Matzav.com has got one thing going for them, they love writing long attacks on people who aren’t frum enough for them and I love it. Who would have imagined such vitriol for a revised siddur, I wonder what they will do if Artscroll ever decides to “update” their shas sets.
Keeping mesorah has always been a challenge for Yidden in golus. The lure of secularism, conservatism, socialism, and a whole gamut of “isms” is an enticing one for those who are influenced by current society to perceive traditional Ultra-Orthodoxy as “old fashioned” and “outdated.” Personally, though, I am simply bothered by “other” versions of Judaism. I am not offended by them. If someone, for example, is Reform, then they have left the fold, and by giving their pseudo-observance a new moniker, they are distancing themselves from Torah-true Yiddishkeit in the process.
What is really troubling is when people hijack Orthodox Judaism as they tailor it to fit their own sense of what is right and wrong. They threaten to alter Yiddishkeit from within and conveniently keep the term “Orthodox” to suffice their misplaced sense of staying “frum.” We all have heard about the Avi Weiss-Rabbah fiasco, and how a perverted sense of equality for women required an update from the supposed tyrannical ways of what Torah, halacha and mesorah have prescribed as women’s roles for millennia. He was condemned. She was condemned.
However, I believe that in order to be protective of our ever increasingly threatened Mesorah, the facilitators of these attacks should be just as equally condemned. The RCA openly expressed their disapproval of Avi Weiss’ actions. Yet, they did not go so far as to rescind the ordination given to a woman, nor did they have the wherewithal to distance themselves from Weiss unequivocally. To me, that speaks volumes of the RCA’s position of how Orthodox Judaism isn’t above being tinkered with. They just took issue with the particular type of change that Weiss initiated.
As advertised, the RCA is planning the release of a new siddur. Rather than letting their changes to the most basic form of our service to Hakadosh Boruch Hu be discreetly positioned, they proudly declare how the “Revised RCA Siddur” will be a new and more updated version than its predecessors. It will promote increased “sensitivity throughout to women’s prayer experience,” including incorporating prayers (such as “Zeved Habas“) that are specifically altered to be gender appropriate, presumably because the siddur that Klal Yisroel had been using is terribly insensitive to women.
Additionally, it has “halachos related to contemporary history,” such as new days when to omit Tachanun or say Hallel, because since the Shulchan Oruch (and the Mishna Berurah, for that matter) did not live in the latter part of the 20th century, they were not privileged to be enlightened to extra holidays on the Jewish calendar that the RCA and others have added. Sarcasm aside, the RCA has also taken the liberty of changing many words in the text of tefillos to adhere to what they feel is more grammatically suitable.
The RCA is the perpetrator of this heinous attempt to modernize our mesorah, but as with the case with Avi Weiss, they are not alone, and they need facilitators. As of now, the siddur is billed as “Zichron Ploni” as they await a generous benefactor to enable its publishing. In addition, there is also a publisher, a distributor, local seforim stores, and news publications for advertising that are required for RCA’s new revised siddur to be “successful.” Unless the RCA is willing to make a turnaround and omit these distortions in its siddur, which we hope it will, I call on those in that industry to distance themselves from that project, and if they do not, then they are coconspirators of the sabotaging of our mesorah as well. To paraphrase political commentator Rush Limbaugh when referring to another “progressive” change movement: I hope they fail.
There is another thing that caught my eye in the RCA advertisement that I saw as ironic. It proclaims that the “Revised RCA Siddur will enhance the prayer experience for decades to come.” With history as our teacher, we know how all of the movements and “isms” have panned out, and in the “decades to come,” only the undiluted version of mesorah-guided Yiddishkeit will endure.
“Orthodox” Judaism isn’t Torah True Judaism, the Lubavitcher Rebbe famously declaired in the late 1960’s “Ani Lo Daati” / “I am UnOrthodox”, he then went on to explain that Orthodoxy was too ridgid and inflexible and that although the Reform movement had gone too far, in principle they have the right idea. Halacha is a fluid system, which because it is the word of a Living God, must be living and alive, and able to adapt to changing situations. Let’s not confuse neurotic frumkite with authentic judaism.
And whats your source? The Lubavitcher Rebbe would never agree with Reform movement. Even in principle
You’re preaching to the choir my friend, at least my choir! Why do you think I posted this garbage?
word dude. people seem to conveniently forget that orthodoxy only came into existence as a response to the haskala. So, orthodox mesorah means “what has transpired in the last 200 years” – that’s peanuts in jew-time. Beyond that, the response was as extreme as what it was responding to, only in the other direction – so its not much of a help in determining what judaism in fact is or what it should be.
Heshy, I think you forgot to make a line of demarcation of where the article begins, and where your opinion ends. If I didn’t read the Matzav article last week, I would have thought you were saying this crap.
FYI, the Philo above isn’t me
can you please cite the source of this position/statement of the Lubavitcher Rebbe?
is a person suppose to say ‘leshaim yichud; before pounding his wife??
I’m of the opinion that one should say asher yatzer after blowing a load – but I’m an am haaretz what do I know?
Two points:
1) In addition to what Max brought from the Rebbe [i’d like to clarify, the Rebbe was saying that in the context of Halacha-framework. But debunking the approach to the rigidness, as in Bnai Brak etc where chumros bli taam abound etc] —
that the Rebbe also once mentioned [in an English letter as I recall], that “MO” is an oxymoron, either Modern or orthodox [as we unfortunately see today how it pulls in directions, see Avi Weiss et al].
2) Don’t want to make this a silly comment, but rather a halachic one.:
The reason we don’t say “Aser Yotzar” after marital relations, according to the “Halachos Ketanos” (#116), is because most conjugal acts are done loosely and lewdly, so as possibly a reason for Chazal not wanting to construct a brocha nusach for this mitzvah. Alternatively, he bases on the Rambam that this mitzvah also weakens the body (“mazik”), and the klal is ‘we don’t bentch on a “curse”‘. But he adds “Maybe if it’s a shaas ratzon and one cleanses himself properly, and says it in a proper location, then he may bentch “Asher Yotzar”, and tavo alav birchas Tov.
Sourse; Rabbi Eli Cohen previously of NYU, now CH?
I can’t help but notice in the PDF that the contact rabbi’s name is Rabbi Basil Herring. Are they promoting a restaurant?!
I love it, the book has not even been published yet and its under attack. How about this, an attack article written about the next version which will be published in 10 years. Get ahead of the game.
What do those people say about Koren-Sacks?
It’s not even Jewish – what’s to say?
Um, yeah, Chief Rabbi Sacks is Jewish
only bedieved
Because I am also offended by modern distortions to our Mesora, I will be no longer doing the following:
1) Go to an Upsherin
2) Wear a Yarmulka (If anything, I would wear a shtreimel, as pictured in the sheets I received in cheder)
3) Learn in Kollel
4) Let my children date
5) Eat jelly donuts on Chanuka
6) Say Leshaim Yichud before certain Berachos and Tefillos (please ban all sidurim that added this tefilla)
7) Say Chad Gadya by the Seder (please ban all Haggados that added this song)
8) Since Nusach Ashkenaz is the REAL Nusach, I will be banning all siddurim with Nusach Sefard or Ari.
9) Since the horrific “innovation” of Artscroll to denigrate our Siddurim with Goyishe words, I will be of course banning them as well.
1) There’s a difference between “necessary additions” and “offensive distortions”.
2) There’s a difference between the giants of our past and these ignorant clowns who think they know better than G-d.
Another attempt by the modern (read “liberal”) crowd to change things to suit their comfort level. I really hate slippery slope arguments, but this is exactly how CJ and RJ started. There’s something to be said for hanging on to the “old ways”. Not everything in a Jew’s life is meant to be rosey & happy & koombaya around the campfire. Get over it.
Then you have the modern (read “P-Whipped”) husbands of these feminist women who think being a panty-waist is going to get their fugly masculine looking wives to gobble their goo . Newsflash: Dudes, your old ladies are on Craigslist getting some strange while you’re supporting their noble causes, because you’re a limp-weenie.
Nate,
I agree. And don’t get me started on those modern “Chareidi” Jews. Instead of wearing sandals and tunics like our great Tannaim, they modernized their wardrobe to that of 18th century Polish. They added prayers not even mentioned in the temple service given by our Priests, and imposed all sorts of restrictions which were never part of authentic, Mosaic Judaism. It’s a slippery slope indeed.
Your sarcasm is well noted. However, there were no prayer services in the temple, except for the songs sung by the Levites. The whole reason that the siddur was developed in the first place is to replace the services that we no longer perform, i.e. sacrifices. They didn’t daven in the temple.
terrible response nate, you look away from all the other issues raised and focus on a minute detail.
You rationalists have an issue at every turn, so it’s impossible for a nonrationalist like me to avoid not touching on some of them. For you, everything deserves questioning. Not for me. I do things first, and am bothered by very little. But I’ll save that for Slifkin’s silly blog, if I have 2 minutes to spare.
I’m confused by this post. Are you quoting something and if so, where are the quotation marks?
Nate,
The siddur was developed ??!! I thought it was handed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai (along with the tablets and the shamir). Horrors !!! Are you trying to imply that Judaism has changed from Abraham til now? That is a very radical notion. Why, if you accept that reasoning, that Judaism could change and grow with the times, that Judaism in the time of Moses differed from Judaism in the time of Ezra which differed from the time of Akiba, which differs from our time, then you are no different than a reform, conservative, or gasp, reconstructionist Jew. The only difference is that you differ on which changes you like and which you don’t.
Now you’re just being an argumentative ass. Making a change becasue a temple is destroyed and wanting to find another way to serve God is hardly the same as developing an entire new religion and calling it reform, with its basic philosophy saying that the Torah itself doesn’t even come from God. It has nothing to do with likes or dislikes, and you’re just a fool if you think it does. Reform, Conservative and Recon are all about likes and dislikes and comfort and understanding things and rejecting the things they dont. Orthodoxy doesnt reject anything but those things that are against Torah. We follow the law whether it makes sense to us or not.
than your a stupid fool. judaism is all about asking questions, not too be arguementative, merely to understand better. If something doesn’t make sense to you, than you delve deeper into the issue. I guess your too chareidi to ask questions, too bad.
Asking questions is not the same as what these other factions do and you know it. There is no driving on Shabbos allowed. They do it. So what has asking questions to do with violating clear prohibitions? And if the answers dont make sense then yes, delve deeper, but that doesnt absolve you of doing! We didn’t say at Sinai we’ll accept and do the things we understand and hold off on the ones we don’t.
The Conservative psak that allows driving on Shabbos is a workaround, no different than selling chometz over Pesach, pruzbal, or a hundred other rabbinic workarounds. Whether or not it works is a different question, but it’s not as if they just threw halacha out the window.
Makes no nevermind how they got there, it’s forbidden and that the end of the story. If you try hard enough you can find an excuse to do anything, even if it’s not permitted. And what about Reform? What about Reconstructionist? All foolish antiTorah nonsensical excuses to be immoral and “free”.
I suppose you won’t be selling your chometz this Pesach. The heter to sell your chometz to a non-Jew is just a foolish antiTorah nonsensical excuse to be immoral and “free”.
Selling chametz is not a heter. It’s an obvious thing. If you sell it, it’s not yours. It’s an actual sale. The goy owns it and can come get it anytime he wants. It’s his.
It’s not forbidden if the rabbis permit it – Nate, you should know that. As a conservative jew, pronouncements by orthodox rabbis are irrelevant to me. Conservative halacha permits driving on Shabbat and Yom Tov, only to synagogue and back, and only to the nearest synagogue, at that. You don’t have to drive; I don’t. Sadly, since the nearest shul is 5 miles from home, it means that I spend Shabbat davenning at home. Should I drive in order to daven with my community? How about a wheelchair bound person? Should they be deprived the joy of attending Shabbat services? BTW, did you even read the driving teshuvah?
G3,
The Torah tells us what to do and what not to do. On Pesach, there is a law that we cannot own chometz.
That is the law.
If we own it – we did not adhere to the Torah. If we don’t own it – we did adhere to it.
Same with collecting debts after shmitah.
Same with shinui.
Same with the other “workarounds” you speak of.
In all of Halacha, you will not find even ONE place where the actual law is disregarded, no matter how ‘important’ the reason is. Unless there is a specific situation of “Pikuach Nefesh”, “Eis la’asos Lash-m”, “Chillul H-shem”, or one of the other few very specific exceptions which can’t be mistaken for anything invalid.
What the new unauthentic movements are doing, is finding a reason, any reason which they deem important, and just erasing whatever they desire from the Torah.
If you honestly can’t see the difference between a legitimate “loophole” in Halacha, and a blatant “disregard” for Halacha, then you should stay off all discussions having to do with Orthodox Judaism.
Dude, are you high, or did someone drop you on your head really hard when you were a baby?
it’s piqued, not peeked, knucklehead
as usual you avoid his question
being a rationalist and frum is an oxymoron, moron. being frum requires belief in the irrational. you do not. ergo, you are not frum. probably not Jewish either.
Nate,
I think your missing a very important point. “Logic” was created by G-d just like physical matter, light, time, trees, animals, etc.
“Not logical” and “irrational” are two very different concepts. Something can be illogical without being irrational, while the converse is impossible.
Believing in the Torah requires one to recognize that G-d is above logic, as he created it, and therefore cannot be bound by it. To say that something is true even though logic does not allow for it, is just as rational as saying something completely logical – once you understand the place and extent of logic itself.
Ironically, it is irrational to think that logic is absolute, and that there is nothing higher than it. It is this specific point that many secular Jews, angnostics, and athiests cannot get past.
Why? Because it is in the realm of the unseen, and of that which cannot be comprehended. Furthermore, it forces upon us the reality that our own realm is fake, and just part of a design. An arena created for a purpose higher than itself, and actually run by that which is above it.
People are very scared of the thought that we are not in control, and that ultimately we know absolutely nothing. To be at the mercy of another can be very frightening for some. To accept that the one thing we can testify to with absolute certainty – that we exist – is itself being held up by someone else, is an unfathomable knock to the ego.
Actually, it is even understandable that people could convince themselves to believe in absurd impossibilities, when the alternative is so scary for them.
But even the hardest of rocks can be broken. Very often one needs to be put in a situation where his/her life is about to come to an end, in order for them to make the realization that all this time they were holding on to nothing, and that it can be lost in the blink of an eye.
The feeling that one’s very life is no longer in their hands is very humbling, and is usually strong enough to pierce through the thick wall of arrogance they wasted their whole lives building.
So your assertion that the Torah reqires belief in the irrational, is incorrect (unless you meant to say “illogical”). But Mr. Rationalist Frummie’s definition of “rational” is also incorrect.
Bottom line:
We know 1+1=2. And G-d knows that in our realm this is true. But if he wants 1+1 to be 1, it is just as simple as it being 2, because he is above logic and not bound by it.
Yeah, thats what I mean. Rationalists don’t believe that though. They believe God is bound by the same laws of nature that we are, and can’t deal with the idea that God created those laws and can break them at will.
You don’t think I’m Jewish? Funny, I dont think you’re anti-semitic… gloib mir, I have a yiddishe kop. And to your frequent remarks about how you can’t be frum and rational, tell that to these rabbis http://organdonationstatement.blogspot.com/
Ahhh, you see that’s where you got it wrong. I didn’t say frum and rational, i said frum and rationalist. Big difference. Ask Slifkin if you doubt me. Rationalists deny miracles, deny Chazal, deny nearly every bit of Mesorah we have because it doesn’t fit their modern day enlightened thinking.
And I don’t see the names of Rav Elyahiv, Kanievsky, Feldman, Ovadiah Yosef, or any other Gedolim on that list.