12 Feb Speak Your Vues
PROMOTE AHAVAS CHINAM
Dear Editor:
I picked up the Vues this week, looking forward to a calm, relaxing, and enjoyable read, when a horrible sight greeted me on the front cover. The first thing I saw was a headline title: “What’s the difference between a Sephardic and Ashkenaz person?”. How can we ask such a thing? The second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed for the very thing you are trying to promote! The only reason why we are in this Golus now is because people were constantly trying to find differences between each other. The correct answer to your question is “Absolutely Nothing”! There is no difference between an Ashkenazi and Sephardi person! Are we expected to believe that HaShem views us differently based on where our ancestors lived after the Churban? If such things are said nowadays, it shows that we aren’t even trying to get rid of the aveira of Sinas Chinam, and it makes it look like we don’t want the Geula! To quote the great Abie Rottenberg in The Marvelous Middos Machine: “But Sinas Chinam still lives on, it lingers in your heart. How can you come back home to me, while you remain apart…Together, together we stood by Har Sinai Bnei Avraham”. We must strive to once again stand together as Bnei Avraham, and only in that merit can we expect the final Geula.
Sincerely yours,
Penina Strauss
Editor’s Note: I believe this would be a perfect case for judging someone favorably. We all know the Torah was given in 70 languages, each shevet had its own minhagim, and yes, each Jew is unique yet is part of Klal Yisroel. There is nothing wrong in discussing the difference between Sephardic minhagim and Ashkenazik minhagim. There is a beauty in all minhagim.
RUACH HAKODESH
Dear Editor:
A top rabbi said that no one has ruach hakodesh today.
And other rabbis have also said that today’s generation does not have ruach hakodesh. But then people ask rabbis life questions because rabbis are believed to have ruach hakodesh, or the power to know what to tell people to do with their lives. How does a rabbi get the authority to tell people how to live their lives, besides halacha?
There are SO many rabbonim. How does it happen that one becomes a leader of a congregation or movement? Does having authority over many people give one more power? Are the hidden 36 tzaddikim going to rabbis for life advice too?
Thanks, in advance, for your thoughts and clarity.
Tzorti J
Editor’s Note: The gemara says, “Chochom adif m’Navi.” A wise man is better than a prophet. Our rabbis are wise men and definitely can give advice with their siyata d’shmaya.
CLARIFICATION
Dear Editor:
I will clarify my comment from last week.
To firmly acquaint one’s facial features with a crimson-hued construction material=to smash one’s face with a brick.
Reb Yiddel Schwartz
Editor’s Note: It’s sad that you need to come up with such metaphors about violence. It would be better if you didn’t resort to such things.
VOLATILE POLITICAL CLIMATE
Dear Editor:
In light of the current political climate where the Black community feels insulted by the use of blackface, I think lemaan hashalom we shouldn’t use it.
But on the other hand many frum people did not appreciate the Halloween costume of a stereotyped Hassidic couple. That frum couple costume also held a sign of we buy houses with cash. That’s like holding a sign saying we love fried Chicken.
Sholom R
Editor’s Note: I think the wave of political correctness has swung too far. People should take a deep breath and find their sense of humor.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Dear Editor:
Should developers be expected to build affordable housing?
If a local government wants affordable housing, then some developers argue that the government should buy the land and build affordable homes, not expect developers to build them.
What do you think is fair?
Yosef G
Editor’s Note: The first thing you need to take into consideration that the contractors are there to make money. If they do not make money they will not do it. If the government wants to get involved they may and fund such a project. The difficulty then lies in the fact that whenever the government gets involved things ending up costing more money than necessary.
SHIDDUCH RESUME
Dear Editor:
Why in shidduchim today is everyone required to have a resume? When I got married there was no such a thing as a resume. I think a lot of the shidduch crisis is that too much is known about people and things that used to come out after people got married now is out and open before the prospective couple could go out. The bottom line is that certain things are not a cause for people to get divorced over but people would not go out in that scenario is this part and parcel of our shidduch crisis?
Shaina L
Editor’s Note: There is no indication that your point is true. A resume is just a list of facts that easily provides information instead of the person writing those facts down themselves. With the ease of sharing such a document via computer, hence its popularity has grown. You are making a mistake to consider that that is the cause of the shidduch crisis.
ANTI-SEMITISM RAMPANT
Dear Editor:
Has the Democrat party become anti-Semitic? There are a few congresswomen who openly have called for the Palestinian cause and the destruction of Israel. It is incredible that my grandfather used to say that Jews in America will vote Democrat even if Hitler heads the ticket. If Jews continue to vote Democrat than we will have ourselves to blame for everything that gets passed that is k’negged the Torah. By the way with the new abortion laws how many breaths does a baby need to take before it is considered murder and not abortion?
Brachy K
Editor’s Note: It would seem to be the case. We will have to see if there is any condemnation from the Democratic party against all those anti-Semitic remarks.