Jewish Anti-Semitism - Am I A Kangaroo?- Formerly Religious Bloggers - Who Can I Touch - Hashem Is Here - From Bitter To Sweet

There are two types of Anti-Semitism. One comes from the goyim. We have more or less gotten used to this over the last 5000 years. It isn't pleasant, but hey, it comes with the territory.

There is another type of Anti-Semitism which is in some ways more insidious [assuming that I am using the word "insidious" correctly]. It comes from Jews. Jews hate Jews. They rant against large groups of Jews [Chasidim, Charedim, Tziyonim etc.] with vitriol and [wait, looking for a good synonym] intense hostility. Also, they display tremendous animosity towards the Torah and its laws [negiya gets hit the hardest. People don't like to be told who not to touch].

Tonight, I was at a website that defines itself as "Modern Orthodox". This website is Orthodox like I am a kangaroo at the zoo who reads the Wall Street Journal and sings Pavarotti. The writers, all young products of Jewish day schools and the like, seem to despise almost everything Jewish [except chicken soup. How does one not like chicken soup?].

So my message to them and to the many bloggers who are no longer religious and spew their venom for the world to hear: You had negative experiences. That is sad. But not all people are bad. Not all rabbis are bad. It is special not to touch members of the opposite gender because by doing so you display "self-control" which officially places you in the highest category of creation possible on this earth: "Human being". Not exercising self-control places one in the same category as animals who are not known for excelling at this quality. Who wants to be like an animal?? Try to fill your hearts with love. Maybe get a good therapist to help you overcome all of your bitterness. Learn Torah from books that appeal to you. More importantly, connect to holy people. Leave the cynicism behind. Not every rabbi just cares about money or is a pedophile. MOST rabbis are really fine wonderful people who also have human failings like the rest of us. Many of them are quite poor but happy because they are living spiritual lives. If you connect to them in a healthy way, you will be rewarded. Most importantly, develop a relationship with Hashem. Hashem exists whether we are conscious of Him or not. No scientist or philosopher has come up with ONE SINGLE PROOF that G-d doesn't exist. At best they can say that they don't have ample proof that He does. We have many proofs that He exists. The best one is that He told us. Even Bill Gates, not exactly a Rebbe from Yerushalayim, says that just to behold the human mind is to get a glimpse of G-d. It is untenable that everything we see was just an accident. So try to start connecting. If you are a boy - buy an artscroll gemara and do 15 lines a day. It might not make you more religious but it will certainly make you deeper and smarter. Even our greatest enemies admit that. If you are a girl, find something that you connect to. It could be a story book, ideas on the parsha, listening to an audio shiur once a week, something about the holocaust, or maybe just helping a religious women who is happily married with a family with her shabbos preparations. It is good for the soul. Learning Torah is sweet and keeping Torah is sweet. You can also email me with your complaints. I will be happy to respond.

We have enough enemies from without, we need no more enemies from within.

Love and blessings:-)