Taking a plunge...

Hey there, everybody.

First of all, I'd like to say that thank God, I had a great Purim, one that was uplifting, spent together with my friends and teachers, and I really had a great time.

With that said, I'd like to address an issue which has gnawed at me for quite some time: Jewish blogging.

Thankfully, there are many blogs out there written by honest, God fearing people, who truly use the open realm that is the Internet to write about their experiences, hopes, dreams and disappointments. It warms my heart to see that there are so many forward thinking individuals who use this form of expression to their advantage, and hopefully inspire others. However, I am saddened to realize that these people are a minority in the blogosphere.

The sheer volume of Jewish blogs out there that are saturated with negativity towards the observant communities is astounding, and, obviously, they are the ones that resonate the loudest throughout the Internet, as they are the most vocal. Apparently, they have much more time on their hands than the rest of us.

I read the various blogs and I am almost sickened by their statements. Vitriolic, they spew their rhetoric constantly, and no one stands up to them. Some are fueled by anger and pain, making their rants little more than bouts of hysterics, peppered with condemning statements that point accusatory fingers at the Jewish community at large. By no means am I trying to downplay their pain; it is real and valid for them. Others use high vocabulary to make their point, and use certain facts to get people to listen to them. Those, the *intellectual* blogs, are by far the most dangerous, as they lure their readers into a sense of comfort. After all, if a guy maintains he's a Rabbi, he must know what he's talking about, right? Wrong.

"I was raised in a prominent Orthodox Jewish home. I was privileged to get a wonderful education and ultimately received S'micha (the real kind) the old fashioned way...I earned it. I graduated at one of the respected institutions of higher learning with honors."

That was an excerpt from the introductory blurb to UOJ's blog (http://www.theunorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/). UOJ maintains that he has Rabbinical Ordination ( the real kind ), and that he has seen the problems that are tearing our nation apart. Therefore, due to the fact that he is, in fact, a rabbi, we should all listen to him.

Fine, okay, good. We know that the Jewish community has problems, no doubt. We've all seen it in our own personal happenings, and, tragically on the news. Perhaps someone with ( supposedly ) knowledge in scriptures and the like ( a.k.a. Da'as Torah ) will be able to show us how to fix things... but what words of wisdom does the UOJ give us?

"I CALL UPON YOU TO TERMINATE YISROEL BELSKY FROM YOUR ORGANIZATIONS.

THIS MAN IS THE EPITOME OF THE HOOLIGANISM AND DECAY THAT HAS CAUSED SO MUCH SUFFERING AMONGST US!

THROW HIM TO THE GUTTER.. THAT'S WHERE HE BELONGS! DO IT QUICKLY!"

That was another excerpt from a recent posting of his. Where is the respect for others - no matter how much you disagree with that person - that I've come to associate with the rabbonim in my life? Another excerpt:

"Rot in hell, Shafran, Zweibel, Perlow & co."

Another:

"Rav Ahron Kotler and Rav Moshe Feinstein would be proud of you mamzeirim at the Agudah!"

And just one more:

"Kaminetzky sat smiling on the Agudah dais Fress Convention nodding approvingly of Mattisyahu Salomon's "under the rug-dignity-daas Torah-beat the shit out of the Bloggers" speech!"

I know that these are taken out of context. I know that UOJ makes very compelling arguments and points out things that need to be addressed in our times. But if the delivery sullies the message, then the entire thing is worthless. He has devoted his power and influence to tearing away at the infrastructure of our communty, "destroying" one reputation at a time. That is not the way problems are dealt with, even in the most radical of times. Look at how he writes! Profanity (which doesn't offend me, but doesn't seem to be a rabbinical mode of speech in my honest opinion ) for no particular reason. He addresses known, respected, and dignified people ( by most people, at least ) - people who certainly have more of a wealth and breadth of Torah knowledge than I, and most likely, more than himself - in familiar terms, without using the honorifics they deserve...

This guy can claim he's a rabbi all he wants, but one thing I know: anyone who really has a shleimus ( completion) in Torah wouldn't talk that way, in an anonymous blog or not. A Rabbinical ordination is indicative of nothing if one doesn't show that he is deserving of respect. The Gedolim have shown us time and again that they are deserving of said respect, by virtue of their actions, whether we always understand their choices or not. That's without getting into the fact that they are human as well, and can make mistakes on rare occasions. This guy's posts are tainted with hate, and that fact pervades throughout his blog, impeccable vocabulary or not.

He's not the only danger online. There are many more out there, but none as lucid or eloquent as he is.

My goal is not to be an apologist for the problems we have in the Jewish community, nor do I reall want to get into a drawn out fight that will most likely benefit no one. And who am I, anyway? I can't claim to have any superior knowledge in Torah. I don't have a college education. Heck, my high school education was a joke! I don't have experience in the world; no doubt many who will read this post will think I'm naive, stupid, or a combination of the two (and then some). But I do know one thing. I can't sit back and just let this happen without saying something. If there are blogs out there casting Judaism in a negative light, I will do my best to counterpoint that with positivity. that is my pledge.

I will not let people undermine my community, my family, and our belief system.

But don't get me wrong; I won't try to bully people into my way of thinking, either. I will try to bring readers all the facts that support my arguments; the other facts are out there as well, making more than a lopsided slant. people must make their own conclusions, otherwise, there won't be any conviction.

But I need help. If you blog, if you have any way to proliferate a positive message, then I implore you all to do so. We have an amazing power in our hands, let's not waste it. If you have ideas you want to share, you can post it here in the comments, or e mail it to me. If you want to collaborate, that's also cool...

Mi L'Hashem Eilai?

Originally posted Wednesday, 7 March 2007