By Guest Contributor
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| What will the new normal be like? (AVweb) |
I am pleased to host this submission from someone that comments here frequently under a pseudonym.
He learned in East Coast Yeshivos through Beis Medrash and Kollel, graduated from college with a Master of science degree in engineering, and currently works as a professional in a large consulting firm.
Although I know his identity, he has not given me permission to reveal it. But he is someone whose views I value and most often agree with.
He learned in East Coast Yeshivos through Beis Medrash and Kollel, graduated from college with a Master of science degree in engineering, and currently works as a professional in a large consulting firm.
Although I know his identity, he has not given me permission to reveal it. But he is someone whose views I value and most often agree with.
This thought provoking essay is a worthy vehicle for all of us all as a means to begin examining how we can improve our lives both individually and communally. There is a lot to consider here.
As is always the case with guest contributors - the opinions expressed by the author are his own and do not necessarily reflect my views. His words follow unedited in their entirety.
Our communities are still under quarantine but some are beginning to anticipate a return to normal life as we are hopefully descending the Coronavirus curve. Thousands of Jews have been sickened; hundreds have been lost to this illness as well as much livelihood. It is our duty, both individually and collectively to take stock and make concrete, lasting changes. We have no explanation for this pandemic but we all should realize that our lives simply can't go on as they have until now.
We hope that our shuls and institutions will soon reopen and we must return to them with a renewed sense of dedication and purpose. Our tefillah betzibur must be approached with genuine reverence and joy. We must truly immerse ourselves in both Torah learning and the performance of mitzvos. Our interpersonal conduct must be based upon the basic love, respect and acceptance that every Jew deserves, regardless of their level of knowledge or station in life.
We must take this opportunity, this reset of life as we knew it, to cast off the shackles of prevailing culture and materialism that have bound us so tightly. All of us have had to learn the skills, the art and even the joy of making do with less and living simply. Let us not succumb to the desire of jumping back into lifestyles of waste and excess once we can do so again. Let us instead strive for the tasteful simplicity of previous generations regarding our homes, vehicles, clothing, accessories and leisure activities but most importantly and tellingly, in our approach to food.
This is not about singling out pizza or sushi, gelato or even steak but about our attitude and yes, our addiction, to food. What would once have been considered an elaborate feast for Yom Tov had become a weeknight supper that we quickly grew bored of. We tirelessly pursued every trendy food product as soon as it hit the market and patronized every new eatery as soon as it opened. Even once lowly cholent, eaten during the week only by the poorest of yeshiva students in Europe, had become a nightly gourmet pursuit, brimming with pricey meats, fatty kishka and exotic seasonings. In the U.S., this addiction spanned communities from Los Angeles to Lawrence and even Lakewood. What a sad irony that the town founded upon "Pas Bamelech Tochel" where Harav Aharon Kotler, zt"l forbade sit-down restaurants, developed into a mecca of gastronomic excess that surpassed most other communities. Our slavery to food began to threaten our very health, both physical and spiritual.
It goes without saying that a return to sanity in terms of food must also apply to weddings, simchos and other events. This can be done because it's now being done and there's a laudable grassroots effort to make these changes widespread and permanent. We must learn to pride ourselves on the delicious simplicity of what we serve as well as the unpretentious settings and venues we do so in but this must also apply to institutions. The ostentatious yeshiva banquets that were held to attract attendees and make them feel that their donation was worthwhile, must not continue. Fundraisers will have to find other ways of balancing the books but will also start with tens of thousands fewer dollars in expenses. All Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbis must explicitly forbid elaborate public and private events, and boycott them regardless of the host.
It is also a time for many of us to reevaluate our choices of friends, shuls, schools and communities. If your friend mocked the local health care professionals as "am haratzim with college degrees who we don't take p'sak from" then it's time to find a new friend. If your Rabbi ignored these selfless "am haratzim" (many of whom are quite learned) and paskened that miyanim continue, whether through the front door or the back door or in the parking lot, then it's time to find a new Rabbi. If your Rebbe or Rosh Yeshiva used terms like "anti-Semitism" or "shas hashmad" to describe the social distancing requirements, then it's time to run away from them as fast as you can.
We hope that our shuls and institutions will soon reopen and we must return to them with a renewed sense of dedication and purpose. Our tefillah betzibur must be approached with genuine reverence and joy. We must truly immerse ourselves in both Torah learning and the performance of mitzvos. Our interpersonal conduct must be based upon the basic love, respect and acceptance that every Jew deserves, regardless of their level of knowledge or station in life.
We must take this opportunity, this reset of life as we knew it, to cast off the shackles of prevailing culture and materialism that have bound us so tightly. All of us have had to learn the skills, the art and even the joy of making do with less and living simply. Let us not succumb to the desire of jumping back into lifestyles of waste and excess once we can do so again. Let us instead strive for the tasteful simplicity of previous generations regarding our homes, vehicles, clothing, accessories and leisure activities but most importantly and tellingly, in our approach to food.
This is not about singling out pizza or sushi, gelato or even steak but about our attitude and yes, our addiction, to food. What would once have been considered an elaborate feast for Yom Tov had become a weeknight supper that we quickly grew bored of. We tirelessly pursued every trendy food product as soon as it hit the market and patronized every new eatery as soon as it opened. Even once lowly cholent, eaten during the week only by the poorest of yeshiva students in Europe, had become a nightly gourmet pursuit, brimming with pricey meats, fatty kishka and exotic seasonings. In the U.S., this addiction spanned communities from Los Angeles to Lawrence and even Lakewood. What a sad irony that the town founded upon "Pas Bamelech Tochel" where Harav Aharon Kotler, zt"l forbade sit-down restaurants, developed into a mecca of gastronomic excess that surpassed most other communities. Our slavery to food began to threaten our very health, both physical and spiritual.
It goes without saying that a return to sanity in terms of food must also apply to weddings, simchos and other events. This can be done because it's now being done and there's a laudable grassroots effort to make these changes widespread and permanent. We must learn to pride ourselves on the delicious simplicity of what we serve as well as the unpretentious settings and venues we do so in but this must also apply to institutions. The ostentatious yeshiva banquets that were held to attract attendees and make them feel that their donation was worthwhile, must not continue. Fundraisers will have to find other ways of balancing the books but will also start with tens of thousands fewer dollars in expenses. All Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbis must explicitly forbid elaborate public and private events, and boycott them regardless of the host.
It is also a time for many of us to reevaluate our choices of friends, shuls, schools and communities. If your friend mocked the local health care professionals as "am haratzim with college degrees who we don't take p'sak from" then it's time to find a new friend. If your Rabbi ignored these selfless "am haratzim" (many of whom are quite learned) and paskened that miyanim continue, whether through the front door or the back door or in the parking lot, then it's time to find a new Rabbi. If your Rebbe or Rosh Yeshiva used terms like "anti-Semitism" or "shas hashmad" to describe the social distancing requirements, then it's time to run away from them as fast as you can.
Such sad excuses for leaders are not only dangerously deficient in halachic wisdom, they are ignorant even of Jewish history and lacking in basic common sense. If your child's school had to be closed by the authorities or didn't provide an adequate means of continuing classes, either over the phone or (chas veshalom) over the internet, then it's time to find a new school. If your child's Rebbe or teacher went against the grain and made a valiant effort to stay connected and teach, then it's time to withhold the balance of annual tuition and pay that dedicated hero directly. Some communities took the health warnings very seriously and completely shut down right after Purim. Communities that didn't do so suffered much needless death and tragedy as a result. If your community was slow and disjointed in its response, then it's time to find a new community.
We won't have any real insight into the reason for this pandemic until Mashiach arrives and prophecy returns. Imbeciles do retain some measure of it, which is why they jump at every opportunity to point the finger of blame at the root causes of all tragedies, sheitels and smartphones.
When such self-promoters criticize sheitels, whether their composition, length or style, they are really criticizing the women who wear them. They are declaring that all the tragedies which have befallen us are yet again the fault of our womenfolk for not dressing modestly enough. They can't criticize their clothing length, fit or coverage which for most women complies with halacha, so instead they simply fabricate halacha.
We won't have any real insight into the reason for this pandemic until Mashiach arrives and prophecy returns. Imbeciles do retain some measure of it, which is why they jump at every opportunity to point the finger of blame at the root causes of all tragedies, sheitels and smartphones.
When such self-promoters criticize sheitels, whether their composition, length or style, they are really criticizing the women who wear them. They are declaring that all the tragedies which have befallen us are yet again the fault of our womenfolk for not dressing modestly enough. They can't criticize their clothing length, fit or coverage which for most women complies with halacha, so instead they simply fabricate halacha.
What's particularly disturbing is that we recently celebrated Pesach, an event directly attributed to the brave women who never lost hope in our redemption. Their steadfast faith and tireless efforts have made every subsequent Pesach a reality, most notably this year, while they also had to deal with children at home, disrupted plans and product shortages. Self-promoting fools now attempting to cast blame upon our righteous women is a travesty that we simply can't allow.
Every woman has the right to personally decide how to be stringent in tznius, in partnership with her husband and in consultation with their chosen Rabbi. While communities can decide upon basic standards that apply to all, that can only be done with a great deal of unity and sensitivity. A community whose response to this pandemic lacked immediacy, unity and clarity has failed that litmus test and has no right to set modesty standards for individuals.
Smartphone critics are as fanatical as the conspiracy theorists now burning cell towers to stop the virus from spreading. However, no halachic prohibition against this particular construct of plastic, silicon and rare earth metals actually exists. What is being vilified is the instant, personal access to information that they provide. There's no question that these devices can be very dangerous tools which should only be used after consultation with Rabbinic and professional experts, and with proper safeguards applied. Given those mandates, that's a decision for each individual to make and not anyone else's concern or business.
Smartphone critics are as fanatical as the conspiracy theorists now burning cell towers to stop the virus from spreading. However, no halachic prohibition against this particular construct of plastic, silicon and rare earth metals actually exists. What is being vilified is the instant, personal access to information that they provide. There's no question that these devices can be very dangerous tools which should only be used after consultation with Rabbinic and professional experts, and with proper safeguards applied. Given those mandates, that's a decision for each individual to make and not anyone else's concern or business.
It's no coincidence that communities where smartphones are forbidden appear to have fared much worse both in hospital and at-home Coronavirus deaths, than those where smartphones aren't forbidden. This may be attributable to factors such as overcrowded conditions and the absence of a unified response in these communities but there's no question that the lack of access to timely, accurate information played a devastating role.
These were the same communities that at first mocked the illness, keeping shuls, schools and men's mikvaos open weeks after other communities closed theirs, then allowed ad-hoc minyanim and gatherings to continue. These were also the communities whose citizens quickly overwhelmed the very health care providers they spent weeks ignoring and then died in large numbers, too often in unspeakable conditions. All who choose to live in blissful ignorance should be made to acknowledge that they could die in misery from that ignorance, as so many have. We must insist that they take out sizable life insurance policies so the rest of us aren't left with the burden of supporting their widows and orphans.
It's shocking that while the pandemic was running rampant through Lakewood, the poskim had to relax their strict "No Porch Minyanim" ruling since people simply weren't listening. It's more shocking that in a New York neighborhood where the Chassidic, Yeshivish and Modern Orthodox Rabbis had all closed their shuls three weeks earlier, one was still wide open. A very brave soul posted a video that he recorded of himself entering the shul and questioning the danger to life this presented. The Rabbi called him an "apikores and posul l'edus" for having a smartphone, which he then attempted to steal. The posted video was removed once the police arrived to lock the place up but anyone who keeps his shul open while people are dying obviously isn't praying to the same G-d as the rest of us; he's praying to himself.
When we suffer fools who fabricate halacha, the most important positive commandments of protecting life and health go out the window in favor of restrictions against things like sheitels and smartphones. These people would never accept blame for killing their own parent by transmitting the virus they caught at an illegal minyan; they'd rather blame you. They don't hesitate to shout "anti-Semitism" when such gatherings receive press attention and once again, they attempt to shift the blame. We'll never know how many religious Jews died because health care workers hesitated to treat them, convinced that we spread the virus.
The time has come to mock these false prophets and the silly fatwas they enact out of their ignorance, intolerance and impotence in dealing with contemporary life. The sane world must finally push back against their sick, prurient obsession with what men carry in their pockets and how women wear their hair. Whether their adherents number ten or ten thousand, let us relegate them to the wasteland of history to join all others who have attempted to reformulate our religion.
Perhaps we should now begin to mark the preceding years with the label "BC - Before Coronavirus". May we look back to the aftermath of this pandemic as the time when sanity once again prevailed in Orthodox Judaism.
It's shocking that while the pandemic was running rampant through Lakewood, the poskim had to relax their strict "No Porch Minyanim" ruling since people simply weren't listening. It's more shocking that in a New York neighborhood where the Chassidic, Yeshivish and Modern Orthodox Rabbis had all closed their shuls three weeks earlier, one was still wide open. A very brave soul posted a video that he recorded of himself entering the shul and questioning the danger to life this presented. The Rabbi called him an "apikores and posul l'edus" for having a smartphone, which he then attempted to steal. The posted video was removed once the police arrived to lock the place up but anyone who keeps his shul open while people are dying obviously isn't praying to the same G-d as the rest of us; he's praying to himself.
When we suffer fools who fabricate halacha, the most important positive commandments of protecting life and health go out the window in favor of restrictions against things like sheitels and smartphones. These people would never accept blame for killing their own parent by transmitting the virus they caught at an illegal minyan; they'd rather blame you. They don't hesitate to shout "anti-Semitism" when such gatherings receive press attention and once again, they attempt to shift the blame. We'll never know how many religious Jews died because health care workers hesitated to treat them, convinced that we spread the virus.
The time has come to mock these false prophets and the silly fatwas they enact out of their ignorance, intolerance and impotence in dealing with contemporary life. The sane world must finally push back against their sick, prurient obsession with what men carry in their pockets and how women wear their hair. Whether their adherents number ten or ten thousand, let us relegate them to the wasteland of history to join all others who have attempted to reformulate our religion.
Perhaps we should now begin to mark the preceding years with the label "BC - Before Coronavirus". May we look back to the aftermath of this pandemic as the time when sanity once again prevailed in Orthodox Judaism.