What I Learned From Hillary Clinton

Guest post by The CandyMan

כִּי-בָרָא יְהוָה חֲדָשָׁה בָּאָרֶץ, נְקֵבָה תְּסוֹבֵב גָּבֶר
For god has created something new in the world, the woman turns the man. (Jer. 31:21)

My female friends are feeling a little blue these days, and I think it has something to do with Hillary Clinton. These women, highly educated, highly effective, were excited about the possibility of a woman President. Now they're left with just one more disappointment, one more reminder of the glass ceiling.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I think Hillary's runner-up has less to do with gender and more to do with bad luck. Hillary lost some muscle in MI and FL, the primaries were not winner-take-all, and she had to compete against the Obama juggernaut. She also made a few mistakes. Despite all these obstacles, she could easily have been the nominee, had the wind blown just slightly the other way.

I suspect, however, that my female friends are unlikely to share this view. In my experience, women in general have lower self-esteem than men and are more likely to blame themselves for a disappointing outcome. My female friends will identify with Hillary, and they will feel her pain, but they will not blame luck or even sexism. Instead, they will wonder where they went wrong. When Hillary is forced out, they will pocket the insult, and mourn it in their own way.

I always thought I was a feminist, but the Clinton candidacy (and the talk of sexism that it has sparked) has helped open my eyes to the plight of women in the professional world. I also recently read a wonderful short story about this, entitled Horseman. The story is about a young female academic. Early in her career, a male role model criticizes her writing, saying it was technically immaculate but lacked spunk. "You'll succeed just fine," he tells her, "you'll just never be any good." The comment undermines her confidence and haunts her for the next ten years. Reading this story, I thought of my female colleagues, and wondered whether I treat them as equals or as something else.

The story, together with Hillary's campaign, has forced me to look at the world through a working woman's eyes. And as they say in the Talmud, it's an upside-down world. I believe women in our society are still highly sexualized, much more so than men. My workplace is mostly male, and although we are all nice, modern guys, we often talk about women and bandy about terms like "chick" without thinking how the women in the lab might feel. I work in one of the most liberal universities in the world, but the higher-ups in my department are all fifty-something white men. The other day, I saw them standing around outside the building, in a huddle, joking around, discussing something important (probably who should be the next department chair). There were no women present -- it was the good old boys club!

Things are changing, of course. And it's only a matter of time until we have a woman President. If she's anything like Laura Roslin, she'll bring to the table some elements that are lacking in our politics: grace, pragmatism, a willingness to compromise, and empathy, all layered over an inner core of steel. But for now, women all over the country have been dealt a defeat, and the ladies in your life may be feeling a little down. Try to cheer them up if you can, and definitely tread lightly at the workplace.

R' Sacks: The Torah is Great because it's kind'a against slavery

I regularly read the weekly devar Torah of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the U.K.'s orthodox synagogues. This past Shabbos Rabbi Sacks' devar Torah focused on Hope (Bechukotai - The Logic of Hope) and quoted RFK and FDR. It almost sounded like an endorsement of Obama.

But what I want to discuss is his devar Torah from the week before: Behar-Bechukotai The Chronological Imagination

Much of the vort focused on slavery in Judaism. Hirhurim seemed to like the post. This response is more than a week late but Rabbi Sacks' argument has been nagging at me.

The main point of the devar Torah was that people don't handle change well and the Torah is wondrous because it sets us up to change in positive ways. R' Sacks spends a lot of time illustrating this point with the example of slavery and the Torah. As he put it:

The Torah did not abolish slavery but it set in motion a process that would lead people to come of their own accord to the conclusion that it was wrong.

He argues that although Judaism allows/allowed slavery "it was limited and humanized". Rabbi Sacks thinks that "[s]lavery is wrong" is the clear message in the Torah and pulls the following quote from Behar to make his case:

If your brother becomes impoverished and is sold to you, do not work him like a slave. He shall be with you like an employee or a resident. He shall serve you only until the jubilee year and then he and his children shall be free to leave you and return to their family and to the hereditary land of their ancestors. For they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. Do not subjugate them through hard labour – you shall fear your G-d . . . For the children of Israel are servants to Me: they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt – I am the Lord your G-d.

Here's the problem. The passages above makes the case for why slavery is wrong... to impose indefinitely on your fellow Jew. These passages aren't saying slavery "is an assault on the human condition". It's just saying don't enslave your fellow tribesman.

His argument that Jewish slavery is "limited and humanized" doesn't condemn slavery, if anything it just implies that slavery shouldn't be taken to extremes. At the most basic level the Torah is saying that slavery can be OK.

There may be something to R' Sacks' argument that people don't handle change well and that people more readily accept gradual change. This logic is used elsewhere in Judaism. For example, we are taught that god had the people bring sacrifices because this was a form of worship they were used to when they worshiped idols.

Sometimes the Torah/god does introduce extreme change. When god gave the Torah on Mt. Sinai his first commandment abolishes polytheism. ("...you shall have no other gods before me...") In no uncertain terms the Torah/god is saying that polytheism is not OK. Some of the practices were still allowed, like sacrifice. But the principal was clear: one God only. It was a condemnation of polytheism. The shift from polytheism to monotheism was a significant change in spiritual worship. And, supposedly, a novel idea.

The biggest problem with the argument that the Jewish people wouldn't be able to handle the abolition of slavery is that the Hebrews were slaves themselves! If anyone would be able to empathize with slaves it would be the ancient Jews.

By accepting god's commandments the Jews in the Torah were committing to a significant change in many areas of their personal life. The abolition of slavery should have been been an easy thing for the Hebrews to accept having just escaped a slavery of their own. If god holds that slavery is immoral it would have been abolished in the Torah.

It makes no sense that slavery, something the Torah says the Jewish people fled from, should need to emerge over time.

New Skeptic Blog: The Cuckoo's Nest

Go check out the new skeptic blog: The Cuckoo's Nest

The Cuckoo's Nest is written by a woman who goes by The Chief. The Chief's first language was Yiddish, she's a mother, a member of the charedi community, and a skeptic.

The title of The Chief's blog, and her pseudonym, were inspired by the novel/Broadway play/movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Here is how The Chief explains the connection in her first post:

The Cuckoo's nest is my hometown. The Combine is up close and I despise them with a passion. McMurphy is truly dear to me, but hope won't be given a lobotomy, although currently undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. I am The Chief. I pretend to be a deaf-mute, thereby privy to many dirty secrets of The Combine. I hope one day to break free.

I really enjoy how The Chief makes her points through the stories she tells.

Go check her blog out!

http://thecuckoos-nest.blogspot.com/


P.S. If I ever get lobotomized I trust she knows what to do. ;)

Some Memorial Day Viewing: Frummies on [H]OUSE

I don't watch [H]OUSE. But, there is a popular episode of the hit FOX procedural called "Don't Ever Change" in which an new BT who's getting up in age (and is possibly a Lubavitcher) collapses at her wedding. Medical mystery ensues!

The doctors spend considerable time discussing how much of her illness is related to her recent turn to faith and god. Great stuff.

Even better is how accurately the show depicts orthodox Judaism. With exception of one obvious mistake (and a terrible fake beard on the groom) they nail it. What's also great is how Dr. House is constantly being irreverent of the OJs without ever crossing the line into being disrespectful. He sounds like an ex-frummie himself.

You can watch the show in its entirety below. Or better yet click the following link and watch it in a bigger screen at Hulu.com:
Link - [H]OUSE: Don't Ever Change

A Very Karaite Lag B'Omer

(Guest post by The CandyMan) Think today is the 33rd day of the Omer? You must be a "Rabbanite," who counts the Omer from the second day of Passover, which this year fell out on a Monday. But if you're a Karaite, you take the Bible as literally as possible -- and that means counting the Omer from "the morrow of the Sabbath," i.e. Sunday. So Lag B'Omer (a Rabbinic holiday by any definition) isn't for another 6 days.*

Now, back in the old days, this kind of thing might seem like a huge difference. But nowadays, most Jews are Reform, don't even believe in Moses, and have never heard of Shavuot (although the exceptions can be freaking brilliant). In such times, wouldn't it be wise to broaden our horizons a little and welcome the Karaites into the greater Jewish community... even if they celebrate Shavuot a little later in the week?

Last Saturday, at a local "Shalosh Seudot" gathering, someone mentioned that there's a thriving Karaite community in San Francisco. This community recently celebrated a major milestone: a Karaite conversion ceremony, the first since 1465. Let me be the first to say, Mazal Tov! Browsing online, I found this great interview with the Karaite rabbi, Joe Pessah. To me, the most interesting stuff is what he says about interacting, and intermarrying, with Rabbanites. This could be the start of something big, the mending of a rift that has festered for far too long.

I am reminded of a good Mishna (my Karaite and atheist sisters, please humor me here):

Beth Shammai permit the [rival wives] to the surviving brothers, and Beth Hillel prohibit them... Though these forbade what the others permitted, and these regarded as ineligible what the others declared eligible, Beth Shammai nevertheless did not refrain from marrying women from Beth Hillel, nor did Beth Hillel refrain from marrying women from Beth Shammai. [Similarly...] neither of them abstained from using the utensils of the others for the preparation of food that was ritually clean. (Y'vamot 1:4)

Amen.


*The intricacies of the debate are far too boring to go into here. All interested parties should start with Leviticus 23:9-21 and Joshua 5:11. The interested Rabbanite should proceed to the Babylonian Talmud (Menahot 65a-66aa); the interested Karaite to the Korner. The MO movement has prompted much more in-depth learning of Hebrew Bible, and this has re-opened a very interesting debate about literal (p'shat) vs. exegetical (d'rash) understanding of the Torah. Historically, a chasm has developed between OJ and the Karaites and Samaritans. Perhaps this newfound appreciation of "p'shat" will lead back to a reunification of sorts.

It's a Beautiful Day (in CA)

Listen to the speech for at least a minute. Then, when you're ready, play this clip (it will drown out the speeches):



This should give you a feeling of how I felt all day. (This is da CandyMan.)

Night at a Lubab Wedding: Guest Post by Avi

GUEST POST by Avi

[Note: This was submitted a couple of weeks ago and has been edited by me. - LNM]

Last Thursday night we had two weddings in Crown Heights. (Actually one of them we crashed because my daughter was there with her husband). The first wedding was at 770, naturally.

At the meal, which was across from 770, I sat next to some Lubies. I didn’t take their name or give them my name (but it was emblazoned on my kippah in English and in Hebrew). Being my natural big-mouth self I didn't try very hard to hide the fact that I am an atheist. I was sitting among three Lubies. When these three Lubies understood I don't believe in God they mumbled back to me:

"What do you mean that you don’t believe in God? Every Jew, every Jew must believe in HaShem!"

"I don’t. What should I do about it?"

"Read the 'Tanya' and other books on Chasidus. That will do it. There you will see the truth."

"Why must I as a Jew believe in God if my mind tells me otherwise?"

"The 'Yetzer Horah' (evil inclination) is trying to trick you. He's telling you not to believe what your mind really tells you. Your mind is misleading you."

"But, my mind was given to me by HaShem. Why would He give me a mind that would mislead me? That would be defeating his purpose."

In the end their answer was just learn Tanya, and make sure to put on Tefillin, and daven, and that I would see it will come back to me, and I will become frum again. But of course in the end they really had nothing to say. Not a word of proof to me on how the Yetzer Horah is misleading me, or that my mind is in any way misleading me, or anything to that effect. I wanted them to prove something to me. But of course they could only mumble, "read the Tanya and other books on Chasidus and you will find the correct path."

"Don’t you want to have Jewish Grandchildren?" they asked.

"I already have Jewish grandchildren, my kids all married Jewish."

"What must your kids think of you? Don’t you want their respect?"

"My kids love me and respect me for who I am, and they don’t know what I think." And that ended the discussion.

I guess the choson and kallah (groom and bride) really didn’t like each other that much. They were both lifted up on tables and they were throwing things at each other across the mechitza (partition). Ouch! If one of those hits you on the head it could hurt.

Then we went to visit my daughter and her husband at the other wedding. There my wife was talking to my daughter. My son-in-law was talking to his friends. And I was happily left alone to watch the women dance. I really wanted very much to walk over to a chasidish lady who was wearing stockings with seams. She was quite attractive. I just wanted to ask her if she ever feels like breaking away from the mold by wearing seamless stockings. My daughter said that she would probably slap me. So, instead I spent the rest of the evening standing around, getting slightly inebriated, watching the women dance and letting my imagination go with them.

Avi

"Does God Exist?" Harris vs. Wolpe (Full Video)

This post is a good follow up to last weeks "Does God Exist" debate between Hitchens and Boteach.

On November 6, 2007 American Jewish University hosted a debate between Sam Harris and Rabbi David Wolpe on the subject of "the existence of God and the role of religion and faith in society." Unlike the debaters in the last video these guys have a real discussion. Both debaters score points on each other and I find that Wolpe offers a lot to think about even if I think Harris ultimately carries the day.


Run Time: 1hr 44mins

Hat-Tip: Holy Hyrax

New Skeptic Blog: Fed Up with Religion

Check out my favorite new blog, Fed Up with Religion.

Fed Up is off to a great start. He is trying to seriously tackle the issue of Morality (capitol M) in a god-less world. Great stuff. I especially liked his recent post: No Need for the Torah!

Go check him out!

(Link)

Turkish Delight

GUEST POST by The CandyMan

My friend E is a lot like your typical Orthodox woman in her twenties. Every morning she stands in front of the mirror and figures out how to make herself look good without compromising modesty. When she was dating, she had long discussions with her boyfriend about shomer negiya. When they got married, she had to decide whether to cover her hair. But E is not Orthodox -- she's not even Jewish. E is a devout Muslim, born and raised in Istanbul. Earlier this week, she invited me over to have dinner with her, and with her parents, who are in town and barely speak English. (photo: the Turkish "evil eye," sort of their version of the mezuzah)

I grabbed a bottle of Mendocino Pinot Noir Grape Juice ($12.95 at the neighborhood wine store), plucked a huge lemon from the tree in front of my house, and headed over on an empty stomach. E is a great cook, and let me tell you, the food was delicious. The first course was a lentil soup, amazing taste, I'd never had anything like it. While we were sipping, E let slip to her family that I was Jewish. E's father -- a short, mustached fellow with serious brown eyes -- got very excited about this.

E's dad informed me that there were many Jews in Istanbul. Apparently, the late, great Ottoman Empire had taken in the Jews when they were chased out of Spain by the inquisitors. "Yes, there are many, how do you say, hahams in Turkey," E chimed in. E's father, himself a civil engineer, had recently read a biography of Einstein ("He was religious!") and was greatly impressed. He taught me that inshallah is the Arabic equivalent of im yirtzeh HaShem, gave me a blessing that I should have good luck in my career, and offered to host me and show me around if I ever visited Istanbul. He was very friendly in his somber way and I didn't detect a trace of anti-Semitism in the man. (With his three daughters and his sister at the table, I think he was just happy to have another guy around.)

We retired to the living room, where we sat together on the couch and broke open the grape juice. "Nice color," E's dad complimented, holding his shot glass up to the light (the Pinot Noir grape gives a deep red color, not the dark purple of the concord grapes). We drank the sweet, cool juice with a twist of the lemon I had brought, a wild California lemon with a large rind. "The lemon tree in my garden tastes the same," E's father reminisced. Then E served up flan with caramel. It held together perfectly and had a clean, just-sweet-enough finish. It was one of the best desserts I have had in my entire life. I reminded her husband, a friendly PhD who makes microchips for a cell phone company, that he's a lucky man.

Only once did the Israel/Palestine issue come up (or as E's father malaproposed, the "Isra-el/Phili-stines"). He was opining about how our two cultures had so much in common. "You and I are cousins!" he exclaimed, squeezing my shoulder. "So why are our peoples at war?"

I had a flash. "Sometimes we fight most with members of our own family."

E's father nodded and smiled, his dark eyes flashing. "I understand what you said. I understand."

"Does God Exist?" Hitchens vs. Boteach (Full Version)

Apparently I'm posting videos all this week (I have one for tomorrow too unless our friendly neighborhood CandyMan has something to say).

Last January Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach debated the question "Does God Exist?" at New York's 92nd Street Y. The event was hosted by Dr. Neil Gillman (not to be confused with the legendary Neil Gaiman).

While at times interesting I found the debate had more entertainment value than intellectual value. In my opinion Hitchens really rips Boteach to shreds, but that may just be my confirmation bias talking.

Who do you think won this one?

(Run time 1 hr 34 mins)

Stephen Hawking on Where Did We Come From?

Here is a video of Stephen Hawking talking at a TED conference this past February. In his speech Professor Hawking discusses the following questions:

1. Where did we come from?/How did the Universe come into being?
2. Are we alone in the Universe?/Is there alien life out there?
3. What is the future of the human race?

I followed his discussion on aliens but about half of the stuff about the origin of the Universe flew over my head.

I've watched a number of good videos lately. I'm thinking about posting some more. Let me know if you're interested.

So you think you could be a Lubavitcher?

FrumSatire shows off his Lubab bona fides in this video.

Enjoy!

Judaism: The Religion vs. Judiasm: The Culture

Orthoprax made a fairly accurate remark in the comment section of yesterday's post: Tradition, TRA-DI-TION! (and why it doesn't inspire me)

Since LNM lacks that significant sense of Jewishness or belief in any sort of God, few Jewish constructs would be meaningful to him.

I wouldn't say Orthoprax is totally off-base but I would put it a different way.

I see Judaism primarily as a vehicle for serving god. I recognize that it also exists on some level as a culture independent of religious practice but I see that culture as a secondary bi-product.

My problem is I find myself struggling to appreciate Judaism simply as a culture when I am practicing it according to strict guidelines (halacha) and as if I believe in the dogma.

Sometimes I really enjoy being Jewish. Recent examples include Purim and Shabbos afternoon Kiddush. Kiddush (the communal snack in synagogue, not the blessing) is a good example of a Jewish cultural event. It is not required by halacha that we eat in shul after Musaf, but a tradition has sprung up (a tradition not strictly adhered to mind you) where Jewish people do.

I general, I have little patience for mitzvos bein adam laMakom (commandments regarding man and god). These practices are founded on the idea that you are doing them for god. When you pull out its foundation (god) these practices become worthless to me. On the other hand mitzvos bein adam lachaveiro (commandments regarding man and his neighbor) are much easier for me to get into even if I don't buy into the source.

Purim is great too. The megillah makes no official mention of god, observance focuses on bein adam lachaveiro, and basically it's a party. Then again maybe it's a party and focuses on bein adam lachaveiro because there is no mention of god/godly commandments. I wonder...