Ten Freedoms

One freedom which I will begin to enjoy come this Monday, is the freedom to study that which I enjoy. Even though for many years I truly enjoyed studying gemara but now I don’t, and find it pretty meaningless , so I appreciate the freedom to study sociology this summer.

Ten Freedoms that I am thankful for:

1. For living in a country that allows Jews to freely practice Torah. To be able to walk to Shul with my tallis draped over my shoulder and no one bothers me at all.

2. For the billions of connections that are taking place from my brain to my eyes to my fingers allowing me to type these words. Each connection is a separate miracle and a kindness of G-d. NISHMAS KOL CHAI!! I feel like breakdancing in JOY!!

3. For the incredible renaissance of Torah life taking place in America. Who would have ever thought 50 years ago that their would be serious kollels in Houston, Des Moines, Seattle, Minneapolis, Columbus, Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland (more kollels than kosher restarants!!), San Jose, Atlanta, Phoenix, Memphis etc…It is truly incredible how Torah is spreading around the country. Those being turned on far outnumber those running away.

4. For the fact that it is now “stylish” for young married men to spend the first few or more years of their marriage learning Torah and building strong Torah homes of kedusha and shalom.

5. For the amazing Nashim Tzidkanios (Righteous Women) who with great mesirus nefesh and self sacrifice raise beautiful Torah families and support their husbands Torah learning. They are truly the greatness of our nation and the greatest women on earth. Just like in their merit we left Mitzrayim, in their merit we will leave this galus.

6. For living in a country where one can easily find kosher food anywhere one goes and plenty of it, BORUCH HASHEM!!! You can literally go into any gas station anywhere in the US and find plenty of kosher things to eat! Cain Yirbu!!!!

7. For the unbreakable moral fortitude of the Torah community to stand strong against all the immorality, indecency and perversions of human life that is currently in style in the western world.

8. For the tremendous bracha of being part of the Am Kodesh and not just being a dopey west side liberal whose Torah is the NY Times and cares only about the body and not the soul. Boruch Hashem my values come from Torah and from no where else.

9. For the ability to spend time swimming in the deep sea of Talmud and hanging out with the likes of Rashi, the Rambam, the Ramban and all the superhumans that G-d has created who enlighten our path in this often dark world. The real freedom is Torah–Ain Cherus Ella Torah. Without Torah we just walk around following our instincts. We lose our freewill. We are reduced to talking, highly intelligent animals. We feel free, but it is not the real freedom. It is the same freedom that squirrels feel running after acorns in Central park. The real freedom is much deeper, much more liberating.

10. Most of all I am thankful to YOU for giving me life. What an incredible opportunity!! I thank YOU for Torah, I thank YOU for mitzvos, I thank YOU for giving me LIFE!

Simchas, nachas and Torah blessings to all on July 4th and every day!
EMES ROCKER

Emes Rocker , I am a little confused about how most of your ten are freedoms , they seem to be ten things which you are thankful for period , but not freedoms.

“…and not just being a dopey west side liberal whose Torah is the NY Times and cares only about the body and not the soul.”

Guess you couldn’t resist the ad hominem, eh? You got your judgmental reputation to uphold, of course. Well done.

I second VB. ER must have confused July 4th with Thanksgiving.

Also, re squirrels: In many places squirrels are a lot freer than people to come and go as they please and do their own thing. The fact that their wants and needs are different than those of humans doesn’t change that.

HR

That was not an ad hominem attack just a demographic reality that most Jews who eat non kosher end up liberals who are so open minded that half their brain falls out while sleeping. Seems to be the default position for many when they do not have Torah values. It is the chesed of Avraham misplaced and out of whack.

I happen to think a primary cause is the consuming of non kosher food which causes timtum halev-blockage/confusion of the heart. That is why when we start our chavrusaship you will have to go cold turkey on the treif otherwise I might as well talk to a wall.

Now that is something you won’t read in the NY Times!

Emes Rocker isn’t the “dopey west side liberal” part of “Am Kodesh’ , isn’t the only thing that make you part or not part of our great and “holy” nation , is a person’s mom. Whether you are Jewish or not is a biological question , who is your mom , not a question of your values. Emes Rocker you really need to go and study with some chabad guys they will teach you important stuff like that .

Velvel

I would suggest to start learning Chullin. It is fascinating. I think you will find it meaningful. Has a lot of interesting ideas on human nature. (at least the first few daf I learned this week)

I am also into sociology and it was one my favorite courses in University.

GOOD SHABBOS BRO!
ER

By virtue of the fact that you know my interest in sociology , I assume you also read that I am not really interested in gemarah right now, but thanks for the advice.
I wonder what basis you think those few pages of chullin will be meaningful for me , you know next to nothing about me. All you know is I in general don’t find gemarah meaningful, so how could you think that those few pages will be different for me?
Have a good Good Shabbos.

Emes Rocker, I feel so sad for you. Chullin?! Chullin of all things? How your mind must ache from the timtum of all those inane halachos.

I’m sure at some point in your studies you’ve had at least SOME time to reflect on the meaning of all those laws, and I just hope you’ll overcome it, if not now than at some point in life. In fact, I’m quite sure of it. I trust in you, dear brother. One day, you’ll return to the beauty of irreligiosity, of recognizing the incredible beauty in our unguided and totally random (but utterly amazing!) universe.

And speaking of Chullin, isn’t it hilarious how some ancient law about not cooking a baby goat in its mother’s milk causes a problem for a housewife when she accidentally uses a milchig spoon for chicken soup! God, these frummies are so nuts! LOL.

I realize your new found “freedoms” seem quite exciting and alluring right now. Perhaps you once felt like a rat in a wheel and now you jumped off and are running free. But where exactly are you going?

Deep down, (unless you are completely deranged or have a graduate school degree) you realize that belief in G-d is much more than just a creed or philosophical belief. It is the basis of all meaning in life, for if the world does not have a creator, then what possible meaning can there be in existence! Man becomes nothing more than a complex physiochemical process, no more important than an ant, a fly or a grain of sand. Morality becomes a matter of convenience, simply “might makes right”. It is belief in G-d that gives life purpose and meaning. It is also what gives us a standard of right and wrong. If we know that G-d created the world and did so for a purpose, then we also realize that everything that furthers this purpose is “good” and everything that runs counter to this purpose is “evil”.

I know you will find some cutesy way to counter what I just wrote. All serious things can be deflated with a little humor. Nonetheless, if you reflect, ponder and clear your mind of all your childhood pain for a while you will see the truth of my words.

May the Force be with you.

ER

THE REALITY OF FREI FEMS FREEDOMS. From now on she will be termed Frei-Fly as a without belief in G-d Man/woman becomes nothing more than a complex physiochemical process, no more important than an ant, a fly or a grain of sand. To believe otherwise is simply racist.

1. For my really cute grey and black striped sleeveless maternity dress.

1. In Reality:
The more guf the more goofy. The more body the less mind. Your choice. No one cares either way.

2. For the excitement of living in a world that is moving towards justice for more people, with the passage of NYS law allowing people who are gay to marry.

2: In Reality:
Allowing “gay” people to marry is totally racist. I know someone who is in his 50’s and in a consensual relationship with his daughter. They love each other. Why can’t they marry? I also know someone who is consensually very “close” with his dog. Why can’t they marry? It is all so unfair. Where is the justice in this world???!!!

3. For the ability to cut forth with a bellowing “fuck!” when I struck my knee on the edge of my bed.

3. In Reality: no one even stubbs his/her toe unless it was decreed by Heaven-(Chullin 7a) Curse all you want. You had it coming to you and it could have been a lot worse but G-d is very merciful to you (thus far).

4. For the fetus rolling in my belly, placed there at a strategic time of our own choosing.

4. In Reality–G-d holds the key to the womb. You think you chose but that is about as true as choosing your own parents. Nonetheless, you should know that your baby is busy learning Torah in the womb whether you eat skittles(CVS) or cholent.

5. For having only a single set of dishes to pack and haul as we move.

5. In Reality: non-kosher foods cause timtum halev. “Lev” in rabbinical thought refers to the mind. Judging from the kiddie pool level of depth in many of your posts, I think we can all give our Rabbis the thumbs up on that insight.

6. For all of my man friends and women friends and friends who believe in a god they call Jesus and friends who believe in their own autonomy and friends who believe in goddesses of many names.

6. In Reality: I am sure that if you ever needed 25 bucks your idol worshipping friends will tell you that money is really tight right now.

7. For the freedom from fear from an invisible, unpleasable god and highly visible, unpleasable rabbis.

7. In Reality: I would suggest joining the Marines and being two feet beneath the ground in a bunker as bombs are falling nearby. This invisible G-d will then become more visible than even the most rotund of Boro Park Rabbis. You could also try childbirth naturally for the same experience.

8. For plans to camp and barbeque and meet new people and cavort in a mixed swimming pool, this Saturday.

8. In Reality: for the plans your husband has to stare at the legs (and other body parts) of all your female “friends” in short shorts.

9. For the unfettered love of the bareheaded, freethinking atheist who shares my life.

9. In Reality-for someone whose life is no more meaningful than a fly hovering over a pile of fresh NYC doogie poop. How can an atheist believe he is superior to a fly? It is racist in my opinion. Gosh there is too much racism these days!! However since he subscribes to the NY Times he somehow seems quite wise and learned as he engages you in thoughtful conversation over a package of pig skin coated skittles.

10. For the brave, stupid little girl I used to be, who somehow had the blind courage and impossible hope to move in the direction of autonomy, freedom and independence.

10-In Reality: Autonomy, freedom and independence?? As Bob Dylan (folk singer for the culturally clueless who read this site) once sang “You gotta serve somebody, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you gotta serve somebody”.

Emes rocker I find your argument to be emotional but not logical . You are right, it feels better to have a G-d, because then you have purpose, meaning, a sense of self worth, and morality. (albeit without freedom, unless you rewrite the definition of freedom as I am sure you do). (I will for right now ignore the fact that I believe many of those things can be found outside religion.)I just don’t think something which feels better is necessarily true.

Mr. ER:
There is one thing it seems that you are getting wrong.
True, people who believe in a deity and a religion are very likely to base their purpose in life upon the religion or how they conceive it to be.
People who do not believe in such (namely, atheists) in order for them to have any purpose in life they have to set those for themselves.
But, “alya ve’kotz bah” it has its advantage of you designing your own life, which increases your sense of achievement. OTOH, it is much harder work as opposed to a set of purposes a religion sets up for you.

You asked: “for if the world does not have a creator, then what possible meaning can there be in existence?”
My answer: Whatever meaning YOU attach to it!
You chose to use the religious answer to meaning of existense, others choose more individualized meanings.

If you are not sure you understood me (or even if you did), try asking yourself this question: How do you know what OTHER people’s purpose and meaning in life is?

P.S. I am willing to sit down with you chavrusa of any Gemara or any other Jewish book IF AND ONLY IF you agree to study Richard Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker with me. My promise!

Hey Pinny,

Great to hear from you!

I would love to take you up on your deal. Just started reading Dawkins Blind Watchmaker. There is a PDF of it online.

What is the best way to reach you to set our learning seder?

Best,
ER

Hey Mr. ER:

You reading The Blind Watchmaker would be equal to me reading Gemara by myself. If you want chavrusa it has to go both ways.

You can email me at pinnygold@gmail.com

Can you webcast yiur chavrusa?

Ksil, that’s a good idea.

He just contacted me. If we don’t get a webcast perhaps a simple video-recording will do….

We’ll see

The pity of these postings is that ER has all the time in the world to blog because his wife is working for his living and taking care of his kids. He contributes nothing to our society and in fact, if he isn’t on the dole, many of his neighbors are. But he can’t let it go. He has to assert the superiority of his life style. Live and let live is something completely alien to him. And he actually thinks he isn’t brainwashed and that he does think for himself.