There are a few website that have reported about the apparently-failed ban on this year's concert. Most of these sites allow user comments and there are a few people that have made comments that are worth addressing.
Over at VIN, someone had the following comment:
It seems to me that everyone has missed the point in this machlokes. Some months ago the Gedolim in Eretz Yisroel made a gezerah against a concert in Yerushalayim. They reasoned that it would lead to untzniusdik mixing of Yeshiva learners with Bes Yakov girls. At a time when the menuvlim were fighting in courts to march in the streets of Yerushalayim HaKodesh, what zchus would it be for Torah Yidden to abandon the Beis Midrash for a concert? I feel that in these difficult times with thousands of Yiddishe Mishpuchas loosing their parnassas, with Eretz Yisrael facing a terrible draught of geshem but at the same time the rain of Iranian missles, with the world facing a great depression, history will write that the Yidden in New York went to a huge concert and laughed and played and paid no mind. It is time for some sanity and to refocus the Frum Kehillas eyes toward what is essential in these times. The time for concerts from anyone is just not right. We need hisorarus and learning Torah as zchusim. Rejoice on Purim and sing Brucha Ester, Baruch Mordachai and that will be the zchus that might turn things around. Yidden do what is right.
His argument, in essence, boils down to "there are troubling things going on in the world (and with Jews in particular) now and therefore the concert is not appropriate.
I suppose there is some merit to the argument. One can certainly agree that there are circumstances under which the concert should be canceled. But a general "there are troubles in the world" is not really sufficient... after all, there's unfortuantely, always trouble somewhere in the world for Jews. Using this logic, there would never been any concerts... or any recreational activity.
Over in the Yeshiva World Coffeeroom, there is some discussion as to whether or not R. Shmuel Kamanetzky really allows people to go to the concert. One poster pointed out that R. Kaminetzky refused to sign the ban, but another said that he heard it from R. Shmuel's mouth that it's assur. When asked why R. Shmuel doesn't speak up, the following story was related about R. Elyashiv and something that he did not say but was widely reported:
Reb Elyashav said - I know, they did, but I never said that - they are wrong. So they guy asked, well why don't you come out and say that you never said that - it's a huge mistake. To which he responded - If I would go and refute every time someone quotes me wrong, I wouldn't have any time to do anything else because it would take up all his time every day. So it's very possible it's not true and he wouldn't nec. publicly deny it.)
My response is that if that's the case, then he should establish a rule that unless you hear it from his mouth (or his appointed spokesperson) then it's not real. If R. Elyashiv (or any other gadol) is aware of the weight and power of his words then he cannot allow people to co-opt that power without any protest. He *must* come forward and set the record straight.
I've always felt that, in this day and age, the gedolim need some official medium to get the word out. Relying on askanim and people with an agenda is a very poor way to run things. I would almost recommend that the gedolim have a blog.
The Wolf
Friday, February 27, 2009
But There Is No Joy In Askanville, For the Mighty Banners Have Struck Out!
I'm sure that most of you remember the debacle that occurred last year concerning Lipa Schmeltzer's "Big Event" concert. For the few that don't remember, or are new here, I'll quickly recap:
Lipa Schmeltzer arranged to have a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York last March. Most (all?) of the profits were going to go to a tzedaka organization in Israel that (IIRC) helps orphans in Eretz Yisroel.
Some askanim who, it seems, have it in personally for Lipa, went around to several of the gedolim and lied about his concert. They reportedly told the gedolim that there was going to be mixed dancing (lie: there was even separate seating!) and who knows what would go on. This was all done less than a month before concert. The gedolim, upon hearing this, signed a ban on the concert without trying to ascertain for themselves if the information they were being given was truthful, without reaching out to Lipa to get his side of the story or without even consulting with one another. In short, 33 signatures were obtained and the ban was published. In the end, Lipa had to cancel the concert. Since this happened right before the concert was to occur, there were a great losses to Lipa and his partners -- not to mention the fact that the tzedaka organization in Eretz Yisroel lost out. To my knowledge (and I may be wrong), Lipa and his partners have not been reimbursed for their losses.
In the end, R. Shmuel Kamenetzky, one of the signers of the ban, to his credit, admitted that proper procedures were not followed and that the ban last year was a mistake.
Well, Lipa decided to hold another concert this year. As was the case with last year's concert, the date of the concert was well-known long in advance. And, sure enough, the banners tried it again this year. However, this year, they failed. Miserably.
The askanim managed to get some signatures for a ban, but by the time they got their act together, it was far too late -- the concert was pretty much sold out, some of the original banners refused to sign and it seems like no one is going to listen to the banners. Once again the banners decided to try to have the concert cancelled at the last minute, but this time, thank goodness they failed.
There's a particular aspect of this that bothers me - and it's not the ban itself. I personally don't listen to Lipa's music, so I can't honestly and in good conciense say that it's good or bad for Jews to listen to. So, if you feel that the music is spiritually harmful, then by all means say something -- that's your right. What bothers me the most about this whole ugly affair is the way the ban was carried out last year and the way it was attempted again this year.
In both cases, the concerts were heavily advertised well in advance. If anyone had any objections to the music, the venue, the seating or any other aspect of the event, they could have spoken up well in advance. But the banners decided to wait until the last minute before making their move. Because they waited for the last minute, the gedolim could not investigate the true story behind the concert and Lipa and his partners lost a great deal of money from the cancellation. I believe (and yes, it's only my opinion) that this was done on purpose.
The same thing occured this year. Again, the concert date was known well in advance. And again, the banners didn't raise their ugly heads until the last minute. Rather than standing up for their principles in the right way, they again chose the underhanded and cowardly way of going about their business. And this time they lost. The concert is going on as planned and, as I hear it, it's likely to be a packed house.
The Wolf
EDIT: Upon further review, I think the word "kanoi" works better than "askan" in this post. There are plenty of askanim for the Jewish community who are wonderful individuals who selflessly give of their time and money. However, since I put it in the title, I can't easily change it. But you all know what I mean.
The Wolf
Lipa Schmeltzer arranged to have a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York last March. Most (all?) of the profits were going to go to a tzedaka organization in Israel that (IIRC) helps orphans in Eretz Yisroel.
Some askanim who, it seems, have it in personally for Lipa, went around to several of the gedolim and lied about his concert. They reportedly told the gedolim that there was going to be mixed dancing (lie: there was even separate seating!) and who knows what would go on. This was all done less than a month before concert. The gedolim, upon hearing this, signed a ban on the concert without trying to ascertain for themselves if the information they were being given was truthful, without reaching out to Lipa to get his side of the story or without even consulting with one another. In short, 33 signatures were obtained and the ban was published. In the end, Lipa had to cancel the concert. Since this happened right before the concert was to occur, there were a great losses to Lipa and his partners -- not to mention the fact that the tzedaka organization in Eretz Yisroel lost out. To my knowledge (and I may be wrong), Lipa and his partners have not been reimbursed for their losses.
In the end, R. Shmuel Kamenetzky, one of the signers of the ban, to his credit, admitted that proper procedures were not followed and that the ban last year was a mistake.
Well, Lipa decided to hold another concert this year. As was the case with last year's concert, the date of the concert was well-known long in advance. And, sure enough, the banners tried it again this year. However, this year, they failed. Miserably.
The askanim managed to get some signatures for a ban, but by the time they got their act together, it was far too late -- the concert was pretty much sold out, some of the original banners refused to sign and it seems like no one is going to listen to the banners. Once again the banners decided to try to have the concert cancelled at the last minute, but this time, thank goodness they failed.
There's a particular aspect of this that bothers me - and it's not the ban itself. I personally don't listen to Lipa's music, so I can't honestly and in good conciense say that it's good or bad for Jews to listen to. So, if you feel that the music is spiritually harmful, then by all means say something -- that's your right. What bothers me the most about this whole ugly affair is the way the ban was carried out last year and the way it was attempted again this year.
In both cases, the concerts were heavily advertised well in advance. If anyone had any objections to the music, the venue, the seating or any other aspect of the event, they could have spoken up well in advance. But the banners decided to wait until the last minute before making their move. Because they waited for the last minute, the gedolim could not investigate the true story behind the concert and Lipa and his partners lost a great deal of money from the cancellation. I believe (and yes, it's only my opinion) that this was done on purpose.
The same thing occured this year. Again, the concert date was known well in advance. And again, the banners didn't raise their ugly heads until the last minute. Rather than standing up for their principles in the right way, they again chose the underhanded and cowardly way of going about their business. And this time they lost. The concert is going on as planned and, as I hear it, it's likely to be a packed house.
The Wolf
EDIT: Upon further review, I think the word "kanoi" works better than "askan" in this post. There are plenty of askanim for the Jewish community who are wonderful individuals who selflessly give of their time and money. However, since I put it in the title, I can't easily change it. But you all know what I mean.
The Wolf
Yellow Flower
I took this macro a while ago at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens with my Canon S3 IS.
One thing I don't know, however, is what type of flower it is. Anyone have any ideas?
As always, comments, critiques and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.
The Wolf
EDIT: I'm not asking what flower it is in quiz fashion... I'm asking because I truly don't know.
One thing I don't know, however, is what type of flower it is. Anyone have any ideas?
As always, comments, critiques and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.
The Wolf
EDIT: I'm not asking what flower it is in quiz fashion... I'm asking because I truly don't know.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Is Personal Integrity Dead?
Both WebGirl over at The Road Taken and Rabbi Maryles have posts up concerning stealing that sometimes occurs in the frum community.
WebGirl discusses activities such as money laundering and lying to obtain free goods. Rabbi Marlyes discusses stealing from the government. In the past, I've discussed dishonesty in such forms as copying media, illegally avoiding sales tax and even electoral fraud. I've even blogged about my own failings and when I wimped out when I had the chance to stand up for honesty.
While I find it disturbing that such activities go on in the Jewish community, I don't find it surprising. After all, Jews are human too, and we're subject to the same temptations as everyone else. I'd be lying if I said I *never* stole anything in my life, and I suspect the vast majority of people would be too.
However, what I find particularly disturbing is the openness that exists about stealing. No one seems to be ashamed of it anymore - it's simply accepted as a part of the way of doing things. People who are halachically married but not legally so as to qualify for benefits? Not a problem. Paying cash for goods or services to avoid sales tax? It's okay. Running money laundering schemes? Where does it say in the Shulchan Aruch that it's wrong? And so on. The same people who would recoil in horror at the thought of violating a mitzvah d'rabbanan or a such as eating fish and meat together or not wearing a hat during davening, or eating kitniyos on Pesach have no problem being blase about the Torah commandment of not stealing -- which applies whether the money being stolen belongs to a Jew or a non-Jew, a person, partnership, corporation or government.
Rabbi Maryles reports that one person's attitude toward defrauding the government is:
I wasn't aware that defrauding the government was one of the three cardinal sins. My bad.
And yet, I somehow suspect that the same person would not be so blase about a frum person eating treif or a woman wearing a skirt that ends a bit above the knee. Neither of things are cardinal sins either, and yet, I'm sure they would get a reaction (and possibly a violent one in some quarters).
So, why does theft and dishonesty get a pass? Why does stealing seem to be "okay" as long as it's not on the scale of Bernard Madoff, or as long as you're not the victim? Or even better, why do we pay lip service to the idea that stealing is wrong -- why not simply declare that stealing is okay?
Well, okay... perhaps my last suggestion was somewhat over the top - but the underlying question still remains. We pay a lot of lip service to the ideal of honesty. We say that the seal of Hakadosh Baruch Hu is truth. We repeat stories about how scrupulously honest our Sages were. We go so far as to say that one of the primary reasons for the destruction of the world in the days of Noach was because of dishonesty. And yet, all that is lost upon us. All that is lost upon us to the degree that not only do people steal in private (which might be expected -- again -- we're only human), but they do so openly and without any shame.
Lord knows, I'm not perfect. I have my faults and weaknesses. But I would never dream of bragging about something that I've done wrong. I would never even think of being open (and worse, blase) about it. But that seems to be the point we've reached as a society.
You know what? I would trade adherence to all the chumros in the world -- whether justified or not -- to gain a greater adherence to things such as honesty and personal integrity.
The Wolf
WebGirl discusses activities such as money laundering and lying to obtain free goods. Rabbi Marlyes discusses stealing from the government. In the past, I've discussed dishonesty in such forms as copying media, illegally avoiding sales tax and even electoral fraud. I've even blogged about my own failings and when I wimped out when I had the chance to stand up for honesty.
While I find it disturbing that such activities go on in the Jewish community, I don't find it surprising. After all, Jews are human too, and we're subject to the same temptations as everyone else. I'd be lying if I said I *never* stole anything in my life, and I suspect the vast majority of people would be too.
However, what I find particularly disturbing is the openness that exists about stealing. No one seems to be ashamed of it anymore - it's simply accepted as a part of the way of doing things. People who are halachically married but not legally so as to qualify for benefits? Not a problem. Paying cash for goods or services to avoid sales tax? It's okay. Running money laundering schemes? Where does it say in the Shulchan Aruch that it's wrong? And so on. The same people who would recoil in horror at the thought of violating a mitzvah d'rabbanan or a such as eating fish and meat together or not wearing a hat during davening, or eating kitniyos on Pesach have no problem being blase about the Torah commandment of not stealing -- which applies whether the money being stolen belongs to a Jew or a non-Jew, a person, partnership, corporation or government.
Rabbi Maryles reports that one person's attitude toward defrauding the government is:
I wasn't aware that defrauding the government was one of the three cardinal sins. My bad.
And yet, I somehow suspect that the same person would not be so blase about a frum person eating treif or a woman wearing a skirt that ends a bit above the knee. Neither of things are cardinal sins either, and yet, I'm sure they would get a reaction (and possibly a violent one in some quarters).
So, why does theft and dishonesty get a pass? Why does stealing seem to be "okay" as long as it's not on the scale of Bernard Madoff, or as long as you're not the victim? Or even better, why do we pay lip service to the idea that stealing is wrong -- why not simply declare that stealing is okay?
Well, okay... perhaps my last suggestion was somewhat over the top - but the underlying question still remains. We pay a lot of lip service to the ideal of honesty. We say that the seal of Hakadosh Baruch Hu is truth. We repeat stories about how scrupulously honest our Sages were. We go so far as to say that one of the primary reasons for the destruction of the world in the days of Noach was because of dishonesty. And yet, all that is lost upon us. All that is lost upon us to the degree that not only do people steal in private (which might be expected -- again -- we're only human), but they do so openly and without any shame.
Lord knows, I'm not perfect. I have my faults and weaknesses. But I would never dream of bragging about something that I've done wrong. I would never even think of being open (and worse, blase) about it. But that seems to be the point we've reached as a society.
You know what? I would trade adherence to all the chumros in the world -- whether justified or not -- to gain a greater adherence to things such as honesty and personal integrity.
The Wolf
Fundamentalists and Science... and a Funny Non Sequitur Strip
(click to enlarge)
Interestingly enough, that is the way that many fundamentalists (of various religions) seem to think that science should run. You start with the stated fact that the world is 6000 years old and then you work backwards using mental gymnastics to try to find a way to get the carbon-14 dating, radiometric dating, the doppler shift and the like to fit your facts.
I've always maintained that the fundamentalists would have a much better logical argument by simply chucking the science altogether. Instead of coming up with silly theories like the boiling water of the flood made the earth appear billions of years old, they should just say "God did it" and leave it at that. Of course it sounds silly and it opens up a bunch of other questions, but at least then they don't have to fight the scientists.
The Wolf
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Do Chareidim Have An Influence Over Pixar?
When it comes to animated movies, there are very few major players. The most well known, of course, is Disney. The next two (in no particular order) are Dreamworks and Pixar (which is owned by Disney).
Walt Disney has never shied away from having female lead characters. Their very first full-length animated movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Over the intervening years, they also produced Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and many others. Of more recent vintage, there are Disney movies where the main character is not only a female, but also a strong character. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Hercules, Mulan and even Lilo and Stitch all had very strong female main characters.
Pixar, on the other hand, is very light on strong, female lead characters. In some movies (Toy Story, Bug's Life, Cars) there are no strong female characters at all. In Finding Nemo, Dory is important, but not because she's a female -- her character could just as easily have been male. The same goes for Boo in Monsters, Inc. Collette's character in Ratatoullie is a minor one. I'm not quite sure how female Eve is in WALL-E.
Pixar does get points for Elastigirl (and, to a lesser extent Violet) in The Incredibles and Jesse in Toy Story 2. However, that's about it. Pixar, up to this point, has been more or less completely male dominated, which makes me wonder -- are they doing it for tznius reasons? Is there a "frum" element at work at Pixar? Have the chareidim infiltrated Pixar headquarters?
The Wolf
Hat tip: Vast Public Indifference (not a J-blogger)
Walt Disney has never shied away from having female lead characters. Their very first full-length animated movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Over the intervening years, they also produced Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and many others. Of more recent vintage, there are Disney movies where the main character is not only a female, but also a strong character. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Hercules, Mulan and even Lilo and Stitch all had very strong female main characters.
Pixar, on the other hand, is very light on strong, female lead characters. In some movies (Toy Story, Bug's Life, Cars) there are no strong female characters at all. In Finding Nemo, Dory is important, but not because she's a female -- her character could just as easily have been male. The same goes for Boo in Monsters, Inc. Collette's character in Ratatoullie is a minor one. I'm not quite sure how female Eve is in WALL-E.
Pixar does get points for Elastigirl (and, to a lesser extent Violet) in The Incredibles and Jesse in Toy Story 2. However, that's about it. Pixar, up to this point, has been more or less completely male dominated, which makes me wonder -- are they doing it for tznius reasons? Is there a "frum" element at work at Pixar? Have the chareidim infiltrated Pixar headquarters?
The Wolf
Hat tip: Vast Public Indifference (not a J-blogger)
Monday, February 23, 2009
I Think We Need To Retire The Middah Of Kanouis (Zealotry)
At least four times a week, when putting away the Torah during prayers, Jewish men recite the verse from Mishlei (Proverbs) concerning the Torah. The verse, 3:17, reads as follows: Deracheha Darchei Noam V'chol Nesivoseha Shaom -- Her ways are of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.
And yet, we find that this isn't always the case. We find people who stone cars that drive through neighborhoods on Shabbos. We find people who stone buses because they aren't segregated, or those who beat up women for presuming to sit in the front of a non-segregated bus, or people who throw acid in the faces of a young girl for daring to walk through a neighborhood while not living up to their standard of tznius. We have seen stories of people who harass or shun their neighbors for failing to live up to the "chumra of the month." People have been pressured to move from their homes through violence, intimidation or harassment because they chose to live within halacha but not within the extra-halachic standards that some communities decide upon.
Is this d'rachecha darchei noam? Is this v'chol nesivoseha shalom? And, more importantly, is this actually bringing anyone closer to observing the mitzvos?
The problem with violence is that it's a great motivator when those whom you want to influence have no other alternative. If a woman lives in the areas of Afghanistan or Pakistan ruled by the Taliban, she wears a burka -- not because she really wants to, but because if she doesn't, she's liable to be beaten, put in prison, or executed. Since the power of the state is behind the threats, the version of sharia that the Taliban practice is enforced.
But using force to compel behavior has two major drawbacks. The first is that in order to compel the behavior, you have to have the authority to back up your threats. If you want to force your neighbor to keep kosher, for example, you have to have the authority to do something about it if she or he doesn't. That does not exist today. Even in enclosed chareidi or chassidic communities, no one today has the governing authority to compel behavior. No community can pass a law stating that they have the authority to whip someone for not keeping kosher. Zealots may take it upon themselves to do so, but they may be subject to punishment themselves, as their activities are strictly extra-legal.
But there's an even more severe problem with using force to compel behavior. The problem is that of motivation. God wants us to keep the Torah out of a desire to keep it -- and force is a lousy way to achieve that result. Consider, for example, taxes. All of us (barring the most ardent anarchists and tax resisters) recognize the importance and necessity of taxes. We may argue about methods, rates and models, but we all agree that taxes are necessary to pay the police, the army, the fire department, the EMS workers, the garbage collectors, etc. And yet, despite the fact that we all know that taxes are necessary, how many people would actually pay them without the IRS's ability to take action against us? Very few. In other words, despite the fact that we all know that taxes are necessary, very few of us would actually pay without the fear of going to fines, penalties or prison. In other words, when force is the primary motivation for a behavior, then most people will not observe that behavior absent the force. If most people could find a foolproof out to paying taxes, they would take it.
But we don't want that to happen with Shabbos, kashrus or any of the other mitzvos. We want people to keep the mitzvos even in the absence of force. We want people to keep Shabbos even if there is no Bais Din which is going to punish them, or some thug ready to break their window. God wants us to keep the mitzvos both in public and b'chadrei chadorim (in the innermost chamber -- i.e. in private). God doesn't want us to put on an outward display of keeping the mitzvos but yet break them when we're alone and reasonably safe from prying human eyes.
And, in many parts of the Orthodox community, that seems to be the case. I keep Shabbos not because someone is going to beat me up if I don't, but because I want to. I keep kosher not because the kashrus police are out there spying on me, but because I want to. If I wanted to violate Shabbos in the privacy of my home, I could easily do so with no repercussions from any communal authorities. If I wanted to, I could easily sneak pork into my home, or even make a cheeseburger from existing kosher products in my house; but I don't -- because I want to keep kosher. And this holds true for the vast majority of the Orthodox community today.
There is a story that is told of R. Levi Yitzchock of Berditchev. R. Levi Yitzchock was known as someone who was always trying to find a way to find favor for the Jews in the eyes of God. One erev Pesach, after the time for the burning of the chametz, he called in his shammos (aide) and asked him to try to obtain some beer (which is chametz) from one of the Jews of Berditchev. The shammos was shocked at the request, but eventually agreed to try to obtain the beer. After a few hours, he returned and told his Rebbe that he had failed in his mission. He then asked him to try to find some tobacco*, a substance banned by the government. Within a short while, he was able to procure some. Seeing this, he turned to the heavens and proclaimed "Ribbono Shel Olam, see how much Your people love to observe Your mitzvos. The king has all sorts of police and soldiers and yet people still flout his authority and smoke tobacco. But You - You have no soldiers, no armies, no police - and yet, Your people keep Your mitzvos and not a drop of beer was to be found in their possession on Erev Pesach."
*That's* the type of approach that we need to foster if we are to see an increase in the observance of the mitzvos in the future. But to maintain that, and certainly to extend this to the non-Orthodox community, you can't take the stick approach -- you have to use the carrot. Throwing stones at people, yelling at them, throwing acid in their faces and the like does not encourage a single person to want to keep the mitzvos - on the contrary - it causes the victim and other non-Orthodox people to move further away from the keeping of the mitzvos. Even when violation of the mitzvos were punishable by Bais Din, I'm sure that the violence had a harmful effect. I don't think a single person who ever witnessed a person receiving malkus (lashes) for eating treif ever came away from it feeling "Wow! That inspired me to keep kosher." They may have kept it out of fear, but not out of desire -- and lacking that, they can and would continue to violate when they felt they could get away with it. I would be highly surprised to find that violence ever inspired anyone to keep a single mitzvah out of desire. And in an environment such as ours, where there is no direct enforcement of mitzvos, it is imperative that we mandate the carrot approach.
Ultimately, I think that people who use violence, intimidation and harassment have much to answer for. Ostensibly, they do these things thinking that they are increasing the observance of the mitzvos. But knowingly or unknowingly, they are, in fact, harming the cause of mitzvah observance. With every act of violence, they are driving more and more people away from seeing the beauty of living by the mitzvos and observance of the mitzvos. And for that, they will one day have to answer.
The Wolf
* The banned substance changes in various versions of the story. The one I heard was tobacco, but there are other versions with different substances.
And yet, we find that this isn't always the case. We find people who stone cars that drive through neighborhoods on Shabbos. We find people who stone buses because they aren't segregated, or those who beat up women for presuming to sit in the front of a non-segregated bus, or people who throw acid in the faces of a young girl for daring to walk through a neighborhood while not living up to their standard of tznius. We have seen stories of people who harass or shun their neighbors for failing to live up to the "chumra of the month." People have been pressured to move from their homes through violence, intimidation or harassment because they chose to live within halacha but not within the extra-halachic standards that some communities decide upon.
Is this d'rachecha darchei noam? Is this v'chol nesivoseha shalom? And, more importantly, is this actually bringing anyone closer to observing the mitzvos?
The problem with violence is that it's a great motivator when those whom you want to influence have no other alternative. If a woman lives in the areas of Afghanistan or Pakistan ruled by the Taliban, she wears a burka -- not because she really wants to, but because if she doesn't, she's liable to be beaten, put in prison, or executed. Since the power of the state is behind the threats, the version of sharia that the Taliban practice is enforced.
But using force to compel behavior has two major drawbacks. The first is that in order to compel the behavior, you have to have the authority to back up your threats. If you want to force your neighbor to keep kosher, for example, you have to have the authority to do something about it if she or he doesn't. That does not exist today. Even in enclosed chareidi or chassidic communities, no one today has the governing authority to compel behavior. No community can pass a law stating that they have the authority to whip someone for not keeping kosher. Zealots may take it upon themselves to do so, but they may be subject to punishment themselves, as their activities are strictly extra-legal.
But there's an even more severe problem with using force to compel behavior. The problem is that of motivation. God wants us to keep the Torah out of a desire to keep it -- and force is a lousy way to achieve that result. Consider, for example, taxes. All of us (barring the most ardent anarchists and tax resisters) recognize the importance and necessity of taxes. We may argue about methods, rates and models, but we all agree that taxes are necessary to pay the police, the army, the fire department, the EMS workers, the garbage collectors, etc. And yet, despite the fact that we all know that taxes are necessary, how many people would actually pay them without the IRS's ability to take action against us? Very few. In other words, despite the fact that we all know that taxes are necessary, very few of us would actually pay without the fear of going to fines, penalties or prison. In other words, when force is the primary motivation for a behavior, then most people will not observe that behavior absent the force. If most people could find a foolproof out to paying taxes, they would take it.
But we don't want that to happen with Shabbos, kashrus or any of the other mitzvos. We want people to keep the mitzvos even in the absence of force. We want people to keep Shabbos even if there is no Bais Din which is going to punish them, or some thug ready to break their window. God wants us to keep the mitzvos both in public and b'chadrei chadorim (in the innermost chamber -- i.e. in private). God doesn't want us to put on an outward display of keeping the mitzvos but yet break them when we're alone and reasonably safe from prying human eyes.
And, in many parts of the Orthodox community, that seems to be the case. I keep Shabbos not because someone is going to beat me up if I don't, but because I want to. I keep kosher not because the kashrus police are out there spying on me, but because I want to. If I wanted to violate Shabbos in the privacy of my home, I could easily do so with no repercussions from any communal authorities. If I wanted to, I could easily sneak pork into my home, or even make a cheeseburger from existing kosher products in my house; but I don't -- because I want to keep kosher. And this holds true for the vast majority of the Orthodox community today.
There is a story that is told of R. Levi Yitzchock of Berditchev. R. Levi Yitzchock was known as someone who was always trying to find a way to find favor for the Jews in the eyes of God. One erev Pesach, after the time for the burning of the chametz, he called in his shammos (aide) and asked him to try to obtain some beer (which is chametz) from one of the Jews of Berditchev. The shammos was shocked at the request, but eventually agreed to try to obtain the beer. After a few hours, he returned and told his Rebbe that he had failed in his mission. He then asked him to try to find some tobacco*, a substance banned by the government. Within a short while, he was able to procure some. Seeing this, he turned to the heavens and proclaimed "Ribbono Shel Olam, see how much Your people love to observe Your mitzvos. The king has all sorts of police and soldiers and yet people still flout his authority and smoke tobacco. But You - You have no soldiers, no armies, no police - and yet, Your people keep Your mitzvos and not a drop of beer was to be found in their possession on Erev Pesach."
*That's* the type of approach that we need to foster if we are to see an increase in the observance of the mitzvos in the future. But to maintain that, and certainly to extend this to the non-Orthodox community, you can't take the stick approach -- you have to use the carrot. Throwing stones at people, yelling at them, throwing acid in their faces and the like does not encourage a single person to want to keep the mitzvos - on the contrary - it causes the victim and other non-Orthodox people to move further away from the keeping of the mitzvos. Even when violation of the mitzvos were punishable by Bais Din, I'm sure that the violence had a harmful effect. I don't think a single person who ever witnessed a person receiving malkus (lashes) for eating treif ever came away from it feeling "Wow! That inspired me to keep kosher." They may have kept it out of fear, but not out of desire -- and lacking that, they can and would continue to violate when they felt they could get away with it. I would be highly surprised to find that violence ever inspired anyone to keep a single mitzvah out of desire. And in an environment such as ours, where there is no direct enforcement of mitzvos, it is imperative that we mandate the carrot approach.
Ultimately, I think that people who use violence, intimidation and harassment have much to answer for. Ostensibly, they do these things thinking that they are increasing the observance of the mitzvos. But knowingly or unknowingly, they are, in fact, harming the cause of mitzvah observance. With every act of violence, they are driving more and more people away from seeing the beauty of living by the mitzvos and observance of the mitzvos. And for that, they will one day have to answer.
The Wolf
* The banned substance changes in various versions of the story. The one I heard was tobacco, but there are other versions with different substances.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Koi
I took this picture at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens this past weekend. The fish is a koi, a type of carp domesticated in the Far East. The koi all congregate around the platform because people tend to feed them (despite the signs asking guests not to). So, they come to the surface and open their mouths, hoping for a morsel.
Canon XSi, 75-300mm lens at 205mm
f/5, 1/2000 sec.
As always, comments, criticisms and critiques are welcome and appreciated.
The Wolf
Previous Photos:
Panorama: Empire State
Borei M'Orei HaAish
Orchid
Floral Macro: How Close Can You Get?
Shutter Speed & Light Trails on the Brooklyn Bridge
On The Wings of Gerber Daisies
Sometimes, an Out-of-Focus Shot Works Well Too
The Ghosts Of Grand Central
Third Night
Shooting From A Different Angle
Duck!
Gargantua
Sunflower Arrangement (discussion of lens apertures and depth of field)
Empire (basic discussion of lenses)
Hovering Bee
Sunflower Macro
Statue of Liberty
Trinity Church, September 11, 2008
Manhattan Tulips
Dragonfly
Canon XSi, 75-300mm lens at 205mm
f/5, 1/2000 sec.
As always, comments, criticisms and critiques are welcome and appreciated.
The Wolf
Previous Photos:
Panorama: Empire State
Borei M'Orei HaAish
Orchid
Floral Macro: How Close Can You Get?
Shutter Speed & Light Trails on the Brooklyn Bridge
On The Wings of Gerber Daisies
Sometimes, an Out-of-Focus Shot Works Well Too
The Ghosts Of Grand Central
Third Night
Shooting From A Different Angle
Duck!
Gargantua
Sunflower Arrangement (discussion of lens apertures and depth of field)
Empire (basic discussion of lenses)
Hovering Bee
Sunflower Macro
Statue of Liberty
Trinity Church, September 11, 2008
Manhattan Tulips
Dragonfly
Friday, February 13, 2009
Panorama: Empire State
One of my favorite photograph forms is the panorama. A panorama, very simply, is a series of photos stitched together to form one continuous image. Unfortunately, I haven't really taken too many panoramas in the last year, but perhaps I should start again...
Unfortunately, most panoramas are oriented horizontally, which doesn't really work well for display on this blog. So, for now, I'll give you a vertical panorama.
As always, comments, critiques and criticisms are welcomed and appreciated
The Wolf
(P.S. I know blogging has been light lately. I've just been very busy between school/work and family. Hopefully I'll be putting more "real" stuff up soon.)
Previous Photos:
Borei M'Orei HaAish
Orchid
Floral Macro: How Close Can You Get?
Shutter Speed & Light Trails on the Brooklyn Bridge
On The Wings of Gerber Daisies
Sometimes, an Out-of-Focus Shot Works Well Too
The Ghosts Of Grand Central
Third Night
Shooting From A Different Angle
Duck!
Gargantua
Sunflower Arrangement (discussion of lens apertures and depth of field)
Empire (basic discussion of lenses)
Hovering Bee
Sunflower Macro
Statue of Liberty
Trinity Church, September 11, 2008
Manhattan Tulips
Dragonfly
Unfortunately, most panoramas are oriented horizontally, which doesn't really work well for display on this blog. So, for now, I'll give you a vertical panorama.
Taken with Canon S3IS
As always, comments, critiques and criticisms are welcomed and appreciated
The Wolf
(P.S. I know blogging has been light lately. I've just been very busy between school/work and family. Hopefully I'll be putting more "real" stuff up soon.)
Previous Photos:
Borei M'Orei HaAish
Orchid
Floral Macro: How Close Can You Get?
Shutter Speed & Light Trails on the Brooklyn Bridge
On The Wings of Gerber Daisies
Sometimes, an Out-of-Focus Shot Works Well Too
The Ghosts Of Grand Central
Third Night
Shooting From A Different Angle
Duck!
Gargantua
Sunflower Arrangement (discussion of lens apertures and depth of field)
Empire (basic discussion of lenses)
Hovering Bee
Sunflower Macro
Statue of Liberty
Trinity Church, September 11, 2008
Manhattan Tulips
Dragonfly
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Coincidence?
For those of you who believe that there is no such animal, I'd be curious to know what you make of the fact that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same day (200 years ago today)?
The Wolf
The Wolf
Friday, February 06, 2009
The Charge of Avoda Zara and Lipa
I'm sure by now you've heard about the incident this past week in Brooklyn where Rabbi Schorr attempted to disrupt a wedding at which Lipa was singing. You can read the full version of what happened at Life of Rubin. The summary version (based on LOR) is as follows:
Both Lipa and Rabbi Schorr were invited guests at a wedding. At some point during the wedding, one of the Ba'alei Simcha asked Lipa to sing. He went to the stage where the hired singer graciously gave over the microphone. Lipa began singing the "Hentalach" song. At some point, Rabbi Schorr stormed the stage and grabbed the microphone away from Lipa and demanded that he descend from the stage. At one point he even began yelling "Avoda Zara! Avoda Zara!"
I know that there is some history between Rabbi Schorr and Lipa. From many accounts, it seems that Rabbi Schorr was involved in the edicts which led to the banning of last year's "Big Event." I don't know Rabbi Schorr or his agenda -- I don't know if it's simply anti-Lipa or anti-music in general. But I can state that it seems, from all accounts, that Lipa was doing nothing wrong -- on the contrary, he was being m'sameiach (making happy) the bride and groom.
I'm going to overlook for the moment the fact that Rabbi Schorr chose to make this stand in the middle of someone's wedding, which is bad enough. I'm also going to overlook the fact that he chose to publicly embarrass Lipa, which is all bad enough. What I don't want to overlook is the fact that he publically accused another Jew of avoda zara -- idol worship. If you think about it for a minute, the accusation of avoda zara is probably the ultimate accusation that you could throw at someone -- worse than saying that he's a thief, worse than saying that he's a lowlife, worse even than saying that he's an apikores -- a heretic. Saying that someone is an idolater is the ultimate accusation that you can level against a person -- in some respects, the idolater is treated in halacha as a non-Jew. I don't think there is a single accusation that you can throw at someone than the accusation that they are an idol worshiper.
And yet, that's what Rabbi Schorr decided to yell. He didn't yell that the music is treif. He didn't say that Lipa's dancing was not b'kavod for a yid. He didn't say any of that -- he out and out accused Lipa of (or what he was doing) idolatry.
Now, I'll admit that I'm not a rav and not a posek. Perhaps I'm missing something about the hantelach song that invovles idolatry - but I don't think so. I'm fairly confident that whatever you think of Lipa and his music, there was no idolatry involved. Of course, if someone can point out to me where I'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to retract, but, as it stands, I just don't see it.
So, why did Rabbi Schorr do this? I don't know. But what I do know is that unless there is some serious justification for his charge of avoda zara, he needs to be held accountable for his actions and accusations. He needs to publicly explain why he felt the need to level this charge at Lipa in the middle of a wedding, or else to publicly apologize and ask mechila (forgiveness) of Lipa and the ba'alei simcha.
The Wolf
Both Lipa and Rabbi Schorr were invited guests at a wedding. At some point during the wedding, one of the Ba'alei Simcha asked Lipa to sing. He went to the stage where the hired singer graciously gave over the microphone. Lipa began singing the "Hentalach" song. At some point, Rabbi Schorr stormed the stage and grabbed the microphone away from Lipa and demanded that he descend from the stage. At one point he even began yelling "Avoda Zara! Avoda Zara!"
I know that there is some history between Rabbi Schorr and Lipa. From many accounts, it seems that Rabbi Schorr was involved in the edicts which led to the banning of last year's "Big Event." I don't know Rabbi Schorr or his agenda -- I don't know if it's simply anti-Lipa or anti-music in general. But I can state that it seems, from all accounts, that Lipa was doing nothing wrong -- on the contrary, he was being m'sameiach (making happy) the bride and groom.
I'm going to overlook for the moment the fact that Rabbi Schorr chose to make this stand in the middle of someone's wedding, which is bad enough. I'm also going to overlook the fact that he chose to publicly embarrass Lipa, which is all bad enough. What I don't want to overlook is the fact that he publically accused another Jew of avoda zara -- idol worship. If you think about it for a minute, the accusation of avoda zara is probably the ultimate accusation that you could throw at someone -- worse than saying that he's a thief, worse than saying that he's a lowlife, worse even than saying that he's an apikores -- a heretic. Saying that someone is an idolater is the ultimate accusation that you can level against a person -- in some respects, the idolater is treated in halacha as a non-Jew. I don't think there is a single accusation that you can throw at someone than the accusation that they are an idol worshiper.
And yet, that's what Rabbi Schorr decided to yell. He didn't yell that the music is treif. He didn't say that Lipa's dancing was not b'kavod for a yid. He didn't say any of that -- he out and out accused Lipa of (or what he was doing) idolatry.
Now, I'll admit that I'm not a rav and not a posek. Perhaps I'm missing something about the hantelach song that invovles idolatry - but I don't think so. I'm fairly confident that whatever you think of Lipa and his music, there was no idolatry involved. Of course, if someone can point out to me where I'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to retract, but, as it stands, I just don't see it.
So, why did Rabbi Schorr do this? I don't know. But what I do know is that unless there is some serious justification for his charge of avoda zara, he needs to be held accountable for his actions and accusations. He needs to publicly explain why he felt the need to level this charge at Lipa in the middle of a wedding, or else to publicly apologize and ask mechila (forgiveness) of Lipa and the ba'alei simcha.
The Wolf
Borei M'Orei HaAish
Canon XSi, 50mm lens
f/4.5, 1/500 second
As always, critiques, comments and criticisms are welcome and encouraged.
The Wolf
Previous Photos:
Orchid
Floral Macro: How Close Can You Get?
Shutter Speed & Light Trails on the Brooklyn Bridge
On The Wings of Gerber Daisies
Sometimes, an Out-of-Focus Shot Works Well Too
The Ghosts Of Grand Central
Third Night
Shooting From A Different Angle
Duck!
Gargantua
Sunflower Arrangement (discussion of lens apertures and depth of field)
Empire (basic discussion of lenses)
Hovering Bee
Sunflower Macro
Statue of Liberty
Trinity Church, September 11, 2008
Manhattan Tulips
Dragonfly
Thursday, February 05, 2009
And Just So That People Won't Say That I'm Being Unfair...
... here's a logical fallacy from the anti-frum side:
One Reason I'm an Atheist
What are the odds of a secular person killing their child for becoming religious?
Zero.
Now what are the odds of a religious fanatic killing their child for becoming secular?
Not high, but there's a chance.
That's all I need to know.
Another twenty Wolf points to the person who spots it first.
The Wolf
One Reason I'm an Atheist
What are the odds of a secular person killing their child for becoming religious?
Zero.
Now what are the odds of a religious fanatic killing their child for becoming secular?
Not high, but there's a chance.
That's all I need to know.
Another twenty Wolf points to the person who spots it first.
The Wolf
How Many Logical Fallacies Can You Spot?
A fellow blogger (I'm not going to give him/her the pleasure of a link) posted the following:
The fossils have lead to evolution.
Evolution has led to atheism.
Atheism has led to psychopathy.
Psychopathy leads to death, either through murder, suicide, addictions or failure to have children.
How many logical and factual errors can you spot in these thirty words? Twenty Wolf points to the person who lists more valid logical/factual fallacies than anyone else.
I've already spotted a few. I'll post my findings in the comments later.
The Wolf
The fossils have lead to evolution.
Evolution has led to atheism.
Atheism has led to psychopathy.
Psychopathy leads to death, either through murder, suicide, addictions or failure to have children.
How many logical and factual errors can you spot in these thirty words? Twenty Wolf points to the person who lists more valid logical/factual fallacies than anyone else.
I've already spotted a few. I'll post my findings in the comments later.
The Wolf
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Just Out of Curiousity...
When God split the sea and the Jews went through, did they have separate lines for men and women?
When the Jews received the Torah from God, were the women on one side of the camp and men on the other*?
Did the women ride in the back of the Annanei HaKavod (the Clouds of Glory)?
Does the Torah ever mention the first names of women, or are they only referred to as "Aishes Avraham" or "Aishes Ya'akov" or "Aishes Moshe?"
The Wolf
* Yes, the men and women did not sleep with each other for three days, but I don't think they actually all moved en masse away from each other.
When the Jews received the Torah from God, were the women on one side of the camp and men on the other*?
Did the women ride in the back of the Annanei HaKavod (the Clouds of Glory)?
Does the Torah ever mention the first names of women, or are they only referred to as "Aishes Avraham" or "Aishes Ya'akov" or "Aishes Moshe?"
The Wolf
* Yes, the men and women did not sleep with each other for three days, but I don't think they actually all moved en masse away from each other.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Please Take The Economic Survey over at Ezzie's
Ezzie has put up a Jewish economic survey over at his blog. As he states:
Jewish Economics
Welcome to the Jewish Economics Survey!
Together with the help of others within the Orthodox Jewish community, all of whom have a reasonable understanding of economics and budgeting, this quick, simple [and anonymous] survey has been constructed for the use of the Orthodox public. The primary purposes of this study are:
* To gain a better understanding of what it costs the average frum person, couple, or family to live
* To compare the costs of living between different Orthodox communities
* To gather information as to which expenses people have a better grasp on vs. which they do not
* To gauge the preparedness of people within the community for times of crisis and economic downturns
Once all the information is gathered, that information will then be utilized in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:
* Assessing where the Jewish community's economic struggles lie and how to address those struggles
* Better preparing and educating young couples and individuals of the types and magnitude of the expenses that they can expect to face throughout life, and how best to go about doing so
* Utilizing that better education on the individual level to improve upon and create viable Jewish institutions that follow a sustainable economic model
The more precise the answers people give, the better we can have an understanding of just what things cost and what people spend. If you feel uncomfortable answering any question, please skip it or answer "Rather Not Say". (If it is listed as "required", make sure to type Rather Not Say.)
Ezzie Goldish
http://SerandEz.blogspot.com
In order to get as good a picture as possible, it would be most helpful if everyone responds.
The Wolf
Jewish Economics
Welcome to the Jewish Economics Survey!
Together with the help of others within the Orthodox Jewish community, all of whom have a reasonable understanding of economics and budgeting, this quick, simple [and anonymous] survey has been constructed for the use of the Orthodox public. The primary purposes of this study are:
* To gain a better understanding of what it costs the average frum person, couple, or family to live
* To compare the costs of living between different Orthodox communities
* To gather information as to which expenses people have a better grasp on vs. which they do not
* To gauge the preparedness of people within the community for times of crisis and economic downturns
Once all the information is gathered, that information will then be utilized in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:
* Assessing where the Jewish community's economic struggles lie and how to address those struggles
* Better preparing and educating young couples and individuals of the types and magnitude of the expenses that they can expect to face throughout life, and how best to go about doing so
* Utilizing that better education on the individual level to improve upon and create viable Jewish institutions that follow a sustainable economic model
The more precise the answers people give, the better we can have an understanding of just what things cost and what people spend. If you feel uncomfortable answering any question, please skip it or answer "Rather Not Say". (If it is listed as "required", make sure to type Rather Not Say.)
Ezzie Goldish
http://SerandEz.blogspot.com
In order to get as good a picture as possible, it would be most helpful if everyone responds.
The Wolf
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