I don't like Pesach

There, I said it. I guess this is one of the liberating things (no pun intended) about the internet.

I don't like sitting up till 3 AM listening to boring divrei Torah, that's not what a seder is supposed to be.
I don't like having to not eat certain foods for a "just because" reason.
When did Pesach turn into a suffer-fest, where whomever suffers the most wins?
I'm sure if our European ancestors were here today, they'd be enjoying all the wonders of 21st century food advances, that, and lauging at their silly descendants.

Enjoy the rest of Pesach.

Why L' Affair Slifkin Matters to Me

Many people have asked why I get worked up over this horrible incident. (And just because I haven't been posting, doesn't mean I'm not getting worked up, B"H, the Godol and others are still posting.)
One very important reason why it matters is because I am a frum Jew. These troublemakers behind the cherem are supposedly frum Jews also. I sometimes literally get goosebumps seeing what is happening to my religion and knowing that 20 years down the line, Orthodox Judaism will not be the same.
We have people who 100% truly believe that if a gadol says something or writes something, it is as if it came from Hashem, c"v. The funny thing is that in my opinion, that is real kefirah, forget about asking how old the world is.
In addition, even after most sane individuals realize that the gedolim have been duped they still can't open their minds. After all, if the gedolim don't retract, why should they?

People then claim that we have no emunas chachamim if we criticize the gedolim. Is it because we are criticizing or because it is their gedolim we're criticizing?
R' Elyashiv - For me, the only answer I can give is that he's no longer 100%, any other answer is just insulting to R' Elyashiv.
R' Efrati- Never heard of him before all these pskaim from R' Elyashiv. My sources tell me he's power hungry and many people in Eretz Yisroel are royally peeved at him.
The other "gedolim" that signed are not worth the pixels so I won't waste time.
I will however state that I'm a bit upset at some of the non-signers and duped-signers. I have it on authority that R' Dovid Feinstein did not sign the ban and it was supposed to be a personal letter he was signing. Well, if it's true, why not come out and say it? Why is he willing to let R' Slifkin's reputation be ruined by his signature?
As for R' Kaminetzky, I used to think that it was great that he was quiet, and acting like a real mentsch and godol, but the fact is that this is not going away and he should make a statement or issue another haskamah on the books or do something.
Sorry for the somewhat incoherent rant, but I'm at work and have to type fast.

Achashveirosh and the Gedolim

No, it's not a new shiny shoe band. While listening to the megillah, I had the same question I, and all, always ask. How was it possible for Achashveirosh to not know that Mordechai and Esther were first cousins and that Esther was a Jew?
And then it hit me, when I thought of another question. How is it possible for the "gedolim" to still be against Slifkin's books, how was it possible to get some gadol to sign on to an obvious wrong and slanderous ban statement?

Quite simple actually. King Ach and the Gedolim live in a walled off palace. Nobody and no information comes in without it being filtered through the servants. King Ach had many other things on his mind, finding a hot-queen one of them, and the gedolim have their own things on their minds. So of course Ach and the Gedolim will act upon only the information they receive. To them, there is no other information out there.
Which, BTW, would be a good way to end this mess. Have the gedolim "fire" their servants and all will be forgiven. (I think.)

The Slifkin thing just doesn't die.

I, along with many other Brooklyn residents, received this today. What I want to know, if people already know that many of the allegations were proven false, why are they still sending it out? Check the date.
I want to know what those rabbanim whose name is on this will do.
Failure in action, will just confirm what many people already know, that the whole "gadol" thing is dead.

I'm sick

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've been very busy. Luckily, my thoughts and opinions have been posted by several other bloggers out there so all is not lost.
I will just say that I'm sick. I'm sick and tired of the brainwashed minions running Orthodox Judaism. Mention the word Slifkin and they get all frothy and red-faced ready to explode. Start using logic in your arguments and they just about drop dead from some brain cells perhaps jump starting.

I say it's time for a revolution. Start taking back our religion. Stop sending out checks to organizations with certain rabbis at the helm.

As for the speech at the Siyum Hashas which was a veiled insult at R' Shmuel, for shame. Rumors have it that "he" went down to Philly Thursday night to speak to R' Shmuel. I certainly hope it was to apologize.

The Gedolim Speak about MUOYG

I'm not sure if Gil, Godol and the others have got this email, but this is the latest pashkevil going around Yerushalayim. This one I can agree to.

No time for bloggin

Well, I've been trying to find some time to post a few words, but Baruch Hashem I've been too busy to blog.
Also, starting next week or so, I won't be able to blog as often, so I will probably cut back to two-to-three blog posts per week. (That is if there is anything interesting to blog about.)

Rabbinical Retirement and Life Insurance for Rebbes

Two perhaps unrelated issues. (Yet, both are neither about Slifkin or negativity.)

1) Is being a gadol like being on SCOTUS? There are times when we can see that a gadol is no longer acting in such a way as to give us the confidence that he still is, for lack of a better term, 100% all there. BTW, I'm not necessarily talking about the gadol I'm sure you're all assuming I'm talking about. There are others today, and there were others in recent years past. In a somewhat related note; what about if there is a gadol whose claim to fame is that he hates an entire group of people with a vengeance, and he forbids his followers from having anything to do with that group? What if modern science can perhaps reason that this gadol is merely suffering from PTSD and this is his way of dealing with it?

2) Yeshivas and life insurance for their rebbes. Every place I've ever worked had as a benefit a somewhat crappy life insurance policy. Why can't yeshivas do the same? The costs would be so little that a $50 tuition increase wouldn't be a major deal for most people.

Why the Negativity?

I have been asked by many people why I constantly harp on the negative.
I will try to answer that question as best as I can.
Firstly, like we are seeing with the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, good news doesn't sell. A post (or a talk) about good stuff happening doesn't really draw much attention or thought.
What am I to post, "Rabbi X. gave a great drasha.”?
Secondly, if there would be nothing negative going on, I would have nothing negative to post about.

With the advent of Jewish blogging, more people now have the opportunity to let their voices be heard. None of the J-Bloggers out there would have had a voice 10 years ago.
In addition, as we saw with Rathergate, the blogosphere is showing that the average, not-wealthy connectionless Jew, still has a voice.

I am not a robot, I think for myself. I don't always think very well but at least it's my thought process that makes me act. For those J-Robots, of course there's no reason to post, or talk, about the negative issues; it's irrelevant. For me and many others out there, it's not just to post about the negative but to also let others know that they are not alone. I feel better knowing that there are Orthodox Jews out there who also feel the pain and sadness in watching what is happening to their religion. (I don’t feel happy knowing that others are in pain rather, I feel happy that others are aware of the problems and could potentially help solve them.)

So, I would love nothing better than to not post about negative issues but when our publications, mouthpieces and rabbis only talk about the good, somebody has to unsweep the carpet.

Yet, all is not lost. I am slowly starting to see a change in people's and rabbi's behaviors. They are more aware that everything they say can instantly be transported to Jews all over the world and they are also aware that there are many people in their communities that never got their robot implants in grade school.
In my mind, it is these implant-free Jews that are the true future of Orthodox Judaism, the ones that think for themselves and still remain Torah True, as opposed to those that are Jewish just by virtue of the fact that they were born Jewish.

The Siyum Hashas

First of, let me just start by saying that I don't like the Siyum Hashas. It just strikes me the wrong way.
One of the things I don't like is the whole mechitza business during "davening" parts. Everybody that knows halacha knows that there is no need for a mechitza by a minyan that is not kavua (set). Why is there a mechitza during an event that only occurs once every seven and a half years?
In addition, I don't think we should be telling Jews worldwide to learn a daf a day. Maybe an amud a day would be better. Or, better yet, how about a perek Chumash a day, perek Mishna a day, or what I think Jews, specifically the Catholic Jews of Israel and BP,Flatbush and Willy, need is a good dose of Shulchan Aruch yomi?
In addition, everyone makes a big deal about not giving money to sources that are assur. Well, the Agudah is a member of the United Way. The United Way has members that would be
considered assur to give money to.
Does anybody see anything strange with the way not learning Daf Yomi has become one of the cardinal sins?
Lastly, I just don't want the Agudah involved with anything to do with my life, and certainly nothing to do with my money.

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Not that it'll do any good but if there are enough signatures, at least the blog world will know that people read blogs.

Feeling Disenfranchised

All this Slifkingate posts here and all over the blogosphere, as well as all those discussions offline, made me wonder something.
Have I ever felt differently about the "gedolim." Was I always such a cynic when it came to situations like this?
Honestly, I don't think so. I've always had a cynical approach to authority, perhaps because in my family things were in the open and "he's a gadol, he can do whatever he wants" was not a valid answer.
As I was thinking of what to write, (I need those hits, baby!) one thought popped right into my head: The Rally for Israel in Washington, D.C. It was after that rally that even die hard Yeshivish Jews started to, chas v'shalom, lo aleinu, have some questions regarding the actions of the gedolim, rachmana litzlan. It was at that point that some people started to realize that in order to be respected by EVERYBODY, the gedolim, as a whole, had to act in such a way so that the most right-wing fringe element would respect them. Otherwise, once the RWFE didn't respect them, others would join, just so they can say they are also right wing to the extreme.

Until this can be settled, I don't think the majority of Orthodox Jews (not Yeshivish Jews) will have the respect for gedolim that the gedolim want them to have and that the people actually want to have. I remember telling someone years ago that when you ask a shailah of a rav, the first thought will not be what is the halacha, but rather politics. It might not be true in all cases, but in many, if not most, cases, politics will trump halacha when it comes to a decision.

On Gedolim

Several comments on my blog as well as offline life makes me want to post the following:
Firstly, we hear the claim a lot that "X is a gadol so we must do whatever he says."
Says who? The Jews in Egypt didn't listen to their gedolim.
Secondly, who says they are a gadol? Just because they were "selected" to be on Agudah's Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, does not make them a gadol.
Thirdly, if someone is really a gadol, they have to act in such a way that the average person will have no questions about their actions or behavior.
Fourthly, a gadol, when issuing proclamations and decisions, will do so in a clear manner, describing the question and answer and the reason for his decision.
Lastly, a real gadol will welcome criticisms and invite questions.
Not everything in my post is mainly because of the current Slifkin affair, but it adds to the camel's load no doubt.
On a personal note, I want to, I mean really want to, have faith in our gedolim and trust our gedolim, but I really can't. If I have questions and comments, what am I supposed to do? Just push it to the back of my mind and get back in line? I won't, and I won't be a robot. To me, Judaism is about doing what Hashem wants, not what anybody else wants, and it means thinking. If you do a mitzvah just because you were programmed to, is that the same?

Thoughts for the Day (Robots Beware)

I never imagined I would feel this upset over the Slifkin incident. Perhaps it is just the straw that broke the camel's back. Now that the internet is here, and here to stay, don't people realize that whatever they say or publish will be critiqued by the entire world. Don't rabbanim realize that whatever they do or say can now be viewed by Jews all over the world and that if they do something wrong, they'll be caught?
Furthermore, based upon this: (from the Yated's "online" version)

"To this letter HaRav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas South Fallsberg, adds, "And he also writes that Chazal Hakedoshim can err chas vesholom in worldly matters chas vesholom and therefore [they can err] in halochoh as well chas vesholom, as he wrongly proves from maseches Horayos—all nonsense!"

We must now stop teaching our children that the world is round, Chazal said the world is flat, and therefore it's flat. In addition, Rav Wachtfogel infers that Chazal can not err, if so, why is there a special korban chattas that is brought when a Rav does err?

I've had enough. I honestly never took these things seriously, and I never really took the gedolim seriously either, knowing that politics is always the first thing that decides a p'sak. But when will we, as a community, say enough?

Mechanisms of Banning

First things first, I mean no disrespect to anybody and please don't put me on the DNR (Do Not Read) list.
I had this question even before the Zoo incidents, water controversy, shaitel thingy or the Boro Park eruv.
All of the above incidents all had decisions handed down by R' Elyashiv. My question is since R' Elyashiv was not directly involved in any of the cases (I don't think he read the Zoo books, he doesn't live in NYC, etc.) all of his decisions are not based on first hand knowledge but rather on whatever information he receives. Is it fair to issue a cherem based on biased (it's obviously biased because it's being relayed) information?

J., Robot

I always wonder how the "typical" Jewfolk think about the purpose of life. The word, Robot, gets thrown around lots these days but really, it does seem to be the case. Have you seen the movie "I, Robot?" In it, the robots get a daily update from the server and then act according to the new instructions. In the movie, the robots got instructions to basically take over the humans (more or less).
I can see something similar in the Yeshivish community. We, as a community, are not allowed to think for ourselves. We must rely on our gedolim to do all our thinking, whether it's who to vote for, which minhagim to keep or how many people can be in a band at a simcha.
So what exactly is the point in living as a Yeshivish Jew? You're not spiritually growing, all you're doing is blindly following leaders, and some of the leaders are doing it for "other" reasons. Growing up in my home, this was not the case. I was always taught to question everything, get answers for everything. Isn't that what real Judaism is about? Seeking the answers and living with it? This blind faith in gedolim is wrong and also dangerous.
Case in Point:
There was once an episode with a "gadol" who did something wrong just so he can defend a criminal in a court case. I asked a relative how this gadol can do that and the response was "He's a gadol, you can't ask questions." Eventually, I got to a case where you see this gadol walk into a store, pull out a gun, rob the store and run. I asked this guy, now what? His reply was "He's a gadol, you can't ask questions. He obviously had a reason."
This scares me. Never in the history of Judaism has anybody retained so much power.

The "Matzav"

As most Jews are, I am watching the situation in Israel with keen interest. Which "situation" am I specifically referring to? Well, the selling out of the UTJ political party, of course. I, actually, am somewhat in favor of the Gaza pullout. What I can't understand is how people that are so bitterly opposed to the pullout suddenly find it OK to create a government (without UTJ, the coalition would have failed, as even members of Likud voted against the government, at least they have some principles.) as soon as money gets involved. So now, not only are they in favor of a plan that they really aren't in favor of, they are now telling the Israeli public that yes, indeed, there is actually a price we can put on a human life.
How sad indeed.
What makes it even sadder is that this can't be said publically, because how can I chas v'shalom go against the "gedolim" that agreed to this plan. It's "daas Torah" you are not allowed to question, debate or criticize.

Why This Blog?

As I'm sure you are all (I mean the one or two people reading my blog) wondering why I started a blog, I'm here to tell you why. I'm a "typical" modern-UOYG. I see the problems going on in my community and it pains me. It pains me because there are problems, but it also pains me because either nobody is doing anything about it or because nobody is "allowed" to do anything about it.
Another reason for this blog is just to post snippets from other blogs that I find interesting to give me, and others, a one-stop place for your J-Blogging needs. Perhaps this will be a mix between a personal blog and an "instapundit" type of blog.

Let me know.