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It's funny, I used to look forward to the sabbath, now that I am retired everyday is like the sabbath, in fact on sabbath I usually work more than I do during the week. Sabbath is good for people working and having the stresses that life throws their way. During the week I bicycle and walk as my primary means of transportation, however on the sabbath I drive my car so I can visit and relax with good friends who live further than a relaxing walk or bike ride.
I love my orthodox Rabbi friend's but find some of their customs to be unhealthy and just plain not Jewish.
1- They (Chabad) worship the former Rebbe as a 'messiah,' they write letters of prayer to him and throw them on his grave.(ohel) Not that there is anything wrong with this since I believe there are many ways to get to your spiritual destination. (More than one road to Rome...)
(for information log ontohttp://www.ohelchabad.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/AID/78446)
This is ironic since the 'Shema' the signature prayer of Judaism, states one G-d and only one G-d) that's one of the reasons the Jew's don't believe in Jesus, they believe in going to the source, no intermediary. Yet they write letters of prayer to a dead person they worship as the messiah and display wall photos of him similar to many Christians displaying photos of Yeshua. ( The Hebrew name for Jesus)
2- During circumcision the orthodox Rabbi will suck the infants penis to clean off the blood. There is an incident where an infant boy contacted the herpes virus from this procedure.The practice is known as oral suction, or in Hebrew, 'metzitzah b'peh.' After removing the foreskin of the penis, the practitioner, or mohel, sucks the blood from the wound to clean it. It became a health issue after a boy in Staten Island and twins in Brooklyn, circumcised by the same mohel in 2003 and 2004, contracted Type-1 herpes. Most adults carry the disease, which causes the common cold sore, but it can be life-threatening for infants. One of the twins died
(read more about this incident in the New York times;) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/nyregion/26circumcise.html
3- During all simcah's (celebrations) men dance with men and women dance with women, I would like to know the rate of closet homosexuality in the orthodox sect?
4- Some things are translated literally and some things symbolically? Not driving, not cooking, not talking on the phone on the sabbath all stem from a biblical passage that states, "no kindling of a fire." Ex(35:3) Therefore driving one's car ignites a spark plug and in modern day went on to include no driving. Symbolically I would interpret this to mean no fighting with family or friends.
( http://www.letusreason.org/7thAd4.htm) explains all rules of the sabbath, in fact disobeying them would be reason for a stoning, and I don't mean getting high.
5- Not carrying on the sabbath is another rule the orthodox follow on the sabbath, yet someone figured it was OK to wear your keys around your neck on a string since your not allowed to carry them in your pocket, playing attorney with G-d is stooping pretty pretty low...
6- Kosher laws are so crazy that one orthodox Rabbi will not eat at another orthodox Rabbi's since he may use products displaying a hechsher that he does not recognize, or might think that the oven used in baking or the ways of the food preparations was not properly administered. Another law hard to swallow is that if a non Jew turns on the oven and kosher food is to be cooked it makes the food non-kosher. Only a Jew can turn on the oven in an orthodox kitchen.
http://www.hechshers.info/about.htm
7- The old ritual that says you shouldn't work on the sabbath? Well sabbath is the day the Rabbi is on stage, he needs an audience a congregation, so of course he will say to not work, but ironically he is working, and usually the wife is dishing out food and moving chairs to accommodate guests.I think G-d would be happier if you took a homeless person to dinner than worried whether or not the potato chip had the proper hecksher marking on the package... Oy Vey... Read more on the different certifications and kosher hechshers logos.
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/kosher/lifestyle/kosher-certifying-standards.asp
My conclusion is 'religion sucks and G-d is great,'(not a bad idea for a bumper sticker) and come judgment day, all of us will be in for a rude awaking when we say, oh, that's what you meant Lord.
Although all these laws seem crazy, even the practitioners who are usually of a high intellect will tell you they make no sense, but practitioner's continue on with the practice as a way to be obedient to their G-d.
They say you shouldn't question G-d, I agree you shouldn't question G-d, but you can question the people who interpret what they think G-d said.
Update, 03-23-14 Rabbi being sued for cutting off boys organ during the a ritual bris ceremony.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twY4jnV8M_Y
word count 883
For more interesting readings go to; http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/chabad_gathering_no_jew_left_behind
http://www.chabad.org/ (Has all the answers you may need)
http://www.frumsatire.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/thou-shall-smite-you.jpg (cartoon below)
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| This has to be my all time favorite cartoon! ;D) Thanks Rod |
Editor's note, Dakinetalk guest bloggers do not necessarily represent the opinions of dakinetalk. Guest bloggers are given space to express their beliefs and or opinions. We feel there are many roads and like to give people space to express their thoughts,after-all that's what dakine is...Aloha, James "Kimo" Rosen, Publisher.
18 comments:
Davis D. Danizier said via facebook; "Thoughtful and thought-provoking, and in the spirit of "peace on earth goodwill to all people."
"Differentiating between the existence of a deity and the human-made organizational artifices designed as much to amass wealth, power and contro...l over others' private lives is relevant and important."
"If you have seen my blog on the existence of god, I find the question not ultimately answerable with certainty, but there are serious issues raised that go beyond the simplistic rote answers of the traditional theists, and which cannot simply be dismissed by the atheists."
"If there is a god, he or she or it (or they?) would be far advanced over our immature, quarrelsome species and would be far more concerned with seeing us live in peace, harmony and compassionate love than in the manner in which we sing to (him / her / it /they) our songs of praise which (he / she / it / they) really don't need all that much."
http://danizier.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/is-there-a-god/See moreIs There a God?
danizier.wordpress.com
When I contemplate the question, “Is there a God?” I hear echoes of an innocent,... doe-eyed child looking up and asking, “Is there a Santa Claus.” In its childlike naïveté, which is endeari...See more..."
3-D, I really don't question the exisrtence of G-d since for me it's impossiblre to believe all this with no creator. It's like the old explanation of the painting. The painting needs an artist, a book needs an author, and we are the painting, we are the book. G-d is the author, G-d is the painter... My blog was not questioning the existence of G-d but rather acknwledging the crazy Mishagash people do to make browning points to their G-d. I do believe all religions are partially correct, in fact I believe agnostic and athiests have valid points too, almost a religion within itself. look around at the ocean, the sky, the tree's, wild animals, farm animals and everything that makes everything tick. None the less everyone one of us,. inclusing Billy Graham, The Pope, and Rabbi Menachen Scheerson will all say on Judgement day, "Oh, that's what you meant L-rd.
"3-D" You never mentioned what you thought of the orthodox tradition of oral suction during a tradition circumcision? Circucmcism is another topic, but there's a cartoon with a very Jewish man looking up to the heavens, saying, "wait a minute The Arabs get all the oil and we need to cut off the ends our wieners? ;D) I will try and find the cartoon and post it!
Davis Danizier said via facebook;
"There may have been some medical reasons rooted in sanitation in the primitive era of Moses for circumcision, as there may have been for eschewing pork in an era before proper cooking techniques to prevent trichinosis, but I do not know what it was. As you noted, it was a different era.
As for the suction by the Mohel in the ritual, I am not qualified to comment on the intricacies of Orthodox Jewish rituals. That said, if a person is doing what has always been done traditionally for centuries and is doing it because others before him did, I don't see that as being the equivalent of one individual doing it on their own. I am sure that many who follow traditions that have been handed down to them may find them uncomfortable and comply out of a sense of unpleasant duty. In the rare case that one feels stimulated by it, I would find that troubling.
Davis D. Danizier via faceboo; "As for the existence of a deity I have addressed the traditional arguments for a god, the reasons why some disagree, and my own reasons for concluding the likely probability of such a deity (though not of the Abrahamic tradition of the Jews, Christians and Muslims) as cited in the link provided above..."
10-4, "3-D"
facebbo likes;" who like this
James Kimo Rosen
Brooks Institute of Photography
.FriendsJudith Whitehead
Technician at Ophthalmology
..FriendsDouglas Dunn
Owner-Operator at Word Wizards Communications
..FriendsDavis D. Danizier
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
....
Harmony said via facebook;" Interesting to see you speak o controversial topics."
Mahalos Harmony, but what's your opinion?
"3-D" found the cartoon I was referencing... http://www.frumsatire.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/thou-shall-smite-you.jpghttp://www.frumsatire.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/thou-shall-smite-you.jpg
www.frumsatire.net
"3-D";via facebook, in reference to cartoon at end of blog;" LMAO!
Life is so unfair in the Middle East.
Not only do the Arabs get the oil, they get those 72 virgins to start off the next life...
(Actually, that's not in the Qur'an)"
I added this cartoon to dakinetalk blog # 694 "Religion sucks, G-d is great! probably my all time favorite cartoon... ;D)
http://www.frumsatire.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/thou-shall-smite-you.jpg
Jason Gross via facebookj;" I love this quote: “Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not wan...t to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
Religion is made up by people. Also, any god that is so egotistical that s/he requires constant praise is pretty weak. Like you said, a just/reasonable god i'm sure would prefer actually helping other people or doing "good" than doing the same rituals over and over..."
Jason, very good points! I am proud to call you nephew! ;D)2 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.
Jason Gross said via facebook;"Thanks Unky! Come to the mainland sometime will ya?. Another thing I have somewhat seriously wondered is why Christians get upset that Jews "killed" Jesus...without his crucifixion they wouldn't have a religion or a logo? If anything through the crusades and such shouldn't have Jews been celebrated for ensuring he died so their religion could start?"
Jason, don't forget Jesus was Jewish! I find in this day many Christians actually wanting to know more about Jewish holidays etc. Even on Kaua'i many Christian ministries now have Passover seders. I coined an expression a few years back and actually had T- shirts made that said; "Christians make the best Jews, and Jews make the best Christians...
"Unc" said via email;"Shalom Rabbi: @>---- I love this piece,but I mistakenly deleted that Facebook. just to let U Know 'I Like"
Chester "Unc" Lau said via facebook;"Love this piece,especially by 3 D's comments."
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