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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 |
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