I DO Have Emunas Chachamim

Chachmei Hatevah, that is.
This past tuesday, I left class at 5:58, walked outside to my school's miniature backyard, waited until 6:04 pm., and stared. I didn't see Venus. I stared at the sun for approximately 5 minutes before giving up on seeing a little black dot. And yet, I had, "faith," that the Transit of Venus took place. As with all my other questions I ever have about physics, I always tell myself that my science teacher probably has an answer. And if not him, I'm sure there is a scientist out there who could answer my basic question. If I think of some sort of flaw in science, I assume that the scientist who made the discovery or theory would've thought of my simple question, and is therefore insignificant and in no way challenging to science.

However, any logical flaw I find in Torah, Jewish thought, or philosophy, immediately sends me down a whole winding trail of questions and attempted answers. I end up doubting fundamental bases, or creating new ones. Of course I have certain mental barriers which I've created which prevent me from going completely heretical, but nonetheless I sometimes come close. Where's my Emunas Chachamim now?

UPDATE: Apparently, not too many people have as high of a madreiga of emunas chachmei hatevah as I do. see here. I guess some people could use some strong mussar and chizuk in their emunah. :)

Shmiras Einayim for a City Teen

                     בְּהִתְעַטֵּף עָלַי, רוּחִי וְאַתָּה, יָדַעְתָּ נְתִיבָתִי

בְּאֹרַח-זוּ אֲהַלֵּך טָמְנוּ פַח לִי

I take the subway at least four times a week, and I live in New York City. To do what they preach at my moderately ultra orthodox high school is physically impossible. I do not believe that God would therefore require every Jewish family to evacuate the island for the summer. To quote the LORD, "we are called on by God to live in the world, not escape from it." Therefore it goes without saying that God does not expect me to have such a level of shmiras einayim. What then, does God expect from me?


Rabbi Eliyahu Fink, commenting on article written by Avital Chizhik, said that," Real modesty is to shift the focus from the external to the internal. The obsession with modesty has turned it into the very opposite of modesty. Of course, I realized that the same is true not only when it comes to the way girls dress and the way they view themselves, but in the way guys view women. Constant pounding about the strictness of shmiras einayim has not turned my thoughts pure, but in fact, it has poisoned them so deeply that a true antidote will be difficult to find. Oddly, the only time I actually have any real hirhurim (legit sex) is when I'm thinking about shmiras einayim itself, or the fact that learning the halachos of shmiras einayim has poisoned my mind, and a woman, however slightly non-tznius, passes by. In fact, I think it may happen even if the woman is completely tznius, due to the irony described by Rabbi Gil Student. He basically discusses that we learn from Rus to be modest, even if it means we will stand out as the modest one. Once again, this is not only true from the woman's perspective but the man's also. Tznius women stand out in the city, and they attract attention.


Now, I'm not saying that shmiras einayim should be ignored. The lack of tznius and shmiras negiah at the Israeli Day Parade today (or whatever they changed the name to was horrific. And of course its not like the guys there my age had the perfectly un-perverted mind either. The majority of decent looking girls walking around got noticed. Its just that my mind was also perverted by halacha. The difference? A 90 year old woman wearing a sleeveless shirt.


For the most part, I try to ignore thinking about these halachos, which in turn makes me have less actual hirhurim that are assur. But I understand that hot women are hot women, and that even if you don't have extreme hirhurim immediately when you see someone, its still assur to look at them for their beauty. However, not looking at anyone is impossible, so what is one supposed to do? I try not to look at girls who I find attractive, but of course the first glance of that determination usually has a longer lasting impact anyways. Is it better to look at someone less tznius but less attractive than someone who is more attractive although they happen to be more tznius? Black women tend to have larger breasts and therefore more cleavage showing. But I don't think I've ever seen a black woman that I actually think is pretty. Semi-hipsters tend to wear long flowery dresses, but I generally find them more attractive.
 So for now, I just try to win the battle of my thoughts, whether or not the hilchos tznius strategy is being applied on my side.

Through the Looking Glass of the Ulam

http://www.freshinkforteens.com/articles/through-looking-glass-mechitza
First of all, kudos to Eden for continuing to go to teen minyan despite her bitter feelings.
Second of all:

An Israelite laments his invisibility in The Beis Hamikdash.

For me, the avodah everyday goes something like this: I get there promptly at the beginning of services; after the  superintendent (memuneh) wakes up the kohanim who are sleeping and watching guard in various rooms - around rooster-crow. They then proceed to pick a lottery to choose someone to take out the ashes from the previous day. My entering the ezras nashim (I'm a guy, but the area in the beis hamikdash where non-kohanim could go was called the ezras nashim) makes absolutely no difference - only kohanim are counted in the lottery. At this point I am completely alone on this side of the 15 steps, the partition that separates Israelites(, Levites,who stand on the steps,) and priests in the Beis Hamikdash.

The service continues, and as the time for the korban tamid approaches, someone takes the twigs/logs and arranges them on the mizbeach. Again a lottery is drawn. Once again, I am completely left out. If it is light enough outside, they proceed with the service. By the time they are ready to bring the korban, there are a number of Levites playing instruments on the steps, and a few Israelites alongside me. While we occasionally get to slaughter an animal here or there, Israelites are for the most part, ignored.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. (For a full description of the daily avodah see meseches tamid)
Different Jews have different jobs.Everyone is supposed to have individualism, but yet not be jealous of anyone else.

Interestingly, the associate rabbi in my shul mentioned something relevant to this today (parshas nasso). He was discussing the theme of shalom, peace or harmony, in this weeks parsha. The story of the Sotah is rebuilding shalom bayis and the kohanim bless the people, " ...And May he [Hashem] turn peace towards you." He said that peace comes from everyone working together towards a united goal, while utilizing their unique individuality. Hence the division of jobs among the Levites, and the importance of the offerings of each tribe leader. To connect this theme to the nazir, he said that although we allow the nazir to temporarily attain the spiritual level of a kohen, ultimately he is frowned upon and must bring an atonement offering. We are to understand that we are supposed to unite in serving God to the best of our abilities, with each of us fulfilling a unique role.
 This is my first basic response (thanks to S.Z.L. for the inspiration).

(Update: sorry, I made a mistake about the structure of the azarah a little bit wrong. The steps are behind the azarah, however, the mizbeach, according to the mainstream opinion, blocked their view of anything beyond it.)

Religious Freedom

Are the American notions of liberty of conscience and freedom of religion genuine Jewish values?

I guess its too late to write a 1500 word essay, so I figured I'd jot down my thoughts here, for the zero followers of mine to read and give me $3000. Oh, wait, I can't put a shiny yellow donate button on my blog until I'm eighteen. Oh well.

When I first read the question, I thought it was asking a general question about American notions of liberty.
I immediately thought of conservatives who believe that American liberty means complete capitalism and laissez-faire economics, to which I would respond that they are NOT genuine Jewish values. I would base my answer on this post. In that post, Rabbi Eliyahu Fink of the Pacific Jewish Center quotes Rabbi Isidore Epstein's introduction to the Talmud, who quotes many examples of Rabbinical Socialism. EPIC WIN.
Either way, that isn't what the question is asking. MEH.
What it actually is asking about is whether the American notion of freedom of religion is a genuine Jewish value.
That is harder to answer.
My first thought is that since this country is not governed by Jews, there is no obligation upon the gentiles to obey the seven Noahide laws. It is not a commandment upon them. It is our obligation that those around us in our area of jurisdiction follow those seven laws. Unlike regular mitzvos, which are a Jew's personal obligation, the sheva mitzvos bnei noach are the governments responsibility. Seeing as our government isn't Jewish, it has every right to allow whatever religious freedom it wishes (including gay marriage <----LOL).

Nonetheless, a more genuine Jewish perspective would tell you that all mitzvos have a purpose, and the seven Noahide laws are meant to be a moral structure for society. Therefore any gentile who performs those commandments would receive merit in the world to come. Furthermore, because we believe that mitzvos are inherently valuable, converting is a form of elevation.This would mean that Judaism does not truly inherently value religious freedom, although it permits it. It would, however, prefer if everyone kept its moral standards.

That being said, even in a land under Jewish rule, no one would be forced to convert. For the majority of history, Judaism was the only religion which allowed any freedom of religion whatsoever. Most other religions, for the majority of history, believed that only someone who embraced their religion could merit reward. Judaism believes that anyone can achieve greatness, as long as they follow basic morals. (To see what my basis for calling them, "morals," is, see here.)

However, those basic tenets of morality must be kept. Some of them are open clauses. Who is to decide what is considered sexual immorality? It can't be based on Jewish laws of sex, because there is no chalos kiddushin (actual recognized marriage) between two non Jews. They definitely don't have the laws of niddah. Also, who is to decide what is considered a court? Is a monarch tyrant considered a government. Is an American justice system which searches not for the truth a establishment of a court? What is considered idolatry? Is a trinity monotheistic? Is Islam idolatry? Is the commandment not to be pagan, or to believe in one God? If the former, then atheism would be permitted. The rest are pretty clear cut, but all of those seem to not contradict any American values of religious freedom. The only two which may cause a problem are idolatry and sexual immorality, but those prohibitions are subject to introspection, or tzarich iyun.

In conclusion, there are two reasons why Judaism values religious freedom, despite the fact that it may inherently wish for something better. Firstly, because this isn't a country under Jewish jurisdiction. Secondly, because even those things which we may expect  gentile society to keep, are already, arguably, being kept.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

Here's a patch I started writing around Pesach, but its fine for any time of year, really.
This year, a I felt a new pre-pesach fear. After only recently becoming a navoch stooped in patchionalism, I was worried about how badly tainted my view of the miracles of Egypt would be. Patchionalists claim to minimize the quality and quantity of miracles. They happen less often, and when they do, they are less than supernatural.
So I began to think about how my opinion of yetzias mitrayim would be affected.
I contemplated my own view of miracles.
I recently read the view of R' E. E. Dessler on this issue, and the following are my thoughts about it.
He says that while God generally runs the world according to tevah (nature), miracles are completely removed from nature. He says this in contradistinction to the opinion that miracles are just nature stretched.
While this was satisfactory at first glance, a closer look into the term tevah can show that it doesn't really answer my dilemma.
Nature simply means the way the world naturally goes about its course. An thing that happens that isn't usual, is miraculous.
Science, however, is entirely another thing. Science is the explanation for anything that happens in the universe. Miracles have to have a scientific explanation. Perhaps that science isn't physics. I don't know. Maybe its, "miracology," but the way to gain scientific knowledge of something is to study it repeatedly in a lab. That would undo them being miracles. Any thoughts?

OR

One could argue that miracles ARE within laws of saying, despite the fact that they are unnatural. One would then have to research if they break any laws of science. (Much of modern physics nowadays is only theory, educated guessing though it may be, which is much more easily discarded. But most of all science we have is empirically proven fact.)
If they do, no respected intellectual, or even a simple patchionalist  for that matter, of our time, would accept it. Firstly because we believe that science is God's creation just as much as the Torah is, and they can both teach us things. Secondly, because that would make the world of our forefathers similar to that in Lord of the Rings. Not that that is impossible, but I disagree with it theologically.

If they don't, great, but you've just made the miracle that much less cool. Oh, and now let me guess, there's a moral that we can appreciate better now that we know that that is what the Torah/Midrash/Gemara is actually trying to tell us in the first place (and not a historical accounting). and let me guess, I'm supposed to apply that moral to my life to make myself a better Jew and a better person? Lame, I hate making myself a better person. (Not that this is the only reason yeshivists don't like patchionalism, especially because very often yeshivists do stress the morals that can be learned from these stories, even if they at the same time believe them in the technical sense. It's just that its emphasized, and very often coupled with the expectation that never picking your head up from a gemara will grant you these superpowers.)

Meh, what do I know. I guess I'll wait until I die, or Mashiach comes.

Just a quick patch-on to the patch about NPC's.
I was thinking more about this game of God's called Life,and about all the characters in it.
To each individual player, or person, isn't everyone else an NPC? The answer is obviously no.
No one is an figment of anyone else's imagination.
One can never know for sure, because all it takes is extremely advanced technology to give an NPC in a game an intricate brain possible of being creative on its own.
Kind of like creating artificial intelligence in real life, but easier.
But online multiplayer is a much more pleasant way of viewing God's game.
More like an open world game like World of Warcraft or RuneScape then Halo Multiplayer, btw.
In fact, I can't begin to try to explain the world w/o it. It just fits so well.

הוראת שעה

Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (The Rambam) and his  rationalist Judaism thrived in an era entrenched in Aristotelian  philosophy.

Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer (The Besht) and his optimistic Judaism thrived in an era stooped in un-enthusiastic-ality and depression in light of many a failed messiahs.

I've come to the realization that everything is a hora'as sha'ah. Rabbinic leaders deal with the issues that are  presented to them. There is no more objectively true pat[c]h to God. Every generation adopts one of the shivim panim l'Torah.

How then, is one to discern the truth? The Truth is to serve God. One serves God the way his rabbinic leaders feel that they are supposed to given the circumstances their generation is in. Maybe Rabbeinu Avraham ben Ha-Rambam when he was right when he said that Chazal only told of supernatural Messianic wonders and of the pleasures of Olam Habah in order to entice the weak-minded and lustful. Maybe the critics of patchionalism are right, and we should be condemned for our lack of faith and belief only in that which we can perceive and understand.

But in a day and age where all forms of rabbinate exist, and we are able to create any society which we please, whether be it one which appreciates the beauty of science, or one that isolates its members from coming into contact with any distant piece of modernity that might expose them to blasphemy, how is one to choose? Is it simply dependent upon which society one is born into? How can one claim the other to be foolish? How can one claim the other to be heretical?

Everything is a Hora'as Sha'ah. Nothing is true. Just Kidding.