The New York Times is a respectable newspaper. Or at least they present themselves that way. As opposed to the other daily New York papers which are written on a level [besides the pseudo-pornographic pictures] that appeals to people whose level of intelligence is limited as is their education [not that educated or intelligent people don't read the other papers - just that they can be easily understood by anyone on a second grade level] - the Times is "high society".
Yes, they are anti-Israel, Pro-Arab, hyper-liberal, Pro-Alternative lifestyles, Pro-Abortion etc. but they try to present themselves as honorable, reporting all the news that is "fit to print".
Ahhhh - so I come across an article in the Times written by a woman. So far so good. Women have every right to write in a newspaper. Gender equality. As long as our sisters use their own bathrooms and stay on their side of the mechitza, I am cool.
But here the problem begins, This woman, who unabashedly puts her name on the by-line of the article, talks about her hobby.
She sleeps with married men.
The problem of course is not the sleeping part but what happens before that. She relates that she even counsels the men about their marriages and tries to understand why they stray [they are starving for affection that their wives aren't giving them, among other reasons]. But she expresses no remorse or guilt over her actions. She goes around DESTROYING MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES and causing the cheated-on wives to experience trauma that equals that of former prisoners of war or the like [no exaggeration] after they find out - and she seems to have no problem with that.
Like, are there no single men alive who have sexual attraction to women and aren't shomer negiya? Why married men for crying out loud? She talks about her behavior with complete equanimity, as if it is totally normal.
So I understand her behavior to a certain extent - she has no fear of G-d, lots of lust [it seems primarily for married men] and finds willing outlets [today everything is only a click away]. But no BUSHA AT ALL???!! No sense of impropriety?! She is completely forward about her identity as if she has done nothing of which to be ashamed.
And the Times prints this. Where is the outcry? How low have we sunk that adultery is considered normative. [Would they have printed a similar article written by a pedophile??] When I was a kid, living together before marriage was very uncommon and generally frowned upon. Today, I wouldn't be surprised of the MAJORITY of couples in the US live together before marriage. The level of morality sinks lower, lower and yet lower.
We are ALL products of our society. If we think that we aren't influenced by the prevailing beliefs and mis-beliefs about morality then are are deeply and dangerously mistaken.
We are reading the parshiyos of Yetzias Mitzraim. Mitzraim is called by the Torah ערות הארץ - the nakedness of the land. Mitzraim has moved and it now resides in the USA.
Every day we leave Mitzraim twice - morning and evening. That means [metaphorically] that twice a day we recommit to not being part of the general immorality of our surrounding culture. For us, even to LOOK at a woman or THINK about her in an inappropriate way undermines our entire spiritual existence. Kabbala calls this area "Yesod" because it is the foundation of our spiritual existence. And it is only our spirits that live forever. Our bodies are here for a very short stay.
