[HANASHIR:8321] Re: HANASHIR digest 1151

[BEBWH <BEBWH...>]

In a message dated 2/21/2001 4:57:45 PM Central Standard Time, 
LSOLKOWITZ (at) aol(dot)com writes:

<< 
   I believe that I have an as much a right to accept this halacha as you 
have 
 to reject it.  I think the problem lies in the anger aimed at those who 
 maintain a practice that you don't agree with.
  >>
Laura, Your comments are interesting. By stating that you have a RIGHT to 
choose to accept and do what the Torah says insinuates something 
uncomfortable for me about the opposite. We know Gd gave us free will to make 
choices. Yes, we can choose not to follow the Torah.. but we need to 
understand we believe when a Jew chooses not to follow the Torah he/she is is 
going against His wishes. Check out February's Moment magizine on 
Conservative Judaism.  Better yet, lets look at our grandparents...or great 
grandparents. How many of them would find many of our modes of worship or our 
Shabbos observance acceptable today?  I'm not talking about the influence of 
secular music on our music and its use in shul, I'm talking about religious 
practice. We may be liberal, we may be innovative, creative or even ahead of 
our time..we may be alot of things but lets be careful and honest about how 
"Jewish" it is, or how Jewish our product is and what kind of Judaism it 
promotes by Torah  measurments. Laura should not have to apologize for doing 
what we should all admit is right, because all she said was the Torah tells a 
Jew  to do something - I'm a Jew -I do it. Don;t apologize for that..if one 
mitzva can bring the Messiah then we should all be encouraging Laura because 
maybe our redemption is in her hands...or her voice..or maybe even IN HER 
SILENCE, in this mitzva that many choose NOT to follow. I think it would be a 
nice healing excersise for us to maybe counteract all the harsh writing we've 
seen is for each of us to quietly and privately pick a different mitzva from 
the Torah, to work on or improve upon ourselves. No one has to know what you 
pick...how you do it or why..just pick something you don't do well and make 
it better, or pick a mitzva you've never done before and just do it...I 
suggest it because then we'll all be joining forces with Laura and she;ll be 
bringing us together through Torah and every Jew knows when we work together 
the results are guarenteed. 

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