Friday, March 13, 2015

Too orthodox. Wayyyy Tooooo extreme. Wayyyyyy…





You ever hear anyone too rich? Too healthy? Too knowledgeable?

How about, have you heard anyone avoiding money because they may become too rich, or someone intentionally avoiding healthy practices because they may become too healthy, or someone avoiding knowledge because they become too smart? Absurd right?

So why are people, way too orthodox? Why are people afraid of learning about orthodox observances?

The Israelites sinned by worshiping the golden calf. Actually, it was a very small number who worshiped the golden calf. The majority was held guilty, because they did not protest the few who got involved, but I will leave that for another day.

G-d forgave them, for this terrible sin, on the day of forgiveness - Yom Kippur, and the day afterwards, when everybody was clean and pure, compared to Angels, starting a brand new slate, Moses gathered everyone. Moses assembled everyone, men and women, to tell them of this phenomenal opportunity G-d was granting them, to dwell in their midst through the sanctuary.

To be on the safe side and avoid any problems of temptation, Moses gathered the men and the women separately. On the surface, sounds like an extreme measure, no? I mean, didn’t Moses trust his people? Are women less people than men, that they don’t belong together?

Most improprieties concerning men and women are between people who know each other! They happen at the workplace, and started with the “innocent” shake of the hands. The formal “business” kiss.

To someone who cherishes and values monogamous faithful relationships, when one of the partners give away a little of themselves to someone else, like a little flirting etc., that is a matter of serious damage. The little bit that went in the way of the other person, comes at the expense of the complete dedication and attention towards the, one and only.

Everyone knows, if you really want to be on a diet, you shouldn’t bring home food that can be a problem. It is smart not to put yourself in a position of temptation.

One of the prayers we make every morning is, G-d please don’t bring me to temptation. Even the best and the strongest have failed when tempted.

For someone to intentionally place themselves when hungry, and they really need to, or want to, be on a diet, in a compromising situation, isn’t the smartest thing to be proud of.

They even advertise, guaranteed to lose weight and eat all that you want!!! The crazy and not so funny thing is, that people actually fall for this pitch.

The problem in our society is that we want to have the cake and lose weight too. We want marriages to last a lifetime and, we enjoy inciting our animalistic impulses at the same time. We put ourselves regularly in compromising situations, we allow ourselves to constantly and continuously be fed tantalizing, provoking and provocative messages and images, and then we wonder why the results are the way they are, for us and our children.

Moses was the vessel for wisdom and therefore brought down the law to this world. Moses represented the ultimate in the observance of law. Moses is teaching us the way to live with the healthiest and happiest of outcomes in life.

If orthodox, the rules of Moses, is regarded as restrictive with no benefits, no wonder people opt out. If orthodox is regarded as following the wisest life routines with the best results, that aren’t always easy to follow, well then, that takes on an entire different positive outlook.

Everything in life that is worthwhile comes from following proper guidelines. Nothing can be built by just doing it how you feel. No worthwhile product or outcome in life happens just by doing it as you feel, winging it. Orthodox Judaism is the only path that assures the tradition will remain in the family, and its adherents will enjoy the deepest, spiritual and G-dly experiences.


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