Re: john zorn's camo pants (tzitzis)

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

But the point is well-taken, and I should not have attempted
to infer Zorn's religious observance (or lack thereof) from
his garb. That is really John Zorn's business, and his alone.

ari

At 03:12 PM 4/5/00 -0400, you wrote:
>I appreciate Howard's comments on tzitzit and kippah, but I would like
>to make 3 points:
>1. where Howard writes "observant Jews" I am confident that he meant
>"observant Jewish men"
>2. many observances considered mitzvot were not as explicitly received
>in the Torah as the mitzvah of tzitzit (e.g., not eating milk with
>poultry)
>3. observant Jewish men today do not observe the mitzvah of tzitzit as
>explicity received in the Torah
>
>Bob
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Howard Freedman <hfreedman (at) bjesf(dot)org>
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Date: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 1:34 PM
>Subject: Re: john zorn's camo pants (tzitzis)
>
>
>>I would suggest against rushing to judgment about presuming "style
>vs. religious
>>feeling."  Wearing tzitzis is a mitzvah we receive in the Torah
>(indeed we read
>>it in daily prayers as the third paragraph of the Shema).  Covering
>one's head
>>is just a custom.  While it has become normative among observant Jews
>today, it
>>has developed slowly, and does not have the same level of obligation
>associated
>>with tzitzis.  Covering one's head doesn't find any fuller
>endorsement in the
>>Talmud than a passage buried in Shabbat 118b noting  that Rav Huna
>would not
>>walk four cubits with his head uncovered.  While covering one's head
>at all
>>times has gradually developed as suggested and expected behavior
>among observant
>>Jews, not all communities have adhered to this practice.
>>
>>I too cringe a bit about the possibility of using serious Jewish
>ritual objects
>>for show (remember those ice skaters with the tallis motif a few
>years ago?),
>>but I don't think it's a good practice to presume someone's spiritual
>leanings
>>by what he/she is wearing.  Particularly when Zorn's music, whatever
>one feels
>>about it, and the music his Tzaddik label has sponsored, does
>certainly show
>>interest in Jewish spiritual exploration.
>>
>>Howard Freedman
>>
>>>
>>> Camo pants would be "camoflague pants"--those casual green or
>mottled
>>green pants that one picks up in this country at military surplus
>shops. The
>>couple of times I've seen him, tzitzis have been stylishly arranged
>to hang
>>out, as well. I'm not unsympathetic to the idea of important ritual
>items
>>used for artistic effect, but it is sometimes unsettling. (I presume
>style
>>vs. religious feeling because I don't recall him wearing either
>kippah, or
>>other head covering.)
>>>
>>> ari
>>
>>
>>----------------------
>jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+
>>