It's Tisha B'Av, AGAIN.

Have a meaningful fast, have an easy fast, have a fast fast. Everybody says something, as if just wishing someone well will take away the fact that for 25 hours we all are going to have to go without food and water.

Fast days are supposed to mean something. They are supposed to be about more than abstaining from food and water, they are supposed to be meaningful. While each person takes there own meaning out of every occurrence, fasts are generally supposed to be about reflection and self/communal improvement. We are each supposed to look deep within ourselves and see what needs work, what is lacking, and on Tisha B'Av specifically mourn the fact that the sins that brought the Beis HaMikdash down are still being perpetuated today in each and every one of us.

What do we do on fast days?

We sleep the hours away and wait till it's over.

We watch movies to pass the time till we can stuff our faces.

We read a long book.

We shmooze with our friends.

We do anything but think about what brought us here in the first place.

The reason for this laxity in my mind stems from the fact that we all feel comfortable. Life is good, the sources of our suffering are somewhat behind us, and who can imagine the return of animal sacrifice?

A few days ago, I did a post asking why we cry, and why we don't move on. Things are so good for the Jewish people right now. It seems like only a small technicality preventing the building of the Beis HaMikdash. It's not like the Jewish people don't own Jerusalem.

Then I read the article in the NY Times. It seems the world has never really accepted the Jewish/Israeli ownership of Jerusalem. Obama wants to stop what they call 'settlements', building new buildings on land that is rightfully a part of Israel. And while Israel goes ahead and continues to build, the nations of the world, Jews among them, protest. It seems there is more than a technicality preventing the redemption. There is a world apposed and only the hand of God can help.

Then I read about the scandals that have erupted within the supposedly Orthodox population. These are people who wear the mantle of holiness, yet commit crimes as if the verse, "You shall be holy" only applies to not looking at woman's knees. Redemption seems like just a step further away.

We are supposed to be the light onto the nations, the shining example of how a people should live their lives. We are supposed to stand there as the bastion of true morality, how people should want to live their lives, and people are supposed to hate us for it. They are supposed to hate what we represent, because we are supposed to represent a moral ideal that everyone else rejects as unattainable.

Yet everybody loves the Jews. Antisemitism is down all around. Even the Arabs embrace the Neturai Karta; they claim only to hate Zionists, not all Jews.

The world embraces hypocrisy as it's ideal. Politics is used to steal money, and create laws that serve the people in power. The Jewish people have always adhered to a law that was much more than the will of any one group of people. The Jewish people have always supposed to be the fortress that hypocrisy could never penetrate. The only thing the hypocrites could ever do was express their hate in any way they could. Death and destruction have befallen the Jewish people for centuries because of it. Even as we cried at the loss of our Holy Temple, as a people, we never gave in to hypocrisy, we stuck to the law.

Now, as in Germany prior to WWII, things are comfortable for the Jewish people. We have given in to the hypocrisy that rules the nations. As a people we have been rewarded for it. On the surface everyone loves the Jewish people. Even while many Jews are shown to be crooks, the nations understand that it is not the whole Jewish people who are at fault, just a few bad apples. Yet, the real rot rests in all of us. As a community we sit by and let things happen, as individuals we sit by and say that it is someone else's job to take care of, as leaders we point to our congregants and ask them to fix themselves. Yet, the rot is in each one of us, we have accepted the acceptance of the nations as a sign of good times, when in reality they are really a sign of deterioration.

I am as guilty as the next guy. I sit and watch movies on the fast day and wait for the time when I can eat. I sleep and think thoughts having nothing to do with the theme of the day. I perpetuate the evils that have brought us to this place. I speak evil of others. I fight uselessly. I hate without just cause. I am as guilty as the next guy.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch attributed the fall to a lack of learning on behalf of the people. Lack of learning leads to lack of practice which eventually leads to a loss of religion altogether. Yet, today the Yeshivas are filled with people learning. So filled in fact there is no money to keep them there. But I know that I personally don't learn. I know that I personally have a lack in practice when it comes to many things. I know that deep down I too add to the rot that lies under the surface of a sparkly clean Jewish nation. I too am a hypocrite.

On one hand I wonder why we are crying, because things are so good. On the other hand I know that change for the worse is just around the corner, and I am part of that decline. When the scandals came out, I laughed. When they burned garbage out of their misplaced convictions, I laughed. I laughed because I thought I was better. Stupid little people getting caught doing stupid little things. I of course know better, I know how to act. But I don't. I fall short of being the bastion of morality as much as the next.

In Eicha, we cry out for Hashem to remember us, to see our suffering, to know our pain. We know where all the pain comes from. מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא, הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּוֹב. We know that good and bad come from Hashem. נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְנַחְקֹרָה, וְנָשׁוּבָה We even know the way to get back on the good side. נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ, אַתָּה לֹא סָלָחְתָּ. Yet, we continue to sin and rebel, and Hashem has not forgiven.

As a people, each one of us have faults, ways in which we don't reach that ideal of the pinnacle of morality. We all fall short. For some of us it is learning and keeping the Law. For others it may be denial of the law altogether. While I know that there are so many things I could be doing on Tisha B'Av, I know in the end I will probably end up reading a book and sleeping half the day away. And another Tisha B'Av will go by. Like many people, I too have embraced the hypocrisy. I see the world for how it is, yet I can not build up the will to do anything about it. I see the writing on the wall, I read the history and see the parallels between our time and previous generations. I see the calm before the storm.

In the end though, it all boils down to

Have an easy, if not meaningful, fast.

Dad and Lad chat

"Hey Dad, Why do bad things happen to good people?"

"Well Son, it's like this, there are many bad people in the world. They hide the evil that they do from the world. They rob, cheat, and steal. For a long time they get away with it, but eventually there comes a time when all their vileness catches up with them. And then they get punished. So you see, bad things really only happen to bad people."

"But Dad, that doesn't make any sense. There can't be so many bad people, can there? I mean, I'm good and last year I got my arm broken in three places."

"We'll that's just because you were acting stupid. You shouldn't have been climbing that fence in the first place. As for all those other people, they were either evil at heart or just stupid, I guess."

"So the world is basically populated by evil stupid people?"

"Basically."

"Dad, where do babies come from?"

"Well Son, I'm glad you asked. Finally a subject I'm comfortable discussing."

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch on why we still mourn on Tisha B'Av

Page 346 But what then..... till the end of the piece.

Narrate the awkward silence

Can you hear the silence screaming out from the corner of the room, demanding to be heard? Can you hear the voices, unspoken, were it not for the penetrating eyes? Can you describe the feeling of a world in a vacuum?

Silence.

Like the Nothing that God separated to create the heavens and the earth. Like that feeling of an empty stomach, full on the breath of life. Like pulling a metaphor from the sky and hoping it fits the context.

There is beauty in that silence. Potential in the Nothing.

even

Silence

speaks volumes.

The 9 days: For what do we cry?

If anyone finds a point in mourning what happened almost 2000 years ago please tell me. Personally I don't understand. It seems kind of useless if you ask me. Shouldn't we be trying to get over our loss, moving on with some hope for a better tomorrow. Shouldn't we be appreciative for all the good things that we have in this day and age, and less focused on the fact that we don't have some idealized version of what used to be. The Jewish people have spent more time in history without a Holy Temple in existence than with it in existence.

Many say that we are mourning because the sins that our forefathers did are still being perpetuated by us, thereby preventing God's presence from being with us. We don't love each other as much as we should. Many of us harbor in our hearts thoughts of baseless hatred toward one another. We throw rocks and burning garbage at people we consider sinners. We talk about people in shul behind their backs. We ignore people who offer us a Gut Shabbos. We don't give charity to people we think maybe lazy.

To remedy this situation we spend 9 days without showering.

Perhaps there is a little disconnect between the goal and the method to get to the goal. Personally I don't see how not showering, not swimming, and not traveling will stop people from hating each other's guts. Perhaps if we all smell we wont hate the other smelly people? Perhaps through our body odors we will bring the Moshiach? Personally, I doubt it.

We sat and wept by the rivers of Babylon as we remembered Tzion. We hung up our harps in the willows; When our captures, sarcastically said,"Sing for us, Sing for us the songs of Tzion." But how can we sing the song of Hashem on foreign soil?

Once I start forgetting Yerushalayim I will lose my strength. If I forget, my tounge will become stuck. If I should ever consider any joy above the joy of Yerushalayim.

O God, Remember when the children of Edom said, "Rip it down to it's very foundations." The fate of Bavel is sealed, for anyone that returns the misery to them as they did to us will find happiness and praise. Happiness, when your children are grabbed and dashed to pieces on the rocks. (Psalm 137- my own translation)

Everyday during the 9 days we sing this Psalm. We cry for the loss of the idealized Jerusalem, and we wish destruction on her enemies. Ironically, we are singing it, though the verse implies extreme sadness at the idea of singing a song of God on foreign soil. But also, and this is more important, there is no mention of unbiased hatred. In fact, just the opposite, we express happiness at the death of the innocent children born to our enemies. If that is not the biggest expression of hatred, I don't know what is.

For what do we cry? Is it for Jerusalem? After so many years, the city is back in Jewish hands; and yet still we cry. For the enemies of old? Babylon is Gone, their children dashed against many rocks in the annals of history. Rome too is no more. Even the Nazis are dead. History is littered with the remnants of all the people that have tried to kill out the Jews.

We sit and wait for the Moshiach. "We want Moshiach NOW, We want Moshiach Now, and we don't want to wait." When expressing the sentiment that I do many people respond, "when Moshiach comes Tisha B'Av will become a happy day." What will change when Moshiach comes? What is it that we wait for? We are living in times that are better for the Jewish People than could have been imagined by anyone even prior to the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. Yet still we cry.

I ask, for what do we cry?

Frank McCourt RIP

I remember reading Angela's Ashes in my freshman year of college. I remember thinking how great the book was, a story that really spoke to me though I did not live through any similar circumstances. When the opportunity came to meet the author after he came to speak, I stood on line for quite a while to shake the hand of Frank McCourt.

I went on to read both his other works, 'Tis And Teacher Man, and I loved those books too. Teacher Man even made me want to dream of being an English teacher. And even though all I got was one class into English teaching, the way he describes how he connected with his students still inspires.

When I looked at the news and saw that he had passed on at an age of 78 I was still sad. He had a full life, but even with people who have full lives there is sadness in their passing. Yet the best tribute you can pay to an author is to read the books that they produce. In this way who they were lives on in the reader. So buy his books, and read about the life of someone worth reading about. I am sure you will enjoy his story as much as I did.

Can people Change? A dialogue

My position: True change is Impossible.

MAK's Position: People can change themselves.

You decide.

Me: It takes a special type of person to change the world; it takes a person with commitment to a vision of what is to be. It takes a person who is willing to undergo sacrifices, and it takes a person of courage to keep going when things seem to be going the wrong way. These same attributes of a hero, ready to change the world, are also necessary to change one’s self. In order to create true planned systematic change in one’s person, one must have the same character traits as a world changing hero. For what is a person, if not a miniature world standing on the back of God?

The problem is that most people don’t possess these heroic character traits. How many people do you know who have tried to get on a diet, only to fail miserably after a short time? How many people do you know start out with a goal in mind, only to give up when the going gets tough? How many people do you know that don’t really have what it takes to make true changes in themselves? Most people out there in the real world are just too lazy and unfocused to achieve any sort of real personal goals. They may buy books on the subject of self help, they may read Mussar Sfarim like Misilas Yisharim over and over, they may even pray to God for guidance in working on specific overall character traits, but all these things only go so far as the buying of the book, the Mussar session, or the prayer. True miraculous change for the most part is impossible.

MAK: I think that is a VERY negative view of people. People do have it within them to change. You can say each person is a world unto themselves, and each person is given a chance, an ABILITY to become greater than what they are. Whether they feel they are willing to make those sacrifices to achieve that goal is one thing, but there is no doubt that as a human being, they CAN achieve greatness, even by changing one small trait.

Me: That may be so but the ability to change doesn't mean that it will take place. For the most part people don't change. People remain who they are unchanging in habit and in attitude. It is only within the context of small actions that we can judge the measure of a person. It is not Change in mind, but choice of action that can be judged.

MAK: OK, but who are we to be the judge? Maybe what we see as being just the smallest of changes has made a huge difference in not only that person's life, but the lives of everyone who interacts with them on a day to day basis. And by that change, maybe they did go onto greater changes. What we see is once small slice of a person's life, not who they were, or who they will become. If given incentive, and motivation, anyone can change. And if given the "good enough" reason, anyone WOULD change.

Me: Perhaps, however aren't we made up of all the little actions. The intrinsic nature of a person doesn't change, however a person can decide to act against his nature at times when things seem prudent. This isn't change. I can still be a person who eats a lot even if I am now dieting out of necessity. Even after many years of avoiding alcohol, an alcoholic is still an alcoholic and can lose his sobriety with one drink. You are right, we can’t judge the overall person. That is in the hands of God and self. And even God judges actions for what they are, and not some overall sense of who the person is. If a person channels his personality to do Mitzvos, does it matter that he isn't the most pure of heart? Isn't the outcome the thing that counts and not who the person IS?

MAK: Yes, you have a definite point there, after all, I recall hearing a story, a king asked for a portrait of Moshe, and he had one of his wise men, a man who could read a man's face and tell his personality, read Moshe's face. The wise man told the king that this was the face of a man who was haughty and filled with greed. The king was astonished, how could this be? A short while later, he met a Rabbi (I think this took place a while after the whole chumash) and he asked him. He said that while it was true all that the wise man had said, Moshe had worked on himself to such an extent that he had risen over his base nature.

Me: Yes, but you use that story to prove that a person can truly change. Moshe was one of the people who changed the world, is it so surprising that he changed himself too? The point is for the regular person, living life in the day to day, getting up doing their own thing, is the goal to be personal change, or is the goal to be individual actions judged for themselves? For many people change is impossible. Are we to call these people failures just because they get angry from time to time, or perhaps they get jealous of what another person has, or perhaps some other character "flaw"?

MAK: All right, I can see what you’re saying, but then again, the great majority of people don't SEE a reason to change the way they are. They're comfortable. And change can be very uncomfortable. It means they'd have to really confront some unpleasant truths. People don't like doing that. They'd rather stayed wrapped up in their own little bubble. But sometimes, that bubble gets popped, and then they are forced to see the reality, and come to terms with it and realize they MUST change. A good example is a severely overweight man, who was just told by his doctor that he must lose weight. He goes "yeah, sure doc I will," but doesn't really see any good reason. And then he suffers a stroke. And it hits him, if he doesn't change, he might never see his kids grow up. Going back to what I said before, people must be given a reason that's "good enough."

Me: Suppose though that he makes a commitment to lose lots of weight, suppose he keeps it off for many years, but every single food item he wants to eat. Every moment is a test. Has he truly changed, or is he fighting a battle every moment, most of which he happens to win?

MAK: But that’s the point, change IS the battle. You’re saying that change is one thing, never altering. What I’m saying is that change is a constant choice. It never eases up. There is always going to be that battle, it may get easier as time goes on, it may not. But change is the commitment to keep fighting that battle no matter what. People are capable of this. But, as outsiders, not having the ability to read someone’s mind, how are we to know whether it is true change? We can’t. We can only guess based on what we see and what that person chooses to show.

Me: You are absolutely right, how can we know if a person is a hidden Moshe Rabbainu?

Religion is the source of all evil

Now that I got your attention, don't take the title the wrong way ( it is very misleading) .

A couple of questions:

1. If religion didn't exist would there be a title of "evil"? Or since religious law dictates that certain things are wrong that creates the definition of "evil".
2. If "evil" is an independent entity (independent of religion) , how would you define it? How is it independent from religion?
3. If you agree with the "question 2" route: What would one have to do to be evil and why is what you are doing intrinsically evil?

I am of the opinion that evil only exists in a religious belief system.

Without laws created by God why should anything be classified as evil? Why should "morally wrong" exist in a society where morals are made by man? What should give man the right to define what is and is not morally correct? Unless morality takes upon a whole new definition of being whatever man determines it to be, which could be subject to change every generation.

So in a sense my title wasn't misleading at all. Religion is truly the source of all evil, because without it evil wouldn't exist.

If you disagree, I will be glad to hear your comments on the matter.

Moshe knows the answers :-)

A few posts back I asked some big questions for people to think about. Well it seems Moshe knows all the answers. (He commented, but I thought this deserved a post of it's own.) Good Shabbos, Y'All.

What do we mean by G-d?
The dude upstairs
What is the Torah?
A book, available in the library.
Why is the Torah so important?
It's pretty old and people been reading it all those time.
How can we prove the existence of G-d?
Shoot yourself and you'll find out.
How do we know that G-d created the world?
Someone had to create it.
Does it make a difference if we believe in G-d?
Yes, being enemies with the dude who created everything can be very bad for your health.
Why do/don't we believe in the Theory of Evolution?
Because G-d doesn't like open miracles and so he used Evolution.
How do we know that G-d still runs the world?
See question 4
What is a Jew and what is Judaism?
Judaism is a religion/ethnicity and a Jew is follower of Judaism, whether of religion or ethnicity.
Why doesn't life seem to run more perfectly more in line with Jewish beliefs?
Who says it doesn't? Nobody forcing you to work on shabbat or holidays, in fact it's illegal.
How do we know the Torah is authentic?
It's got G-d's seal on it.
Why isn't there immediate reward and punishment?
Because it wouldn't be as fun in the long run.
Why is there pain and suffering?
Because people are stupid.
How do we know that the Torah is G-d given?
No sane man would come up with something so complicated.
What is the Source of Jewish law?
Torah
Are the Torah laws old-fashioned?
Considering G-d gave them? Seriously, do you really wanna mess with the big dude?
Why are there many separate branches of Judaism?
Because every Jew thinks he's G-d's chosen.
What is the rationale behind Shabbos and Yom Tov, Kashrus, Tefillah, Tefillin, Tzitzis, Yarmulkah, and Mezuzah,....?
R&R, R&R while being to smoke hookah and go to meals with kids, make sure no rat in your food, where else would people talk, chi,
so that INS doesn't mistake us for Mexicans, if you've seen childish or me I think you know the answer, looks nice.
Are there rationales for the Mitzvos all together?
Yes.
What is the role of the Jewish woman, and are why are women different than men in Jewish life?
To support the husband while he hangs out with his friends, smokes and drinks coffee all day. Because after making them work, take care of kids, the house and the cooking, making them do all the mitzvos would be just mean.
What is wrong with assimilation?
Then you won't be Jewish and won't get the Jew gold.
Why do Jews reject Jesus as a Messiah, Mohammad as the one true prophet, and L Ron Hubbard as the answer to getting our thetans to a higher level?
We were here first. And I have nothing against Jesus and Mohammad, they're both very good workers Jesus is even a citizen. L Ron Hubbard stole that idea from me...man it was some good weed we were smoking.

The Irony of the Israeli protests

A mother beats up her child and the country beats each other up. That's the story that is going on in Israel. I find it amusing that the women is accused of having a illness where she seeks attention through hurting her children, and now she is getting so much attention through people's violence in her name. Ironic, No?

People are being Michalel Shabbos, and in order to stop the Chillul Shabbos the people make Shabbos an unpleasant experience for everyone. Don't they realize that the best way to bring people to Observance is to show them the beauty of Observance? By protesting in such a fashion all they are doing is widening the gap between the observant and the non-observant. Less people will be convinced of the beauty of Shabbos. Ironic, No?

It is my opinion that everyone involved in these protests are acting not out of righteous fervor, but out of sinful glee. They know what they are doing is wrong, yet they do so anyway because it seems like a fun thing to do. Most of these people do not have legitimate employment, and they therefore have lots of free time on their hands. With no TV, Internet, scantily clad women to look at, or any other forms of real entertainment these people are bored out of their minds. While many of these people s/could be learning in Yeshiva, even Yeshiva gets boring if you stay there long enough. It is the diligent soul that can keep up with the rigorous sedarim that a real Yeshiva should have. So, bored and powered with the latest craze, they take to the streets in protest.

Then, we get the Neturei Karta's visit to Hamas, another nonsensical gesture. They side with the people who commit violence. Then they commit violence themselves; the women who instigated the protests is a member of the Neturei Karta. Could it be that these protests are nothing more than an extension of the Neturei Karta/Palestinian agenda to make all the Jews in Israel miserable?

In order to protest what their own people are doing, they side with the very people who would indiscriminately kill them.
Ironic, No?

When Moshiach Ben Yosef comes riding on his donkey and get's blown up by a Palastinian gunman, what will the Neturei Karta say?

When Moshiach Ben David comes to pick up the pieces, how many Neturei Karta will be around to see it? When you deal with the enemy agianst your own people, you become the enemy.

In the end of the day, it's all about boredom. If I had nothing better to do, I'd probably also be trowing stones and granades.

A Jew, Jainist, and Muslim walk into a store: Similarities and Differences

It amazes me how God runs the world. After having written a post about examining why we do what we do, today I was asked on multiple occasions about the laws of Kashrus-by non-Jewish people. I spoke to a Muslim fellow about how people today know nothing about real biblical history- the story of Abraham, Isaac, and David killing Galiath. Before that, I spoke to a Jainist storekeeper about fasting, Yom Kippur, and what Kosher means. It truly is important to understand were exactly you fit in, in the scheme of things.

I got to work and went to the refrigerator to get a can of soda. One of my coworkers went to get a Redbull. A discussion ensued about how you know something is or is not kosher, with me playing find the Kashrus symbol on the can of Sprite Zero, (hint-it’s on the top of the can with the amount you have to pay for deposit.) The conversation moved on to all other types of Kosher related questions, the “healthiness /humaneness of Kashrus, the milk and meat issues, and the eating of pig issues. I explained how it all really comes down to Biblical passages and Rabbinic interpretation. I also mentioned that horse meat is yellow and tastes like glue, at which point one of the other coworkers suggested I change the topic to something less to do with disgusting food.

One thing I realized from the discussion is how different people view the eating of various foods. One coworker expressed disgust with eating meat, considering herself to be vegan, because of the animal cruelty. Another coworker described his hesitation about eating veal and lamb, the cuteness of the animals being consumed was a real buzz kill when it came to putting their flesh in his mouth. Others were very open with the idea about eating anything, one mentioning how good frog’s legs tasted. When one person asked me about the humaneness of Kosher food I said that it may be true that the method of slaughter is more humane when done the kosher way, but that the humaneness is not the reason for the law, it is a nice byproduct of the law, but the law would be the same even if the it weren’t the MOST humane way to slaughter an animal. The dietary restrictions are a small part of the overall Jewish philosophy of living an examined life in every aspect. Even the food that gets put in your mouth has to be examined to ensure it meets Godly standards, no matter what those Godly standards happen to be.

Later, when I walked into a Bodega in Park Slope to buy a Snapple after a long walk the store owner asked me how I knew that the Snapple was Kosher. I showed him the Kashrus symbol, and we began discussing what makes things kosher. I began my lengthily discussion, and I was having a difficult time doing so, the owner of the store didn’t speak English as well as I did and it was a little difficult getting the point across. As we were having our discussion a Muslim fellow walks in and gives me a hand explaining to the fellow from India what Kosher means, “It means Jewish people can eat the food.” I nodded my head and said, “Yep, that’s essentially it.” So simple.

The Muslim fellow decried the way society is today, too much gambling, people’s ignorance, and the prophecies in every religion about the end of days. The Jainist explained how they have many fasts, where they don’t eat, and how he was not capable of fasting because he had polio when he was younger. I just took it all in fascinatedly. Jew, Jainist, and Muslim all agreed that gambling is bad. Jew, Jainist, and Muslim all fast by restricting food intake at some time in the year. And we all agree: people are too ignorant of things that they should know about.

I drank my Snapple and went on my way, giving my fellow conversationalists a handshake each. As I walked away it hit me; that was a fun conversation. We all have more in common with each other that one would first imagine. Yet, we each have many differences too. From my coworkers with their various views on what is right and wrong to eat, to three different religion’s take on fasting, we all share in common the fact that we do very similar things. At the same time, we each have different reasons for doing what we do. It is important to focus on both, the commonalities to bring peace among people, as well as the differences to keep a sense of individuality, nationality, and purpose. It would be a mistake to ignore the differences, but it would be a bigger mistake to ignore what makes us similar.

Kiruv: Answering the hard questions

If you have been out in the real world for any period of time you will undoubtedly come into contact with people who are curious about what Judaism is all about. These people may be fellow Jews in need of some guidance, they may be non-Jews who are just curious of the customs they see, or they may even be christian missionaries who corner you in an allay and demand a few moments of your time. When that time comes, what do you do? How do you answer the accusations, the questions, the queries that they throw at you- one after another?

Many people may not bother giving these people the time of day. They will ignore the people who ask them any questions regarding their faith and practice, going about there day as if nothing had happened. The people they come in contact with will be left with a bad opinion when it comes to Orthodox Jews. They will thing you-as an Orthodox Jew- are rude, and uninterested in helping them achieve any sort of understanding, and overall a person not worth knowing. Most of all though-and this may not be far from the truth-they will think you have no answers for these questions yourself.

The reason, in my opinion, why more people don't go into outreach, or choose to answer the people with honest questions is simply because many Orthodox Jews in general don't have a firm grasp of what they truly believe in. Many people are still operating on a childish understanding that they picked up in Elementary School, they never bothered to think beyond what they were told, and when questioned about these issues don't really feel comfortable expressing themselves in a thinking manner that would be comprehensible to other human beings not versed in the same Yeshiva education as they were.

The real answer when people ask you questions about Judaism, or anything for that matter, should be a thought out one. If you are serious about something enough to wear the badge of that seriousness on your clothing all the time, you should be ready to discuss what it means to you at all times. You should not be quoting something your Kindergarten teacher taught you in when you were a baby. You should not even be quoting something you just read in a Kiruv book you happened to pick up at the local Judaica Store. You should have thought out the questions you have in your own mind for yourself, come to conclusions that you are comfortable with, and be prepared to explain and defend yourself to all comers. This does not mean you should go looking for people to challenge your beliefs, it means being comfortable enough in your own Yammulka, (or long skirt), to explain why you do what you do, and what it means to you.

When asked about your hashkafa you should have a deeper answer than whether or not you watch TV, or have the Internet connected in your house. When asked about what Jews believe you should have a better answer than Chulent and Herring. When asked what kind of God do Jews believe in you should have a better answer than a children's song. While all of these answers to these questions might be valid on some level, they are answers that even the person with the most faith in them will give up with a few poignant questions.

A few days ago I saw a book called A Guide to Torah Hashkofoh, in it the author outlines all the wonderful questions that a person interested in Orthodox Judaism may have. Skimming the book, I found many of his answers unsatisfactory and lacking; however, I found the questions good building blocks in which to build real inquiry. I think it is important to think about these questions and find answers that are satisfactory, no matter where they may lead.

What do we mean by G-d?
What is the Torah?
Why is the Torah so important?
How can we prove the existence of G-d?
How do we know that G-d created the world?
Does it make a difference if we believe in G-d?
Why do/don't we believe in the Theory of Evolution?
How do we know that G-d still runs the world?
What is a Jew and what is Judaism?
Why doesn't life seem to run more perfectly more in line with Jewish beliefs?
How do we know the Torah is authentic?
Why isn't there immediate reward and punishment?
Why is there pain and suffering?
How do we know that the Torah is G-d given?
What is the Source of Jewish law?
Are the Torah laws old-fashioned?
Why are there many separate branches of Judaism?
What is the rationale behind Shabbos and Yom Tov, Kashrus, Tefillah, Tefillin, Tzitzis, Yarmulkah, and Mezuzah,....?
Are there rationales for the Mitzvos all together?
What is the role of the Jewish woman, and are why are women different than men in Jewish life?
What is wrong with assimilation?
Why do Jews reject Jesus as a Messiah, Mohammad as the one true prophet, and L Ron Hubbard as the answer to getting our thetans to a higher level?

All these questions should be thought about at one time or another, and not just laughed off as something taken for granted. If you don't think about these questions now, you may be confronted with these questions at a later time and be unready to answer them with satisfactory answers.

It is easy to believe when you know nothing at all. You can bury your head in the sand and imagine the only existance to be your own. But to still believe knowing the questions that are out there, that is something else, that is something worth striving for-if for no other reason than to be able to answer others who may have questions.

Hashem is....

Uncle Moshe's Song for Little kids
Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere. (2X)
Up, up, Down, down, Right, Left, all around..
Here, there everywhere
that’s where he can be found. (2X)

Uncle Moshe's Song for angstful teenagers
Is Hashem here, is Hashem there, is Hashem truly anywhere?(2X)
Is He Up, up;Is He Down, down;Perhaps Right, Left; Maybe all around?
Here, there anywhere?
Where can he be found?(2X)

Uncle Moshe's Song for Readers of the Guide to the Perplexed
Hashem isn't Here, Hashem isn't There, Hashem isn't truly Anywhere. (2X)
Not Up, up;Nor Down, down;Not Right, Left; Nor all around..
Here, there everywhere
that’s where he can't be found. (2X)

The Shidduch Crisis is solved!

Step 1- Convert many Non-Jewish men. (Only Men, there are enough unmarried Jewish women as it is.)

Step 2- All unmarried Jewish women who feel the weight of the crisis on their shoulders, and the stigmata of being unmarried at the ungodly age of 20, can marry the wonderfully newly committed NEW JEWS.

Step 3-Bayis Nemun BiYisroel (All the genetic anomaly that cause so many hereditary diseases due to inbreeding will eventually go away.)

Step 4- Big Rabbi in Israel retroactively annuls all the converts.

Step 5-NEW JEWS call themselves the REAL HEBREWS.

Step 6-A new crisis emerges, The Old Jews are marrying the New Jews, like those old Sfardi men marrying teenagers.

Cool Posts I've found interesting (or I have readers who might be interested in my opinion)

"the leopard shall lie down with the kid"
Though in MAK's Post it's more like the dog with the deer.

"Nu, You sound like such an Apikores"
Frum Heritic tells you what to answer to those people that call you an Apikores. I found it very funny. Basically, unless you are a saint, you are probably also an Apikores.

"OMG!!! What are we going to talk about?!!! Like.... Like... Helloooo..."
At the Blob of Something Different, Ms. Blob wonders what she will talk about when she ever gets around to dating. Mmmmmm...... I wonder what she will end up talking about....

"Woman! Get to the Kitchen where you belong!"
The Great Jewish Philosopher tells us all how great it is to be a Jewish Women. Always good for a laugh. The gist: women are second class citizens, but isn't it better than being a beaten up first class citizen?

"You mean if I want to be an orthodox woman I have to be in the kitchen all day. Perhaps I won't become orthodox."
Rachel explains why she doesn't want to convert orthodox. After reading the way JP put it, I don't know as how I blame her. Though I would point out that Orthodoxy is the only Real authentic Judaism ;)

Then there is me... I always find myself amusing. Perhaps a look back to one of my earlier posts.... Perhaps the question of Good and Evil? Too heavy for you? Perhaps some rambling? Or maybe Chava's Curse and the Yeshiva Liberation Moment. Yes, that does about round it all up.

Have a Happy Wednesday! Because in the middle of the week you need that pick me up.
:-P

My Speeding Manifesto

There I was, driving 90 miles per hour down the Throughway, when all of the sudden behind me I heard a siren and saw the flashing lights of a police car. I knew at that moment that a ticket was forthcoming, and in that moment I had extreme regret for the fact that I had been going so fast. If I would have known the true consequences of my actions, I never would have sped in the first place. I didn’t calculate the odds of being caught; I lived in the moment and was now paying the price.

The police officer got out of his car and asked me the usual questions. After ascertaining that I wasn’t in fact drunk, he handed me a ticket and went on his way. I started up the car and resumed my trip at a much lower speed.

For argument’s sake, let’s say that the speed limit was set at a reasonable speed so as to maximize the time it takes for people to get to their destination safely, and not as some would claim as a revenue generating scheme for the government coffers. What this means is that the speed set as the speed limit was statistically proven to lessen the risk of the overall traveler, at the expense of the speed of the few risk takers. The idea behind it is that the people making the laws decided that it is more important to have the majority of people driving on the highway take less risk in order to minimize the likelihood of an accident. It doesn’t matter if a few individuals feel that they are willing to take the risk, because of their own necessity; the people making the laws decided that the more important goal was general safety. In order to impress on the people who might feel that the risk is worthwhile the government has set up a system by which the risk of additional monetary loss is added to the already existing personal risk.

What becomes obvious from looking at the traffic system this way is that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with speeding, or any other traffic violation for that matter. It is just a question of personal risk preference. Since most people are by nature risk averse, not prone to taking risks, most people will generally follow the traffic laws, both out of fear for personal injury as well as fear of monetary disincentives. If I would have known that I would have been caught by the police officer for speeding I would probably not have sped in the first place; as evidenced from my guilt, as well as from the fact that I did not start speeding right after having received the ticket, though the likelihood of getting a second ticket was much lower than the first. However, at the time, I was feeling a little less risk averse than most.

The law itself was made by people with one goal in mind, safety for the most people over the longest period of time. The concern was not the will of the individual; the will of the individual is manifested in the breaking of the law. The concern was a general social goal that the majority felt was more important than the will of an individual driver to choose fast driving. While I felt bad after getting caught, it was only because the consequences of a law being put into place catching up with me that made me feel bad, it was not any real sense of moral wrongness. In a world of perfect information, where I could know whether I would be caught or not, I would speed all the time I was certain of not being caught. Because, what right does the legislature have to tell me that their social goal is more important than my personal goals? The real question is one of hypocrisy, how much of my own personal will went into the social goal of speed limits, and how much of it was outside influences by others with different risk preferences than my own? If I were to agree in principle that the laws are necessary wouldn’t I be a hypocrite for speeding, no matter what the circumstances are, and wouldn’t I be justified in being punished for that hypocrisy?

On the other hand, did I ever get the choice to directly vote on what the speeding limit should be?

Irresponsiville

Somewhere in the back of my twisted mind there is a little town where people can do whatever they want without fear of consequences. In this little town people can drive on the sidewalks, have a little road rage, and run as many red lights as they want all without repercussions. There would be no speed limits, and People could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. At least behind the wheel, that is.

But this little world only exists in my head, reality is much less glamorous. There are rules that must be followed, people with concerns unlike my own, and a whole slew of people that want me to give them money. Every so often though, I imagine what it would be like if Irresponsiville really truly existed.

"Wake Up, Brother!"

“You hoo! You hoo! Come on, get up already. It’s already late!” I yelled in a loud voice. My brother continued to sleep. He must have gotten to bed really late the night before. There was no other way he could still be sleeping after the loud noise I had just made. Yet, sleep he did.

“Hellooooo!” I tried again in a louder voice. Perhaps now he would get the message. We had planned this day for a while; we were both going to go on a big long bike ride. “Wake UuuP.” No answer.

Finally I had had enough. I went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. “Sam, If you’re not up in 5 seconds you are getting this cup of water all over your head and pillow,” I said in a loud voice.

“What do you want?” my sleepy brother Sam asked in a very drowsy voice. With every syllable I knew he wanted me to leave him alone and let him sleep for another 24 hours. But that was not in the cards today.

“Sam, don’t you remember? We’re going on a long bike ride today. Don’t tell me you didn’t get any sleep!” With the last word ‘sleep’ Sam jumps from the bed and hits his head against the cup of water I was holding above his head.

“WTF, WTF, WTF. I was getting up, Damn it!” He yelled in a still sleepy voice. “Why do you have to always be like that? It’s not like it’s the end of the world. So… We leave an hour later. What’s the big deal?”

I gave him the stone cold killer look, as if to say, you have got to be kidding me. Here I was trying to do him a favor and all he can do is throw it back in my face. Fine let him be like that. “So go back to sleep if you don’t want to wake up. I just thought you would like the reminder, seeing as we planned this trip for the past 3 weeks,” I said in a defensive tone.

“W/E, Billy. Be that way. Just get out so I can get out of these wet cloths and into my biking gear.” Sam began getting out of bed, talking as he did so in a now much calmer voice. It looked like we were back on track after all. A day of biking awaited us.

“Ok, ok, but every hour counts so make it snappy,” I said back to him. I couldn’t stand to let him have the last word, especially when he was still so sleepy and not fully alert. “We don’t have all day, you know.”

I left the room to give him a chance to get dressed in privacy. Even if I was in the biggest rush I don’t think he would want me standing there as he got into his cloths. All niceness aside, I knew something was wrong when 5 minutes later I still did not see him getting out of the room fully dressed.

“When I come in there you had better be fully dressed, Sam,” I yelled through the door. Sam was a big kid and I knew I would have to give him a few extra minutes to get ready, but enough was enough already. I was going back in.

“Saaaaammm!” He had gone back to sleep and pulled the covers back over his head, poured water on them and all. This was intolerable. We had planned this bike trip for a while and if he was not up for it that was just fine. I would go on my own, Billy and the wind in his hair with no fat brother keeping him behind.

“Fine, if you’re not ready I’m going to go by myself. Your loss,” I said to the sleeping form. “Good Bye.”

I left the room got on my bike and just as I was prepared to leave the house, “Sam! Wait!” a loud voice screamed out.

This isn’t right, I said to myself. I was leaving without him. I began slowly riding down the street to warm up for the long trip.

“Life is just too short to wait for inconsiderate oversleeping brothers”, I thought to myself.

The Psychology of the Kosher Restaurant Consumer

In describing the psychology of a person who keeps kosher we have to limit our case to a specific type of person. We cannot talk about the newly Frum, or the newly unFrum; both extremes cannot be described in any psychological basis. However, for the mainstream Jewish person who was brought up keeping Kosher, and who sees himself as keeping kosher in the future, we can build a psychological theory that encompasses many of the situations such a person will encounter.

The first level of Kashrus that a person who keeps kosher must know is the ‘I always eat there’ type of kashrus. What this type of Kashrus means is that the person knows the place is kosher, not by virtue of the fact that it has a sign on the wall, but because he has eaten in the place his entire life. It doesn’t really matter if the food in the place is REALLY kosher, just the fact that the person has eaten there his entire life is good enough for him to keep eating there. Such a place can lose Hashgachas over and over again and the people who go to the store will not care. The only way regular people will stop buying from the store is if the food suddenly becomes bad, or the health department closes it down for rodent infestation.

The second level of Kashrus that is important to understand in the quest to know the psychology of the kosher consumer is the ‘everyone eats there’ type of Kashrus. It is similar to the ‘I always eat there’ variety with one caveat; the person doing the consuming has never actually eaten at the place before. This can happen to a person who is new in town, a poor person who has just gotten rich and wants to finally find out what restaurants are all about, or a girl on a first date who doesn’t have time to look at all the signs on the door as the fellow quickly opens the door for her. You, the consumer, are putting your trust in the idea that your friends are not eating pork, lobster, and shell fish when you are not looking. You are also trusting that the community on a whole is on the same spititual/Kashrus level that you are on. God forbid the community is ok with eating those little microscopic copepods and you are not, and you end up eating there anyway, thus ruining your soul for all eternity.

The third level of thought that goes through the mind of the Kosher keeping consumer, after they consider whether they eat there and/or whether their friends eat there, is the ‘What Rabbi blessed the food?’ level of Kashrus. The rabbi doesn’t actually bless the food; he just puts his hands in all of it to make sure it’s the proper kosher temperature for eating. In McDonalds the food gets so hot people have complained about getting their parts burnt off, Kosher Restaurants have to be more careful. Ok, just kidding. The Rabbi doesn’t bless or feel the food. He just watches to make sure no ham was put in the hamburger; no shrimp was put in the faux-shrimp cocktail; and no real cheese was put on the soy cheeseburger. The Kosher consumer looks next to the door of the store to make sure there is someone in the back of the restaurant checking all the lettuce for bugs, the fish for worms, and the hot dogs for real dog.

Once the Kosher consumer has ascertained that at least one of the three levels has gone into his decision of restaurant choice he is ready to eat. But before he eats, there is one thing more he has to make sure of; are there little moldy pieces of bread sitting next to the sink, or do they Chas Vishalom want you to walk back to your table without getting food poisoning?

Imaginations Lost

When I was little

Anything was possible

No matter how farfetched

I could fly to moon

I could walk on water

I could be anyone in the worlds.

Now I feel the weight of reality

The yoke of my own existence

The powerlessness of flesh and blood

Constrained.

There are no unlimited possibilities,

There is no trip to the moon,

Left over from the childhood dreams

Daily routines.

While I may be able to do anything

The world’s limitedness,

Confining.