Forced marriages (s/o of All Who Go Do Not Return)

imasoftov

Sun, Apr 26 2015, 6:22 am

amother wrote:

The whole point of a takana is that it's against halacha. Otherwise it would be the halacha and not a takana.

A takana is not (or so one would hope) against halacha but goes beyond halacha.

For example, there could be takana to limit spending on weddings, because there's no halacha that says you must spend at least this much per plate. There could not be a takana requiring you to make fun of the kallah's unmarried sister until she runs out of the room crying.

imasoftov

Sun, Apr 26 2015, 6:23 am

amother wrote:

It's a little more ambiguous now. The last re-affirmation of the takana (about 8-10 years ago?) was signed by American Sefardic Rabbis from all the communities, not just the Syrians. It used to just be Syrians. But now people from other communities are holding by it but some people from those communities (particularly those families who have married with converts before the last re-affirmation takana) are not. Add to this all the Israelis in the US (most of whom are Sefardic) who are worried about American conversions not being accepted by their Rabbis in Israel (whether justified or not), and I could see where it would be a lot harder for a convert to try to date someone Sefardic than someone Ashkenazic. And even outside of dating, I know people who just will find a polite way to not eat from the house of a ger or let their kids go over and play, etc. because they don't know whether they are allowed to consider their conversion acceptable now.

I have come to realize that had Hashem really not wanted us to mistreat geirim, He would not have told us over and over again, He would have arranged for a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch to have written "a baal nefesh should not mistreat geirim"

Sadie

Sun, Apr 26 2015, 7:06 am

imasoftov wrote:

Spot on. I don't know whether to laugh at this or cry...