My faithful readers, have, I'm sure, missed me and my commas tremendously. Someone suggested that I show off my new-found religiosity by writing a bit about Sotah. You see, there's a minhag among us super-religious types to learn Sotah between Pesach and Shavuos, and I came across some interesting things while shteiging (excuse me while I brech).
Did you know that the whole thing of a shidduch being more difficult to arrange than the splitting of the see of reeds only applies to a second marriage? And that if you're not deserving than someone else marries your bashert and you have to settle for second best? Of course, you'd never know it, because no one in heaven's telling you what's going on anyway, but still, it's interesting.
Is this an obvious opening for serious discussion on G-d's omniscience and foreknowing and man's free choice? Absolutely not. Firstly, it's way too late for such talk, and second of all, even if it was 9:30 PM and a riotous night of blogging stretched before me I wouldn't give it a moment's thought (besides for my probable listening to a Twins game at that point). No one comes here to read deep philosophical mumbo jumbo, and I certainly don't intend to write it. No, I'd much rather write about the approaching doom and impending horror that is Sefirah.
It's not so much the lack of Lipa Schmeltzer (besides for 51 precious seconds of Men Darf Behalten) but rather the hour of horrid Lev Tahor (in the interests of full disclosure, I loved Lev Tahor 2) and a similar amount of the Chevra (Lecha my guilty pleasure). I never heard the Miami Boys Choir music-less album, but I can't imagine it's much better. Who else? 613? No thanks. Kol Zimra is too modern-orthodoxy, and all the rest who I can't think of at the moment are I'm sure equally lacking in merit. No, for me it's Yosef Karduner and the Avraham-lead Frieds. (What's with all the hyphens and parentheses? You'll have to excuse me-must be the late hour).
Still, there are yet a few days of normal music, and I currently rejoice in the symphonic majesty of Truah L'Yisroel on Avraham Fried's Im Eshkocheich Yisroel. And did you know that MBD's Ich Hob Gevart was majesty itself? Yup, I've waited for too long...next year in Monsey!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
It's been a long time
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
34 comments:
read my blog. XD
SJ, such shameless self-promotion...
Subscribing
SJ: read a little. Shan't do so again.
e: Yes, it was. At first I thought you might appreciate this blog, but then I realized it was too too crude for even your tastes.
What's in Monsey?
"And that if you're not deserving than someone else marries your bashert and you have to settle for second best"
That too only applies to the second marriage.
le7: where my sister wants to make pesach next year.
Dovid: not as far as I recall
So, you're shteiging in teyreh now? My sympathies.
Well a list of sefira-kosher-anti-music would be deeply appreciated. And where's the new-found religiosity?
Modeh: No really, it's not that bad. In fact, G-d encourages it!
Sara: music: there's only two cds I would recommend; for the rest apply to your local Hebraic bookmonger for elucidation.
new-found religiosity: where is it? right over here, no?
Yes, Gd does encourage it, and I know how pleasurable an activity it can be, but having made a siyum for taanis bechoros I still think I should offer sympathies. You know how it goes. YOu wake up shushan purim and think where I am now I can finish if I do a blatt a day allowing x days missed You wake up in the middle of lining your refrigerator and realize that you actually missed more like 3x^2 days and you don't hold of the heter from other people's siyumim.(My rebbe told me it's dochek)
Not just second marriage. Also late marriage — i.e., marriage from the marriageable age. So, cheer up, we are all screwed.
That’s why I am marrying my daughter off when she is ten (if Democrats are still in power, G-d forbid, and the market therefore is as bad as it is right now, I will have to sell her as a maidservant, I suppose). My son — when he is twelve.
SJ — My computer stepped into something. Oh wait, it was your blog. Eww...
Modeh, 3x^2? And what value might x have?
TRS, "local hebraic bookmonger." that's a good one.
why even bother reading this dude's blog? anyone who doesn't have the decency to comment on the blog they're reading doesn't deserve readers for their blog.
the whole marriage/bashert stuff is so much more complicated than what they tell when you're little.
Modeh: Quite.
CA: Interesting ideas you have.
e: Thanks. I like it too.
Cheerio: Double yup.
e: read the comment
CA: At which point you'll run into all the rabbis who once said that ama ivriah isn't allowed anymore. Or do they only say that when they need to for PR?
If its that you will never know whether or not you "got second best" or not, then what is the purpose of that knowladge? so when you get in a fight with your wife you can shout "you must have been second best?" or "wow i must hacve really screwed up!" ? I don't really see any value to that. I mean, it could be something used to explain failed marriages but, other than that...
J
oh and SJ, you are a fool. a full correction of your last blog post would take hours, but just as an example the word hinduism is a fallacious term. it is comperable to calling Judaism, christiannity, and Islam "Jordanism". so yes "Hinduism" had no founder, kind of the same way your argument has no foundation.
J
I second what J said... what's the point?
J: stam, before something happens you have free choice, so you better make the right one; after it happens it was predestined, so don't cry over spilled milk.
Something iffy about that. Oh wait. It's only according to human logic that that is bassackwards. My mistake.
Why is that backwards?
Nothing. I thought linear time was relevant.
Everyone knows that Rambam's solution doesn't work in the realm of bechira. Gotta learn Chassidus.
Modeh: Time is a creation. G-d is above creation.
CA: Yup.
who says time isn't cyclical? and even if it was predestined afterwards, what again is the meaning? some sort of esoteric feel better hug?
J
Reb Yoel once prepared a sicha on this topic for publication. (It was about Abraham's going to Egypt. The Ramban says that going to Egypt was a sin. But on the other hand, the trip to Egypt was a good thing.)The Rebbe commented on Yoel's manuscript: kefirah mamash (complete heresy). So it's real easy to go wrong in this matter and very hard to get it right, because frankly no one understands what chassidus's answer is.
R' Sholom Charitanow says a story about this topic:
On merkos shlichus, he and his buddy once happened upon a summer camp. They chit-chatted with the kiddies and staff and gave out shabbos candles and pushkahs. One of the staff members was asking bajillions of questions and giving them a hard time. And of course he didn't want to put on tefillin.
As they hadn't planned on running across this camp, they didn't have enough pushkahs. So the next day they came to bring more. They met the same counselor and again asked him to put on tefillin. This time he agreed. After he wrapped the wrap and talked the talk, they asked him why he changed his mind.
Said he, "Yesterday I asked you how everything could be for the best, and yet we have free will. Said you to me, 'This matter is addressed in many books. But the truth is that I don't understand what they write.' After you left, I was mulling over our conversation and was really impressed that you were able to admit your ignorance." So the dude put on tefillin and was saved for the eternal damnation reserved for the "skulls on which tefillin are not layed."
Bottom line: If Sholom couldn't answer this question in his youth (and not necessarily can he answer it in his old age) then I shan't attempt it.
nice response! albeit longer than i could expected but thats not a bad thing.
J
The answer is the same as in all of Chassidus: ein od milvado. Our reality (or lack of thereof) and Hashem’s reality are two different realities. The moment you stop treating Hashem as a character in a play, it starts making sense.
Future does not exist for us and thus is not predestined. When you’re talking about your choice — you have free will, because the future is not there (as far as you’re concerned), literally. But afterward, you realize you made a decision, and a bad decision it was — and you ask Hashem, how could you let this happen? Ah, not that you talking on Hashem’s “level”, of course there is future, and you say that b’dieved Hashem wanted it to happen.
Last night, there was a bochur in a local Chabad House after ma’ariv and someone asked him for some reason why he came there. The bochur answered: “hasgacha protis”. Someone retorted: “hashgacha protis is Hashem’s business; the reason why you came here is your business”. The two are completely separate things.
now* that you’re talking on Hashem’s level...
That smacks of dualism.
eh, not really. he isn't talking about planes of exsitance or physical realms of competing deities. just differant planes of understandin and thought that alter reality depending upon your ability to comprehend the surroundings.
J
Post a Comment