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Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden
Psychology, Medicine, Science, Politics, Oppression, Integrity, Philosophy, Jews -- For those who like their news and truths frank and sharp

It seems that Orthodox Rabbis need to be confronted loudly

Changes in Jewish Law are needed, in order and possible, if only the rabbis specialized in Jewish Law had the guts – many have suggested.

Yet, building Halachah is not a democratic process, so public pressure will not help – one would say. Just imagine demonstrations to leading scientists that they must apply the Laws of Science differently. That wouldn’t be Science anymore if they did, would it? Or maybe it would? It would be if bias has crept into Science.

Supposedly, Jewish Law and (mm) Natural Science are objective and cannot be adjusted to taste and opinion. Well, actually, they are not as much ‘objective’ as popular science and self-styled Jewish authorities want you to believe – they are both very much – based on the Word of G-d, respectively on Reality – nevertheless still works of men (!).

***

The main reason why rabbis do not change Jewish Law (Halachah) is not that they can’t, not because they’re scared to be labeled not-Orthodox-enough, not because they are overworked, but because they simply don’t care enough and the public lets them get away with it.

Why do we have a Commandment for men to marry and for Jews in the Diaspora to make aliyah? Because they often don’t feel they need to. For the same reason, we are commanded to not stand aside while our fellow’s blood is shed (Leviticus 19:16): because most people don’t feel a need to help others, even not when they appear to be in mortal danger!

So many more would have died if heroes would not have protected Jews during WW II. The daughters of Tz’lofchad (transliterated as it should be) would have gotten nothing if they wouldn’t have opened their mouths. We would have all died in the desert if Moses had not interceded for us. Lot would never have made it safely out of Sodom if Abraham wouldn’t have cared. And the Flood would never have happened if No’ach would have protested society with belief in people to repent.

Some examples that introduction of new Halachah is highly overdue:

  • Being sour-faced in public is strictly unkosher.
  • Texting on Shabbat is fine.
  • Homosexuality is only forbidden for heterosexual men.
  • Consuming bio-industry animal produce cannot be strictly kosher.
  • Someone who gives a child a cigarette is a murderer and must pay the child for all sickness and lost income from cigarette addiction.
  • Facilitating adoption (and if needed, conversion of the child) for all Jews ready to parent.
  • A party without mechitzah and alcohol-free zone is unkosher.
  • We need more stringencies of laws between people.
  • We need new Halachah on: Gentiles (they are Holy too, many must be won over and maintained as our allies), Women (on visibility, they can be rabbis too) and femininity (relationships and life events), The goals and goodness of sex, Preventing arrogant, nasty and powerful people always winning from humble, friendly and simple people, Combating racism, The State of Israel (religious coercion being unkosher, cleansing Judaism from Diaspora-time assimilation, beginning to progress to learning the Jerusalem Talmud), Looking at life afresh (no more rut rehearsing of the texts of our Prayers and the Torah text), Secular and Atheist Jews (acknowledging them as our teachers, when they are showing more morality and care for other people, animals and nature than we do), Traditional Jews (honoring them), and Potential Converts not ready for Halachah.
  • It is unkosher to be less decent than the Gentile consensus.
  • All singles in a community must be invited for every festive meal.
  • Philosophizing is not subjected to Halachah.
  • More hours on entertainment than on activism is forbidden.
  • We frown upon eating meat like a dog (limitless).
  • Jews who promote hatred for Gentles will be suspected of being poor parents.
  • Intermarriage is not forbidden because it’s an inferior relationship but because a Jew’s commitment to perpetuate Judaism should be so passionate that s/he only wants a Jewish partner who’s equally committed.
  • Politicians criticizing others in order to gain popularity, instead of simply promoting themselves, must be deemed worse than liars.
  • Jewish and Gentile Anti-Zionists should be considered idolaters.
  • To urge every woman not to seclude herself with a man unless her own spouse, and especially so with Jewish public men – #metoo.
  • Jews whose dishonesty became public knowledge must ask forgiveness in public for enabling desecration.
  • Parents must ask forgiveness from their grown sons for the circumcision done without their consent but for their good.
  • Halachah must not conflict with solid facts, science and reality (who steps into an elevator but rejects evolution is a hypocrite).
  • Rabbis must rule not from a love for Judaism or perfectionism but for Jews and people in general and with mildness and wisdom try to get ultimately the highest number of Jews love real Judaism.

Many of these points could be developed into a lecture (series).

So many examples from just two days of brainstorming! Something obviously is very wrong.

***

There are exceptional Orthodox rabbis who say revolutionary things but they are all sooo n-i-c-e. We only hear powerful ones when they feel justified to attack and abuse homosexuals, female rabbis or dinosaurs.

I feel frustrated that they can hold us hostage (as long as we want to be Orthodox) while they have no clue what our lives are all about.

Israel was not able to win any of its wars, but fought them anyway – and won. Sometimes we need to do the impossible to get results.

Many things in life only changed, when people got angry and stopped being overly nice. That is an unpleasant historical truth.

We’ve been too complacent, too nice and too patient with the rabbinic authorities who simply don’t care enough. Anger is almost always a sign of haven forgotten one’s place and G-d’s Supervision. But G-d also gave us righteous indignation, to use when the situation is desperate.

Let’s start demonstrations and chant to the rabbis: You don’t care, do you?! You don’t care, do you?! You don’t care, do you?!

 

About the Author
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. * His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
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