Is anybody excited about Yom Tov?

Motek

Sun, Oct 30 2005, 4:33 pm

reform bashing? the first post of the thread started with orthodox bashing, starting with the guest's comment. We are focusing on Yehudis' comment, which was:

Quote:

So I keep thinking about what she said because the truth is, she is right that Orthodox Jewish women are not very excited about the holidays

good point shanie5

yehudis

Sun, Oct 30 2005, 11:34 pm

We are not bashing anybody, just discussing the reality of life. Motek, I am simply repeating what I heard in shul or in the neighborhood. Also, I don't think the guest actually heard any of those comments. She simply didn't feel any excitement in the air. And the reason the guest's comments bothered me is because I didn't feel much excitement in shul either. So I felt guilty, and imamother is a good place to vent Smile

, as well as maybe get to the root of the problem and try to fix it?

And Mandy, I haven't yet met a Reform person who perceives Torah and mitzvos as their main job in life. It's not bashing, it's a fact, at least in my experience.

Mandy

Sun, Oct 30 2005, 11:52 pm

just for the sake of arguing, yehudis, I am sure you would agree that a reform rabbi would probably consider Judaism his main job in life. Although his definition of Judaism would certainly differ from the frum viewpoint.

yehudis

Mon, Oct 31 2005, 12:27 am

Actually, no, there are Reform rabbis who consider their main job to be counseling, helping communal causes, etc. They are more people oriented than G-d oriented. They are very nice people, but they don't think of Torah as their main goal in life. Of course, I haven't met all the Reform rabbis in the world. Just my experience.

chavamom

Mon, Oct 31 2005, 12:49 am

yehudis wrote:

I would agree with your assessment having worked with a number of reform rabbis in Jewish communal life. I used to tell people when they asked me about why the orthodox don't consider reform rabbis to be rabbis "we have a different definition of what is a rabbi. Their training and focus is more on social work and communal activism while an Orthodox smicha means mastery of a body of Jewish law."

Tefila

Mon, Oct 31 2005, 4:47 pm

Quote:

I am sure you would agree that a reform rabbi would probably consider Judaism his main job in life. Although his definition of Judaism would certainly differ from the frum viewpoint.

Uh mandy don't u mean her Scratching Head

yehudis

Mon, Oct 31 2005, 7:41 pm

So back to the topic, Rabbi Abraham Twerski writes in one of his books that he was once walking to shul in the morning of the first day of Pesach, and there was a non-Jew walking in front of him who looked very happy, was smiling and whistling, etc. Rabbi Twerski thought, why am I not as happy? I did so many mitzvos last night -- ate matza, marror, 4 cups, etc. Shouldn't I be at least as happy as this non-Jew who didn't even do any of this?

So maybe we have a yetzer hara not to appreciate the mitzvos we are able to do. All holidays are definitely a lot of work. But they are also mitzvos.

To quote my kids' favorite Uncle Moishy tape: How lucky we all are, the luckiest by far, precious mitzvos all day long Smile

Motek

Tue, Nov 01 2005, 10:46 am

yehudis wrote:

We are not bashing anybody, just discussing the reality of life. Motek, I am simply repeating what I heard in shul or in the neighborhood.

I realize, not to worry. I was simply responding to Mandy's distortion of the topic.

Back to your topic - a woman I spoke to after Yom Tov said she's glad it's over

why?

because Yom Tov is too much eating Confused

I understand what she means, with so many days of Yom Tov and Shabbos and washing twice a day, but STILL! I found that comment so crass.

Yom Tov doesn't mean you have to pig out. You can find out how much challa you must eat and not eat any more than that, and then eat small portions of healthy food. There is no requirement to have dessert.

Is she happy with Tzom Gedalia and Yom Kippur? Question