Has any one here ever picked up a Quran and read? Its very much a lot of religiosity. The author was clearly interested in serving a God. That is not my premise of critique.
In orthodox Judaism, we have a thought process that if our Creator does indeed like our leadership, he will allow us to open our mouths and out will flow ELOQUENT LANGUAGE.
This is a FACT.
That said, the Quran is no way shape or form is Eloquent.
Thus.
God does not author the truth of the Quran.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Shabbas Traditions- a nice video
This was a very warm message. Please take a 19 minute break and enjoy the displays of Shabbas joy and happiness.
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/141138/jewish/Shabbat.htm
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/141138/jewish/Shabbat.htm
Reformatting the blog today
Dear Readers,
Heresy and Good Fortune has decided that the time is right to allow for more free expression and to enjoy more Triple X format so that all of our readers are in fact very liberated and left very "happy".
This is a good idea I believe becuase it is good to be happy and surely there are no heretics who enjoy the XXX garbage on the internet. So with that idea I will begin posting illicit images ad lib and hope that my audience really enjoys this new endeavor.
OK.
Thanks.
Oh yea, April Fools.
Heresy and Good Fortune has decided that the time is right to allow for more free expression and to enjoy more Triple X format so that all of our readers are in fact very liberated and left very "happy".
This is a good idea I believe becuase it is good to be happy and surely there are no heretics who enjoy the XXX garbage on the internet. So with that idea I will begin posting illicit images ad lib and hope that my audience really enjoys this new endeavor.
OK.
Thanks.
Oh yea, April Fools.
Understanding the stupidity or actually brilliance of my youth
When I was perhaps eight years old, I went to a Cleveland Indians Baseball game and it was my first time in a stadium. I do remember of course that they were playing the Milwaukee Brewers. How could I forget. I actually bought 2 pennants that day, one was Cleveland and one was Milwaukee. Now how could a kid who just spend his past three to four years living in the Cleveland area be so "indecisive" about which team he wants to put on his bedroom wall. I thought that after I bought these pennants that I was indeed indecisive and silly and even dare I say... stupid. I do not even remember the pennants being on my wall very long, but I always remembered that I bought two.
Actually today, I decided that the madness was actually brilliance.
Today I profess to you that my team is the Boston Red Sox. Had that idea been in my head that day I am sure I would have bought a Boston and a Cleveland pennant and then in that case I woudl be on the money per se. But that said, I bought the Brewers. Which is actually quite good as I can say I remember both teams today of my first Major League Baseball attendance. So madness has a method.
And also I might add that had I purchased only a Cleveland Pennant in which being that I purchased both, I realize today that I was neither a complete fan of either team completely though I was of course partial to the home team of Cleveland; had I purchased only an Indians Pennant perhaps I might have given up my own hope that I might someday find my true Major League Alleigance and that by buying only the Cleveland Pennant, I had sold out to the first baseball team that I got to view and think about in my day.
I am proud of this seemingly incongruence that I admit never afflicted my sensibilities, but truly was a concern to my own mind when I thought of the fact that I supported both the home team and the visitor in the day that I was at the ball game. Made no sense to an educated kid at any level I think. But that said, to an educated physician living in a town with a Team he likes but far from a Team he really loves, I am quite certain that there was no pathological diagnosis at any length and a true clean bill of health was in order for the poor 7 to 8 year old who just could not decide. Batters up!
Actually today, I decided that the madness was actually brilliance.
Today I profess to you that my team is the Boston Red Sox. Had that idea been in my head that day I am sure I would have bought a Boston and a Cleveland pennant and then in that case I woudl be on the money per se. But that said, I bought the Brewers. Which is actually quite good as I can say I remember both teams today of my first Major League Baseball attendance. So madness has a method.
And also I might add that had I purchased only a Cleveland Pennant in which being that I purchased both, I realize today that I was neither a complete fan of either team completely though I was of course partial to the home team of Cleveland; had I purchased only an Indians Pennant perhaps I might have given up my own hope that I might someday find my true Major League Alleigance and that by buying only the Cleveland Pennant, I had sold out to the first baseball team that I got to view and think about in my day.
I am proud of this seemingly incongruence that I admit never afflicted my sensibilities, but truly was a concern to my own mind when I thought of the fact that I supported both the home team and the visitor in the day that I was at the ball game. Made no sense to an educated kid at any level I think. But that said, to an educated physician living in a town with a Team he likes but far from a Team he really loves, I am quite certain that there was no pathological diagnosis at any length and a true clean bill of health was in order for the poor 7 to 8 year old who just could not decide. Batters up!
Documentation
There was a saying when I was a doctor in training. If it was documented, it was done.
This is a reality.
To document an activity, a thought, a feeling states that it existed.
Even if you did not take the forceps out of the patient, if you documented it it was "done".. or so it was in our minds as far as we know... until we DOCUMENT AGAIN that it WAS NOT done and that is documentation that something else was done in its stead.
So guess what. I am a fellow who likes to document his knowledge and skills as well as his interests now, his beliefs, his concerns and his trust in the ability of our Creator to shape our lives and bring us to peace and humanity.
This is my job. I realize that somehow, the opportunity to attend a medical school fell into my lap and I took it. Right? So I am a physician today and I will document as I see fit.
But there is more to document.
There is a movement I have mentioned in a few previous blogs called the Lubavitch movement. They have to my knowledge had seven rabbis that were their leaders over the last century and then some years. That is good. I see that they are focused on their future.
But that said, what about the eighth Lubavitch rabbi? Who is this person? Is there an Eigth? Perhaps there is and I do not know his name.
But that said, it is well known that they Lubavitchers have called the 7th Lubavitch Rabbi the Messiah and they have memorialized his facial image for all times. It hangs in their homes by their doorways. It hangs in their offices. It is the large photograph that hangs behind the person giving an address to a conference of 4000 rabbis this past year in New York.
Is 'this' documentation? I say not really. It is memorialization at one level. It is heresy and foolishness at another level.
Who is the leader of the ChaBaD today? It seems that their leader is a beloved Rebbe who died in the 1990s. He was a great leader of course right? He stood in a procession line every Sunday I was told into his nineties greeting people and exchanging pleasantries.
Where is the documentation of all of this Rabbi's teachings? I have yet to find a book authored by Rabbi Menacham Mendel Schneerson the 7th Lubavitcher Rabbi who is the chief Rabbi of the Lubavitcher's new ChaBaD movement that is sending rabbis all over the globe to make sure that our Jewish people have a place to be Jewish as "ChaBaDniks". Right?
Rabbi Avigdor Miller documented his achievement. He has written several books. I have four of them on my shelves. I need do nothing more than reach out and pick up a volume of his work and do my reading.
Where is the work of the 7th lubavitcher Rabbi. If you go to art scroll, feldheim, eichlers or any other Jewish book store, can you find a book authored by the Rabbi. There is no online documention by this rabbi. There is only his teachings as reported by his students which in turn is a true learning from which we can learn. But that said, where is the leadership that we want and seek when we look to the largest new 'orthodox' jewish movement. I can not learn the scope of his teachings by talking to another ChaBaDnik. There is no guide to the ChaBaD movement, is there? I must say that I can not read the books of others and really think that I really 'knew' this rabbi, can I? But actually, maybe I can say I knew him. Maybe I can decipher from what wsa NOT left for our learning that he did not really have that idea to produce leadership manuals and discussions of Torah that I can access on my bookshelf. Perhaps this rabbi just wanted to succeed by putting a rabbi in every town on the planet.
Is the act of establishing an empire of flesh and blood who is a learned individual a true act of humanity and trust in God? Perhaps it could be. But perhaps it is also just your way of declaring to us that you realliy think you were the smartest rabbi who ever existed and that you think that your ideas for the future of our nation are for us all to be emblazoned with the image of your face, the mood of your cabeinet and the soul of your memory in our minds for all of the future generations. Is this your way of declaring to the world that you are the "messiah" we are all looking forward to??? I know that I do not believe you may have said "I am messiah", but did you leave explicit instructions for the nation that you have achieved in how to memorialize your of course lightning rod life for the generations to come? The fact is, the ChaBaD movement has emboldened themselves with your image all over the world. Everything is done in your name. Is it done in G-d's name? I beg to differ.
So either Rabbi Schneerson of blessed memory, you either wanted us to remember yourself as the "messiah" we had hoped might visit our lives, or you just did not anticipate what the followers of your words and your sacrifices would do today. Would you be happy from the grave to know that there are mass exoduses to your grave site all year long? Do you realize that your grave site is to the Lubavitch what Mecca is to the Moslem in terms of its priority to be seen and visited and shared. Well thats a very harsh criticism by myself. I apologize to the human race for making such a comparison. But that said, we do not need a Mecca in our faith. We need trust in God. And that means I love your life and I love your intelligence, but I can not say that your contributions are the future of our people in all of their efforts to change the Jewish world. I can not say that ChaBaD is the authentic mission of our Creator.
I can not say that you are truly orthodox.
I can not say that you represent the Jewish Nation of Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
So what I can say is that you are here and you have left your leadership's mark for all to see, know, remember and comprehend.
That is an achievement.
This is a reality.
To document an activity, a thought, a feeling states that it existed.
Even if you did not take the forceps out of the patient, if you documented it it was "done".. or so it was in our minds as far as we know... until we DOCUMENT AGAIN that it WAS NOT done and that is documentation that something else was done in its stead.
So guess what. I am a fellow who likes to document his knowledge and skills as well as his interests now, his beliefs, his concerns and his trust in the ability of our Creator to shape our lives and bring us to peace and humanity.
This is my job. I realize that somehow, the opportunity to attend a medical school fell into my lap and I took it. Right? So I am a physician today and I will document as I see fit.
But there is more to document.
There is a movement I have mentioned in a few previous blogs called the Lubavitch movement. They have to my knowledge had seven rabbis that were their leaders over the last century and then some years. That is good. I see that they are focused on their future.
But that said, what about the eighth Lubavitch rabbi? Who is this person? Is there an Eigth? Perhaps there is and I do not know his name.
But that said, it is well known that they Lubavitchers have called the 7th Lubavitch Rabbi the Messiah and they have memorialized his facial image for all times. It hangs in their homes by their doorways. It hangs in their offices. It is the large photograph that hangs behind the person giving an address to a conference of 4000 rabbis this past year in New York.
Is 'this' documentation? I say not really. It is memorialization at one level. It is heresy and foolishness at another level.
Who is the leader of the ChaBaD today? It seems that their leader is a beloved Rebbe who died in the 1990s. He was a great leader of course right? He stood in a procession line every Sunday I was told into his nineties greeting people and exchanging pleasantries.
Where is the documentation of all of this Rabbi's teachings? I have yet to find a book authored by Rabbi Menacham Mendel Schneerson the 7th Lubavitcher Rabbi who is the chief Rabbi of the Lubavitcher's new ChaBaD movement that is sending rabbis all over the globe to make sure that our Jewish people have a place to be Jewish as "ChaBaDniks". Right?
Rabbi Avigdor Miller documented his achievement. He has written several books. I have four of them on my shelves. I need do nothing more than reach out and pick up a volume of his work and do my reading.
Where is the work of the 7th lubavitcher Rabbi. If you go to art scroll, feldheim, eichlers or any other Jewish book store, can you find a book authored by the Rabbi. There is no online documention by this rabbi. There is only his teachings as reported by his students which in turn is a true learning from which we can learn. But that said, where is the leadership that we want and seek when we look to the largest new 'orthodox' jewish movement. I can not learn the scope of his teachings by talking to another ChaBaDnik. There is no guide to the ChaBaD movement, is there? I must say that I can not read the books of others and really think that I really 'knew' this rabbi, can I? But actually, maybe I can say I knew him. Maybe I can decipher from what wsa NOT left for our learning that he did not really have that idea to produce leadership manuals and discussions of Torah that I can access on my bookshelf. Perhaps this rabbi just wanted to succeed by putting a rabbi in every town on the planet.
Is the act of establishing an empire of flesh and blood who is a learned individual a true act of humanity and trust in God? Perhaps it could be. But perhaps it is also just your way of declaring to us that you realliy think you were the smartest rabbi who ever existed and that you think that your ideas for the future of our nation are for us all to be emblazoned with the image of your face, the mood of your cabeinet and the soul of your memory in our minds for all of the future generations. Is this your way of declaring to the world that you are the "messiah" we are all looking forward to??? I know that I do not believe you may have said "I am messiah", but did you leave explicit instructions for the nation that you have achieved in how to memorialize your of course lightning rod life for the generations to come? The fact is, the ChaBaD movement has emboldened themselves with your image all over the world. Everything is done in your name. Is it done in G-d's name? I beg to differ.
So either Rabbi Schneerson of blessed memory, you either wanted us to remember yourself as the "messiah" we had hoped might visit our lives, or you just did not anticipate what the followers of your words and your sacrifices would do today. Would you be happy from the grave to know that there are mass exoduses to your grave site all year long? Do you realize that your grave site is to the Lubavitch what Mecca is to the Moslem in terms of its priority to be seen and visited and shared. Well thats a very harsh criticism by myself. I apologize to the human race for making such a comparison. But that said, we do not need a Mecca in our faith. We need trust in God. And that means I love your life and I love your intelligence, but I can not say that your contributions are the future of our people in all of their efforts to change the Jewish world. I can not say that ChaBaD is the authentic mission of our Creator.
I can not say that you are truly orthodox.
I can not say that you represent the Jewish Nation of Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
So what I can say is that you are here and you have left your leadership's mark for all to see, know, remember and comprehend.
That is an achievement.
Cartoons
I must say that this thread follows the previous one.
I was a kid who grew up with Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday as well.
I loved reading the funny pages in the newspaper.
I liked many of the comics and in the past it was especially Calvin and Hobbes as well as then Bloom County.
I had a good childhood.
I went to high school and then when that was done, I stopped watching comics and cartoons.
Medical School.
College to get into Medical School.
Residency.
Internship
Time away from Residency focused on getting another Residency.
Wait
Guess whats next?
THE LIGHT!!!!!!!!!
I opened the funny pages again.
I read the comics.
I now read the comics almost daily. Of course I am for full disclosure on disability today for health reasons.
That said, I must say even if you have a rough occupational life,
READ THE FUNNY PAGES AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
It takes about 6 minutes.
Its fast.
Its easy.
You could do it in one minute if you wanted and see three or more comics.
THIS IS NOT GODLESSNESS. THIS IS NOT HERESY. THIS IS NOT FOOLISHNESS. YOUR INCOME IS NOT YOUR MAIN IDEA OF HUMANITY.
Be human.
Read the comics.
And then when you are satisfied of course as you will be someday.
TURN ON SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.
Some day, find yourself in the morning when you have no commitments sitting in front of your television and TURN ON THE CARTOON NETWORK.
Don't live your life without the intelligence to RELAX!!!!!!!!
THIS IS MY PRESCRIPTION FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH, BETTER LIVING AND A HAPPIER HOLIER LIFESTYLE.
So God does let us have comics and cartoons. Did you think that the Creator of the Universe wanted man to only toil for his paycheck, proceeds and intelligent workplace orientated learning.
CLEARLY NOT.
I am a nearly 39 year old man and today I watched a/some cartoon on the television.
I am not a stupid "baby". I am not a fool. I am not a poor man with no prospective for ever paying any debt to society that I may have incurred.
I am sophisticated, I am educated and I am an appreciative viewer and audience for the CREATIVITY given to a special group of human beings for designing and writing Comics and Cartoons.
GET IT???
I was a kid who grew up with Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday as well.
I loved reading the funny pages in the newspaper.
I liked many of the comics and in the past it was especially Calvin and Hobbes as well as then Bloom County.
I had a good childhood.
I went to high school and then when that was done, I stopped watching comics and cartoons.
Medical School.
College to get into Medical School.
Residency.
Internship
Time away from Residency focused on getting another Residency.
Wait
Guess whats next?
THE LIGHT!!!!!!!!!
I opened the funny pages again.
I read the comics.
I now read the comics almost daily. Of course I am for full disclosure on disability today for health reasons.
That said, I must say even if you have a rough occupational life,
READ THE FUNNY PAGES AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
It takes about 6 minutes.
Its fast.
Its easy.
You could do it in one minute if you wanted and see three or more comics.
THIS IS NOT GODLESSNESS. THIS IS NOT HERESY. THIS IS NOT FOOLISHNESS. YOUR INCOME IS NOT YOUR MAIN IDEA OF HUMANITY.
Be human.
Read the comics.
And then when you are satisfied of course as you will be someday.
TURN ON SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.
Some day, find yourself in the morning when you have no commitments sitting in front of your television and TURN ON THE CARTOON NETWORK.
Don't live your life without the intelligence to RELAX!!!!!!!!
THIS IS MY PRESCRIPTION FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH, BETTER LIVING AND A HAPPIER HOLIER LIFESTYLE.
So God does let us have comics and cartoons. Did you think that the Creator of the Universe wanted man to only toil for his paycheck, proceeds and intelligent workplace orientated learning.
CLEARLY NOT.
I am a nearly 39 year old man and today I watched a/some cartoon on the television.
I am not a stupid "baby". I am not a fool. I am not a poor man with no prospective for ever paying any debt to society that I may have incurred.
I am sophisticated, I am educated and I am an appreciative viewer and audience for the CREATIVITY given to a special group of human beings for designing and writing Comics and Cartoons.
GET IT???
Wasting Time Online
I must say that there is the phenominon that I have embarrasingly found to be prevalent in many of the educated, especially those in high speed professions, namely in the case of those I personally know, in the medical profession.
There are persons in this world who view any involvement in internet commerce, internet activity, onling gaming if one has done so or any other activity in the online world as a "waste of time" or even worse as "the problem that exists to keep them from being extremely diligent in their entire profession and world of living".
I have a new friend who has left facebook I am told because "it took too much of his time". He no longer has an address that can be accessed on facebook and I now am unable to productively communicate with him through the channels of the daily use of facebook that you clearly know that almost the entire western world does daily or at the least a few times a month huh?
Just having an account does not mean you are going to be online for seven hours a day. Does it? You choose your daily activities. Do not delete your facebook account if you dont have time to use it. Cmon. This is the future and this is how orthodox work gets done today. Right?
We know that we can write to someone online. I dont have to call you in your home, look up your phone number, pay to get your number from information or an online search site and I dont have to send you a paper letter by way of a mail carrier and my need to walk or drive to a mail receptical, put a stamp on an envelope, write an address or even look you up. You are SUPPOSED to be present online. Thats my belief anyhow.
So that said, don't take off becuase you just cant find that you are able to be as productive in another arena.
And don't complain to me that facebook corrupts your life. It does not at all. You corrupt your life.
I don't care if you are afraid of seeing an illicit image once a year or whatever. Don't abandon the computer.
Don't leave the western world and don't forget that your Creator CREATED all of this.
So be good and be a human being who is tech saavy. Be aware that this is TRULY the future.
And be online.
Thanks.
There are persons in this world who view any involvement in internet commerce, internet activity, onling gaming if one has done so or any other activity in the online world as a "waste of time" or even worse as "the problem that exists to keep them from being extremely diligent in their entire profession and world of living".
I have a new friend who has left facebook I am told because "it took too much of his time". He no longer has an address that can be accessed on facebook and I now am unable to productively communicate with him through the channels of the daily use of facebook that you clearly know that almost the entire western world does daily or at the least a few times a month huh?
Just having an account does not mean you are going to be online for seven hours a day. Does it? You choose your daily activities. Do not delete your facebook account if you dont have time to use it. Cmon. This is the future and this is how orthodox work gets done today. Right?
We know that we can write to someone online. I dont have to call you in your home, look up your phone number, pay to get your number from information or an online search site and I dont have to send you a paper letter by way of a mail carrier and my need to walk or drive to a mail receptical, put a stamp on an envelope, write an address or even look you up. You are SUPPOSED to be present online. Thats my belief anyhow.
So that said, don't take off becuase you just cant find that you are able to be as productive in another arena.
And don't complain to me that facebook corrupts your life. It does not at all. You corrupt your life.
I don't care if you are afraid of seeing an illicit image once a year or whatever. Don't abandon the computer.
Don't leave the western world and don't forget that your Creator CREATED all of this.
So be good and be a human being who is tech saavy. Be aware that this is TRULY the future.
And be online.
Thanks.
Being Jewish, Keeping Kosher, Cleaning your eyes from obscurity and Being Well
I must say that I am a Jew who tries his utmost to truly be kosher, as best as one may do so living with family members who do not observe such stringent ideas of dietary law. That said, I do not currently visit any of the non kosher restaurants and I can not claim to be the highest degree of kashrut. You didn't think that a fellow like myself who once dined on the worst of the treif would someday be absolutely impeccable in his entire observane? Or did you? If you did, I can only report to you that I do not anticipate that I will be that person for you. But that said, there are some heresies in the jewish community that I will touch upon in this thread on the blog.
It has long been discussed that the "appearance" of impropriety is impropriety. That is true of course, right? But that said, is missing a beat as a kosher yearning human being really "impropriety"? Is it ungodly or unorthodox to make an error in your daily activity, even once or a few times? Perhaps you can not keep the kitchen to the kosher standards of the ideas of the Orthodox Union. Perhaps you are out and about, are quite hungry and may in fact stop by say Wendy's or another unacceptable restaurant by this standard and perhaps you had say a coke or say french fries or other non kosher item but clearly something that is not going to destroy your entire existence as a human being and not invalidate your humanity as a Jew.
It is clearly not the intent of me to espouse the idea that we are fine with eating the items there were not validated by a kosher authority. I am clearly not perfect, though I admit I am quite stringent and do not go out to restaurants or eat about the town.
That said, I went to Wendy's for the first time in many many moons and had myself a medium order of french fries yesterday. It was not a horrible experience. I did not feel that our Creator was angry with myself. I did not feel that my own mystical or spiritual nature was interrupted or corrupted at any significant length. In fact, my very soul ENJOYED the french fries. I recalled the times that I once enjoyed my old favorite the Spicy Chicken Sandwish and I realize that one day I will more than likely visit that place again and indeed I imagine I will eat another one of these items. It will not be a kosher cut of chicken and I must admit kosher cuts are all that I eat today. But that said, I can not think that my Creator is going to extinguish my flame in the world to come due to a really inherent desire to eat a non kosher cut of a kosher animal.
That said, you can be assured that I most certainly do not believe that I will ever again touch a clam, an oyster, a crab or lobster, or the horrible sine qua non of treif meals- the pork helping. That is not going to be my plan in any such said way at any length or ever. I admit that once I had a "taste" for these 'meats' but today I am completely cured of any such said interest of adding the 'delicacy' to my palate and G-d forbid not my entire being, body, soul, spirit or mystical life form. That is not ever on the menu and I hope to my Creators Name that I never have any of that intrusion into my life of any such product that is shared on this planet.
I no longer go out for sushi which being fish is clearly acceptable. But that said, I am probably again going to someday visit a treif sushi restaurant and eat only the fish. Certainly there is cross contamination. I do not believe that ones being may enjoy any of the products of a treif item. But that said, the world is not a perfect simple or orthodox orientated place to live. I must say that sushi is not my craving today, but perhaps another day I may realize that I wish to touch my tongue to the said item and enjoy the health benefits of fish and rice and wasabe and the like.
I am only afforeded about 5 kosher eateries which are all over almost 30 minutes of my home by way of the likley sometimes dangerous expressway to another nearby community. I do not believe that it is my Creator's intent to place my life in a place of residence that is without said eateries and keep me in my home for the rest of my days in town.
So I suppose a day will come that I will again be the Jew with the peyos (shorter now- only down to the base of my ear) and tzitzis and a nice beard with a head that is covered with a kippah that goes to a non kosher authorized place of dining and eats with his family who does not keep the entire Jewish standards of dietary law as perfect as say the fellows in the ChaBaD or maybe other well respected orthodox Jewish persons in this world.
It is not also an averra I perhaps must add in my own mind that an orthodox Jew may indeed visit a "treif" restaurant such as McDonalds to use the bathroom or other necessity. It has always been discussed that no Jew should ever show his or her face in any such place as the rest of the Jewish community will "think" automatically that he is just there to EAT the TREIF food. So there are many Jewish people who fear the act of going to a non orthodox restaurant or faciltiy where food is served that is not meeting the kosher standard. This is heresy in my opinion. I do not believe that our Creator is angry that we may trek into say an Arby's to use the restroom and releive our needed personal needs. This is foolish to consider that one must not appear to be "unkosher" in his day. We do not keep kosher for appearances do we? We do it becuase its a law of our being and we must be righteous and have a true CONSTITUTION.
That said, I offer this to you. To eat non kosher food is a Sin. But it is not a sin against your fellow man, your God or your soul. It is a sin agasint your Constitution. It deprives your human make up as a Jew of the right substance to make you truly orthodox and perfect in your Constitution. Constitutional perfection can indeed be acheived, though one must admit that in ones lifetime, even if Frum From Birth as it may be, you may infact ingest something that was Treif. Perhaps it was a bug of a smallest size that got into your salad or other item. Perhaps it was something in a piece of fruit. Do you really think our Creator believe that our entire nation will completely be perfect in Constitution in EVERY microscopic and micromolecular way? I can not think so and I just say live and do your best to follow all of the laws you know to be true.
Thanks.
And,
Good eating! Thanks!
It has long been discussed that the "appearance" of impropriety is impropriety. That is true of course, right? But that said, is missing a beat as a kosher yearning human being really "impropriety"? Is it ungodly or unorthodox to make an error in your daily activity, even once or a few times? Perhaps you can not keep the kitchen to the kosher standards of the ideas of the Orthodox Union. Perhaps you are out and about, are quite hungry and may in fact stop by say Wendy's or another unacceptable restaurant by this standard and perhaps you had say a coke or say french fries or other non kosher item but clearly something that is not going to destroy your entire existence as a human being and not invalidate your humanity as a Jew.
It is clearly not the intent of me to espouse the idea that we are fine with eating the items there were not validated by a kosher authority. I am clearly not perfect, though I admit I am quite stringent and do not go out to restaurants or eat about the town.
That said, I went to Wendy's for the first time in many many moons and had myself a medium order of french fries yesterday. It was not a horrible experience. I did not feel that our Creator was angry with myself. I did not feel that my own mystical or spiritual nature was interrupted or corrupted at any significant length. In fact, my very soul ENJOYED the french fries. I recalled the times that I once enjoyed my old favorite the Spicy Chicken Sandwish and I realize that one day I will more than likely visit that place again and indeed I imagine I will eat another one of these items. It will not be a kosher cut of chicken and I must admit kosher cuts are all that I eat today. But that said, I can not think that my Creator is going to extinguish my flame in the world to come due to a really inherent desire to eat a non kosher cut of a kosher animal.
That said, you can be assured that I most certainly do not believe that I will ever again touch a clam, an oyster, a crab or lobster, or the horrible sine qua non of treif meals- the pork helping. That is not going to be my plan in any such said way at any length or ever. I admit that once I had a "taste" for these 'meats' but today I am completely cured of any such said interest of adding the 'delicacy' to my palate and G-d forbid not my entire being, body, soul, spirit or mystical life form. That is not ever on the menu and I hope to my Creators Name that I never have any of that intrusion into my life of any such product that is shared on this planet.
I no longer go out for sushi which being fish is clearly acceptable. But that said, I am probably again going to someday visit a treif sushi restaurant and eat only the fish. Certainly there is cross contamination. I do not believe that ones being may enjoy any of the products of a treif item. But that said, the world is not a perfect simple or orthodox orientated place to live. I must say that sushi is not my craving today, but perhaps another day I may realize that I wish to touch my tongue to the said item and enjoy the health benefits of fish and rice and wasabe and the like.
I am only afforeded about 5 kosher eateries which are all over almost 30 minutes of my home by way of the likley sometimes dangerous expressway to another nearby community. I do not believe that it is my Creator's intent to place my life in a place of residence that is without said eateries and keep me in my home for the rest of my days in town.
So I suppose a day will come that I will again be the Jew with the peyos (shorter now- only down to the base of my ear) and tzitzis and a nice beard with a head that is covered with a kippah that goes to a non kosher authorized place of dining and eats with his family who does not keep the entire Jewish standards of dietary law as perfect as say the fellows in the ChaBaD or maybe other well respected orthodox Jewish persons in this world.
It is not also an averra I perhaps must add in my own mind that an orthodox Jew may indeed visit a "treif" restaurant such as McDonalds to use the bathroom or other necessity. It has always been discussed that no Jew should ever show his or her face in any such place as the rest of the Jewish community will "think" automatically that he is just there to EAT the TREIF food. So there are many Jewish people who fear the act of going to a non orthodox restaurant or faciltiy where food is served that is not meeting the kosher standard. This is heresy in my opinion. I do not believe that our Creator is angry that we may trek into say an Arby's to use the restroom and releive our needed personal needs. This is foolish to consider that one must not appear to be "unkosher" in his day. We do not keep kosher for appearances do we? We do it becuase its a law of our being and we must be righteous and have a true CONSTITUTION.
That said, I offer this to you. To eat non kosher food is a Sin. But it is not a sin against your fellow man, your God or your soul. It is a sin agasint your Constitution. It deprives your human make up as a Jew of the right substance to make you truly orthodox and perfect in your Constitution. Constitutional perfection can indeed be acheived, though one must admit that in ones lifetime, even if Frum From Birth as it may be, you may infact ingest something that was Treif. Perhaps it was a bug of a smallest size that got into your salad or other item. Perhaps it was something in a piece of fruit. Do you really think our Creator believe that our entire nation will completely be perfect in Constitution in EVERY microscopic and micromolecular way? I can not think so and I just say live and do your best to follow all of the laws you know to be true.
Thanks.
And,
Good eating! Thanks!
Rabba's
This is a rehashment of a previously mentioned topic. Please see: http://heresyandgoodfortune.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-must-remark-here-that-there-is-new.html
This is the comment I wrote on this article of my blog:
have reconsidered my idea that the non orthodox variety of ladies who CALL themselves RABBIs are not human beings that we can be fond of or befriend. They are benevolent people. Just not orthodox in their outlook. I must say that I am beginning to see the leadership in the idea of a "rabba" or a Maharat as it is now being called by the fellow in the following article from Matzav.com.
Please direct your browser to:
http://matzav.com/rabbi-who-ordained-rabba-to-be-admitted-into-rca
This is a good idea I am beginning to think. We must consider that our orthodox values must be preserved and at the same time, we must recognize that others in our faith, namely many women especially those who are not in the 'orthodox' circles are not feelling that their needs are served, no matter what our beliefs as orthodox jews may be.
That said, if Orthodox Judaism leads the way and confers the title of Rabba to a woman, perhaps those ladies who wish to be referred to as rabbis in the styles that are not considered orthodox judaism will follow suit.
I may say that to call a woman a rabbi, I feel that a part of my faith is forfeited. But that said, I have to say that it is a good day that we have a distinction for the persons with a yearning for a Jewish woman's role to be as optimal as possible in the world of Jewish leadership and prayer. Thanks.
This is the comment I wrote on this article of my blog:
have reconsidered my idea that the non orthodox variety of ladies who CALL themselves RABBIs are not human beings that we can be fond of or befriend. They are benevolent people. Just not orthodox in their outlook. I must say that I am beginning to see the leadership in the idea of a "rabba" or a Maharat as it is now being called by the fellow in the following article from Matzav.com.
Please direct your browser to:
http://matzav.com/rabbi-who-ordained-rabba-to-be-admitted-into-rca
This is a good idea I am beginning to think. We must consider that our orthodox values must be preserved and at the same time, we must recognize that others in our faith, namely many women especially those who are not in the 'orthodox' circles are not feelling that their needs are served, no matter what our beliefs as orthodox jews may be.
That said, if Orthodox Judaism leads the way and confers the title of Rabba to a woman, perhaps those ladies who wish to be referred to as rabbis in the styles that are not considered orthodox judaism will follow suit.
I may say that to call a woman a rabbi, I feel that a part of my faith is forfeited. But that said, I have to say that it is a good day that we have a distinction for the persons with a yearning for a Jewish woman's role to be as optimal as possible in the world of Jewish leadership and prayer. Thanks.
Needing a new holiday in the westernized and free world
I write here today that I personally think that it is a very necessary consideration to make a full day of tribute to the lives of any person who is jailed against the will of humanity for his own "conspiracy" to undermine humanity with his words of liberty and life. This is not for those who say things such as "the holocaust never occurred". Those people can enjoy their happy days behind bars in some of the places such as Germany where such a topic is an affronto the human race in light of the clear evidence of the contrary in grounds that are still revolted by the actions of years gone by. No. This is for the dissident who is locked away in China. Perhaps he is locked away in the Former Soviet Union.
I do not know or could ever guess at the number of these persons but humanity can not ensure their insufferable treatment at the hands despotism. Lets make Cuba aware that the entire civilized world cares for the futures of the "saints" who spoke their mind that the "goverment" (in quotes becuase its a tyranny, not a government) closed the door to freedom of expression and speech upon.
May we all celebrate this crucial holiday in the future. Name a day, name a time. We need it. Its not a good society that does not speciallly note the suffering of a human being who was just doing what he felt to be human and orthodox.
Thanks.
I do not know or could ever guess at the number of these persons but humanity can not ensure their insufferable treatment at the hands despotism. Lets make Cuba aware that the entire civilized world cares for the futures of the "saints" who spoke their mind that the "goverment" (in quotes becuase its a tyranny, not a government) closed the door to freedom of expression and speech upon.
May we all celebrate this crucial holiday in the future. Name a day, name a time. We need it. Its not a good society that does not speciallly note the suffering of a human being who was just doing what he felt to be human and orthodox.
Thanks.
Why do we need an "eiruv"?
To all those of you reading this blog that are not in the know, the ultra orthodox Jewish communities in the universe we all enjoy have invented a topic called an "eiruv" that is an artificial and clearly not a infallible standing structure that they use to enclose an area in the thought process that they will belong to a circumscribed area which makes it possible to therefore in their ideas "carry" things on the day of rest.
This is a very intelligent idea, though I must say that it is not the correct way to conduct our affairs. I am not certain when this idea was concocted, but that said, I personally believe it is safe to say that no such eiruv was present during the biblical days in which G-d gave Torah to our nation.
That said, lets look at this idea for what its worth.
In ultra orthodox jewish communities, a WIRE (metal wire) is constructed that surrounds a community. It is often placed on rooftops and on poles/telephone poles or eiruv standing poles. This is thought to keep one from leaving their place of rest during their daily activity. Persons can carry keys or push a baby carriage all things that the ultra orthodox community reports that one must not perform outside of an eiruv on Shabbas.
I am from a reform background and I must say that I never heard of the idea of an Eiruv until I began reading the religious Jewish news sites such as Vosizneias.com .
This is a good day and age and I admit that we live in time of industry and G-d willing compassion as well.
It would not be feasible to consider that G-d would want us to live in a time where by we can not perform our daily activities. I can not personally think that our Creator wanted for us to put artificial wires up so that we can day in day out on Shabbas 'work' as it may be to carry out our daily necessities and needs such as walking the baby or locking our homes on shabbas when we go to synagogue.
I have previously noted that I have completely taken all of Ultra Orthodox Judaism as TRUTH in the past and until this very past month, I have not questioned a single practice. I kept the Ultra Orthodox shabbas as best as I knew possible for a full year since March of 2010. I did everything and kept reading and learning. Every note that I took I employed for that full year. In one morning three weeks ago now, that all fell apart. I woke up and realized to the best of my understanding that I do not personally believe that the ultra orthodox practices are the Truth that we really need to consider. Call me your "enemy" if you wish, but I am a physician and one who believe in health, prosperity and wellness. I could not continue my activities as I did on shabbas as I no longer viewed them to be in my best health and wellness interests. Being from a family who is still of the lesser levels of Torah Observance, it was a very trying time to tell my brother for example who lives in China not to call our home on Shabbas as "it was a shabbas violation'. It was foolish to tell another friend who is a Jew that he might wish to "not visit me on shabbat as he needed to drive here in e vehicle". He did visit when he was briefly in town and I must say that it was to the best of the prosperity and health of our friendship.
The ultra orthodox communities are not integrated into the world community in the way that the reform and conservative and some of the modern orthodox movements are indeed integrated.
Is it Godly to be involved in the world community? I say YOU BET IT IS.
How can we be a Jewish nation if a majority of the ones who think that they are the Ultra Orthodox among us don't have a thing to do with the "unorthodox" or reform or conservative or just unaffiliated Jew. Where is the Kiruv movement that people about.
Is ChaBaD to be the future of out people? A Lubavitch ordered organization which no longer to the best of my knowledge has an 8th rabbi leader that is known to myself, an orthodox leaning and hopefully practicing jew who reads the online Jewish news daily and has visited the ChaBaD movement sites? Are we to say that the 7th Lubavitch rabbi is the crux of Jewish knowledge, understanding and trust? I can not think that our Creator would create one person above all others. Is not the lesson of humanity that NO person is without FLAWS? If not, the Jesus is your man, right? Jesus is the guy who is told to us by those who say so that he is PERFECT and without FLAW. I say that knowing all of the heroes of the bible that this is NOT SO.
So thus I must disavow Mr. Jesus as my true "savior and messiah" and I can personally say that perhaps there will be times of peace. prosperity and holiness that exceeds all of our yesterdays, but I disavow to myself that one person will be the only person to bring this to us.
Instead, all of my tomorrows are based on my yesterdays. All of the words I speak and write are based on thought processes that have evolved over years of listening to and reading the thought processes of another. One "messiah" leads to another leader and another trustworthy person who can discuss Truth, Liberty and Righteousness and push for some other person to read and listen to his skills and write and do more in the days ahead. I can not personally be the only person to make human contributions and so I must say, I do not expect the Ultimate "Messiah" to come to make sense of this world and bring about a new era of life, liberty and humanity. But let me be one who wants to make a contribution. Thanks.
This is a very intelligent idea, though I must say that it is not the correct way to conduct our affairs. I am not certain when this idea was concocted, but that said, I personally believe it is safe to say that no such eiruv was present during the biblical days in which G-d gave Torah to our nation.
That said, lets look at this idea for what its worth.
In ultra orthodox jewish communities, a WIRE (metal wire) is constructed that surrounds a community. It is often placed on rooftops and on poles/telephone poles or eiruv standing poles. This is thought to keep one from leaving their place of rest during their daily activity. Persons can carry keys or push a baby carriage all things that the ultra orthodox community reports that one must not perform outside of an eiruv on Shabbas.
I am from a reform background and I must say that I never heard of the idea of an Eiruv until I began reading the religious Jewish news sites such as Vosizneias.com .
This is a good day and age and I admit that we live in time of industry and G-d willing compassion as well.
It would not be feasible to consider that G-d would want us to live in a time where by we can not perform our daily activities. I can not personally think that our Creator wanted for us to put artificial wires up so that we can day in day out on Shabbas 'work' as it may be to carry out our daily necessities and needs such as walking the baby or locking our homes on shabbas when we go to synagogue.
I have previously noted that I have completely taken all of Ultra Orthodox Judaism as TRUTH in the past and until this very past month, I have not questioned a single practice. I kept the Ultra Orthodox shabbas as best as I knew possible for a full year since March of 2010. I did everything and kept reading and learning. Every note that I took I employed for that full year. In one morning three weeks ago now, that all fell apart. I woke up and realized to the best of my understanding that I do not personally believe that the ultra orthodox practices are the Truth that we really need to consider. Call me your "enemy" if you wish, but I am a physician and one who believe in health, prosperity and wellness. I could not continue my activities as I did on shabbas as I no longer viewed them to be in my best health and wellness interests. Being from a family who is still of the lesser levels of Torah Observance, it was a very trying time to tell my brother for example who lives in China not to call our home on Shabbas as "it was a shabbas violation'. It was foolish to tell another friend who is a Jew that he might wish to "not visit me on shabbat as he needed to drive here in e vehicle". He did visit when he was briefly in town and I must say that it was to the best of the prosperity and health of our friendship.
The ultra orthodox communities are not integrated into the world community in the way that the reform and conservative and some of the modern orthodox movements are indeed integrated.
Is it Godly to be involved in the world community? I say YOU BET IT IS.
How can we be a Jewish nation if a majority of the ones who think that they are the Ultra Orthodox among us don't have a thing to do with the "unorthodox" or reform or conservative or just unaffiliated Jew. Where is the Kiruv movement that people about.
Is ChaBaD to be the future of out people? A Lubavitch ordered organization which no longer to the best of my knowledge has an 8th rabbi leader that is known to myself, an orthodox leaning and hopefully practicing jew who reads the online Jewish news daily and has visited the ChaBaD movement sites? Are we to say that the 7th Lubavitch rabbi is the crux of Jewish knowledge, understanding and trust? I can not think that our Creator would create one person above all others. Is not the lesson of humanity that NO person is without FLAWS? If not, the Jesus is your man, right? Jesus is the guy who is told to us by those who say so that he is PERFECT and without FLAW. I say that knowing all of the heroes of the bible that this is NOT SO.
So thus I must disavow Mr. Jesus as my true "savior and messiah" and I can personally say that perhaps there will be times of peace. prosperity and holiness that exceeds all of our yesterdays, but I disavow to myself that one person will be the only person to bring this to us.
Instead, all of my tomorrows are based on my yesterdays. All of the words I speak and write are based on thought processes that have evolved over years of listening to and reading the thought processes of another. One "messiah" leads to another leader and another trustworthy person who can discuss Truth, Liberty and Righteousness and push for some other person to read and listen to his skills and write and do more in the days ahead. I can not personally be the only person to make human contributions and so I must say, I do not expect the Ultimate "Messiah" to come to make sense of this world and bring about a new era of life, liberty and humanity. But let me be one who wants to make a contribution. Thanks.
Why the "ChaBaD" Got it wrong in their choice of an acronym
The Acronym ChaBaD which they like to rewrite as "Chabad" but are in error as it is an acronym and its really not a word was a good thought; but I must say that ChaBaD is disorderly presented in its construction.
ChaBaD stands for the following three thoughts:
Chochma (wisdom)
Binah (Understanding) and
Da'as (Knowledge).
To say that Understanding comes before knowledge is to say that our nation is not build on ideals but that our lives are blessed with trust before we found truth. I must say that it is only through truth that we can find trust and thus with this thought process, this Lubavich movement would have much orthodoxly been constructed to be ChaDaB or maybe if we like it enough we can call it Chadab.
This word looks orthodox, sounds orthodox and I must say if it was rewritten this way, the entire movement would be the truth that the universe seeks.
So rather than hating the Lubavich movement which I do not, I wish to write them a letter which maybe here in I do and tell them that their decision to coin a name for their goals and aspirations was in fact wrong.
I bet that if this ever becomes the Chadab movement which lets say I will be the first person ever to join myself, this movement will be to the fruition of western civilization and the entire universe.
Lets rename this prospect and see where it goes. Perhaps we will truly bring ALL peoples to Torah who are Jewish and bring about a messianic era in the future. Thanks.
ChaBaD stands for the following three thoughts:
Chochma (wisdom)
Binah (Understanding) and
Da'as (Knowledge).
To say that Understanding comes before knowledge is to say that our nation is not build on ideals but that our lives are blessed with trust before we found truth. I must say that it is only through truth that we can find trust and thus with this thought process, this Lubavich movement would have much orthodoxly been constructed to be ChaDaB or maybe if we like it enough we can call it Chadab.
This word looks orthodox, sounds orthodox and I must say if it was rewritten this way, the entire movement would be the truth that the universe seeks.
So rather than hating the Lubavich movement which I do not, I wish to write them a letter which maybe here in I do and tell them that their decision to coin a name for their goals and aspirations was in fact wrong.
I bet that if this ever becomes the Chadab movement which lets say I will be the first person ever to join myself, this movement will be to the fruition of western civilization and the entire universe.
Lets rename this prospect and see where it goes. Perhaps we will truly bring ALL peoples to Torah who are Jewish and bring about a messianic era in the future. Thanks.
Learning from the unscrupulous expressions of another person in life
I must say to you all that I have learned tonight first hand what it is that I can not tolerate in my day at any length and today I must report that I have evidence of the attrition caused by this horrible and sinful and irreprehensible form of social conduct.
What is it that I hereby wish to discuss?
Why the topic of gossip mongering of course.
I was in a coffee house this evening and I was working on a blog entry. To my right sat down two girls one of which was quite flustered in her conversations and she was not very politely keeping her voice down at any length either. The conversation progressed and I could no longer construct valid sentences and thoughts as I experienced the anger and hostility of a conversation of two ladies that were not in a good friendly mood or thought process. The conversation progressed to the talk of gossip and though I can not be guilty of the sin of listening to gossip being that I am not in the conversation, I was quite markedly unable to continue in my own thought processes and was simply waiting for the disordered thinking to change to a more orderly thought processes. Eventualy it did and I continued in my thinking and the blog entry which I most certainly skillfully entered.
That said, I must say that as a former medical practicioner, I can not see how I could have conduced diligent medical care in the presence of any such horrible sinful pagan thought processes being expressed in a climate that I must continue my work and dare I say If I was a surgeon be involved in a timely and efficient operation.
This is a malicious and extremely horrible type of mindset and thinking to engage upon and I wish to tell you that I almost was to get up and leave the vicinity of these two ladies, save to say that there were no other places to sit.
What is it that I hereby wish to discuss?
Why the topic of gossip mongering of course.
I was in a coffee house this evening and I was working on a blog entry. To my right sat down two girls one of which was quite flustered in her conversations and she was not very politely keeping her voice down at any length either. The conversation progressed and I could no longer construct valid sentences and thoughts as I experienced the anger and hostility of a conversation of two ladies that were not in a good friendly mood or thought process. The conversation progressed to the talk of gossip and though I can not be guilty of the sin of listening to gossip being that I am not in the conversation, I was quite markedly unable to continue in my own thought processes and was simply waiting for the disordered thinking to change to a more orderly thought processes. Eventualy it did and I continued in my thinking and the blog entry which I most certainly skillfully entered.
That said, I must say that as a former medical practicioner, I can not see how I could have conduced diligent medical care in the presence of any such horrible sinful pagan thought processes being expressed in a climate that I must continue my work and dare I say If I was a surgeon be involved in a timely and efficient operation.
This is a malicious and extremely horrible type of mindset and thinking to engage upon and I wish to tell you that I almost was to get up and leave the vicinity of these two ladies, save to say that there were no other places to sit.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
What is a cult and what is the ChaBaD?
I must say here that I went into this open minded. I was told many years ago that the ChaBaD was a cult of Jewish orthodox jewish believers and in the years since becoming Torah orientated I must say I have indeed had some small experiences with this lcoal and national religious based organization.
Our synagogue in our town is orientated by the ChaBaD. The rabbi is an emissary and his wife also one of their shaliachs. They were open people when we met, though I can not say that either is pleasant to me over all today. This is in my thoughts not my own doing other than I have been seeking a true Torah existence and in some ways, this has compromised their mission as the ChaBaD in their all inslusive religious and all semi permissive approach to bringing new and 'wayward' souls into their canopy of activity.
This is not my intent to disregard or denigrate an organization which seeks to attain greatness in the capacity of Gods real service. In many ways, the ChaBaD has made numerous positive contributions to our social and personal well being and I know that it always will do so.
But that said, I must conclude that ChaBaD is in fact a nuevo era cult that is not entirely inclusive and is very careful and very evasive perhaps in some of its ways.
I was personally asked to leave out religious congregation after I had "collided" with one person about my own use of the internet technology to present my own thoughts and opinions.
The ChaBaD rabbi told me "never come back" and he did not consider any of the circumstances regarding the matter. This was NOT A TORAH DECIISION. This was a method of making sure that the presence of his own emisassary role was not troubled or disrupted.
I must say that I have seen among all of the ChaBaD emissary families a very exact same social and presiding presence among all of the emissaries. I must say that when I look at each emissary wife and husband, I feel that I am looking at the exact same person regardless of the emissary's location, family or personal relationships with the community.
This alone is not evidence of a conpiracy at any length but it is clear that these people all have the exact same conjecture and mood and mind set as all of the other members. This to me makes it more of a cult. To disavow new threads of leadership and to disavow new portions of yearnings is to discriminate between trust in God and trust in a single leader.
This then is NOT TORAH.
I must say here that I in no way wish to be the "heretic" who only lives to slander and inplicate the ChaBaD in mockery and disruption of their true somewhat services to the Jewish community. I personally hope that the future of the ChaBaD is more of the future of the prosperity for all of our people without the exclusion and alienation of subsets of people of our faith or the lack of adherance to true Torah Worship and Values.
I can not say that the purpose of my own day is to denigrate or challenge ChaBaD. But that said, I have personally been denigrated and challenged myself by the ChaBaD. I was mocked for having a mental illness by the Rabbi I contacted at ChaBaD headquarters named Tzvi Freedman. I was told by the local rabbi that I was "unwell" when he told me never to return to the only single Torah observant congregation in my own location.
This speaks of heresy to me and I must add that I have tried a few times to contact others in the ChaBaD structure to discuss my own personal 'troubles' with my onw rabbi. This was met with silence. I have not yet received a return call nor have I been contacted regarding my phone calls that I have made. I must say that I am not sure where this will go and I am adamant that if I believe that Torah is violated, I will stand up and fight for what I see to be Observance and Torah Values. That said, I am always open to personal dialogue with all of the "emisarries" any time.
I have one a few occasions contacted a few other rabbis in other locations and having clearly no knowledge of my own personal experiences they have been forthright and friendly. This is obviously a blessing.
That said, there is no place for hostility and personal attacks by this organization. I have only the intent to live a Jewish Religious Life. I did not ask for the ChaBaD and I did not ask for a single Jewish rabbi to be the sole proprietor of my own Jewish learning and life.
This is a good day and age and I hope that the ChaBaD will indeed consider me a Jew of the best of intentions. I do not wish to be "excommunicated" as I have seen from a fellow who publishes the web site "www.failedmessiah.com". This fellow reports online that the ChaBaD leadership has discouraged all Jewish people from doing business with him and keeping him a contact. He even reports experience of harassment where by his web site was hacked and that his own personal mail box at home was filled with an onslaught of felonious subscriptions to magazines to embarrass him. It was suggested that someone in the ChaBaD organization was the culprit of this crime, but I can not say of course if that is actrually the truth.
Our synagogue in our town is orientated by the ChaBaD. The rabbi is an emissary and his wife also one of their shaliachs. They were open people when we met, though I can not say that either is pleasant to me over all today. This is in my thoughts not my own doing other than I have been seeking a true Torah existence and in some ways, this has compromised their mission as the ChaBaD in their all inslusive religious and all semi permissive approach to bringing new and 'wayward' souls into their canopy of activity.
This is not my intent to disregard or denigrate an organization which seeks to attain greatness in the capacity of Gods real service. In many ways, the ChaBaD has made numerous positive contributions to our social and personal well being and I know that it always will do so.
But that said, I must conclude that ChaBaD is in fact a nuevo era cult that is not entirely inclusive and is very careful and very evasive perhaps in some of its ways.
I was personally asked to leave out religious congregation after I had "collided" with one person about my own use of the internet technology to present my own thoughts and opinions.
The ChaBaD rabbi told me "never come back" and he did not consider any of the circumstances regarding the matter. This was NOT A TORAH DECIISION. This was a method of making sure that the presence of his own emisassary role was not troubled or disrupted.
I must say that I have seen among all of the ChaBaD emissary families a very exact same social and presiding presence among all of the emissaries. I must say that when I look at each emissary wife and husband, I feel that I am looking at the exact same person regardless of the emissary's location, family or personal relationships with the community.
This alone is not evidence of a conpiracy at any length but it is clear that these people all have the exact same conjecture and mood and mind set as all of the other members. This to me makes it more of a cult. To disavow new threads of leadership and to disavow new portions of yearnings is to discriminate between trust in God and trust in a single leader.
This then is NOT TORAH.
I must say here that I in no way wish to be the "heretic" who only lives to slander and inplicate the ChaBaD in mockery and disruption of their true somewhat services to the Jewish community. I personally hope that the future of the ChaBaD is more of the future of the prosperity for all of our people without the exclusion and alienation of subsets of people of our faith or the lack of adherance to true Torah Worship and Values.
I can not say that the purpose of my own day is to denigrate or challenge ChaBaD. But that said, I have personally been denigrated and challenged myself by the ChaBaD. I was mocked for having a mental illness by the Rabbi I contacted at ChaBaD headquarters named Tzvi Freedman. I was told by the local rabbi that I was "unwell" when he told me never to return to the only single Torah observant congregation in my own location.
This speaks of heresy to me and I must add that I have tried a few times to contact others in the ChaBaD structure to discuss my own personal 'troubles' with my onw rabbi. This was met with silence. I have not yet received a return call nor have I been contacted regarding my phone calls that I have made. I must say that I am not sure where this will go and I am adamant that if I believe that Torah is violated, I will stand up and fight for what I see to be Observance and Torah Values. That said, I am always open to personal dialogue with all of the "emisarries" any time.
I have one a few occasions contacted a few other rabbis in other locations and having clearly no knowledge of my own personal experiences they have been forthright and friendly. This is obviously a blessing.
That said, there is no place for hostility and personal attacks by this organization. I have only the intent to live a Jewish Religious Life. I did not ask for the ChaBaD and I did not ask for a single Jewish rabbi to be the sole proprietor of my own Jewish learning and life.
This is a good day and age and I hope that the ChaBaD will indeed consider me a Jew of the best of intentions. I do not wish to be "excommunicated" as I have seen from a fellow who publishes the web site "www.failedmessiah.com". This fellow reports online that the ChaBaD leadership has discouraged all Jewish people from doing business with him and keeping him a contact. He even reports experience of harassment where by his web site was hacked and that his own personal mail box at home was filled with an onslaught of felonious subscriptions to magazines to embarrass him. It was suggested that someone in the ChaBaD organization was the culprit of this crime, but I can not say of course if that is actrually the truth.
Surviving a perceived Nuclear Holocaust
If you want to know what medical school is like. I tell you this. Imagine dancing in the garden of eden half of the time and the other half of the time trying to survive a perceived nuclear holocaust. Test taking time in medical school was the most troubling of experiences that one might imagine. It begins about three weeks before the examinations begin and ends with hopefully a pitcher of beer at your favorite cantina or bar.
The problem is this.
Many people know that their entire existence on the campus is resting on their accomplishment of a passing grade on their examinations. That is a very scary thing. Imagine your first semester. Everyone studied. You know that. There are examinations and you anticipate they are not a cakewalk or even a roll in the barn stable. It is a very rigid examination process. You have never taken a medical school examination ever before. You have to take this examination and if you did not meet passing, your entire time at that school may in fact either conclude shortly or otherwise be threatened for the entire time you are a student. In fact, at all times as a student, there is a slight feeling that you may not be afforded a graduate degree until it is finally handed to you. That is the trouble with being a student.
In college, you are quite confident that if you study and attend classes, you will graduate. Its pretty much ensured.
Not so in medical school.
Medical school is not really a place to weed people out of the work force and force them into a lesser place in the academic structure. It is really just a place where we hone the mind to produce skilled medical practicioners. Perhaps there are minds that are not yet ready for such a honing process.
That said, if you are in medical school, remember this.
Academic Student days are a challenge to your mind and your mind only. There is no concern about the pocket book and that is never your aim to even consider.
The consideration is that you are going to be honed and that you must allow this process to occur.
Is there a time for happiness in the halls of a medical school during the times of exams?
I say that you might read this writing and consider that its not a shot in your soul. Its a shot in your fibula.
Be careful and be warned. If you are going to want to express suicidal thoughts of a frenzy of fervor or a frency of glee, medical school during exam time is not the place for you.
It is a good place for the mourning soul to realize that he or she is not the doctor today and that he or she must indeed be tested in a large room with a pencil in your hand and a few hours to answer many multiple choice questions. If you lose sleep over that, that is fine. That may even be good. Perhaps you stayed up all night long before the examination and studied. Perhaps you did. Do you think that is to destroy your head or hurt your mind? Its to hone you. The honing will take place and thats what medical school examinations are for.
The problem is this.
Many people know that their entire existence on the campus is resting on their accomplishment of a passing grade on their examinations. That is a very scary thing. Imagine your first semester. Everyone studied. You know that. There are examinations and you anticipate they are not a cakewalk or even a roll in the barn stable. It is a very rigid examination process. You have never taken a medical school examination ever before. You have to take this examination and if you did not meet passing, your entire time at that school may in fact either conclude shortly or otherwise be threatened for the entire time you are a student. In fact, at all times as a student, there is a slight feeling that you may not be afforded a graduate degree until it is finally handed to you. That is the trouble with being a student.
In college, you are quite confident that if you study and attend classes, you will graduate. Its pretty much ensured.
Not so in medical school.
Medical school is not really a place to weed people out of the work force and force them into a lesser place in the academic structure. It is really just a place where we hone the mind to produce skilled medical practicioners. Perhaps there are minds that are not yet ready for such a honing process.
That said, if you are in medical school, remember this.
Academic Student days are a challenge to your mind and your mind only. There is no concern about the pocket book and that is never your aim to even consider.
The consideration is that you are going to be honed and that you must allow this process to occur.
Is there a time for happiness in the halls of a medical school during the times of exams?
I say that you might read this writing and consider that its not a shot in your soul. Its a shot in your fibula.
Be careful and be warned. If you are going to want to express suicidal thoughts of a frenzy of fervor or a frency of glee, medical school during exam time is not the place for you.
It is a good place for the mourning soul to realize that he or she is not the doctor today and that he or she must indeed be tested in a large room with a pencil in your hand and a few hours to answer many multiple choice questions. If you lose sleep over that, that is fine. That may even be good. Perhaps you stayed up all night long before the examination and studied. Perhaps you did. Do you think that is to destroy your head or hurt your mind? Its to hone you. The honing will take place and thats what medical school examinations are for.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Organ Donation
I was always a big endorser of the idea of organ donation. In the past I was an organ donor on my driver's license. I have since gone through a metamorphosis of sorts and have don't a 360 degree turn on this subject. I was previously becoming more involved in my own personal religious beliefs and considering that one must not wish to have an autopsy as a Jewish person, I also considered that one might not wish to donate a solid organ and that one might in fact be more righteous and better off upon our burial with all of our organs intact. I had thought this way now for a good 3 years or more. I had considered that if I went to the grave without an organ, that my post life afterlife might be somewhat changed and perhaps that my soul would not be very happy in the world to come having been buried without a vital structure. The Jewish belief is that we must be completely buried. That is a fact.
But I have since reconsidered this position. I must say that I read an article of a fellow who received organs from a North Carolina Tar Heels affiliate and that he has since become a big North Carolina State Fan. That struck me as prolonging ones legacy and ones interests in the human kingdom. I must say that being a blogger, I hope that my blogs and interests will indeed continue for me beyond the grave.
That said, I must say that this was the trigger to make me reevaluate (and it happened quite fast) my own ideas about donation of my own organs post mortem. I do think I will be changing my drivers license to allow such donations. I personally think that Judaism and Torah which are for living matters and the living world would indeed endorse Organ donation. If you can prolong life, it is a mitzvah. I do not believe that there are any considerations for your afterlife if your organs are transplanted into a living body. I do however think that if your kidney or other organ sat in a lab after you died (such as by autopsy), this does in fact interfere with the integrity of your body as it is placed in its final resting place. So Organ Donation I say is fine. Let the rabbis and all continue their enlightened discussions. I have never read a single bit that I recall that details the Jewish view on organ donation and I no longer think I will be looking for this information, only if it does come across my desk in life.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Trying not to "offend"
I recently took off about 23 comments I posted on sabbath 2 weeks ago. I thought that perhaps my invokation of some of the details of shabbas life that I no longer feel are valid, at least to me, may offend or inflame a group of ardent beleivers. That was not my intention.
I hope that it is a possible insight and liberalism that one may consider these matters. If I have offended anyone by discussing Ben Kenobe in association with checking Eiruvs, I can only say that I apologize. It was a thought out blog posting, though I have no interest in invalidating or denigrating the good way of life of many people who mean well and do as they think they must do. For as myself, I choose to do as I believe my Creator would have me do in my lifetime. So too must be that decision of others and perhaps that is not God's intent to change today. That said, this is my testamony and I hope that it has some interest and trust in my conversations here online. Thanks!
I hope that it is a possible insight and liberalism that one may consider these matters. If I have offended anyone by discussing Ben Kenobe in association with checking Eiruvs, I can only say that I apologize. It was a thought out blog posting, though I have no interest in invalidating or denigrating the good way of life of many people who mean well and do as they think they must do. For as myself, I choose to do as I believe my Creator would have me do in my lifetime. So too must be that decision of others and perhaps that is not God's intent to change today. That said, this is my testamony and I hope that it has some interest and trust in my conversations here online. Thanks!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New Blog
Hi folks,
I am now proud to say that I have self published 8 books and the last 3 are due soon. I have one more thats a picture book that will likely be published when I can budget the extra expense of ordering a color book for myself. That said, all the books I write from now on will be under the blog http://www.brennersbooks.blogspot.com/ .
Enjoy! Thanks!
I am now proud to say that I have self published 8 books and the last 3 are due soon. I have one more thats a picture book that will likely be published when I can budget the extra expense of ordering a color book for myself. That said, all the books I write from now on will be under the blog http://www.brennersbooks.blogspot.com/ .
Enjoy! Thanks!
Smoking the Big Daddy
Well, I have always thought that a culebra cigar was the top of the top as far as sophistication goes. I have to report that other than a slightly higher price tag, it is really no big deal... unless you get a 50 dollar one from Davidoff perhaps. That said, I tried a 17 dollar culebra from La Flor Dominica Today. I am new to this and perhaps you are as well. A culebra is actually three cigars in one braided appearance rolled together into one seemingly big cigar. I was wrong. You untie each end and then you get three small cigars. They actually smoke fast and perhaps 15 minutes each or less. That said it was fun and I enjoyed the play with a tied cigar and all that. The reason cigars come this way is that in days gone by, the cigar makers had to deal with stolen cigars and if they had three tied together, there was much less theft. So thats that. I say it was a good cigar and I had fun. But I think thats the last of my culebra endeavors. I had actually thought that you smoked all three at the same time. No Go. Here's a photo of a culebra for the interested:
Monday, March 14, 2011
Yes I have a brother and guess what? He is now a blogger too
My brother lives in Hong Kong China where he is living for the past decade with 2 sons, a third child on the way right now and his wife, Mayumi who is a Japanese born woman. Her family was effected by the recent events in China. If you wish to see my brother, Brian's Blog, here is the link. Thanks!
http://hitachinakacity.blogspot.com/
http://hitachinakacity.blogspot.com/
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Tidal wave blues star from Partyville, USA
What is this blog entry about? Catching a fly ball in the outfield in your first year of baseball in your youth of course. I was a baseball and t-ball player as a youth. 2 years of each. I ran the bases once in a blue moon and I liked to do my best to have some fun even though I must admit that for a centerfielder or left fielder and then a catcher, it was never a hero's job. That said, I was never the top player and noone wanted to kill me per se, but I was never their hero either. That said, I once caught a fly ball when I was playing for a team with a really fine coach. I felt like the world just let me live again. I was never the best ball player and if the ball came my way, it was never going to be returned with a really strong arm or with a good perfect throw either. But that said, catching a fly ball gets you an out. So I did my due diligence to God and country and somehow that pop fly landed squarely in my unused mitt that never saw the greatest action except in a game of toss. I saved the day if for but a breif handshake with my Creator. It went well and I never thanked God but who does that at that age. Thanks God, it meant alot. But why didn't I hit a homerun too. Maybe that would have been a fun time. Right?
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Keeping the home holy and clean and Godly
I must say that now that I only keep the flame lighting from taking place in the home, I can feel a definate distinction from the inside of the home and the rest of the world. I must say that the home feels carefully laid out and that it feels holier that we do not light a flame in the home but that we do not care if its lit on our front door step. Thats fine by me. I am sure that perhaps some of the many orthodox people who do appearantly exist but I am yet to get to know might tell me that I am wrong and misguided. I say not. So be good and kept the laws exactly as they are written. I am yet to find the exact law in the Tanakh on lighting a flame in your home on shabbas. Perhaps if I am meant to find it and worry about its detail as I am sure I am, I will stumble across such the law may be soon. Thanks.
How I felt about not answering a telephone call on shabbas
I must say I was angered that someone might call on shabbas up to this week. Now I just realize that shabbas is a day to live and not a day to hole up and camp alone and away from the rest of the planet. Many people think it is a day to hole up. I say live your life and be happy. I am not going to be pretenting to be the holy guy on the block who plays Gods fiddle for God himself. I just want to enjoy being a human being. So I will be answering the phone. To answer the title of this blog, I felt that I was the pope and that all the people calling were the people waiting outside my window outside in the square below. And no one messes with the pope, right?
How I feel today about my past year of "shabbas observance".
I am going through all the lessons I know and this is what I have to say:
As for preparing my home by turning on certain lights, unscrewing the bulbs on the refridgerator, setting the radio to sound ok when I am in one or two of my rooms so I don't have to change the volume or the station- I felt like a trolley can salesman.
As for separating the toilet paper so that I didn't have to rip in on shabbas or setting aside a box of kleenex on my toilet and even doing that on shabbas instead of ripping a square- I felt like a box car hobo or a national kooky man. Really. It was that bad and I admit that in the last several weeks, I just noticed I'd rip a square and I didn't care.
As for not opening a box that came in the mail- I felt like a jehovahs witness. I eventually opened boxes that came on shabbas and was always pleased to get the item that came to me. It made my shabbas better.
As for not using the computer on shabbas- I felt like the statue of liberty doing acid.
As for not watching television on shabbas- I felt like the empire state building running laps around the stock yards.
As for not smoking my pipe on shabbas- I felt like a mexican immigrant waiting for the quotas to fall so that he could indeed get a job working in the fields.
As for not driving on shabbas ever- I felt like a totem pole salesman or a bible salesperson. take your pick. Either way I really did not feel truly Jewish. Just that I was following an extremely angry bunch of people who really did not like the fact that other Jews may have driven anywhere on shabbas when they did in fact walk only. This was actually the last of my shabbas 'delusions' that I think I have addressed. I think all is good. I don't think that I'm going to wake up next Friday and negate all the consideration I've written up today.
So guess what, I'm really a liberal Jew. And personally I think that Torah is liberal.
As for not answering the phone on shabbas- I felt like a corn cob in the hot nebraska sun. I was a good guy before and I was glad to have a day of peace,but it wouldn't have killed me to talk to my brother on shabbas from where he was in China. The poor fellow is not around our main family and just has his own family now. Shabbas should not separate people, just profanity from the holy.
As for preparing my home by turning on certain lights, unscrewing the bulbs on the refridgerator, setting the radio to sound ok when I am in one or two of my rooms so I don't have to change the volume or the station- I felt like a trolley can salesman.
As for separating the toilet paper so that I didn't have to rip in on shabbas or setting aside a box of kleenex on my toilet and even doing that on shabbas instead of ripping a square- I felt like a box car hobo or a national kooky man. Really. It was that bad and I admit that in the last several weeks, I just noticed I'd rip a square and I didn't care.
As for not opening a box that came in the mail- I felt like a jehovahs witness. I eventually opened boxes that came on shabbas and was always pleased to get the item that came to me. It made my shabbas better.
As for not using the computer on shabbas- I felt like the statue of liberty doing acid.
As for not watching television on shabbas- I felt like the empire state building running laps around the stock yards.
As for not smoking my pipe on shabbas- I felt like a mexican immigrant waiting for the quotas to fall so that he could indeed get a job working in the fields.
As for not driving on shabbas ever- I felt like a totem pole salesman or a bible salesperson. take your pick. Either way I really did not feel truly Jewish. Just that I was following an extremely angry bunch of people who really did not like the fact that other Jews may have driven anywhere on shabbas when they did in fact walk only. This was actually the last of my shabbas 'delusions' that I think I have addressed. I think all is good. I don't think that I'm going to wake up next Friday and negate all the consideration I've written up today.
So guess what, I'm really a liberal Jew. And personally I think that Torah is liberal.
As for not answering the phone on shabbas- I felt like a corn cob in the hot nebraska sun. I was a good guy before and I was glad to have a day of peace,but it wouldn't have killed me to talk to my brother on shabbas from where he was in China. The poor fellow is not around our main family and just has his own family now. Shabbas should not separate people, just profanity from the holy.
Shabbas laws on lighting a fire
I must say this is on assignment for me to look up more. But it is my knowledge that one is not permitted to light a fire on the shabbas IN HIS OR HER HOME. This is the distintion I think. If you light a fire in your own home or extinguish the flame, you are in fact essentially telling God that he is not in control of your home. If you do this your home has a new light inside its borders or walls and is in fact a home that has escaped per se from the trust that God has handed you in life. If you escape God's trust how can you indeed enjoy the day that you were given. This is shabbas and it requires that you be good and believe in a True God. Truth is paramount. But that said, if you accidentally light a flame in your house all is not lost. But if thats your shabbas duty that you do in fact do, you have no trust in God to make the laws. I say that you can in fact light the flame outside your walls and doors but thats because if you are not in your home, God is watching over your house in your absence. So if you want to light a flame in the vicinity of your garden or your front yard, that by this thought process is fine. So this means you can drive a car that has gas to burn as well. So this is where I am today. I did blog earlier that I did not like to burn anything on shabbas. Maybe by this right you might be able to fly on shabbas. I must report that I never felt that God was angry that we were in the air on shabbas. Just our people. And our people are not our Creator. Just possibly a confused group of children who may or may not haver every truly 'gotten' it. After all, the ChaBaD does not even regard the law in Leviticus that requires man to grow his side curls long or at least not round off the corners of your scalp to be "the Law". That is what their emissary has told to me and he shaves his head clean. That to me is paganism and I will do what the law says, maybe not what the rabbi says. The torah did not say wait until there are rabbis to tell you what to do on your souls day off. It says keep my laws and why would God make his laws ambiguous. I will keep the laws as I see fit and thats that. Good day. Good shabbas!
Realizing I had it pretty much right all along and was not a bad kid at all
I must say that I had considered myself to be less than wholesome on the days I drove back from synagogue on a friday night or saturday afternoon in my vehicle. I was just comparing myself with those who really did not wish to get in the vehicle and drive and walked indeed to shul. This was to me a great job and clearly the really righteous people did this.... right? But that said, I never felt that I was a fool and I never felt that I was God's enemy. I never felt that My Creator was angry that I drove to shul but I did realize that if I didn't drive anymore, I might be blessed for sure. I did this and in a month, I was all over the place doing many new things including painting and writing. I had it in my mind that it was confirmed. Keeping out of a driving car on shabbas was really the job of a True Jew and I was in fact being a fool by driving. People who were religious seemed to take gladness though I never felt them to really love me any more for keeping shabbas with this activity missing. I felt they loved that I was confirming that they were the true orthodox and that they had it all going and coming and that I was going to avoid a practice that they really did not want to do, just so that they could indeed keep their rank in the community. That's all it was. Their rank and priviledge. They did not tell me that God would love me anymore or that God was angry that I had not done so earlier. If it was really a truth I would have been brought in line by a really angry religious right and a fool would not have seen the truth in the matter. But there are really no big Jewish fools and the reform and conservative are really not the dumbest people on earth. They are bright stars in their own accord. So lets do what we do today and do our best. Being Kosher is the big deal. And I don't think that anyone when I was a kid ever disputed that this was really the true way. We knew that we could do better all across the board and I am proud to say that I do in fact keep dietarily and hopefully mentally kosher as best as it may be possible given that I am not in the company of other orthodox jews in my home.
So thats that. I will indeed consider going out and driving on saturday now. I may even go to the cigar shop, though I guess you really don't want to spend money. I'll just bring my own cigar and enjoy their company. When I told them that I did not go to cigar shops on saturday I thought I was being true to being a Jew, but I really felt something was truly a miss. In fact, the best I did was tell them that they were not the sort of people I hung out with on the Sabbath. I never really thought much of it but there were nice Saturday activities there that might have been useful to enjoy. So thats that. I may likely go back. But today wont be the day. Thanks.
So thats that. I will indeed consider going out and driving on saturday now. I may even go to the cigar shop, though I guess you really don't want to spend money. I'll just bring my own cigar and enjoy their company. When I told them that I did not go to cigar shops on saturday I thought I was being true to being a Jew, but I really felt something was truly a miss. In fact, the best I did was tell them that they were not the sort of people I hung out with on the Sabbath. I never really thought much of it but there were nice Saturday activities there that might have been useful to enjoy. So thats that. I may likely go back. But today wont be the day. Thanks.
Truth Tolerance and a Good deal of Truth and Temperence
I must say that I just lit up my pipe in the shabbas after noon sunshine. I realize that the Shabbas Shemirath book says one must not light a flame. I will tell you that I have read in the TORAH that it is that you never light a flame IN YOUR HOUSE. Can you imagine being far from home for some reason, say the Nazis forced you to leave town and finding no lodging you were in the wildeness. Could you imagine not lighting a fire to stay warm. I can not. I just found myself walking up the stairs today and getting my pipe and going outside and lighting up. I am not a man who hates God and I do not find myself to have the feeling that God is mad at me. In fact, I think that I can even drive my vehicle, gas engine and all that on shabbas. Its not like you are lighting a flame in your home. You are not. So lets be exact in interpretation of shabbas laws. And since I have no Chevrusa (study partner), I have to do something to survive all alone in the world. I have no rabbis guiding my day but don't we need competent religious counsel? Thats it guys. This shabbas is a good day to smoke a pipe. Just do it outside so you don't light the flame indoors. Kapisch? Thanks!
Location Lunar Surface
Hey readers. I thought I was done writing on this blog today but yet there is more. I lay down, I see where my mind takes me and I decided it has to be written. So here it is. I just discovered that I am no longer sitting here all shabbas long just "waiting" for shabbas to be over... so I can use the computer, so I can use the television set, so I can make a phone call. I must say I didn't think that God created Shabbas to interrupt our existence as much as he did to elevate it. I did feel my existence was elevated, but I really often wanted to get the day over with. I liked to go out and smoke but I will tell you that today, smoking is just not on my mind at all. Perhaps because my mind is indeed happier. Perhaps because I am finding engaging ways to really enjoy the day. That said, I don't expect any of the religious jews to agree with me, not one Iota. I am just a fellow who was reform to begin with and they will think I am reform today as well. Where are they in my day, I must ask? I was asked never to return to the "orthodox" / ChaBaD synagogue in town and who is really looking out for me anyhow anymore. I called ChaBaD headquarters twice and never got a call back despite messages and talking to secretarial personell. That said, one I contacted even told me that the only hope for a man like me is to go to a psychiatrist, not keep TORAH. So I hope that you all excuse my interference in your activities. I will be what I think my Creator wants me to be. Thanks to Hashem we are a human society. Lets start acting like one and consider the ideas presented by a man or a woman, especiallyi one with a scientific acumen and one who kept the full book as perfect as possible for a one year experience. That has a lot of merit and if you don't think so, get my book and read it twice then throw it in the trash. I might in fact write all of these comments from today into book form and maybe someone should then tell me what its like to really be Jewish. For I am no longer allowed to be a True Jew in the town I enjoy as the ChaBaD is telling me that psychiatrists are more important than Torah. So so much for ChaBaD. I never liked them anyhow and I just liked being called for a torah honor and meeting a few new friends. Thanks!
Muktzeh
I must tell you all that I have astonishingly discovered that muktzeh is no longer bothering me today. For as long as I kept the orthodox seeming shabbat, I was well aware of muktzeh as a malady to avoid. Muktzeh is an item that is not holy on the sabbath to be touched with your hand. But as I am here on a muktzeh computer using it as a Jewish soul uses a useful item of life, I must say that muktzeh takes on new meaning. I found myself haphazardly picking up a quarter and a dime and carrying it to my other bedroom to put with my pocket change. I must say that I did not even think of the muktzeh idea until it dawned on me that last week carrying and touching such an item would have caused me to let it go and perhaps kiss my hand to tell my hand that it is indeed still 'loved'. Muktzeh takes away from your spirituality in that it is an unholy item that has no positive reinforcement for use on Shabbat. I must say that perhaps to one who engages in using the electricity, muktzeh has lost its changing nature on your spirit and touch. I must say that with this in mind, I must realize that using electricity on shabbas is indeed a bad conclusion. I am not a fool and I guess I just had my last horrah. I am going to go back to keeping a proper sabbath next week I think. Or am I?????? I just don't know anymore. I want a holy day but I want to be living in a true age that God has given to us to be human beings of Torah observance. Perhaps the muktzeh laws are outdated with the advent of electricity that you can indeed use sparingly perhaps on shabbas days. I know this is a radical idea but I am looking for a human existence and I want to be right on all of the issues all of the time. I have previously detailed my transformative thought processes of this day and I must say that I can not run around with one cup in the air while the other is behind my back. I must keep them both close to me. So that said, I think this is it. I no longer observe shabbas as the orthodox jews believe you should. But perhaps I do it the way that I think I should. Should this week go less than I feel is optimumly I will have to uncross my T's and undot my I's in life and reconsider that this is a transient one day expereince in my life of shabbas observance and that I have just made myself look silly for some reason or another to the Sabbath Kingdom.
So be good and hope that God is the guiding force in my existence. I think I have passed the ideas of arrogance and heresy as my own driving force that makes me who I am. Thanks. I think. :).
So be good and hope that God is the guiding force in my existence. I think I have passed the ideas of arrogance and heresy as my own driving force that makes me who I am. Thanks. I think. :).
Island in a stream
I must say that I enjoyed my Shabbas's where I did not use the telephone. I was growing in my yiddishkeit and I was certain that I was doing something right by my people. I never did think that God was overly happy but I knew that my people would be happy. That was what it took. But that said, I had no phone contact with any person on Shabbas for a year. It was ok, but Sunday is just not a great day to call everyone and people are out and about and you can indeed reach some people albeit not the orthodox jews who now I see live in some darkness on this important day of the week. That said, I spoke with my Uncle today in California. My brother too who is in China. If they are not in your day on shabbas, how good of a shabbas is it.... really? I just say this, be good and be mindful that choices are ours to make. Hell is a real place but you don't go there by being a telephone friend on shabbas to someone else. Be right in your judgements and expect the best. Its out there and you want it. I got it now. :) B'H
Industrial Revolution meets Batman and all is well in Gotham City
I must say that I am a Jew who has kept the shabbas as a fully orthdox Jew to the best of my knowledge as we are taught by the books and shabbas manuals.... save for playing a musical instrument. I think I did well. I feel blessed and healthy. But lets face it, there was an industrial revolution and it effects not just sunday through friday morning but Friday night and Saturday as well. Saturday and Friday night I have purposely capitalized in the previous sentence and I purposely made little of the days from sunday through friday morning. They are not as important as Shabbas. But that said, I do profess that shabbas is not denigrated by the idea that you can indeed keep it without refraining from an electrical usage. It is not smart to make it a day of electricity celebration, but so too dont run around and destroy your own integrity by worrying incessantly about a single act such as placing a light switch on "on" after it was "off". The industrial revolution is a fact of life and we can not change the times in which God chose to introduce ourselves to the history of civlization. So I must say that how I feel today is that I am keenly aware of the industrial revolutions effect on my own life and that I must ascribe that it is indeed God's choice that we enjoy a world with its priviledges. This includes Thomas Edison's invention any day of the week. Get it. Good. Lets get back to the Batman and Robin show. I really hope that they do get that Joker. Thanks!
Inventing a new wheel but a better one that works right and winds like a clock but tastes like a dreidle
I must say that I just turned off the television. It was annoying me. This is shabbas and I want a religious experience, not a candid camera that clicks when you smile for the rodent lord that you think you really want to obey. So that said, I am going to revisit the idea that you don't want to keep shabbas without a Clock that ticks like a power cord in the Ben Kenobe hall of fame. What this means is that I believe that you should minimize your electrical experiences on shabbas but that is is ok. Keep the idea that you can read a book and that you have personal time to reflect on Hashem and Creation. If you turn on the television for a ten minute stay, thats fine. If you are online all day long or you watch the entire football game each and every Saturday, you have not separated the holy from the profane and you really just are making a mockery of your own lifestyle. God is here to be our Ruler, not our slave master. We do not have to read the Torah every living moment of the day and we do not have to keep our fingers off a light switch just becuase its shabbas. That is not how I believe our Creator had intended for the sons of Abraham to live their lives. But that said, be ever so mindful of what day today is, for it is a day of true rest. I may have written a lot today but I am not snoozing in a chat room. I have a purpose and I believe its justice and praise for God. So if I can be so candid, be good and have a good year. Peace out.
Saying "Baruch Hashem" Today
I am a fellow who thinks that he does keep the Torah values of Moses. That said, I sometimes say "Baruch Hashem" when I am pleased or to bring hope to my day. That said, I must said it feels a little different to say B'H when you are not keeping a sabbath as the same way that the orthodox Jewish people who say they are really orthodox do. Or does it. I say Baruch Hashem and a trumpet plays in heaven. That said, is that trumpet any louder if the orthodox who does not use electricity on shabbas says the same thing? I think it may be louder for him but only because he does not yet realize that he is permitted to use electricity on shabbas. It is louder for him because he is Godly and he wants to remain so. It is Godly for him to be the way that he is and I will not take his cheese away from him if he really likes to eat Muesnter and Cotton candy together. But that said, I am a muenster cheese eater and I do not like to mix it with cotton candy. It tastes fine as it is and I don't think I need to dance on the beliefs that I am perfect because some rabbi says so. I believe that only God knows what we are to be like and if you want to know Hashem, study Torah. That said, I do this very thing and I am pleased to announce that I believe that it is with Torah study and an adherence to Laws that my Creator has blessed me with a new paradigm in life. Namely that an orthodox Jewish soul can indeed play the radio on shabbas and can indeed play with a fiddle and can indeed light a row of television sets in his home if need be. Baruch Hashem! That's progress.
Lets hear it for the Beatles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I must say that today is a challenging day for me. After a full year of what is considered "the proper way" to observe shabbas, I have made a detour. Rather than that I have just dotted my I's in life. So that said, I must say that I realize that a Jew who doesn't refrain from using electricity on shabbas doesn't "look" like he's doing as good in the light of a troubled world. But I say that indeed he is doing the same as one who does keep sabbath this way. Rather, I must admit, I feel like a crazed Beatles' fan in the era of a 1950's anti rock and roll older generation. Its the way of the future and after 15 years, everyone liked the Beatles. But that said, the image of a Jew is very important necessity that everyone should regard as trustworthy unto God. This is Gods way. So lets be frank here. I'm going to probably have to go back to keeping shabbas as an orthodox jew, right? I want to say here that perhaps I will. Perhaps this is a one day affair where I type a lot of stuff, make one of my dear reform friends say "like that" when I post to facebook that you can post on shabbas and perhaps I was just testing the waters. But I am not sure. I will certainly follow up next week and if its meant to be. Let it be. But I did not take my 1996 GMC Gas burning Jimmy for a ride today and I wont smoke a pipe until after the sun is clear of the day. So lets see, I read my comments online on a saturday and I think "it really looks a lot like what a reform Jew is up to in life" but I keep the shabbas laws as I believe they really apply. I am not a reform Jew but I believe in truth, temperance and tolerance and I want to live a kosher life. I want to impress my friends and family by being kosher, but I want to be honest with myself and impress God as well. So it looks like this is the way of the future and I will certainly be a lot less hard on the reform jew who wants to watch the television on saturday and eat a microwave pizza. Thanks! Baruch Hashem!
Disposing of your ugly creamy broken rocking chair of life
I must say that I was once a medical resident. We had to work very much 6 days a week for sure. What about our laundry. When did you do it? I was not fully shabbas observant or at least not doing the same thing that every orthodox Jew who thinks he or she is on the money does at that time, namely not doing laundry at home on shabbas. But that said, how do you perform your job without laundry. And if you don't have a spouse or friend or any other living at home, who is going to take care of your laundry when you don't do laundry on your Saturday off and you work too much the rest of the week. Even when you are off hours, you still have reading to consider. So I must say, I say a Religious Jew can indeed do his or her laundry at home on a Shabbas during his off hours. Ideally you might make it to shul, but if you had to drive a gas burning car, stay home I say.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Complicity in hell or heaven you take your pick
I must say here that I just entered the bathroom to take a shower and in doing so, I turned on a light switch. And I must say its a sad expience to do so on shabbas. Not because its a pagan foolish thing to do but rathe because you thought that you owned the right to have a sabbath that did not require you to light a light switch. And perhaps if you want to really have a good shabbat you wont use the electricity at all. I cant fault you for this and I can truly see how it might make you feel good, smart and wise. But it's just a fools rose parade. You really did not have to behave that way though if you feel like turning a light switch is unrestful activity, by all means leave them all on. But that said, in my home we don't like to pay for somthing we don't need to buy so I guess we will indeed shut off a few lights on shabbas. I wont feel the same pride in my soul that I was holier than I was before I did this practice of not using electricity, but that said, I will realize that God is not against me using an electric switch on shabbas. Thats my thoughts and I hope you guys all enjoy your electrical wizard shabbas years ahead of all of us! Thanks!
Feeling a touch of envy for the lighter
I must say that now that I have accepted that I can indeed use the electricity on shabbas, I found myself walking over to my pipe and tobacco stand and touching my ligher. I almost depressed the button. So I must admit that using electricity does confuse the mind. Perhaps that is why the rabbis banned it. I felt that if I can light a light bulb, maybe I can light a flame. So I picked up the lighter and envied it a minute. The thought crossed my mind that "you can even light that ligher up". I didn't. I put the lighter down with a solace and a respect for the fact that I can indeed play chess and listen to beethoven at the same time. It doesn't mean I am going to start throwing chess pieces to establish that Beethoven is more intelligent than I really am. He is when it comes to music, but I have my intelligence. I am not going to die a miserable soul. Baruch Hashem!
Electric city shabbas festival
I must say here that discussing the shabbas has a little less intellectual money involved as if you dont worry abotu electricity, how much different is it from the rest of the people on earth really. And thats a fact. This is probably a truth; keeping the sabbath after say 1900 seemed more of a duty of righteousness than it did before say 1850 when there was no electricity. Jews just did not work on shabbas and didnt light a fire. They were holy and the day was holy. After say 1910 the electricity became a norm and people really stood out as they didnt even use electricity on shabbas. So the jewish people really looked good right? I say they did to themselves but that many people snickered behind our backs. And that is how it really is. They still snicker especially when you tell them that you dont cut squares of toilet paper to wipe your heinie. Its good to really want to be Gods best child, but to be perfectly honest, God does like the troublemakers as much as he likes the angels. So be good and make an impact. If you cause a little trouble the rest of the troublemakers (the non shabbas following non jews) might like you personaly a little bit more. But you'll lose that edge you have over them when it comes to getting daddys little bowl of soup for him in the morning. But who is to say that Daddy likes his soup carrier more than he likes his rambunctious son who likes to play cops and robbers. Right? Daddy is not a prude is he? Daddy is just fun to be around and Daddy if you did not guess is our Dear Creator, Hashem! Baruch Hashem!
How I feel today about using electricity on shabbas
I feel like I'm swimming like a F---ing fish today as opposed to being the egg roll of the beggars association. I can read email from my brother and even say hi to him on the phone. But I did tell a fellow to go to hell today on the phone when he tried to solicit me for business purposes. Guess what folks? No more running to see who would dare call me by reading the call waiting on my telephone and either taking pity on them or feeling upset. I can use and will use the phone on shabbas. Thanks!
Sherlock Holmes
I will report here that I believed I was holier than the average human being becuase I did not use electricity on shabbas. It was a fool's mistake. I thought that God invented gasoline to burn but not to pour down the front of your igloo. Right. Just kidding. I realized that the invention of electricity was by man and man alone. Right? No of course not. Clearlyi God made the universe in that you might use electricity. And clearly God knew this when he gave us Torah. If Torah said do not even make a spark on shabbas we would know that electricity was to be forbidden. It does not. It says a flame. And a flame and a spark are not synonymous. So if you do make a spark on your way to the bathroom on your fine shag carpet when you were bitter cold in the winter and everything was bone dry in your home, you did not violate the sabbath. Neither did you if you accidentally turned on the lamp. And since this is so true, don't fret what you are doing on shabbas I say. And another word of advice. The torah does not detail the laws of mukzeh. True shabbas is holy and must be kept separate. But that is not true of the objects on shabbas. Don't touch your dogs bone on sabbath but if you are going to watch television the remote control is mukzeh. Now truly keeping electricity out of shabbas makes a clear distinction between shabbas and the work week. We need a real separation. But its really fire that we don't want to do and work for profit. You are permitted to move the dining room table on shabbas. So why not turn on the lamps as well. I'm just saying that not everything is so one sided and top heavy in life. Shabbas is to be enjoyed, not a time of trepidation because you might hit the lights or a feeling of resentment becuase you have a television set and don't watch it while your non shabbas orientated friends do watch television and use their computeres. This took me a while to get but its the God's truth. Be good and have a life. I do not wish to anger my Creator and I do not feel God is angry. If anything, I feel that God is happy and feels like he can relieve himself after a very long trip by automobile or whatever you may travel upon these days. So be good and make God happy. Do not be a pagan fool, a terrorist or a heretic. Be a Jew and be Jewish. And if you want to turn the television on and watch football on saturday, I'm going to be there to tell you that you can indeed do so. You didn't think that God created NCAA football for only the gentiles did you?
Waking up in a flash of instant coffee and warm water on your face
I must say that the idea of not using electricity on shabbas was interesting and that it really was an item that merited real debate. There were indeed true rabbis of the orthodox sort who once thought that perhaps electricity was ok. They did not meet the love of the true conservative minded jews of the day who were indeed Torah Stars. But that said, it just occurred to me in a flash today that this was indeed so. In the year that I did not do anything electrical on shabbas, I was anxious, I was concerned about my mother and father's experiences and I was angry that I could not actually sit down and have a cup of coffee in the morning without violating the perceived shabbas laws. Torah does not say thou shalt not drink Sanka on Shabbas. It doesn't. It says do not light a fire. I don't.
So that said, I am awake and ready to face the morning sunlight. But lets not be Jewish Terrorists and terrorize every living soul with our adhereance to a concept that is not prooven in Torah. Its not. Its a heresy and I must here in report this to be true. So rabbis of today, wake up. Perhaps the reform and conservative Jews are not the pagans you imagined them to really be. Perhaps some liberalism is a good thing. Not too much though. I don't want to start reading the menu for the golf resort on the way to the cucumber farm in my bed robes and bathroom slippers. Just kidding. I'll eat the cucumbers but don't play golf on shabbas. You'd have to drive your gas guzzler. Thanks!
So that said, I am awake and ready to face the morning sunlight. But lets not be Jewish Terrorists and terrorize every living soul with our adhereance to a concept that is not prooven in Torah. Its not. Its a heresy and I must here in report this to be true. So rabbis of today, wake up. Perhaps the reform and conservative Jews are not the pagans you imagined them to really be. Perhaps some liberalism is a good thing. Not too much though. I don't want to start reading the menu for the golf resort on the way to the cucumber farm in my bed robes and bathroom slippers. Just kidding. I'll eat the cucumbers but don't play golf on shabbas. You'd have to drive your gas guzzler. Thanks!
Jewish Terrorism
I must say that I was really threatened as a jew by those who told me that I must not use electricity at all on shabbas. I thought that it was a right that we needed to observe to really be holy. I had always heard the story of Elvis Presley who was a shabbas Goy turning on the lights for some family in Memphis, Tennessee. I thought that it was the way of the world to be perfect and that if I was not as perfect as other people told me that they needed to be, I was really not a good enough person to be their true friend and relative or council mate. I was really offended that we needed to make sure that a shabbas goy was present in our homes if we say wanted to watch television on shabbas. But that said, I endured one full year of not using the electricity at any major length (I left the radio playing and once in a while I accidentally turned on a light by accident). I was terrorized by the idea that turning on a light was not the acts of a Jewish human being on shabbas. I was terrorized by the local rabbi who lived next door to the synagogue, had ten children and kept shabbas to a T. I knew that there might be something wrong with driving since I was sure that the law about lighting a fire applied to vehicles as well. But I did not 100 % feel that listening to music on the radio was a bad thing. It was not. I did enjoy the past year, though I felt I might be regarded as a Jewish radical by the in group of Jewish orthodox believers. So that said, I am going back to being myself and I am going to indeed enjoy using a computer on shabbas. I also think that I will consider painting and writing down your phone number if you call me on shabbas. Its not starting a flame and its not work I do for my livelihood. I must say that Torah is not a third world way of oppression. It is enlightened liberal learning and I will be the first to lock the bathroom door when I leave for the bahamas on my first ticket out.
That said, I do not believe you can start a fire in any sense on shabbas. So no driving your gas powered vehicle and no airplane ride either. Boats included if they have anything that burns fuel. That said, I will take any electric vehicle out for a ride on shabbas in the years to come. I also agree that one must not work an animal on shabbas. So do not drive your buggy on shabbas. That would be a bad move. Thanks.
That said, I do not believe you can start a fire in any sense on shabbas. So no driving your gas powered vehicle and no airplane ride either. Boats included if they have anything that burns fuel. That said, I will take any electric vehicle out for a ride on shabbas in the years to come. I also agree that one must not work an animal on shabbas. So do not drive your buggy on shabbas. That would be a bad move. Thanks.
Facing the truth
I must admit here that being an orthodox jew is really not that difficult at all. It was something that I had previously viewed as running a marathon. Clearly that was true with the example that you could not use electricity on shabbas. But that said, if you can use electricity on shabbas, as I know that you can indeed, keeping orthodox is just more like closing the door on the bathroom. Its not that difficult to wear tzitzis, have a mechitza, begin to keep kosher which when adopted is just a routine and not a challenge and it is no trouble to continue your Jewish learning and study.
So be good and be orthodox. Its not a good thing to forsake the teachings of Moses and your forefathers. And its not as hard as you thought either.
So be good and be orthodox. Its not a good thing to forsake the teachings of Moses and your forefathers. And its not as hard as you thought either.
What my big problem is with the reform and conservative movements
I must say that I really was a happy kid as a reform youth and I really thought that God liked our synagogue. Perhaps he did. Of course he did. But that said, I did know that I wasn't "orthodox" and that I was not as "holy" as the orthodox jew in terms of my own commitment to study and being religious in the home and in the work place. That was ok with me and I did not really feel that God was angry with me at any level. So I felt that I was a good Jew and I really was. I was a good Jew. But that was not my main ingredient in my success. I did feel that I was missing the boat as the orthodox jews had something that I really needed and I did not really grasp what it really was. Torah? Well I had a copy of the Torah. Kosher living? Well, I could be kosher too as best I wanted. Sabbath? Well maybe they had me that they really knew how to keep sabbath... or did they????? I'm just saying my reform experiences were not a pagan experience and they were not the worst of the day for any relationship between boy and girl, man and woman. But that said, I eventually realized that men don't shake hands with women and that girls should indeed fully cover their bodies. The orthodox were right. Men and women were different and must be contained in as of such. So the mechitza was the thing that I was missing the boat in life upon. It was only in the orthodox communities and the reform and conservative shunned this really important structure. I felt so much that it was important that I started a facebook group called somthing like "establishing the permanence of a mechitza in jewish worship". Its on Facebook if you care to join me. But that said, the reform are not horrible people and unfortunately both they and the conservative are nice people who love being Jews but just dont know what Jewish life is about. So keep the Mechitza. I wont go to another reform or conservative service but I might join you for drinks some day in your halls. Best Regards,
Dr. Craig B.
Dr. Craig B.
Breaking the seal on your medicine bottle
I must tell you that the feeling I have is a humble yet sort of a "I am sick" symptom. Admitting that I can indeed use the radio and the television and all that on the shabbas is like being a person with a mental illness and having to take an antipsychotic medication. That's right, I'm calling the orthodox belief which is not scientifically valid that you can not use electricity on shabbas a psychosis. It really is. So take your antipsychotic pill people and wake up and turn on a light switch and turn on that television if you want to do so. God is not going to destroy your creativity and your blessings for being Jewish but not taking a new way of life up becuase the discovery of electricity was the biggest threat to the Shabbas. It isn't. Be Good. Be Jewish.
Eiruvs and Ben Kenobe
Ok. For those of you who don't know the religious jewish community. let me tell you what an Eiruv is. It is an interestingly simple but not too terrific boundary that orthodox jews put up around a community so that they can carry their keys or that they can push a baby carriage on the sabbath. I do not have one in my town and I will report to you that the emotions of the orthodox jewish community are a serious concern of my own health a being. But that said, I do not have any personal experience with any true orthodox jews nor did they ever come into my 1000 family or larger jewish community to bring us the "light" of their ways so I must say I have no problem criticizing this ambivalent religious community that has not really explained its ways to me and has not ever taken me in its hand to bring me closer to Torah observance. An eiruv is a large thick wire that is draped on say telephone poles or roof tops and corms a closed barrier. The argument is that you can indeed carry say your keys to and from synagogue if you are in the eiruv because carrying is permitted in a fixed borded and the eiruv is a true fixed border. People serve thier interests by checking the eiruv to make sure that its intact. Not only is this not Torah in my opinion but it is foolish and makes Jews look like children who are just looking to make sure that their obi wan keno be doll is still in their possession. I believe that the eiruv was an interesting concept and was needed to be a scientific experiment, but that is not really what it is really going to do for your community. It is not a border that is circumscribed in your hearts and it is just a physical surrounding that one makes to begin a community. Great. Have your borders, but it is not in your heart and you can not possibly enjoy the security that any eiruv brings to your own established soul. It is a blessing to be mindful of Torah requirements but I personally say that pushing a baby carriage that may carry some of your necessities is not against Torah and that if you wish to carry your keys to synagogue, go right ahead. If you are really concerned about carrying keys as you should be, tie a string around the key change and attach it to your garment. Thus the keys are now part of your daily wear. So they are not being carried. They are being worn. That would serve to obligate the silly need for this eiruv and if I have offended you people who like the eiruv, I say that you have offended me as I never met you or any of your children in my entire life until I was say in my mid thirties and by then all the harm of missing torah observance was missed. So mark my words, you threw the first stone. I am just going to put your name in my book of friends I missed and remember that you were more concerned with your community's borders rather than my own personal health and being. Thanks.
Challah and Kosher Wine: How to make it right
Did you know that if you make challah, you have to throw away a small ball sized portion of the dough before you bake the bread. I think that this small throw away portion is actually called "challah" from what I once read. I did not understand this idea until this morning. Here is my thought on this matter.
When you throw away a small amount of the challah, you are telling God that you did not bake the bread to feed yourself to excess and enjoy prosperity and wealth. You are saying that you made the bread to be holy. And thats why we have Challah. May all of your wives know this and bake the bread once in a while or more.
That said, Kosher wine has a practice of "tithing". Whereby a Jewish answer to the concern that wine is drunk to get drunk is that we throw away some of the wine in order to say that "we didn't make it to get drunk, we made it to be holy and spiritual." No drunk would throw away a portion of his ale. Its all for his drinking capacity. This is only true of Kosher wine though. You do not tithe to make beer. Beer is not used for religious ceremony, unless rooting for say the Mets is your best way to tell God that you love him. It is a love of God to root for your favorite team, mind you, but it is not a love of Torah as Torah is what we use to bring ourselves to the front of the class and ask for seconds from God. Sports are great, but they dont feed your need to be better in your own head. Just better on the battlefield. And the battlefield is a good place to dine once in a while, but you better drink you kiddush cup and enjoy the blessings of a trusted Soul in heaven. Thanks!
When you throw away a small amount of the challah, you are telling God that you did not bake the bread to feed yourself to excess and enjoy prosperity and wealth. You are saying that you made the bread to be holy. And thats why we have Challah. May all of your wives know this and bake the bread once in a while or more.
That said, Kosher wine has a practice of "tithing". Whereby a Jewish answer to the concern that wine is drunk to get drunk is that we throw away some of the wine in order to say that "we didn't make it to get drunk, we made it to be holy and spiritual." No drunk would throw away a portion of his ale. Its all for his drinking capacity. This is only true of Kosher wine though. You do not tithe to make beer. Beer is not used for religious ceremony, unless rooting for say the Mets is your best way to tell God that you love him. It is a love of God to root for your favorite team, mind you, but it is not a love of Torah as Torah is what we use to bring ourselves to the front of the class and ask for seconds from God. Sports are great, but they dont feed your need to be better in your own head. Just better on the battlefield. And the battlefield is a good place to dine once in a while, but you better drink you kiddush cup and enjoy the blessings of a trusted Soul in heaven. Thanks!
Noachides: who they are and why the likely never will be popular religously in the garden of other non jews who like their islam or their christian experiences
Rabbi Schneerson of the Lubavich movement to me is the guiding "light" that wants to make sure that every non jew in the future becomes a "Noachide" rather than say christians, baptist or islamic person. For a good time, I thought this was a good thing. Those other ways of life were not Torah and they were not based on reason of God that I felt. So I thought... be a "noachide"... be a good man or woman of God and be happy. Noachidism did not require that anyone go to a church or mosque. You did not need to pray in a minyan so you can pray anywhere. There are no major noachide communities and no major noachide books on the market of which I have knowledge. It is a lonely way of life, although I support its existence. That said, I do not think that noachidism is going to take hold the way that say christianity or islam spread like wildfire. Noone wants to be under the auspices of the religious Jews as is noachides inception and it is really not a community with community centers. Not yet at least. Maybe one place. Maybe I just dont know 'noachidism'. But I am no longer going to be the Jew to tell other non jews that they would be better off this way. That was what the Rabbi Schneerson did. He said that others would really not be as ungodly as they were in his eyes if they were just noachides. This in fact is against Torah values as it brings embarrassment to the non jew if he does like a religion which is organized and affords his life and his family the benefits of community and solace in the Lord as they see fit. So lets be frank here, I am not a big fan of this Rabbi Schneerson. I know I wrote a blog in Sir Henry's Chimney I believe (or maybe it was earlier on here) that I said he was a great man. He was. But his teachings are like sugar without the spice. He was a big shot all the way, but guess what folks, non Lubavitch guys don't believe he is messiah and dont even really get into his life much. I am proud to be Jewish in an age where I do not have to follow the ways of the mainstream seeming Lubavich movement who is aimed at world dominance by setting a rabbi emmisary and wife in every town on the globe. Period. This is paganism to me as we dont need to bring the rabbi to the community first, we need to bring the business man or the Jew to lead the way. Then you get the rabbi. To send rabbis all over the world so that you can get Jews in the corner of the globe is like asking for God to give the Jews the entire worldy wealth no matter where it could be found. Let Jewish leadership and business dealings describe where our people settle. Not the desire for a rabbi to spruce up the island say that no jew has every been before but maybe its a nice place to go on vacation. So make no mistake here. I am not nor every will support the idea of the Lubavich movement. They may be an army of torah leaning turtle doves of the speech, but they are not turtle doves of the heart. I do not believe their movement will last the test of time. I think that we are blessed with true orthodox movements and perhaps someday, your faithful ba'al Tschuvah, myself will have a family of religious Jews to call friends. That is not my day today I am sorry to say, but I hope that I have God's support and that I will continue my life in a good way as a True Orthodox Jewish Leader of the days ahead. Many thanks.
CJB
CJB
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