I'm Back, but it seems nothing has changed with my people

It has been over a year since I posted anything on this blog and more to the point, I think it's about time I restart this fledgling enterprise. Although I may have been away for a bit, it seems that the leadership of my people has been trapped into a corner of their own making and have no way to get out.


For the past few years I have warned you here about the randomness of Torah leadership's edicts and the non halachic arbitrariness of assembly line Judaism...if it sounds frummer (more religious) it must be frummer (more religious). The warnings I barked have been ignored in my own local community and in turn, where my friends live in Beit Shemesh where men routinely yell and scream vulgarities at young girls, woman and men who don't adhere to their arbitrary standards of living.


NEVER MISTAKE TORAH AND JUDAISM WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE IT!!!!!!!!


Where is the leadership of Torah Jewry? When will they stand up and take a PUBLIC stand against what is so obviously anti-Torah. To be sure, Torah is not to be thrown about with each person's own personal opinions as to what It says or was meant to say. We have over 3500 years of scholarship on this issue and JUST AS THE RELIGIOUS ARE OFFENDED WHEN THE NON-RELIGIOUS MAKE UP THEIR OWN INTERPRETATIONS OF TORAH, SO TOO DO THOSE RELIGIOUS OFFEND OTHERS WITH THEIR OWN RANDOM INTERPRETATIONS OF TORAH.


What are we to make of Torah leadership in America and Israel and their silence on any issue of actual importance for the Jewish people? Sure, we get decrees about the evil of concerts from RELIGIOUS JEWISH artists who have separate seating events...that's when we hear from them. We get toothless statements from Rabbis about child abuse in the community, then they censor any public discourse and attempt to control what questions are to be asked in such forums. Silliness like that is commonplace amongst our Rabbis and Roshei Ha'yeshiva's (Heads of Yeshivas). But now our chickens have come home to roost and the arbitrary NON TORAH based standards that have been set in our communities have smashed straight up against the TORAH BASED COMMANDMENTS of relationships between man and man (of course woman too) and man and G-d.


The coming of the Messiah, may it be speedily in our days, is dependent on the Jewish people and their behavior. Who do you think will be held responsible for his tardiness, those who know and yearn for him (or should yearn for him) or those that don't? Does anyone in the Yeshiva world--WHICH HAS MADE AN ARTFORM OF COPYING THE CHASSIDIM WITHOUT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RANDOMNESS OF THE ACTIONS THEY MIMICK AND IMPOSE OF THEIR SHEEPISH FOLLOWERS--believe that these behaviors which are tearing the Jewish people apart, are going to bring the Messiah? Do any of them think these actions will bring anyone closer to Judaism? Torah? G-d? Are we so stiff-necked as to not see the internal damage we are causing our people which may very well effect generations?


Who will be the one leader of our people who will publicly take a stand against the abusive behavior of those for portend to be the guardians of Torah living? Rabbi Wein made an attempt, but as usual the Yeshivish world blew him off as a nobody and mocked him, assigning to him, which they frequently do with Rabbi SR Hirsch of Blessed Memory, ideas and thoughts that he really feels which are different than what he/they wrote in public....totally ignoring the courage it took to write what they wrote. Just once I would like to see the same Rabbis who sign these ridiculous condemnations, sign one that unequivocally takes a stand against this nonsense. Just once it would be helpful if they stood up and said this behavior is not in accordance with Torah Law and anyone who practices it, is not to be considered a G-d fearing Jew.


But, alas, months after the fact, those who were given the responsibility to lead our people, have done anything but. They won't make public statements for fear of reprisals or quite possibly and I would guess more likely, they actually concur with the ideas being espoused by these holier than thou lunatics, and are trapped between their "religion of no" (no tv, no internet, no music, no sports, no text messaging, no cell phones, no, no no no no).... and their Torah learning which they spent years perfecting, that taught them right from wrong.


I shutter to think about the goings on in Heaven and how we must be seen as dreadfully derelict in our mission. I fear, once again, for my people and I do so based on the lack of any courage coming from the self proclaimed Torah leaders. In the grand scheme of things, I am a no one and I pale in comparison to the knowledge of these men, but I ask you, what good is the knowledge they posses when the nose in front of your face is bleeding and they don't have the courage to get a tissue?


May the Creator of All Things find it in His boundless Mercy, to withhold judgement on our people for our lack of courage and forthrightness which we have failed to display and May it be in His infinite Kindness that he ignore our gutless behavior and the behavior of our self proclaimed spineless leadership and bring the Messiah Speedily in our days.