Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Politically Correct

 In the olden days there were no such concepts as "religious" "irreligious" "Orthodox" "Conservative" "Reform" "Dati" "Chiloni". Those terms indicate equality. You are religious. I am not. Free country. 

Back in the day, there were three basic categories "Tzadikim" "Beinoniim" and "Reshaim" [and תינוק שנשבה]. If a person does ONE aveirah for which he would receive malkos [i.e. a לא תעשה שיש בו מעשה] he is pasul li-eidus b/c he is a Rasha. If he doesn't keep Shabbos he has the Halachic status of a non-Jew. 

Today the terminology is politically correct b/c people don't enjoy being called or calling others evil. [Note: One can be מלמד זכות on many of the מחללי שבת that they are תינוקות שנשבו].  

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I often see shuls emphasize in their advertisements for themselves that they are "Modern Orthodox". What does that MEAN?

Is there a special nusach tfilla for Modern Orthodox? Do Modern Orthodox people have a different G-d? A different Shulchan Aruch? Special Halachic leniences b/c they are "Modern"?

So how about "We are a shul of people who are working on themselves to become better people and more devout Jews every day. We have a low mechitza but hopefully as we grow, the mechitza will grow with us. We won't look down on you if you have a smartphone b/c everybody in our shul does but we are working on ourselves to limit its use to work related matters and Torah. We don't wear hats and jackets for davening but that is not b/c we take conversing with Hashem lightly but b/c that is what we are used to. Our Rabbi is clean shaven but that is b/c his wife likes him better that way and b/c he is sooooo handsome it would be a great loss to not be able to see his whole face. We say the Tfilla for Medinat Yisrael but we appreciate that there are other parts of davening more important and that the mitzva is more to LIVE in Israel than to say a prayer for it once a week. We usually celebrate Yom Haatzmaut but after the left wing government promised our enemies a gift of 53 billion shekel [!!!] to help kill us - we are considering stopping the practice and instead saying a Tfilla for the local sports teams. We take davening and Halacha very seriously."