Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Lessons from the Rubashkin trial
The Rubashkin trial is now officially over. Yes, there will be appeals of the 27 year sentence, but that could take years and may not be successful, unfortunately.
It would be easy to feel dejected and to say that all the prayers, gatherings, tehillim recitals, and letter and phone campaigns were all, in retrospect, for naught. That the Jewish community expended all that energy, time, and money and came away with nothing to show for their trouble. That, I think, would be a grave mistake.
It's a fundamental Jewish belief that things don't just happen arbitrarily. Judaism believes that God runs the world and that He will make things happen or not happen for our ultimate good, hard as it is for us to see. Therefore, there must be something, some good that can come out of the Rubashkin sentencing, some message that we're meant to take. So what could it possibly be?
There are probably many messages and hints that we can glean from this episode. One of the big ones I can think of is, despite whatever your opinion of the matter itself, the sheer achdus that we are capable of when we want to be mis'ached. I think that the one theme that overarches many others, though, is that of honesty and integrity.
Let's call a spade a spade. Nobody (or nearly no one) is saying that the guilty party is or was completely innocent in this case, now that the case itself has been laid to rest. The trial, conviction, and sentencing occurred and is occurring over a time period marked concurrently with relentless chilulei Hashem of legal and financial flavors splashed across all manner of media outlets. Is it beyond the pale of reason to suggest that maybe, just maybe, for whatever reason, God is telling His people to keep their noses clean, that He's had enough of seeing His name desecrated in the NY Times, the LA Times, the London Times, the NY Post, etc? Maybe God is, for whatever unknown reason, using this particular case as a warning message to His people to look within themselves, to better themselves regarding this aspect of life - to strive to act with utter honesty and integrity when dealing within the legal and regulatory system with each other and non-Jews alike, and to take the grave sin of desecrating His name a lot more seriously.
This is not meant to be an argument for or against Mr. Rubashkin's innocence or whether his sentencing was fair or not. That's been argued ad infinitum and the trial is over and done with. The question is, what will we take from this episode? Is this a test, a nisayon, from God? If it is, will we pass it or pass it up?
Food for thought...
It would be easy to feel dejected and to say that all the prayers, gatherings, tehillim recitals, and letter and phone campaigns were all, in retrospect, for naught. That the Jewish community expended all that energy, time, and money and came away with nothing to show for their trouble. That, I think, would be a grave mistake.
It's a fundamental Jewish belief that things don't just happen arbitrarily. Judaism believes that God runs the world and that He will make things happen or not happen for our ultimate good, hard as it is for us to see. Therefore, there must be something, some good that can come out of the Rubashkin sentencing, some message that we're meant to take. So what could it possibly be?
There are probably many messages and hints that we can glean from this episode. One of the big ones I can think of is, despite whatever your opinion of the matter itself, the sheer achdus that we are capable of when we want to be mis'ached. I think that the one theme that overarches many others, though, is that of honesty and integrity.
Let's call a spade a spade. Nobody (or nearly no one) is saying that the guilty party is or was completely innocent in this case, now that the case itself has been laid to rest. The trial, conviction, and sentencing occurred and is occurring over a time period marked concurrently with relentless chilulei Hashem of legal and financial flavors splashed across all manner of media outlets. Is it beyond the pale of reason to suggest that maybe, just maybe, for whatever reason, God is telling His people to keep their noses clean, that He's had enough of seeing His name desecrated in the NY Times, the LA Times, the London Times, the NY Post, etc? Maybe God is, for whatever unknown reason, using this particular case as a warning message to His people to look within themselves, to better themselves regarding this aspect of life - to strive to act with utter honesty and integrity when dealing within the legal and regulatory system with each other and non-Jews alike, and to take the grave sin of desecrating His name a lot more seriously.
This is not meant to be an argument for or against Mr. Rubashkin's innocence or whether his sentencing was fair or not. That's been argued ad infinitum and the trial is over and done with. The question is, what will we take from this episode? Is this a test, a nisayon, from God? If it is, will we pass it or pass it up?
Food for thought...
Thoughts at a Bar Mitzva
I was attending a family bar mitzva recently and was struck by a thought after the music started up and people started dancing.
What other group of people or religion can you find a bunch of virulently homophobic Orthodox men get up and dance with each other, sweaty hand clasped in sweaty hand??
MI KE'AMCHA YISRAEL!!!
;-)
What other group of people or religion can you find a bunch of virulently homophobic Orthodox men get up and dance with each other, sweaty hand clasped in sweaty hand??
MI KE'AMCHA YISRAEL!!!
;-)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Censoring...
I've been getting involved in what's turning out to be a nice, lively, healthy discussion on tuition over at YWN. I've put a few posts up there and the tone of the discussion is suprisingly civil and intelligent.
I made some interesting comments in a few of my posts. I suggested that our entire community (laymen and leaders alike) have possibly had our collective heads in the sand in ignorance of basic economics vis a vis our current and future tuition obligations and burdens as they relate to COLA (cost of living). I merely brought up the issue of family size, without really alluding to it as such, but did not advocate or condemn. I suggested that perhaps the very likely burden current and future families will have may not be the true ratzon Hashem (chas rachmana al m'mona shel yisrael), as the tuition issue and crisis is largely of our own making.
My posts got posted, oh yes. But these salient points which I INTENDED to be included to merely stir discussion and which I tried as carefully as I could to word innocuously got left out; lost in the cyberspace mail perhaps? Hardly. I saw a big fat EDITED at the bottom of all my posts that contained this "salacious" material.
This really P***** ME OFF. I don't think anything I wrote is beyond the pale at all. What, I'm not allowed to even obliquely suggest mild criticism of communal leaders? Not even when I lump everyone, the whole community in together?? What, is a subsection of Yahadus so perfect and omniscient as to be beyond any human reproach whatsoever?? Is merely suggesting that leaders are human and may take, from time to time, constructive criticism from the klal a heresy? Or do we live under ideals that Kim Jong Il would be proud of...? I'm not allowed to suggest issues and thoughts that are intended to get discussions moving, such as ratzon Hashem, number of children, etc? Not allowed to mildly inject things into the discussion just to try to open people up and face and tackle tough issues in an attempt to consensually solve a very serious problem??
It's not the censorship itself that really bothers me. It's the thinking behind it: All leaders are completely beyond reproach. Their actions are inviolable and not subject to even mild questioning or gentle criticism. They are all knowing and can see into the future. Tough, gnarly subjects such as family size, the will of God, etc are to be avoided at all costs in any discussion. These are inviolable, even if they're used as a tool to hash out issues and help with possible solutions to very complicated questions. I'm not suggesting that our leaders are doddering, that we should all have no more than two kids, and we can always deign to know exactly what the razton Hashem is. But these are complicated and tough issues, the introduction of which may help in opening up other issues and helping solve problems within the discussion. But for fear that someone may get the wrong idea about all this and be 'porek ol', etc, etc, etc....
The faint sense of paranoia just seems to linger on and fester and suffocate our ability to dialogue and thrash out very complicated issues and complicated answers. And, as Steve "Turtleneck" Jobs would say, oh, and one more thing. This was in reference to a discussion on tuition. If we pay so much $$$ for quality education, why the paranoia that even the slightest hint of a suggestion of a hint will cause 'prikas ol' en masse? If we are so convinced of the frailty of our billion-dollar chinuch system's message, wouldn't it then be better to just have cheaper, "1984" and "Brave New World" style education modalities where subliminal messages are played into our kids' ears as they sleep and all our kids sit on chairs in an auditorium and throw garbage at the Satans of this world as they appear onscreen...?
I made some interesting comments in a few of my posts. I suggested that our entire community (laymen and leaders alike) have possibly had our collective heads in the sand in ignorance of basic economics vis a vis our current and future tuition obligations and burdens as they relate to COLA (cost of living). I merely brought up the issue of family size, without really alluding to it as such, but did not advocate or condemn. I suggested that perhaps the very likely burden current and future families will have may not be the true ratzon Hashem (chas rachmana al m'mona shel yisrael), as the tuition issue and crisis is largely of our own making.
My posts got posted, oh yes. But these salient points which I INTENDED to be included to merely stir discussion and which I tried as carefully as I could to word innocuously got left out; lost in the cyberspace mail perhaps? Hardly. I saw a big fat EDITED at the bottom of all my posts that contained this "salacious" material.
This really P***** ME OFF. I don't think anything I wrote is beyond the pale at all. What, I'm not allowed to even obliquely suggest mild criticism of communal leaders? Not even when I lump everyone, the whole community in together?? What, is a subsection of Yahadus so perfect and omniscient as to be beyond any human reproach whatsoever?? Is merely suggesting that leaders are human and may take, from time to time, constructive criticism from the klal a heresy? Or do we live under ideals that Kim Jong Il would be proud of...? I'm not allowed to suggest issues and thoughts that are intended to get discussions moving, such as ratzon Hashem, number of children, etc? Not allowed to mildly inject things into the discussion just to try to open people up and face and tackle tough issues in an attempt to consensually solve a very serious problem??
It's not the censorship itself that really bothers me. It's the thinking behind it: All leaders are completely beyond reproach. Their actions are inviolable and not subject to even mild questioning or gentle criticism. They are all knowing and can see into the future. Tough, gnarly subjects such as family size, the will of God, etc are to be avoided at all costs in any discussion. These are inviolable, even if they're used as a tool to hash out issues and help with possible solutions to very complicated questions. I'm not suggesting that our leaders are doddering, that we should all have no more than two kids, and we can always deign to know exactly what the razton Hashem is. But these are complicated and tough issues, the introduction of which may help in opening up other issues and helping solve problems within the discussion. But for fear that someone may get the wrong idea about all this and be 'porek ol', etc, etc, etc....
The faint sense of paranoia just seems to linger on and fester and suffocate our ability to dialogue and thrash out very complicated issues and complicated answers. And, as Steve "Turtleneck" Jobs would say, oh, and one more thing. This was in reference to a discussion on tuition. If we pay so much $$$ for quality education, why the paranoia that even the slightest hint of a suggestion of a hint will cause 'prikas ol' en masse? If we are so convinced of the frailty of our billion-dollar chinuch system's message, wouldn't it then be better to just have cheaper, "1984" and "Brave New World" style education modalities where subliminal messages are played into our kids' ears as they sleep and all our kids sit on chairs in an auditorium and throw garbage at the Satans of this world as they appear onscreen...?
Friday, March 26, 2010
A good idea, part II
I came across another good idea (boy, the web seems to be full of them).
The Tax Foundation has an article posted regarding complete (as in, not only medical), taxed, controlled legalization of marijuana for personal consumption and use and for cultivation. I think this is a great idea. I think it's ridiculous that we allow (controlled and taxed) consumption and cultivation of tobacco and alcohol which are substances that can do significant damage to a person's body and can impair one's activities - but criminalize and stigmatize marijuana use. Legalized marijuana use and cultivation is now actually a ballot initiative in California.
Billions upon billions of dollars are completely wasted in the law enforcement and counter-terrorism areas of federal and state governments in waging a "war" on marijuana (among other drugs). I say wasted because approximately 100 million Americans admit to have used marijuana in the past - that's one third of the entire population. More and more will use as time passes, I have little doubt. Yet we wage a "war" on this use and spend billions upon billions doing it, with almost zero results. People still use and all manner of crimes still get committed in relation to the cultivation, sale, and use of the drug.
Legalizing marijuana could have numerous beneficial effects. It could increase tax revenue significantly to the states who so desperately need income. It could serve as a cost savings to the federal, state, and local governments by reducing the costs associated with the "war on drugs". It could remove the undeserving social stigma from casual users of marijuana, whose use parallels a casual drinker or smoker (do we stigmatize they guy or gal who goes out for a drink every week??). It could allow easier access to those that need the drug for medical use. It could help reduce or eliminate the violent crime, trafficking and other nasty activities associated with the current cultivation and trade of marijuana (though also eliminate and entire Hollywood genre in the same stroke). Lastly, it could help provide secondary or alternative streams of revenue for individuals, thereby producing more tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments.
No one's proposing that we just legalize all willy-nilly; that would be inappropriate. What the state of California's ballot initiative proposes is a controlled and taxed legalization, similar to how the state (or almost any other state for that matter) controls and taxes alcohol or cigarettes (no sale, gift, or smoking to or around minors, require license to sell, minimum legal age, can't use while driving or operating machinery, etc). I urge everyone to read or skim through the actual text of the ballot proposal, found here.
I think it's utterly ridiculous that we the people have no problem with allowing people to drink alcoholic drinks and smoke or chew tobacco, and that we don't view a (casual) smoker or drinker as 'bad', but are unwilling to allow a person to smoke marijuana or remove his or her social stigma. Part of that stigma comes as a result of the illegality of the act. Marijuana doesn't have the same horrible side effects as do cocaine, heroin, etc; those substances should be and are illegal. I do understand that allowing marijuana could lead us down a "slippery slope", but we need to recognize that the cost/benefit analysis could probably end up a net positive and that the reality is that many people can and do use the drug.
This post isn't meant as a personal statement on whether or not I think marijuana is good for you or not, or whether smoking it is a great thing or not. I'm just saying that we need to see the realities on the ground and adapt to them, and pursue the policy that's in America's best interests.
The Tax Foundation has an article posted regarding complete (as in, not only medical), taxed, controlled legalization of marijuana for personal consumption and use and for cultivation. I think this is a great idea. I think it's ridiculous that we allow (controlled and taxed) consumption and cultivation of tobacco and alcohol which are substances that can do significant damage to a person's body and can impair one's activities - but criminalize and stigmatize marijuana use. Legalized marijuana use and cultivation is now actually a ballot initiative in California.
Billions upon billions of dollars are completely wasted in the law enforcement and counter-terrorism areas of federal and state governments in waging a "war" on marijuana (among other drugs). I say wasted because approximately 100 million Americans admit to have used marijuana in the past - that's one third of the entire population. More and more will use as time passes, I have little doubt. Yet we wage a "war" on this use and spend billions upon billions doing it, with almost zero results. People still use and all manner of crimes still get committed in relation to the cultivation, sale, and use of the drug.
Legalizing marijuana could have numerous beneficial effects. It could increase tax revenue significantly to the states who so desperately need income. It could serve as a cost savings to the federal, state, and local governments by reducing the costs associated with the "war on drugs". It could remove the undeserving social stigma from casual users of marijuana, whose use parallels a casual drinker or smoker (do we stigmatize they guy or gal who goes out for a drink every week??). It could allow easier access to those that need the drug for medical use. It could help reduce or eliminate the violent crime, trafficking and other nasty activities associated with the current cultivation and trade of marijuana (though also eliminate and entire Hollywood genre in the same stroke). Lastly, it could help provide secondary or alternative streams of revenue for individuals, thereby producing more tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments.
No one's proposing that we just legalize all willy-nilly; that would be inappropriate. What the state of California's ballot initiative proposes is a controlled and taxed legalization, similar to how the state (or almost any other state for that matter) controls and taxes alcohol or cigarettes (no sale, gift, or smoking to or around minors, require license to sell, minimum legal age, can't use while driving or operating machinery, etc). I urge everyone to read or skim through the actual text of the ballot proposal, found here.
I think it's utterly ridiculous that we the people have no problem with allowing people to drink alcoholic drinks and smoke or chew tobacco, and that we don't view a (casual) smoker or drinker as 'bad', but are unwilling to allow a person to smoke marijuana or remove his or her social stigma. Part of that stigma comes as a result of the illegality of the act. Marijuana doesn't have the same horrible side effects as do cocaine, heroin, etc; those substances should be and are illegal. I do understand that allowing marijuana could lead us down a "slippery slope", but we need to recognize that the cost/benefit analysis could probably end up a net positive and that the reality is that many people can and do use the drug.
This post isn't meant as a personal statement on whether or not I think marijuana is good for you or not, or whether smoking it is a great thing or not. I'm just saying that we need to see the realities on the ground and adapt to them, and pursue the policy that's in America's best interests.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
So it continues...
The sad, twisted saga of Martin Grossman's "sainthood" continues. Kolel Shomrei Hachomos recently established a tzedaka fund in memory of Mr. Grossman. The fund is a g'mach that makes free loans to various families and individuals in need in Jerusalem. It says that mishnayos will be learned and a candle l'zecher nishmas will be lit for his soul, and, presumably, some of the merit of the fund will 'rub off' on his soul as well.
This is madness; it just goes on and on. At least the comments here on VIN seem to tend towards that sentiment. These comments in particular (sic)- "When a chashover Tzaddik Kollel Yungerman dies leaving over yesomim Kollel Shomrei Hachomos does nothing yet when a convicted murderer gets executed they open a gmach lzecher nishmaso? What on earth?" and "This is a Purim gag, right? I have to go. The Jeffrey Dahmer Community Center near me is having a party" - struck me as particularly poignant. The guy MURDERED someone, for God's sake!
Well, I can strike this tzedaka from my list. I know, I know - "but they do good work!". So what? I have plenty of other tzedakos doing works just as good to which I can contribute that aren't hoisting a murderer up on a pedestal, no matter how deserving or undeserving he was of his ultimate fate.
As long as we're on the discussion of tzedaka mosdos that I can cross off my list, did anyone see the latest Kupat Ha'ir mailing? I mean, did the all those gedolim really 'instruct' all of us to give all our matanos l'evyonim (and presumably, maos chittim) dollars to Kupat Ha'ir exclusively? Don't think so. Did Kupat Ha'ir lightly twist something that those gedolim actually did say or write? Probably. Granted, Kupat Ha'ir does very good work. But I don't appreciate deceptive, dishonestly tinged marketing practices. Sure, we all know that mosdos and tzedakos are hurting because of the recession. That doesn't give any one of them a right to lie, cheat, or steal their budgeted revenue in any way, shape or form.
This is madness; it just goes on and on. At least the comments here on VIN seem to tend towards that sentiment. These comments in particular (sic)- "When a chashover Tzaddik Kollel Yungerman dies leaving over yesomim Kollel Shomrei Hachomos does nothing yet when a convicted murderer gets executed they open a gmach lzecher nishmaso? What on earth?" and "This is a Purim gag, right? I have to go. The Jeffrey Dahmer Community Center near me is having a party" - struck me as particularly poignant. The guy MURDERED someone, for God's sake!
Well, I can strike this tzedaka from my list. I know, I know - "but they do good work!". So what? I have plenty of other tzedakos doing works just as good to which I can contribute that aren't hoisting a murderer up on a pedestal, no matter how deserving or undeserving he was of his ultimate fate.
As long as we're on the discussion of tzedaka mosdos that I can cross off my list, did anyone see the latest Kupat Ha'ir mailing? I mean, did the all those gedolim really 'instruct' all of us to give all our matanos l'evyonim (and presumably, maos chittim) dollars to Kupat Ha'ir exclusively? Don't think so. Did Kupat Ha'ir lightly twist something that those gedolim actually did say or write? Probably. Granted, Kupat Ha'ir does very good work. But I don't appreciate deceptive, dishonestly tinged marketing practices. Sure, we all know that mosdos and tzedakos are hurting because of the recession. That doesn't give any one of them a right to lie, cheat, or steal their budgeted revenue in any way, shape or form.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Follow up...
Just noticed this post by the woman who drafted the letter to Mrs. Margaret Park that I posted on this blog a few days ago.
It's nice to read. Nice to see that our signatures made a bit of an impact.
It's nice to read. Nice to see that our signatures made a bit of an impact.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Please read
I was alerted to a post on Matzav.com by a Mrs. Miriam Pearlmutter, who lives in Mrs. Margaret Park's neighborhood. Mrs. Park is the mother of deceased Florida Fish & Wildlife Officer Peggy Park, whom Mr. Martin Grossman was just executed for killing. Don't read the comments section if you just ate lunch.
Miriam Pearlmutter, I guess, was shocked at the amount of abuse and invective leveled at Mrs. Park from elements of the frum community. She composed this letter of deep regret and apology to Mrs. Park on behalf of the Jewish community to attempt to reverse this terrible chillul Hashem.
I urge EVERYONE who reads this to sign this letter. I don't think it makes a difference whether you believed in clemency or not for Mr. Grossman, or if you signed the petition itself to save his life. It certainly makes no difference at all that the harassment was probably (dear God, I hope) perpetrated by a miniscule segment of the Jewish community; that's not a fact that Mrs. Park, who has been grieving over her slain daughter for 25 years, is likely to realize. What she sees is that Jews are behaving abhorrently - and we need to correct that misrepresentation by showing her the humanity and sensitivity that Judaism demands, whatever the positions we had on the clemency appeal itself. I admit, the letter is a bit slanted towards the "no clemency" camp. I don't think that matters though - that's not the point of the letter. I think we all know what the point is and what we can accomplish.
Please sign the letter. Mrs. Pearlmutter has given us an opportunity as a community to right our wrongs.
http://matzav.com/a-letter-to-mrs-park
Miriam Pearlmutter, I guess, was shocked at the amount of abuse and invective leveled at Mrs. Park from elements of the frum community. She composed this letter of deep regret and apology to Mrs. Park on behalf of the Jewish community to attempt to reverse this terrible chillul Hashem.
I urge EVERYONE who reads this to sign this letter. I don't think it makes a difference whether you believed in clemency or not for Mr. Grossman, or if you signed the petition itself to save his life. It certainly makes no difference at all that the harassment was probably (dear God, I hope) perpetrated by a miniscule segment of the Jewish community; that's not a fact that Mrs. Park, who has been grieving over her slain daughter for 25 years, is likely to realize. What she sees is that Jews are behaving abhorrently - and we need to correct that misrepresentation by showing her the humanity and sensitivity that Judaism demands, whatever the positions we had on the clemency appeal itself. I admit, the letter is a bit slanted towards the "no clemency" camp. I don't think that matters though - that's not the point of the letter. I think we all know what the point is and what we can accomplish.
Please sign the letter. Mrs. Pearlmutter has given us an opportunity as a community to right our wrongs.
http://matzav.com/a-letter-to-mrs-park
Monday, February 22, 2010
One word comes to mind...
See this Youtube post.
I'm not going to say anything philosophical or theological about it - all have different opinions about what this signifies, is it right, etc. We can all debate about that separately.
I just bring it to everyone's attention to one historical word that comes to mind - I just found it humorous, that's all, and to show that history does repeat itself and IS important to study and understand...
Luddite.
I'm not going to say anything philosophical or theological about it - all have different opinions about what this signifies, is it right, etc. We can all debate about that separately.
I just bring it to everyone's attention to one historical word that comes to mind - I just found it humorous, that's all, and to show that history does repeat itself and IS important to study and understand...
Luddite.
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