
As a result the unthinkable – at least for a religious Jew - has happened. Religious parents are starting to seriously consider public schools as an option. It is unthinkable because the history of publicly educated children in the past is not a good one. The vast majority of students who attended public school in the past are today not religious at all. Many of their children are intermarrying. While there are other factors that contributed to this – the lack of a good Jewish education is not the least of them.
The influences in today’s public schools are far worse than ever. Being religious is no longer the only concern. The deeper you go - the worse it gets. Just look at moral standards of any college campus. Not to mention the rather casual attitude on these campuses about illegal drug use.
But I digress. The point here is losing Jewish children from Judaism. That - for the first time in decades – is a real concern.
This concern was a while back. I recall a story published about a religious parent deciding to pull his kids form a day school and send them to public school. It was an anomaly then - but it seems to be taking hold somewhat now - as the Jewish Star recently reported. Parents struggling severely with their finances to the point of dire need are pulling their kids.
Let us look at the budget side. Why have they increased so drastically? There are many reasons - most of them good ones.
Teachers in the past were paid near poverty level wages. This meant that very few qualified people were getting into hat field. Of the few who did get into Jewish education and were good at it - demand for their services was high. Competition for them between schools ended up raising their salaries.
General rule: If you want good teachers you are going to have to pay them a living wage. Education will not be an attraction for them otherwise.
Benefits packages have increased too. Health insurance premiums have gone up dramatically and that has increased the budgets without teachers even feeling any benefit. They still get the same coverage. Only it costs the school more.
Administrative salaries are much higher now than in the past. Good principals are hard to find and if you want good people in education running your child’s school your are going to have pay for them. Good principals may be recruited by business and industry - tempted away from education with tantalizingly high salaries being dangled in front of them for their talents. Dedicated as most are - they will stay in education even though it usually means less money. But they need to be offered a competitive wage. They will not work for peanuts!
The there are special educations programs offered dealing with LD children or gifted children. There are teacher’s aides, small class sizes, good secular teachers… on sight psychologists, physical education teachers, music teachers, theater productions ( e.g. Erev Shira), expansion costs …it all adds up to something the community cannot afford. But where do you cut?
There is an idea floating around about a no frills day school. If I recall correctly it was an initiative proposed by a Rabbinical Council of America committee who had worked on it. It would eliminate some of the expenses by increasing class size, doing away with enrichment programs and other cost cutting measures. But I doubt that a school budget of even a no frills day school will be reduced by all that much. The lion’s share of any budget is teachers’ salaries. Teachers and principals still need to make a decent living. The era of poverty wages for educators is over. Thank goodness.
That is the ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of why the budgets have increased. And why the deficits have too. And it is in part why the American Jewish community is in biggest educational crisis since World War II.
As I said I have no real solutions. We can neither afford to lose students to public schools nor good teachers and administrators to the business world.
But if things keep going the way they are... we may lose significant numbers of both.
That there is a financial crisis in American Jewish education is not news. This has almost always been the case. I recall many a strike by Rebbeim at my elementary Jewish day school because they hadn’t been paid in months. And that was in the late 50s when tuition's were actually more or less affordable (and teachers salaries were embarrassingly low)!
Fast forward to 2009. The current financial crisis is greater than ever. Tuitions are at record levels and teachers still do not make enough – although their situation has vastly improved since the 50s - even since the 70s. Although tuitions are at record high levels so too are the deficits of nearly all the religious educational institutions.
The financial structure of most religious schools is as follows.
Tuitions generally represent the cost of education per child. Simply stated - the entire budget of the school is divided by the number of students enrolled and that should more or less equal tuition – plus a slight excess to cover scholarship children.
Most parents I know cannot possibly afford full tuitions arrived at by this formula. If a tuition is $12,000 per child (a low figure for most Yeshivos and day schools if I understand correctly) then a family of four children pays $48,000 per year; a family of five children - $60,000. So it is quite understandable that the typical parent rarely pays full tuition. Deficits run up pretty quickly if the student body is large enough.
In the past fund raisers like banquets and concerts helped make up the difference. Some cities like Chicago have generous allocations from their Jewish Federations as well. And there are always the ‘sugar daddies’ – those generous Jewish philanthropists who are always turned to in order to save an institution form going under. But all that is not enough. Religious schools are not solvent. Most of them are in debt and getting deeper into it.
And the current economic situation is accelerating that. Some parents have lost their jobs. Some cases two income families have become one income families. Some philanthropists’ finances have actually crashed and burned and others have had their incomes cut severely and their donations reflect that. School budgets have increased - but so have scholarships.
Looking at these factors it is not all that difficult to understand the crisis that we are in.
As a result the unthinkable – at least for a religious Jew - has happened. Religious parents are starting to seriously consider public schools as an option. It is unthinkable because the history of publicly educated children in the past is not a good one. The vast majority of students who attended public school in the past are today not religious at all. Many of their children are intermarrying. While there are other factors that contributed to this – the lack of a good Jewish education is not the least of them.
The influences in today’s public schools are far worse than ever. Being religious is no longer the only concern. The deeper you go - the worse it gets. Just look at moral standards of any college campus. Not to mention the rather casual attitude on these campuses about illegal drug use.
But I digress. The point here is losing Jewish children from Judaism. That - for the first time in decades – is a real concern.
This concern was a while back. I recall a story published about a religious parent deciding to pull his kids form a day school and send them to public school. It was an anomaly then - but it seems to be taking hold somewhat now - as the Jewish Star recently reported. Parents struggling severely with their finances to the point of dire need are pulling their kids.
Let us look at the budget side. Why have they increased so drastically? There are many reasons - most of them good ones.
Teachers in the past were paid near poverty level wages. This meant that very few qualified people were getting into hat field. Of the few who did get into Jewish education and were good at it - demand for their services was high. Competition for them between schools ended up raising their salaries.
General rule: If you want good teachers you are going to have to pay them a living wage. Education will not be an attraction for them otherwise.
Benefits packages have increased too. Health insurance premiums have gone up dramatically and that has increased the budgets without teachers even feeling any benefit. They still get the same coverage. Only it costs the school more.
Administrative salaries are much higher now than in the past. Good principals are hard to find and if you want good people in education running your child’s school your are going to have pay for them. Good principals may be recruited by business and industry - tempted away from education with tantalizingly high salaries being dangled in front of them for their talents. Dedicated as most are - they will stay in education even though it usually means less money. But they need to be offered a competitive wage. They will not work for peanuts!
The there are special educations programs offered dealing with LD children or gifted children. There are teacher’s aides, small class sizes, good secular teachers… on sight psychologists, physical education teachers, music teachers, theater productions ( e.g. Erev Shira), expansion costs …it all adds up to something the community cannot afford. But where do you cut?
There is an idea floating around about a no frills day school. If I recall correctly it was an initiative proposed by a Rabbinical Council of America committee who had worked on it. It would eliminate some of the expenses by increasing class size, doing away with enrichment programs and other cost cutting measures. But I doubt that a school budget of even a no frills day school will be reduced by all that much. The lion’s share of any budget is teachers’ salaries. Teachers and principals still need to make a decent living. The era of poverty wages for educators is over. Thank goodness.
That is the ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of why the budgets have increased. And why the deficits have too. And it is in part why the American Jewish community is in biggest educational crisis since World War II.
As I said I have no real solutions. We can neither afford to lose students to public schools nor good teachers and administrators to the business world.
But if things keep going the way they are... we may lose significant numbers of both.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Extremist Mainstream American Charedi
As many know from reading this blog, I am a fan of Jonathan Rosenblum even though our Hashkafos are different. He is a Charedi with strong ‘Torah Im Derech Eretz’ leanings. I am a Centrist who believes in Torah U’Mada. Even though we may occasionally disagree - that does not diminish my respect and admiration for him.
On the contrary. I find him to be an honest and forthright proponent of his Hashkafos. He is both an intelligent and erudite writer with few peers in the Charedi world. In fact I find myself agreeing with him more often than not.
In a recent article published in Hamodia, Jonathan took issue with the current custom of automatically going to learn in Israel for a year or two which has created an explosion in numbers of American students now learning there. Specifically - he lamented the fact that this has given rise to a significant increase in the risk of young people going ‘Off the Derech’ to one degree or another. He therefore admonished parents to be more aware of these risks and be more hands on in selecting a Yeshiva. Perhaps more importantly he urged parents to realistically evaluate their child’s commitment to the beliefs and values in which they have been raised - before sending them away from home for a year or two.
This certainly a reasonable concern to be vigilant about.
Jonathan seems to have been attacked - same as I have been - by criticizing the Charedi status quo. The minute one takes a critical view of things Charedi one becomes subject to attacks by certain Charedi Kannoim - usually anonymously. But there is a difference when I get it. My criticisms are usually met with comments like ‘Who are you to criticize? You are an outsider?’ That is followed with the typical ‘You’re nothing more than a Charedi basher!’
That of course is a false reading of my motives and a gross misrepresentation of my views. Nevertheless I can certainly understand that a given Charedi might make that assumption . The thinking goes: I have an agenda to promote my Hashkafos. And it serves my purpose to put down other Hashkafos which automatically builds up mine.
Understandable. But wrong. But Jonathan can certainly not be criticized that way. He is ‘one of them’. But that didn’t stop it from coming:
Here is an excerpt from his recent article:
My op-ed " " in the July 23 Hamodia has occasioned more than the usual amount of comment, both in the form of an unusually large outpouring of published letters to the editor and in phone calls and private comments conveyed to me. Some of those comments have been favorable, even effusively so, and some no less critical – at least one anonymous caller took the time to call from the States to convey his opinion that I had lost my Olam Haba, chas ve'shalom.
He loses his Olam Haba. This is how some in that world see it. They will not accept any criticism at all. The slightest suggestion by anyone that something is wrong rewards them with this kind of retort – even when the benevolent intent is clear.
This response was not from some fringe fanatic. There are some Charedim who believe that what Jonathan said was absolutely wrong in the extreme. Were this comment from some hot-headed fanatic Jonathan probably would have ignored it. The only difference is that he went so far as to ‘inform’ Jonathan that he actually lost his Chelek in Olam Haba – his portion in the world to come.
Based on my own experience there are indeed many Charedim who think along the following lines: One may not criticize the status quo. One should leave any criticism in the hands of ‘the Gedolim’. If they haven’t said anything there must be nothing wrong. So any criticsm is - not only not warranted but – but it assures that one will lose his place in the world to come.
I have asked this question before. But I raise it again. Where do these poeple get these ideas from? How can anyone criticse another for expressing a heartfelt suggestion clearly made in the best interests of that very community? By one of their very own?
They want to criticize me? OK. I understand that they might see me as ‘the enemy’. But Jonathan Rosenblum?
The only answer that seems to explain it is that this is how they are indoctrinated: The world of Torah is holy. Don’t dare tamper with it – if ‘the Gedolim’ haven’t said anything is wrong then we are not permitted to entertain that notion… Not without risking our portion in the afterlife.
There are sincere constituents of the Charedi world that think this way. I used to get a lot of them commenting right here on my blog – in far less flattering ways than Jonathan did.
I can only surmise that there are competing versions of Charedi Chinuch. There are Mechnchim that advocate the approach of Jonathan’s critic. And there is another – far more realistic Charedi approach that is more self examining - willing to listen to criticism.
The question arises, which Yeshivos teach their students to think in this Kanoistic way? And why? And how many students as a percentage of all Charedim get indoctrinated this way?
My guess is that they are in the minority. I believe that moderate Charedim are indeed in the majority.
But that doesn’t elimnate the problem. There seems to be significant numbers of Yeshovos and Mechnchim that indoctrinate their student like this. Left unchecked their numbers will grow.
The battle lines are drawn. I really do feel that there is a war between the two Charedi approaches even if many Charedim would disagree. It is the moderate Charedi world against the extremist Charedi world. And by extremist I am not talking about the Meah Shearim types. They are a horse of an entierly different color. I am talking about mainstream, American Yeshivos that teach this rigid kanoistic version of Charedism.
It is imperative to fight this mindset. I will continue to do my part. But it is far more important for the moderate Charedi world to fight it with every ounce of strength they can muster. They cannot afford to sit on their hands and say. ‘Not to worry - the majority of us are not like that.’
There are enough Kannoim out there like Jonathan’s critic to intimidate the system into their world view. Moderate Charedim need to realize that the determined response of a zealous minority can be far more effective than the complacent attitude of the majority. And they need to fight that.
On the contrary. I find him to be an honest and forthright proponent of his Hashkafos. He is both an intelligent and erudite writer with few peers in the Charedi world. In fact I find myself agreeing with him more often than not.
In a recent article published in Hamodia, Jonathan took issue with the current custom of automatically going to learn in Israel for a year or two which has created an explosion in numbers of American students now learning there. Specifically - he lamented the fact that this has given rise to a significant increase in the risk of young people going ‘Off the Derech’ to one degree or another. He therefore admonished parents to be more aware of these risks and be more hands on in selecting a Yeshiva. Perhaps more importantly he urged parents to realistically evaluate their child’s commitment to the beliefs and values in which they have been raised - before sending them away from home for a year or two.
This certainly a reasonable concern to be vigilant about.
Jonathan seems to have been attacked - same as I have been - by criticizing the Charedi status quo. The minute one takes a critical view of things Charedi one becomes subject to attacks by certain Charedi Kannoim - usually anonymously. But there is a difference when I get it. My criticisms are usually met with comments like ‘Who are you to criticize? You are an outsider?’ That is followed with the typical ‘You’re nothing more than a Charedi basher!’
That of course is a false reading of my motives and a gross misrepresentation of my views. Nevertheless I can certainly understand that a given Charedi might make that assumption . The thinking goes: I have an agenda to promote my Hashkafos. And it serves my purpose to put down other Hashkafos which automatically builds up mine.
Understandable. But wrong. But Jonathan can certainly not be criticized that way. He is ‘one of them’. But that didn’t stop it from coming:
Here is an excerpt from his recent article:
My op-ed " " in the July 23 Hamodia has occasioned more than the usual amount of comment, both in the form of an unusually large outpouring of published letters to the editor and in phone calls and private comments conveyed to me. Some of those comments have been favorable, even effusively so, and some no less critical – at least one anonymous caller took the time to call from the States to convey his opinion that I had lost my Olam Haba, chas ve'shalom.
He loses his Olam Haba. This is how some in that world see it. They will not accept any criticism at all. The slightest suggestion by anyone that something is wrong rewards them with this kind of retort – even when the benevolent intent is clear.
This response was not from some fringe fanatic. There are some Charedim who believe that what Jonathan said was absolutely wrong in the extreme. Were this comment from some hot-headed fanatic Jonathan probably would have ignored it. The only difference is that he went so far as to ‘inform’ Jonathan that he actually lost his Chelek in Olam Haba – his portion in the world to come.
Based on my own experience there are indeed many Charedim who think along the following lines: One may not criticize the status quo. One should leave any criticism in the hands of ‘the Gedolim’. If they haven’t said anything there must be nothing wrong. So any criticsm is - not only not warranted but – but it assures that one will lose his place in the world to come.
I have asked this question before. But I raise it again. Where do these poeple get these ideas from? How can anyone criticse another for expressing a heartfelt suggestion clearly made in the best interests of that very community? By one of their very own?
They want to criticize me? OK. I understand that they might see me as ‘the enemy’. But Jonathan Rosenblum?
The only answer that seems to explain it is that this is how they are indoctrinated: The world of Torah is holy. Don’t dare tamper with it – if ‘the Gedolim’ haven’t said anything is wrong then we are not permitted to entertain that notion… Not without risking our portion in the afterlife.
There are sincere constituents of the Charedi world that think this way. I used to get a lot of them commenting right here on my blog – in far less flattering ways than Jonathan did.
I can only surmise that there are competing versions of Charedi Chinuch. There are Mechnchim that advocate the approach of Jonathan’s critic. And there is another – far more realistic Charedi approach that is more self examining - willing to listen to criticism.
The question arises, which Yeshivos teach their students to think in this Kanoistic way? And why? And how many students as a percentage of all Charedim get indoctrinated this way?
My guess is that they are in the minority. I believe that moderate Charedim are indeed in the majority.
But that doesn’t elimnate the problem. There seems to be significant numbers of Yeshovos and Mechnchim that indoctrinate their student like this. Left unchecked their numbers will grow.
The battle lines are drawn. I really do feel that there is a war between the two Charedi approaches even if many Charedim would disagree. It is the moderate Charedi world against the extremist Charedi world. And by extremist I am not talking about the Meah Shearim types. They are a horse of an entierly different color. I am talking about mainstream, American Yeshivos that teach this rigid kanoistic version of Charedism.
It is imperative to fight this mindset. I will continue to do my part. But it is far more important for the moderate Charedi world to fight it with every ounce of strength they can muster. They cannot afford to sit on their hands and say. ‘Not to worry - the majority of us are not like that.’
There are enough Kannoim out there like Jonathan’s critic to intimidate the system into their world view. Moderate Charedim need to realize that the determined response of a zealous minority can be far more effective than the complacent attitude of the majority. And they need to fight that.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Homosexual Parenting
Is it halachicly permissible for homosexual couples to have and raise children? Is it a good idea?
The answer to both those questions is probably yes - under certain conditions. It may not be the ideal situation psychologically, but it is probably better than being raised in an orphanage or in foster care. I think the primary concern is that the child be raised in a halachic and moral environment. Of equal importance is a loving and nurturing environment. The latter can be determined with a psychological evaluation. That would probaly be a good idea for any parent gay or straight.
But is gay parenting indeed halachic? Let us look at the issues.
I have dealt with homosexual issues many times. The one thing that is clear is that penetrative sex which is the most common expression of homosexual love is severely forbidden by the Torah. It is considered a capital offence punishable by death if caught by two kosher witnesses who have properly warned the participants. In the days of the Sanhedrin a mandatory death sentence would have been imposed.
But as I have said many times being gay is not in and of itself any more of a sin than being straight is a mitzvah. Sexual preferences are not what is forbidden or permitted. It is how one deals with them that is at issue.
Halacha dictates the following. Any person who gets married to a member of the opposite sex and follows the laws of family purity is permitted – even mandated - to express physical love with his or her life partner. A gay person may not express penetrative physical love with his or her life partner. That means being celibate - for the most part.
The question has arisen in recent years about religious homosexuals. There are many gay people who are just as shomer shabbos as straight people are and are just as committed to mitzvah observance as any other Orthodox Jew. They are completely moral and normal in all their behavior. But they are attracted to members of the same sex.
How do we deal with them?
The same way we deal with heterosexuals. We treat them as human beings and interact with them the same as anyone else.
One might ask what if they succumb to a taavah and act on it in a ‘capitally offensive’ way?
That is between them and God. Who among us hasn’t been tempted and succumbed to one forbidden desire or another? Whether major or minor none of us are perfect in our halachic observance. That’s why we have a concept of Teshuva. The point is - knowing the difference between what is right and wrong and striving to do what’s right. This is no different for homosexuals then it is for heterosexuals.
So the idea of homosexual couples having their own child should not really be a problem – whether by natural means or by adoption. The question then arises: How? By what process do they achieve it? In the case of male homosexuals - do they get married to a woman just for procreative purposes even while living with a male partner? What about artificial insemination? Is that an option? Adoption?
I do not see a problem with any of these options halachicly. Psychologically the marriage option might be a bad choice. But if everyone is up front about who - and what - they really are and the marriage is only for procreative purposes it may not be so bad. As long as there are no unrealistic expectations of family life and both the man and woman go in with their eyes wide open - it may (and I emphasize ‘may’) work. But I am certainly no expert on these issues. Not halachicly or psychologically.
The next question is what kind of family life will the child of a gay couple have? What if ‘Heather has two daddies’?
At this point I would posit that female homosexual couples might not have as great a stigma as do male homosexual couples. Nor do they have the same halachic problems. So if ‘Heather has two mommies’ it may envisage a better outcome. I’m not sure of the psychological reasons for the stigmatic differences. But the halachic problems are clearly much bigger for men than for women.
In any case, on a psychological level - will a child in such an arrangement have a normal upbringing? Will his personality development be normal? Will the almost certain taunting by friends have a significantly negative impact on the child?
I’m not so sure about the positive outcome of this kind of family structure. I guess I would need to hear from children who have been raised that way – and from their parents, teachers, and peers.
On a halachic level though - I do not believe there is any real problem. And I don’t think the major Poskim have one either. How do I know? I don’t. But if an article in JC.com is accurate then they may have already said that gay parenting is permissible.
Excerpts:
A revolutionary halachic ruling that will allow religious homosexual men to marry women and have children with them is currently being discussed at one of the most prestigious Orthodox institutes in Israel.
Rabbi Menachem Burstein is founder and head of the PUAH Institute, recognised in Orthodox circles as the leading organisation on matters of fertility and Jewish law. He confirmed this week that he has “been dealing with this subject for quite some time”.
According to Rabbi Burstein, the initiative came from a number of individuals and groups of religious homosexuals who requested a halachic solution that would enable them to have children.
The ruling currently being discussed in the institute envisages a homosexual marrying a woman who is fully aware that her prospective husband is not physically attracted to women and retains a relationship with another man.
“There is nothing wrong with two men having a close relationship without intimate relations and we should not penalise people who are not attracted to members of the other sex,” says Rabbi Burstein. “Having homosexual tendencies is in itself not a sin. Giving in to them is.”
While it is identified with the national-religious community in Israel, PUAH also receives halachic guidance from many of the senior Charedi rabbis, including Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Ovadia Yossef. Rabbi Burstein consulted with both on the homosexual issue.
Rabbi Ron Yossef, who leads Hod, a support group for religious homosexuals, says that such marriages already exist.
Wow! Who said Charedi Poskim aren’t open minded?
The answer to both those questions is probably yes - under certain conditions. It may not be the ideal situation psychologically, but it is probably better than being raised in an orphanage or in foster care. I think the primary concern is that the child be raised in a halachic and moral environment. Of equal importance is a loving and nurturing environment. The latter can be determined with a psychological evaluation. That would probaly be a good idea for any parent gay or straight.
But is gay parenting indeed halachic? Let us look at the issues.
I have dealt with homosexual issues many times. The one thing that is clear is that penetrative sex which is the most common expression of homosexual love is severely forbidden by the Torah. It is considered a capital offence punishable by death if caught by two kosher witnesses who have properly warned the participants. In the days of the Sanhedrin a mandatory death sentence would have been imposed.
But as I have said many times being gay is not in and of itself any more of a sin than being straight is a mitzvah. Sexual preferences are not what is forbidden or permitted. It is how one deals with them that is at issue.
Halacha dictates the following. Any person who gets married to a member of the opposite sex and follows the laws of family purity is permitted – even mandated - to express physical love with his or her life partner. A gay person may not express penetrative physical love with his or her life partner. That means being celibate - for the most part.
The question has arisen in recent years about religious homosexuals. There are many gay people who are just as shomer shabbos as straight people are and are just as committed to mitzvah observance as any other Orthodox Jew. They are completely moral and normal in all their behavior. But they are attracted to members of the same sex.
How do we deal with them?
The same way we deal with heterosexuals. We treat them as human beings and interact with them the same as anyone else.
One might ask what if they succumb to a taavah and act on it in a ‘capitally offensive’ way?
That is between them and God. Who among us hasn’t been tempted and succumbed to one forbidden desire or another? Whether major or minor none of us are perfect in our halachic observance. That’s why we have a concept of Teshuva. The point is - knowing the difference between what is right and wrong and striving to do what’s right. This is no different for homosexuals then it is for heterosexuals.
So the idea of homosexual couples having their own child should not really be a problem – whether by natural means or by adoption. The question then arises: How? By what process do they achieve it? In the case of male homosexuals - do they get married to a woman just for procreative purposes even while living with a male partner? What about artificial insemination? Is that an option? Adoption?
I do not see a problem with any of these options halachicly. Psychologically the marriage option might be a bad choice. But if everyone is up front about who - and what - they really are and the marriage is only for procreative purposes it may not be so bad. As long as there are no unrealistic expectations of family life and both the man and woman go in with their eyes wide open - it may (and I emphasize ‘may’) work. But I am certainly no expert on these issues. Not halachicly or psychologically.
The next question is what kind of family life will the child of a gay couple have? What if ‘Heather has two daddies’?
At this point I would posit that female homosexual couples might not have as great a stigma as do male homosexual couples. Nor do they have the same halachic problems. So if ‘Heather has two mommies’ it may envisage a better outcome. I’m not sure of the psychological reasons for the stigmatic differences. But the halachic problems are clearly much bigger for men than for women.
In any case, on a psychological level - will a child in such an arrangement have a normal upbringing? Will his personality development be normal? Will the almost certain taunting by friends have a significantly negative impact on the child?
I’m not so sure about the positive outcome of this kind of family structure. I guess I would need to hear from children who have been raised that way – and from their parents, teachers, and peers.
On a halachic level though - I do not believe there is any real problem. And I don’t think the major Poskim have one either. How do I know? I don’t. But if an article in JC.com is accurate then they may have already said that gay parenting is permissible.
Excerpts:
A revolutionary halachic ruling that will allow religious homosexual men to marry women and have children with them is currently being discussed at one of the most prestigious Orthodox institutes in Israel.
Rabbi Menachem Burstein is founder and head of the PUAH Institute, recognised in Orthodox circles as the leading organisation on matters of fertility and Jewish law. He confirmed this week that he has “been dealing with this subject for quite some time”.
According to Rabbi Burstein, the initiative came from a number of individuals and groups of religious homosexuals who requested a halachic solution that would enable them to have children.
The ruling currently being discussed in the institute envisages a homosexual marrying a woman who is fully aware that her prospective husband is not physically attracted to women and retains a relationship with another man.
“There is nothing wrong with two men having a close relationship without intimate relations and we should not penalise people who are not attracted to members of the other sex,” says Rabbi Burstein. “Having homosexual tendencies is in itself not a sin. Giving in to them is.”
While it is identified with the national-religious community in Israel, PUAH also receives halachic guidance from many of the senior Charedi rabbis, including Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Ovadia Yossef. Rabbi Burstein consulted with both on the homosexual issue.
Rabbi Ron Yossef, who leads Hod, a support group for religious homosexuals, says that such marriages already exist.
Wow! Who said Charedi Poskim aren’t open minded?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What Do Women Want?
What do Women Want? This is title of an article in Ynet - a question that is ostensibly answered by one Shimon Stern who is a spokesman for some sort of Rabbinic Committee for Transportation Affairs in Israel. One wonders exactly who comprises this committee. I doubt it would be anyone who I would see as my rabbinic authority.
Be that as it may, his answer to the question is that women want to sit separately from men on the back of a bus. I wonder how women that I know would respond to that question. I doubt that a single one would respond the way he says they would.
Mr. Stern ‘proves’ his contention citing other countries that have gender segregated buses. This shows it to be a universal and not necessarily religious goal for women. Women who therefore want to eliminate sex segregated buses in Israel are dismissed as obsessive radicals! Here is the way he describes them in an article in Ynet:
(They are) reformers and other radicals (who) are suddenly coming up with ridiculous claims in order to tease and destroy something that only has to do with the ultra-Orthodox community. We are dealing with a handful of people who are obsessed with the haredim.
Right! He read their collective minds and knows their motivations. He goes on to claim that protests against gender segregated buses have been meager compared to thousands who rallied in favor of the segregated buses in Jerusalem…
His answer to those who say that segregated buses have led to violence is that violence occurs in non segregated buses too. And in any case when laws and regulations are established such violence will end. Tell that to Mrs. Miriam Shear who was beaten to a pulp for sitting in the men’s section of a mixed gender bus that was only unofficially used as a segregated bus. The rules and regulations were on her side!
Another assertion he makes is that it is a universal Halacha to segregate the sexes:
Every haredi, man or woman, follows Jewish Law – which according to all rabbis rules that segregation is mandatory.
He also claims that even some secular women in Israel have communicated their preference for sex segregated seating.
What he fails to understand is that sex segregated buses are not a Halachic requirement despite his claim to the contrary. If it were you would never see any Charedi Rabbanim on non segregated buses. Nor would you see Teshuvos by such eminent Poskim as Rav Moshe Feinstein who do not insist that segregation is mandatory.
What he additionally fails to understand is that the democratic concept of ‘the majority rules’ should not deny the rights of the minority. His view that the majority of his community wants this arrangement entitles them to have it - destroys the rights of the minority who do not. It is wrong to force the religious standards of the majority upon minority that does not want it.
Mr. Stern does come up with one intelligent statement:
Each person has the right to decide, for themselves, what constitutes humiliation or respect.
That is absolutely true. But he uses that to springboard to his unsustainable conclusion:
I therefore think that it is clear that a community espousing gender-segregated systems at schools, synagogues, and celebrations is also allowed to decide that sitting separately is not humiliating…
The conclusion should be exactly the opposite. Different people have different attitudes about what constitutes humiliation or respect. And the rights of all should be protected. One segment should not have their way if it sacrifices the rights of others. If there is a woman who feels humiliated by being forced to sit at the back of a bus her rights ought to be protected. Not that he cares.
One might ask what about those who feel humiliated by sitting in a mixed gender bus? They are certainly the majority in those neighborhoods.
There is only one answer to this problem. They should have their own busing system. And in this I sympathize with this community’s past efforts to have one. The powerful government owned bus monopoly thwarted all their past efforts in doing that. The government did not want to lose the business. I can’t imagine why though. They are so heavily subsidized - they would probably save money by allowing them their own buses.
If the Charedim want to have their own bus lines, I think the government ought to let them. Public buses on the other hand should be as they always have been in Israel since the beginning of the State (until about 15 years ago): Mixed gender. In the long run I think that would make everyone happier.
Be that as it may, his answer to the question is that women want to sit separately from men on the back of a bus. I wonder how women that I know would respond to that question. I doubt that a single one would respond the way he says they would.
Mr. Stern ‘proves’ his contention citing other countries that have gender segregated buses. This shows it to be a universal and not necessarily religious goal for women. Women who therefore want to eliminate sex segregated buses in Israel are dismissed as obsessive radicals! Here is the way he describes them in an article in Ynet:
(They are) reformers and other radicals (who) are suddenly coming up with ridiculous claims in order to tease and destroy something that only has to do with the ultra-Orthodox community. We are dealing with a handful of people who are obsessed with the haredim.
Right! He read their collective minds and knows their motivations. He goes on to claim that protests against gender segregated buses have been meager compared to thousands who rallied in favor of the segregated buses in Jerusalem…
His answer to those who say that segregated buses have led to violence is that violence occurs in non segregated buses too. And in any case when laws and regulations are established such violence will end. Tell that to Mrs. Miriam Shear who was beaten to a pulp for sitting in the men’s section of a mixed gender bus that was only unofficially used as a segregated bus. The rules and regulations were on her side!
Another assertion he makes is that it is a universal Halacha to segregate the sexes:
Every haredi, man or woman, follows Jewish Law – which according to all rabbis rules that segregation is mandatory.
He also claims that even some secular women in Israel have communicated their preference for sex segregated seating.
What he fails to understand is that sex segregated buses are not a Halachic requirement despite his claim to the contrary. If it were you would never see any Charedi Rabbanim on non segregated buses. Nor would you see Teshuvos by such eminent Poskim as Rav Moshe Feinstein who do not insist that segregation is mandatory.
What he additionally fails to understand is that the democratic concept of ‘the majority rules’ should not deny the rights of the minority. His view that the majority of his community wants this arrangement entitles them to have it - destroys the rights of the minority who do not. It is wrong to force the religious standards of the majority upon minority that does not want it.
Mr. Stern does come up with one intelligent statement:
Each person has the right to decide, for themselves, what constitutes humiliation or respect.
That is absolutely true. But he uses that to springboard to his unsustainable conclusion:
I therefore think that it is clear that a community espousing gender-segregated systems at schools, synagogues, and celebrations is also allowed to decide that sitting separately is not humiliating…
The conclusion should be exactly the opposite. Different people have different attitudes about what constitutes humiliation or respect. And the rights of all should be protected. One segment should not have their way if it sacrifices the rights of others. If there is a woman who feels humiliated by being forced to sit at the back of a bus her rights ought to be protected. Not that he cares.
One might ask what about those who feel humiliated by sitting in a mixed gender bus? They are certainly the majority in those neighborhoods.
There is only one answer to this problem. They should have their own busing system. And in this I sympathize with this community’s past efforts to have one. The powerful government owned bus monopoly thwarted all their past efforts in doing that. The government did not want to lose the business. I can’t imagine why though. They are so heavily subsidized - they would probably save money by allowing them their own buses.
If the Charedim want to have their own bus lines, I think the government ought to let them. Public buses on the other hand should be as they always have been in Israel since the beginning of the State (until about 15 years ago): Mixed gender. In the long run I think that would make everyone happier.
Talking to God
There is yet another review article on the Sacks-Koren Siddur. This latest one is by Rabbi Saul Berman in the Forward who does a superb job. His review is one of the best I've seen to date. And I include in that my own review.
It includes a fascinating overview of the evolution of modern era translations of the liturgy. But the most significant part of his artilce is the context in which he reviews it – the concept of Kavanah - the sincerety if one’s communication with the Almighty. That is after all what prayer is – communication with God.
Prayer is alluded to in the Shema in the phrase ‘You should love God… B'chol L’Vavcha’ - with all of your heart. This is Avodah SheB’lev – service of the heart which is interpreted to mean prayer.
But prayer as we know it today was not always a part of our daily lives. The liturgy that our standard prayer consists of was formulated by the sages who were part of the Anshei Kenesses HaGedolah – the Men of the Great Assembly. Halachic body dated back to biblical times and lasted through the beginning of the Diaspora. It was during this period that we lost Nevuah – prophesy – God’s direct communication to us. After the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed we also lost our ability to offer sacrifices.
In order to maintain at least one side of our communication with God – these great rabbis standardized prayer and mandated daily prayers. They incorporated various sections of the Torah and Tehilim and established various accompanying blessings. This is the basis for the many versions of prayer texts that have evolved over the centuries in our day.
All current variations of prayer text is therefore of rabbinic origin. Even the Rambam who says that our obligation to pray daily is on a biblical level - concedes that standard liturgy texts are only a rabbinic requirement.
While the goal of the sages who comprised the Anshei Kenesses HaGedolah was to maintain at least our one-way connection to God, the very nature of repetitive daily prayer can have quite the opposite effect. Daily repettion of same same prayers can - and often does lead to rote recitation and minds straying.
A common joke heard about Davening Shemonah Esreh is that 3 times a day one can go ‘around the world’. I am no different. No matter how much I try to think about the words every so often stray thought enter my mind during Teffila that have absolutely nothing to do with the prayer at hand.
This is in fact one of the goals of all these translations over the past century or so - to enhance one’s understanding of the words and meanings of prayer – and thereby one’s Kavanah.
But as Rabbi Berman points out all these translations – no matter how wonderful - have not really advanced our efforts in this regard.
He directs his critique to the Modern Orthodox world and that is well founded. I would extend that apathy to most all of Orhtodoxy. My very strong hunch is that those who have proper Kavanah during their Teffilos are in the minority across the spectrum of Orthodox Judaism. And I dare say that there are many identified as MO who do have proper Kavana. I don't think one can define characterize this as an exclusively MO phenomenon.
That said I will admit that decorum in MO Shuls is generally far more lacking in an MO Shul than it is in a Charedi Shuls (…not that there aren't Charedi Shuls that also lack decorum - as is the case with many Chasidishe Shteeblach - as I'm sure there are some MO Shuls that are quite decorous). But decorum is another subject.
Rabbi Sacks in discussing why he undertook this project (available on Hirhurim - scroll down) is quite perceptive of this problem. He references the Mishna in Avos (1:2) that tells us that Jewish life is comprised of 3 things: Torah(learning), Avodah (prayer), and Gemilas Chasdim (acts of kindness). Of those three very important building blocks - Avodah is the weak link in our day.
How to fix this problem is way beyond my pay grade. But I do agree that it is a significant one. And I agree with Rabbi Berman that Siddur translations no matter how good do little to advance this cause.
It includes a fascinating overview of the evolution of modern era translations of the liturgy. But the most significant part of his artilce is the context in which he reviews it – the concept of Kavanah - the sincerety if one’s communication with the Almighty. That is after all what prayer is – communication with God.
Prayer is alluded to in the Shema in the phrase ‘You should love God… B'chol L’Vavcha’ - with all of your heart. This is Avodah SheB’lev – service of the heart which is interpreted to mean prayer.
But prayer as we know it today was not always a part of our daily lives. The liturgy that our standard prayer consists of was formulated by the sages who were part of the Anshei Kenesses HaGedolah – the Men of the Great Assembly. Halachic body dated back to biblical times and lasted through the beginning of the Diaspora. It was during this period that we lost Nevuah – prophesy – God’s direct communication to us. After the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed we also lost our ability to offer sacrifices.
In order to maintain at least one side of our communication with God – these great rabbis standardized prayer and mandated daily prayers. They incorporated various sections of the Torah and Tehilim and established various accompanying blessings. This is the basis for the many versions of prayer texts that have evolved over the centuries in our day.
All current variations of prayer text is therefore of rabbinic origin. Even the Rambam who says that our obligation to pray daily is on a biblical level - concedes that standard liturgy texts are only a rabbinic requirement.
While the goal of the sages who comprised the Anshei Kenesses HaGedolah was to maintain at least our one-way connection to God, the very nature of repetitive daily prayer can have quite the opposite effect. Daily repettion of same same prayers can - and often does lead to rote recitation and minds straying.
A common joke heard about Davening Shemonah Esreh is that 3 times a day one can go ‘around the world’. I am no different. No matter how much I try to think about the words every so often stray thought enter my mind during Teffila that have absolutely nothing to do with the prayer at hand.
This is in fact one of the goals of all these translations over the past century or so - to enhance one’s understanding of the words and meanings of prayer – and thereby one’s Kavanah.
But as Rabbi Berman points out all these translations – no matter how wonderful - have not really advanced our efforts in this regard.
He directs his critique to the Modern Orthodox world and that is well founded. I would extend that apathy to most all of Orhtodoxy. My very strong hunch is that those who have proper Kavanah during their Teffilos are in the minority across the spectrum of Orthodox Judaism. And I dare say that there are many identified as MO who do have proper Kavana. I don't think one can define characterize this as an exclusively MO phenomenon.
That said I will admit that decorum in MO Shuls is generally far more lacking in an MO Shul than it is in a Charedi Shuls (…not that there aren't Charedi Shuls that also lack decorum - as is the case with many Chasidishe Shteeblach - as I'm sure there are some MO Shuls that are quite decorous). But decorum is another subject.
Rabbi Sacks in discussing why he undertook this project (available on Hirhurim - scroll down) is quite perceptive of this problem. He references the Mishna in Avos (1:2) that tells us that Jewish life is comprised of 3 things: Torah(learning), Avodah (prayer), and Gemilas Chasdim (acts of kindness). Of those three very important building blocks - Avodah is the weak link in our day.
How to fix this problem is way beyond my pay grade. But I do agree that it is a significant one. And I agree with Rabbi Berman that Siddur translations no matter how good do little to advance this cause.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Dependency Class
The world of Charedi Avreichim – married students who spend many years in Kollel - has evolved into a dependency class. They survive almost entirely on government handouts. This is true for both Israel and the United States.
It was not always this way. Avreichim in Europe of less than even 100 years ago were a small but elite group of brilliant students that were supported by their communities. The vast majority of Charedim worked. But now there are huge numbers of Avreichim that cannot survive without some sort of government handout.
But government handouts are not enough to maintain an even modest middle class lifestyle. So other handouts are sought - usually from parents and grandparents who have made money the hard way – by working for it.
In many cases parents supporting children with large families is a near impoverishing exercise. They have worked a lifetime to pay for the Jewish education of their children; to pay off a mortgage; to have a retirement nest egg. But supporting multiple large families in a Kollel empties out bank accounts; re-establishes mortgages; and even life insurance policies are cashed in - all so that their sons and sons-in-law along with their large families can be free of the burden of work and learn Torah full time for many years. All while putting many middle income parents into the poorhouse in their golden years.
This gross injustice to these hard working parents is unconscionable - even though they may be willing participants.
That is not the only problem. This cannot go on forever. The next generation of Avreichim will have even poorer parents to rely upon since they will have been in Kollel and end up with lower paying jobs that do not require a higher education. Nor are government handouts a sure thing for the future. In this economy government handouts are not guaranteed. The government may legislate stricter guidelines for welfare which will be detrimental to Avreichim.
What makes this type of dependency class even worse is that many Yeshivos and Kollelim - not the least of which is Lakewood - actually encourage it. They pressure parents for support and examine every possible way to get money out of the government. They will utilize every loophole so that their married students can somehow survive without working.
Charedi Yeshivos like Lakewood see welfare payments as a sort of government based stipend for their ‘graduate students’ (Avreichim). This abuses - albeit legally -a government program designed for the poor - not for middle class Avreichim.
This is not only a Chilul HaShem in my view but lends itself to illegal abuse. It is not a big step from the legal the to illegal. How many Avreichim who come from middle class backgrounds and live basically middle class lifestyles – and nonetheless use every possible loophole of every government welfare program to help finance their learning in Kollel? While they may be technically eligible – it is an ethical lapse of monumental proportion in my view.
They will rationalize and say things like: if a common neighborhood crack-head mother gets welfare checks - why shouldn’t I?
It is not hard to see how this kind of thinking leads the justifications of massive frauds like the recent cases of money laundering by ‘religious’ Jews. They think the government wastes so much money on useless projects and lowlifes anyway– why not divert some of that waste it to a better use in one of their holy institutions?
Dina D’Machusa Dina? Phtttt! What’s that?! - compared to the need to keep Yeshiva X open? Or to make sure that teachers are paid on time? Or to help a community of poor Avreichim survive? -especially in these economic times.
Chilul HaShem? ‘That’s ridiculous’ - they will tell themselves. ‘We will never get caught!’
Well guess what. There is no such thing as a free lunch. And the proverbial chickens will come home to roost. But don’t listen to me. Rabbi Berel Wein said it so much better than I can in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post.
There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel. My constant harping on the need for Charedim to get a decent secular education is a belief that seems to be shared by over half of them - even in Israel - according to another article in the Jerusalem Post.
The Shiluv Group, the Israeli representative of the Millward Brown research company, asked a sample of 500 haredim if they would be interested in earning an academic degree in preparation for professions such as medicine, nursing, economics and law.
53% said they would be interested. Among Chasidim the percentage rose to 59%! On the other hand among the non Chadsidic ‘Lithuanian’ Charedim the percentage is only 42%.
This is good news. My only question is can these numbers be translated into reality? Can we turn desire into actual attendance? Can we get 53% of all Charedim in Israel and the US to go to college? I sure hope so. Because that would mean a major change in the way things work in the Charedi world – for the better. This may not be a win for Torah U’Mada - or even classic Torah Im Derech Eretz. But it is a major win for Torah U’Parnassa.
We need to make it happen. Because the dependency class is doomed to failure.
It was not always this way. Avreichim in Europe of less than even 100 years ago were a small but elite group of brilliant students that were supported by their communities. The vast majority of Charedim worked. But now there are huge numbers of Avreichim that cannot survive without some sort of government handout.
But government handouts are not enough to maintain an even modest middle class lifestyle. So other handouts are sought - usually from parents and grandparents who have made money the hard way – by working for it.
In many cases parents supporting children with large families is a near impoverishing exercise. They have worked a lifetime to pay for the Jewish education of their children; to pay off a mortgage; to have a retirement nest egg. But supporting multiple large families in a Kollel empties out bank accounts; re-establishes mortgages; and even life insurance policies are cashed in - all so that their sons and sons-in-law along with their large families can be free of the burden of work and learn Torah full time for many years. All while putting many middle income parents into the poorhouse in their golden years.
This gross injustice to these hard working parents is unconscionable - even though they may be willing participants.
That is not the only problem. This cannot go on forever. The next generation of Avreichim will have even poorer parents to rely upon since they will have been in Kollel and end up with lower paying jobs that do not require a higher education. Nor are government handouts a sure thing for the future. In this economy government handouts are not guaranteed. The government may legislate stricter guidelines for welfare which will be detrimental to Avreichim.
What makes this type of dependency class even worse is that many Yeshivos and Kollelim - not the least of which is Lakewood - actually encourage it. They pressure parents for support and examine every possible way to get money out of the government. They will utilize every loophole so that their married students can somehow survive without working.
Charedi Yeshivos like Lakewood see welfare payments as a sort of government based stipend for their ‘graduate students’ (Avreichim). This abuses - albeit legally -a government program designed for the poor - not for middle class Avreichim.
This is not only a Chilul HaShem in my view but lends itself to illegal abuse. It is not a big step from the legal the to illegal. How many Avreichim who come from middle class backgrounds and live basically middle class lifestyles – and nonetheless use every possible loophole of every government welfare program to help finance their learning in Kollel? While they may be technically eligible – it is an ethical lapse of monumental proportion in my view.
They will rationalize and say things like: if a common neighborhood crack-head mother gets welfare checks - why shouldn’t I?
It is not hard to see how this kind of thinking leads the justifications of massive frauds like the recent cases of money laundering by ‘religious’ Jews. They think the government wastes so much money on useless projects and lowlifes anyway– why not divert some of that waste it to a better use in one of their holy institutions?
Dina D’Machusa Dina? Phtttt! What’s that?! - compared to the need to keep Yeshiva X open? Or to make sure that teachers are paid on time? Or to help a community of poor Avreichim survive? -especially in these economic times.
Chilul HaShem? ‘That’s ridiculous’ - they will tell themselves. ‘We will never get caught!’
Well guess what. There is no such thing as a free lunch. And the proverbial chickens will come home to roost. But don’t listen to me. Rabbi Berel Wein said it so much better than I can in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post.
There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel. My constant harping on the need for Charedim to get a decent secular education is a belief that seems to be shared by over half of them - even in Israel - according to another article in the Jerusalem Post.
The Shiluv Group, the Israeli representative of the Millward Brown research company, asked a sample of 500 haredim if they would be interested in earning an academic degree in preparation for professions such as medicine, nursing, economics and law.
53% said they would be interested. Among Chasidim the percentage rose to 59%! On the other hand among the non Chadsidic ‘Lithuanian’ Charedim the percentage is only 42%.
This is good news. My only question is can these numbers be translated into reality? Can we turn desire into actual attendance? Can we get 53% of all Charedim in Israel and the US to go to college? I sure hope so. Because that would mean a major change in the way things work in the Charedi world – for the better. This may not be a win for Torah U’Mada - or even classic Torah Im Derech Eretz. But it is a major win for Torah U’Parnassa.
We need to make it happen. Because the dependency class is doomed to failure.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Collateral Damage
The conversion controversy has quieted down somewhat in recent months but it has not gone away. In fact the controversy remains one of the most contentious issues in all of Orthodoxy.
As I have in the past indicated there are valid arguments on each side. The ritual elements of conversion – circumcision for a man and immersion in a Mikvah for both a man and a woman - are not at issue. At issue is Mitzvah observance – all Mitzvos including the rabbinic enactments of the sages. Converts must be sincere about that.
Although there are modern interpretations of past minority rabbinic opinions (e.g. the Rambam) that acceptance of doing the Mitzvos is not a necessary requirement - most Poskim agree that it is.
Specifically the requirement is that one accepts all the Mitzvos of the Torah and its rabbis as binding. The Gemarah tells us that after acceptance of the binding nature of all Mitzvos - we teach them the basics and go through the ritual immediately. The convert then becomes a full-fledged Jew in every sense of the word - even before knowing how to observe the majority of the Mitzvos. He is instructed to keep learning and do all the Mitzvos as he learns them.
If at the time of conversion he denies the validity of even one minor Mitzvah it disqualifies the conversion. If on the other hand one agrees to keep them all once learned - and goes through the ritual - he is a Jew immediately. If afterward he suddenly changes his mind and does not keep a single Mitzvah he is still considered Jewish in every way and is simply a Mumer – a Jew who purposely violates the Mitzvos.
In a novel ruling Rav Moshe Feinstein stated that any conversion where only lip service is paid to Mitzvah observance with no real intent to keep them it is considered a sham conversion and the ‘convert remains a non Jew. Rav Moshe asserts that one can determine evidence of sincerity by observing the ‘converts’ behavior immediately after the conversion. If he does not observe any Mitzvos at all it is obvious that he never really intended to.
His Psak was given in response to the many conversions in this country by some Orthodox rabbis who acceded to the wishes of parents of child about to be intermarried.
The conversions took place - going through the motions - and perhaps got and received ‘promises’ (wink, wink) from the potential convert to keep the Mitzvos. But never did. To the best of my understanding - these are the conversions he rejected. Many such conversions did take place. I know of a few - right here in Chicago.
So Rav Moshe’s Psak is quite reasonable in my view. This has been a problem for decades. Nothing was ever really done to change things until it started happening en masse in Israel. A great number of Russian immigrants to Israel are not Jewish. They come as spouses of Jews - intermarried in Russia. If the non Jew was a woman - the children are not Jewish either. But in the Jewish State they all lived their lives as Jews albeit secular ones. This was – and still is - a major demographic problem. Israel could lose its Jewish majority in very short order - threatening its identity as a Jewish state.
So a conversion authority was created to convert all the non Jewish Russian immigrants using controversial leniencies in Halachic conversions.
That is when Charedi Rabbanim said: No!
But they did not only just put a stop to it. They declared every single conversion under its auspices to be null and void - ruining soe reputations in the process. In the process they cast doubt on every other conversion ever made by any rabbi ever involved in any questionable conversion. They are dredging up and examining every one they can with a fine tooth comb - nullifying them quite readily. This has blown up into a major conflagration between religious Zionist rabbis, some modern Orthodox rabbis, and Charedi ones. It remains a hotly contested issue.
It has also put dread into the heart of every legitimate convert on the planet. That is not only egregiously wrong for them - it creates a climate of fear even for the most sincere convert who will never be 100% certain that their own conversion was good enough. They will always wonder if a stray thought might invalidate their conversion.
This situation has already caused some real injustices. This happened about a year ago to a family from Lexington Kentucky. An intermarried secular woman who had a Jewish mother and grandmother became interested in leading an Orthodox lifestyle. She was asked to prove her Jewish ancestry but after trying very hard - she could not find the necessary documentation.
So she and her husband decided to convert via an Orthodox conversion. The rabbi involved insisted that he would only convert them if they would live in an environment with a religious infrastructure - including one that had a Mikvah. After promising this woman and her family that he would make Lexington such a place and starting them along the educational process he was unable to accomplish it and reneged on his promise. He them insisted the woman and her family move to Monsey New York - his home town. He had already taken their son into his Yeshiva there.
She had explained to this rabbi at the outset that it would be impossible for them to move for reasons of livelihood. In any event - she still promised to keep all of the Mitzvos and endure the hardship of traveling miles away to use a Mikva.
That was not good enough for this rabbi and he pulled the plug on their conversion. He also expelled her son from his yeshiva. I communicated with this woman recently. To the best of my knowledge she has yet to find a resolution to her predicament!
Another example of the injustice of the current conversion climate came yesterday from ‘Joseph’ a frequent commenter here who linked me to a blogpost by a young woman. She is a role model for sincere converts. If I understood her post correctly she has already been ‘converted’ in a non Orthodox ceremony.
If one reads her words one can’t help but feel that this is exactly the kind of convert Judaism seeks. One who loves Judaism but has some honest struggles with some of its laws. She therefore perceives that there will not be any Orthodox Rabbi that will be willing to convert her in the current climate.
She describes a date she had with a Yeshiva University rabbinic student who tells her on a date that he is not ‘Shomer Negiya’- he does not observe the Halachic requirements of not having any physical contact with a woman until after marriage. Though an Orthodox Semicha student - he completely dismissed an entire set of Halachos. And he will no doubt go on to become an ordained Orthodox rabbi someday. Yet this sincere young woman who struggles with these same issues can’t even become a Jew!
How sad is that. These are the kind of people we want in Judaism. Real people. Thinking people. People who believe in the principles of Orthodox Judaism. People who are honest about their emotions and abilities; strengths and weaknesses.
And these are the people we are chasing away.
As I have in the past indicated there are valid arguments on each side. The ritual elements of conversion – circumcision for a man and immersion in a Mikvah for both a man and a woman - are not at issue. At issue is Mitzvah observance – all Mitzvos including the rabbinic enactments of the sages. Converts must be sincere about that.
Although there are modern interpretations of past minority rabbinic opinions (e.g. the Rambam) that acceptance of doing the Mitzvos is not a necessary requirement - most Poskim agree that it is.
Specifically the requirement is that one accepts all the Mitzvos of the Torah and its rabbis as binding. The Gemarah tells us that after acceptance of the binding nature of all Mitzvos - we teach them the basics and go through the ritual immediately. The convert then becomes a full-fledged Jew in every sense of the word - even before knowing how to observe the majority of the Mitzvos. He is instructed to keep learning and do all the Mitzvos as he learns them.
If at the time of conversion he denies the validity of even one minor Mitzvah it disqualifies the conversion. If on the other hand one agrees to keep them all once learned - and goes through the ritual - he is a Jew immediately. If afterward he suddenly changes his mind and does not keep a single Mitzvah he is still considered Jewish in every way and is simply a Mumer – a Jew who purposely violates the Mitzvos.
In a novel ruling Rav Moshe Feinstein stated that any conversion where only lip service is paid to Mitzvah observance with no real intent to keep them it is considered a sham conversion and the ‘convert remains a non Jew. Rav Moshe asserts that one can determine evidence of sincerity by observing the ‘converts’ behavior immediately after the conversion. If he does not observe any Mitzvos at all it is obvious that he never really intended to.
His Psak was given in response to the many conversions in this country by some Orthodox rabbis who acceded to the wishes of parents of child about to be intermarried.
The conversions took place - going through the motions - and perhaps got and received ‘promises’ (wink, wink) from the potential convert to keep the Mitzvos. But never did. To the best of my understanding - these are the conversions he rejected. Many such conversions did take place. I know of a few - right here in Chicago.
So Rav Moshe’s Psak is quite reasonable in my view. This has been a problem for decades. Nothing was ever really done to change things until it started happening en masse in Israel. A great number of Russian immigrants to Israel are not Jewish. They come as spouses of Jews - intermarried in Russia. If the non Jew was a woman - the children are not Jewish either. But in the Jewish State they all lived their lives as Jews albeit secular ones. This was – and still is - a major demographic problem. Israel could lose its Jewish majority in very short order - threatening its identity as a Jewish state.
So a conversion authority was created to convert all the non Jewish Russian immigrants using controversial leniencies in Halachic conversions.
That is when Charedi Rabbanim said: No!
But they did not only just put a stop to it. They declared every single conversion under its auspices to be null and void - ruining soe reputations in the process. In the process they cast doubt on every other conversion ever made by any rabbi ever involved in any questionable conversion. They are dredging up and examining every one they can with a fine tooth comb - nullifying them quite readily. This has blown up into a major conflagration between religious Zionist rabbis, some modern Orthodox rabbis, and Charedi ones. It remains a hotly contested issue.
It has also put dread into the heart of every legitimate convert on the planet. That is not only egregiously wrong for them - it creates a climate of fear even for the most sincere convert who will never be 100% certain that their own conversion was good enough. They will always wonder if a stray thought might invalidate their conversion.
This situation has already caused some real injustices. This happened about a year ago to a family from Lexington Kentucky. An intermarried secular woman who had a Jewish mother and grandmother became interested in leading an Orthodox lifestyle. She was asked to prove her Jewish ancestry but after trying very hard - she could not find the necessary documentation.
So she and her husband decided to convert via an Orthodox conversion. The rabbi involved insisted that he would only convert them if they would live in an environment with a religious infrastructure - including one that had a Mikvah. After promising this woman and her family that he would make Lexington such a place and starting them along the educational process he was unable to accomplish it and reneged on his promise. He them insisted the woman and her family move to Monsey New York - his home town. He had already taken their son into his Yeshiva there.
She had explained to this rabbi at the outset that it would be impossible for them to move for reasons of livelihood. In any event - she still promised to keep all of the Mitzvos and endure the hardship of traveling miles away to use a Mikva.
That was not good enough for this rabbi and he pulled the plug on their conversion. He also expelled her son from his yeshiva. I communicated with this woman recently. To the best of my knowledge she has yet to find a resolution to her predicament!
Another example of the injustice of the current conversion climate came yesterday from ‘Joseph’ a frequent commenter here who linked me to a blogpost by a young woman. She is a role model for sincere converts. If I understood her post correctly she has already been ‘converted’ in a non Orthodox ceremony.
If one reads her words one can’t help but feel that this is exactly the kind of convert Judaism seeks. One who loves Judaism but has some honest struggles with some of its laws. She therefore perceives that there will not be any Orthodox Rabbi that will be willing to convert her in the current climate.
She describes a date she had with a Yeshiva University rabbinic student who tells her on a date that he is not ‘Shomer Negiya’- he does not observe the Halachic requirements of not having any physical contact with a woman until after marriage. Though an Orthodox Semicha student - he completely dismissed an entire set of Halachos. And he will no doubt go on to become an ordained Orthodox rabbi someday. Yet this sincere young woman who struggles with these same issues can’t even become a Jew!
How sad is that. These are the kind of people we want in Judaism. Real people. Thinking people. People who believe in the principles of Orthodox Judaism. People who are honest about their emotions and abilities; strengths and weaknesses.
And these are the people we are chasing away.
New Look - Final Answer
I have decided to keep the original template. I sense that most people are used to it and are comfortable with its familiar look.
That's a good thing because I have tried mightily to upload haloscan to the new template and have failed each time. (...even though haloscan 'install' feature says I have successfully installed it!)
I may attempt it again in the future in a more familiar template that is similar to this one. The features offered there are very nice and I'd like to incorporate them into the blog.
In the meantime I have left the experimental blog up - withy a new template that will likely be used if I can get it to work. For those interested it is available here.
Updated: 8/18/09 8:14 AM CDT
That's a good thing because I have tried mightily to upload haloscan to the new template and have failed each time. (...even though haloscan 'install' feature says I have successfully installed it!)
I may attempt it again in the future in a more familiar template that is similar to this one. The features offered there are very nice and I'd like to incorporate them into the blog.
In the meantime I have left the experimental blog up - withy a new template that will likely be used if I can get it to work. For those interested it is available here.
Updated: 8/18/09 8:14 AM CDT
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Fallout of the Meah Shearim Protests
What more proof does one need to show how foolish and reckless Meah Shearim type Charedim are. And how wrong-headed the Edah HaCharedis is.
A child was born with a serious medical condition a few weeks ago in Jerusalem’s Bikur Cholim Hospital. The doctors there could not treat the child properly and advised the child be sent to – you guessed it – Hadassah Hospital. They are best equipped to handle this child’s medical condition.
The parent’s refused. Why? Because Hadassah is the hospital that was the subject of a huge protest that included threats of boycott. That was because they accused a Charedi mother of starving her child in the case of the so called Munchhausen’s mother. These parents are honoring the boycott. The price? Putting the life of their child on the line!
This is what the Chasidim of Meah Shearim have wrought. They bring misery upon an innocent child and his parents because of a preconceived notion of wrongdoing by the staff of the best hospital in Israel. Having called for a boycott of Hadassah Hospital they have in effect put a child in harm’s way. By the parents not doing everything they can to contribute to the child’s welfare – they are contributing to its demise.
It’s true that there are compromises being made where the child will be sent back and forth between Hadassah and Shaarei Tzedek - where they ended up transferring their child from Bikur Cholim. But doctors insist that all this traveling back and forth compromises the child’s care.
To his credit Yoeli Krauss who is the operations leader of the Edah HaCharedis has urged the parents to send their child to Hadassah. But they have refused. Krauss nevertheless does not fault the parents. He instead blames Hadassah saying it ought to apologize for its part in the ‘Munchhausen’s mother’ affair if it really cared about the child.
This attitude is yet another reason to consider the Jews of Meah Shearim no better them Reform Jews. They see Pikuach Nefesh as secondary to their issues with Hadassah. And they take no responsibility for the plight of this child or the stupidity of his parents.
Instead they lay all the blame at the feet of the hospital. Their ‘out’ is of course that they urged the parents to send the child there and that it was the parents who refused. They think this absolves them of any responsibility for the child’s welfare.
But in my view they are completely wrong. If they really cared for that child’s welfare - their rabbinic leadership would have Paskined that what the parents are doing is a violation of Halacha. Pikuach Nefesh comes first. The Torah tells us V’Chai BaHem (Vayikra 18:5). Our sages tell us (Yoma 85b) that this means one must live by them (the Mitzvos of the Torah) and not die by them. Except for the cardinal sins of murder, idolatry, and adultery one may violate any and every Mitzvah in the Torah to save a life. And one may certainly violate a boycott!
That they are merely ‘advising’ the parents to send to Hadassah and then blame the hospital for the parents refusal to do so is no better than a Reform rabbi telling a Jew that even though it’s a good idea - a Jew does not have to observe the Mitzvos. The Edah is in effect doing the same thing here with the laws of Pikuach Nefesh by not paskining that they must send their child to Hadassah.
The Edah must therefore take at least some of the responsibility here. Both for not taking strong enough measure in this case and for their reticence to condemn the idea of boycotting Hadassah - when their rabble-rousers called for it. It is therefore not a wonder that these parents are now honoring it to the point of compromising their child’s health.
As I recall it, at least one of the leaders of the Edah HaCharedis, Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch cried out against boycotting Hadassah. He stated that the basic relationships between Hadassah and the Charedi community was good and that boycotting the best hospital facility in Israel would be counter-productive and harmful in the end.
How right he was.
A child was born with a serious medical condition a few weeks ago in Jerusalem’s Bikur Cholim Hospital. The doctors there could not treat the child properly and advised the child be sent to – you guessed it – Hadassah Hospital. They are best equipped to handle this child’s medical condition.
The parent’s refused. Why? Because Hadassah is the hospital that was the subject of a huge protest that included threats of boycott. That was because they accused a Charedi mother of starving her child in the case of the so called Munchhausen’s mother. These parents are honoring the boycott. The price? Putting the life of their child on the line!
This is what the Chasidim of Meah Shearim have wrought. They bring misery upon an innocent child and his parents because of a preconceived notion of wrongdoing by the staff of the best hospital in Israel. Having called for a boycott of Hadassah Hospital they have in effect put a child in harm’s way. By the parents not doing everything they can to contribute to the child’s welfare – they are contributing to its demise.
It’s true that there are compromises being made where the child will be sent back and forth between Hadassah and Shaarei Tzedek - where they ended up transferring their child from Bikur Cholim. But doctors insist that all this traveling back and forth compromises the child’s care.
To his credit Yoeli Krauss who is the operations leader of the Edah HaCharedis has urged the parents to send their child to Hadassah. But they have refused. Krauss nevertheless does not fault the parents. He instead blames Hadassah saying it ought to apologize for its part in the ‘Munchhausen’s mother’ affair if it really cared about the child.
This attitude is yet another reason to consider the Jews of Meah Shearim no better them Reform Jews. They see Pikuach Nefesh as secondary to their issues with Hadassah. And they take no responsibility for the plight of this child or the stupidity of his parents.
Instead they lay all the blame at the feet of the hospital. Their ‘out’ is of course that they urged the parents to send the child there and that it was the parents who refused. They think this absolves them of any responsibility for the child’s welfare.
But in my view they are completely wrong. If they really cared for that child’s welfare - their rabbinic leadership would have Paskined that what the parents are doing is a violation of Halacha. Pikuach Nefesh comes first. The Torah tells us V’Chai BaHem (Vayikra 18:5). Our sages tell us (Yoma 85b) that this means one must live by them (the Mitzvos of the Torah) and not die by them. Except for the cardinal sins of murder, idolatry, and adultery one may violate any and every Mitzvah in the Torah to save a life. And one may certainly violate a boycott!
That they are merely ‘advising’ the parents to send to Hadassah and then blame the hospital for the parents refusal to do so is no better than a Reform rabbi telling a Jew that even though it’s a good idea - a Jew does not have to observe the Mitzvos. The Edah is in effect doing the same thing here with the laws of Pikuach Nefesh by not paskining that they must send their child to Hadassah.
The Edah must therefore take at least some of the responsibility here. Both for not taking strong enough measure in this case and for their reticence to condemn the idea of boycotting Hadassah - when their rabble-rousers called for it. It is therefore not a wonder that these parents are now honoring it to the point of compromising their child’s health.
As I recall it, at least one of the leaders of the Edah HaCharedis, Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch cried out against boycotting Hadassah. He stated that the basic relationships between Hadassah and the Charedi community was good and that boycotting the best hospital facility in Israel would be counter-productive and harmful in the end.
How right he was.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
How Common is Sex Addiction among Orthodox Jewry?
How many people who read this blog have pornography or sex addictions? I don’t know the answer to that question but statistically there are probably some who do.People who are addicted to porn range across the entire spectrum of Orthodoxy. Whether Modern Orthodox, very Charedi, or Chasidic. Addictions know no religious boundaries. They are a result of a combination of various factors in both nature and nurture in the development of one’s personality.
The way porn addicts act upon their addictions can vary - some acts are more destructive than others - none of them permitted by Halacha. But no matter how religious one is - once triggered the sex drive is so strong it can easily overwhelm the strongest of wills to resist it – no matter how religious one is.
The computer age and the easy availability of Internet porn makes it all too easy to succumb in private where no one will be the wiser. One thing that seems common is that if left unchecked the addiction becomes increasingly destructive – as does any type of addictive behavior. Porn addiction - just like narcotics addiction - can destroy one’s life.
Living in a society where sexual stimuli are all over the place and where standards of decency are constantly being defined down no doubt make this problem a growing one - no matter how sheltered one is. I don’t know what the numbers are. But I’ll bet it is a bigger problem than anyone realizes. How many addicts are there that live dual lives and no one even suspects them? I am reminded of an article in the Jewish Observer by a Charedi principal who had such an addiction and was caught only when he started accessing illegal child pornography sites.
This is not a subject I am comfortable writing about. I am certainly no expert. But Aish.com has an article by a Jewish man that is quite revealing. I am not sure he is religious but I somehow suspect that he is. In any case he was a man who led a dual life - an outward one and a secret one. To the world he was... a successful family man living in a nice Jewish community and happily married. Inside, it was all about lust, focusing on the next "fix."
He allows the reader to enter the mind of a sex addict. He very clearly describes his descent into the world of porn; how he became addicted; the constant need to see and ‘act’ on porn; the need to keep increasing the eroticism of images he sought to maintain his level of pleasure - the lowering of his self esteem, and how it affected his relationship with his wife. He also describes the steps he took to return from the depths of his addiction.
Whether someone has even the slightest problem along these lines or simply wants to get educated about the problem from the perspective of a recovering addict I highly recommend this article. That said this article is not for everyone. Be cautioned. Those who are queasy might want to skip it.
Warning: Discretion is advised.
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