My friend Michael Rosen posted a lovely article called “An Orthodox Jew Explains Why He Loves Christmas Music,” which I gladly reposted on the Ruth Institute blog. His article inspired me to share these thoughts.
When Jewish families observe the Sabbath, they are giving a tangible sign of faithfulness to God. We have Orthodox Jewish participants at the Ruth Institute. Some of our local Jewish friends came to our Ruth Institute Christmas party, but only after sunset last Saturday. Ari, our volunteer blogger, shuts down at sundown every Friday. So does Dr. Miriam Grossman, whose work we often feature and who has spoken for us. We know that when we want Dr. Grossman at our events, we have to schedule around the Sabbath. It is a pleasure, indeed, an honor, to do so. Read more…
I previously posted about the “Statement of Principles” that is making news around the Orthodox Jewish community. In his blog, Rabbi Pruzansky makes some excellent points in response to the statement.
His first point is to show that insensitivity is a sin. But it is not a sin whose effects are limited to one group of victims. Read more…
Recently a petition called the “Statement of Principles” has gone around the Orthodox Jewish community about the status of homosexual members of Jewish congregations. The petition makes a number of good points. For instance, it reaffirms the obligation to treat one’s fellow with dignity and respect. It also reaffirms the impossibility of marriage redefinition according to Jewish Law.
Rabbi Reuven Spolter responds to that petition. He correctly points to some of the flaws in its reasoning.
First and foremost, I agree with the vast majority of the statement. I take issue with some of the language in the section about the children of openly gay couples which states that,
…communities should display sensitivity, acceptance and full embrace of the adopted or biological children of homosexually active Jews in the synagogue and school setting. Read more…
Wisdom is about making distinctions.
The great medieval Jewish commentator on the Bible, Rashi wrote (in his comments to Leviticus 11:47) that it is not sufficient to have great knowledge of our moral precepts. Instead, the Torah requires us to be able to make distinctions between the pure and the impure. Between right and wrong. Rashi continues that it is not sufficient to be able to be able to make these distinctions only in the obvious cases. Instead, one must also be able to distinguish in those cases in which the difference between purity and impurity is as fine as a hairsbreadth.
That is the nature of wisdom.
The Left is at war with wisdom. Read more…
In my last post, I discussed the difficulties of raising children. Nevertheless, the enterprise is essential. Here’s an article about what the Jewish sources have to say about the issue:
The Bible depicts procreation as both a blessing and a commandment (Genesis 1:28, 9:1-7). Some medieval scholars count it as the first mitzva, both in order and importance, since it facilitates the settlement of the world and the ability for mitzvot to be performed (Hinuch). Procreation is further deemed as a central purpose of marriage, albeit not its exclusive goal (Tur EH 1), and one may even sell a Torah scroll to support a marriage (Megila 27a). Conversely, the Talmud declares, “He who has not engaged in procreation, it is as if he committed murder,” or alternatively, “has diminished the divine image (Yevamot 63b). Read more…
Every time I hear a debate about redefining marriage, those in favor of redefining the institution always uncork the same old argument. Marriage, they say, is an institution that has changed very much over time. Marriage used to be an economic and social institution. It had much less to do with love and much more to do with practical considerations, such as acquiring land or wealth, allying families, or increasing social and political connections. Nowadays, marriage is about self fulfillment and happiness. Why not change it so that gay people can be fulfilled and happy as well?
It should be obvious how dishonest this argument is. But it’s sometimes tough to come up with exactly the words that express the fallacy of the argument. Life Coach Stuart Schneiderman has done just that.
The institution of marriage has constants and variables. The constants are its reality; the variables are different customs and rituals that are part of different cultural practices.
Read more…
One of my all time favorite religious sites on the internet is Torat haRav Aviner. There is always something beautiful and inspiring on the site. Many times, you have to be a religious Jew to “get it” but here’s an article which is accessible to anybody:
I have many disagreements with my wife. It seems to be unpreventable. People have different appearances, different opinions, different feelings, different desires. This sometimes causes much tension. When this occurs, we sit facing one another, and hold hands, i.e. her left hand in my right hand and her right hand in my left hand. We look at each other in the eyes, and we smile. It is so sweet. This alone makes it worthwhile.
And then we talk, taking turns. We hold hands the entire time, and when we switch turns, we stop for a few moments and smile at each other. We go back and forth until we have solved the problem. To this day, we have always found a solution. We do not wait until it grows into a huge issue, but deal with it immediately. I ask forgiveness from the psychologists and marriage counselors who we have never needed. I am certain that they are happy. I promise that this method works. Just try.
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