OK --so let me introduce myself....I grew up as "modern orthodox" and I guess I would still classify myself in that same category. I currently live in the five towns area on Long Island New York.
My sister refers to this as a Ghetto ---but then again she is able to suppress her loathing of her fellow jew when she needs to come out and have the wonderful selection she finds at Brach's.
As an FFB (Frum from Birth) there are many questions that I had on basic concepts or ideas that at some point became too embarrassing to ask ("After 12 years Yeshiva shouldn't you know that already?" "How can you call yourself Frum if you question that?" "Well everyone knows that answer!"). So i turn to my blog where the solitude of my computer screen allows me to connect with other member of the cyber world.
So what kind of questions am I talking about?-Good question--they run the gamut--from
1) So I spend a month before Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur begging for forgiveness on the Horrible person that I have been all year--I spend all day in shul repenting and saying how "I will try to be a better person next year--please of merciful one grant me another year of life!!!"
I have often viewed the relationship of G-D to man to that of father & son..just like my heart warms up when my 3 year says he loves me and hugs me ..so much so that he cold have just broken a lamp in my living room --but he sad face with his puppy dog eyes telling me he know he did something wrong, quickly turns my venom into sweet honey and although I am upset at what happened-- my anger at him is quashed --I know he is a good boy and I love him. Although, I as G-d's child, have done wrong things throughout the year (knowingly and unwittingly) --I am a "Good-Boy". After 1 or 2 days of begging for forgiveness shouldn't all be forgiven. If my 14 year were to borrow my crash and destroy my bike and then for the next day--2 days-week beg for forgiveness --I would be going nuts!!!! I would imagine after day 3 I would scream "ENOUGH ALREADY--IT WAS A MISTAKE--I GET IT--YOUR SORRY--IT'S FINE--JUST BE MORE CAREFUL NEXT TIME." Shouldn't hakodeah Baruch Hu(G-D0 have that same reaction --shouldn't he be looking down and saying "Look Bubala--you messed up --I get it--Just do better next time--I still love you" ---Let me not even get into how must people don't even know what they are saying when they are asking fro forgiveness.
Topics for future discussion--
1) Were not supposed to add to the torah --yet there are 1000's of rabbinic restrictions as to "build a fence" around the action so that we don't even come close to doing the action. In my opinion--a conflict!
2) Mile & Meat --based on the pasuk "Lo tevashel gidi bechalev Emo"--Don't cook a goat in it's mother's milk". To me this doesn't talk of separation of milk and meat but rather not to rub actions in someone's face--don't take the goat away from it's mother and then add insult to injury --cook it in his mother's milk.
Am I alone on these thoughts? Please feel free to comment.
