The whole world thinks I'm naive. Yay, it's a great feeling.
We had 2 speakers today. One was Gila Menolsen, I already wrote about her book on shomer negia. I will not repeat what she said, though I liked her style, and she brought up good points. But apparently, since I've never touched a guy before (and proud to be able to say that) it makes me naive, and unable to state an opinion on the matter. So I won't bore you with what I think. I'm sure you can guess it anyway.
The 2nd speaker was a Rabbi, Doron Kornbluth who wrote a book called, why marry Jewish, and speaks about intermarriage. Another sore topic. I have a cousin and an uncle who both intermarried, and my grandparents are quite proud of them. And what can you do about it? Nothing at all, except try to keep them close to the family.
If someone goes OTD (the 'hip' way for saying, off the derech, a commen trend these days) what do you say to them? Or do you say anything at all? Will they resent you for trying to convince them that they are wrong? Or are you the wrong one?
Faith is a very delicate matter. Either you believe, or you don't. It can't be taught, but it can be gained, or acquired.
I don't know why people make the decisions that they do. I can't fathom how a person who was brought up religious can suddenly turn their backs on it, and deny that G-d even exists. How do you go from one extreme to the other?
The saddest thing is, there is nothing you can do about it. A lot of them are bitter and don't want to listen at all, or don't care. Even if they do want to listen, how much of it actually helps?
It makes me sad, and yes, even a bit mad when I see someone denying G-d. Does that make me just like the Christians, who try to force people to take on their faith? Tell me, dear readers, does it make me naive to want to change something, to change someone?
Maybe it is a selfish reaction. Maybe I do have it all wrong. But maybe, just maybe, I know what I'm talking about, and I'm not as naive as so many make me out to be.
I don't think it is selfish or naive... It just shows that you have a healthy sense of caring for your fellow Jews. It is natural to be concerned about people you feel close to, and all Jews are considered brothers. The fact that you care enough to want to do something about it shows that you care.
ReplyDeleteKol Yisrael arevim ze l'ze.
It doesn't make you nieve. Everyone wants everyone else to be just like them. Unfortuantly we can never make everyone just like we are. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteOf course you can change the world! Why would you think not?
ReplyDeleteAnd remember, lo yidach mimenu nidach-no Jew is lost forever.
It is extremely possible to go from one end to the other, even easier than just slipping off slowly. If you bend a tree slowly the it can handle the bend easier, if push to hard it cracks.
ReplyDeleteBS"D
ReplyDeleteWhy can't faith be taught? You have to know what you are believing in; otherwise indeed you will not believe. If I had not been exposed to real Torah I'd probably have no connection whatsoever to my Jewish heritage now, because my early background was in the conservative movement and they taught me how NOT to believe by teaching Torah in a way that anyone with half a brain would see that it is chas vesholom of no validity whatsoever.
The question is whether or not one absorbs and internalizes what he is taught. You can go through the motions for social reasons, or reject what you are taught outright.
This may be a private hoiroh, so not to be taken as absolute, but the rebbe once told someone that when it comes to family, it is sometimes better to preserve the relationship rather than trying to impose youre belief.
ReplyDeleteAltie: different strokes for different folks.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to understand why people go OTD, I'd recommend you read the "Better Know a Kofer" series on Da'as Hedyot (daashedyot.blogspot.com), in which he interviews a bunch of kofrim. (So far he's done eight.) The links to the interviews are on the right side, directly underneath the advertisements, which are underneath the "shul reading."
My personal opinion has been that of the founders of the mussar movement, which is basically 'do nothing'. The spiritual existances of others is inconsequential to our own religious selves. As Rav Yisrael Salanter once said, he first wanted to change the world but then was satisfied to just change himself..
ReplyDelete