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Lisa:
Hi everyone,

I'm Jewish but not all that observant.  I posted these questions in the ask JFT section for Chaim.  However I thought I'd post them here as well to get your feedback.

I know that Jews are not supposed to work on the Sabbath.  But with all due respect, I don't understand why that would mean you are not allowed to push a baby stroller or carry an umbrella when you're walking to the synagogue and it's raining outside.  Wouldn't it be more work to carry your small children?  Now granted, many cities and towns have Eruvs put up so that Jews can do what they do at home when they go out.  But in my experience, that never ever mattered to the people running the Orthodox Synagogue my parents used to belong to.  Women were not allowed to carry even small purses, and the strollers were all left by the door.    And mind you, there was definitely an Eruv around the town/synagogue.

Speaking of Orthodox synagogues, why is the use of a microphone prohibited, where as the room has electricity and heat and lighting?

On another note what do you think of the fact that some Jews who observe Yom Kippur and fast will set their VCR's to automatically turn on and off during that night and following day for specific TV shows and movies?  To me, it seems kind of hypocritical because you ARE still watching television or seeing a movie, and being entertained, like you would do any other day of the year.  The only thing is, you didn't press a few buttons.  And isn't the whole point of Yom Kippur to NOT be entertained that day?

Thanks for your time.

Lisa

Tzvi Ben Roshel1:
first of all I would reccoment you going to an Orthodox Rabbi for your questions. but okay I will tell you a(very) little of the answer, - Melaha doesnt exactly translate into "work" the way we would use it in English.


"Speaking of Orthodox synagogues, why is the use of a microphone prohibited, where as the room has electricity and heat and lighting?"

becuase the heat and lighting are turned on BEFORE Shabb-t, and anything concidered "work" is perfectly allowed before Shabb-t, while once Shabb-t or Yom Tov starts its prohibited. A microphone has a technicall problem in that by some 1 speaking into it, it causes the mic to work directly changing eloctronically inside , ( IOI cant exactly explain the science behind it, but it does exist, ask a Rav he will explain exactly the technicall probriety of a mic, that makes it assur.)  - on a side note new phones came out in Israel , that has eliminted that problem and are allowed to be used on Shabb-t. ( but it depends who you use the phone with , if the person on the other line is Jewish and doesnt have that phone that just came out then it would also be forbidden for you to call him/her.
   

      "On another note what do you think of the fact that some Jews who observe Yom Kippur and fast will set their VCR's to automatically turn on and off during that night and following day for specific TV shows and movies?  To me, it seems kind of hypocritical because you ARE still watching television or seeing a movie, and being entertained, like you would do any other day of the year.  The only thing is, you didn't press a few buttons.  And isn't the whole point of Yom Kippur to NOT be entertained that day?"

 You are right in that it is a bad thing to do, BUT technically speaking they arent on the same level as some 1 who directly turns on the telivision or doesnt fast. On Yom Kippur what we should do is focus on Spirituality the whole day.
 Think about why you were shown these things by G-d and you will (since it is not constructive criticism completly) then it is becuase G-d is showing You a lack of other people in order and becuase he wants you to see it and change yourself and be keeping Shabb-t.

davkakach:

--- Quote ---On another note what do you think of the fact that some Jews who observe Yom Kippur and fast will set their VCR's to automatically turn on and off during that night and following day for specific TV shows and movies?
--- End quote ---
As far as I know, Orthodox Jews are not supposed to watch TV at home.


--- Quote ---To me, it seems kind of hypocritical because you ARE still watching television or seeing a movie, and being entertained, like you would do any other day of the year.
--- End quote ---
I share your sentiment.

As someone who is gradually doing Teshuva, I can tell you that the most important, most basic, and most difficult commandment in the entire Torah is "Kabbalat Ol Malchut Shama'im"---the acceptance of the Yoke of Heaven.  Performing a Mitzva not because it makes sense to you, but because you were commanded to do it by Him who created this world.  This is something that even the greatest rabbis, not to mention the miserable ones of our generation (with very few exceptions, most notable one being Rav Meir Kahane HY"D) have difficulty with.  Lighting up your stove at home on Shabbat is wrong, but it is NOTHING compared to the criminal abominations and desecration of G-d's name committed by phony "rabbis" in Israel and especially in the U.S.  There are very few Jewish religious or secular leaders you can look up to, and the mere fact of your interest in authentic Judaism and your interest in minute details of Halacha are commendable.  However, without a firm foundation in understanding the authentic Jewish Idea, I'm afraid that any initiative on your part to be more observant will be very short-lived.  I speak from exprience.  I know that for you and for me, there will come a time when we regard keeping Shabbat not as a burden but as a blessed privilege that we look forward to during the week, and this spiritual stage can be reached naturally if you follow a careful regimen.

My advice is that before you concern yourself with details of the various Mitzvot, lay down a firm foundation by reading as many of Rav Kahane's books as possible to understand the authentic Jewish Idea, which lay dormant for 2000 years because of our accursed exile (and despised status among the nations), and was revived by the Rav.  I read lots of Judaism-related books written by great sages, but only Rav Kahane's books instill in me pride in being Jewish, and the willingness to accept upon myself the Yoke of Heaven.  Although the ideal is that each Jew be a complete Tzadik and fulfill all 613 commandments perfectly with complete devotion and intention, you can still be a VERY GOOD Jew and bring tremendous honor to our people and consecrate G-d's name even if you don't fufill some commandments.  Some prominent scriptural figures led imperfect lives, yet they are considered Tzadikim by our sages.  And, as you know (if you managed to listen to one of Chaim's recent shows), Rav Kahane was elected to the Knesset in '84 thanks to a timely donation of funds by a secular Jew who was a self-professed atheist, and who remained an atheist until the day he died.

I highly recommend that you study Hebrew, if only to be able to read Rav Kahane's incredible book, Ohr HaRa'ayon.  This remarkable book should be the foundation for all subsequent study of the Scriptures.  And, of course, once you know Hebrew, you will be able to immerse yourself in the vast sea of wisdom of the Torah and Oral Tradition.  The more I study it, the more I appreciate it, and the more I am convinced it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  For example, today, on the way to work, I was reading a Jewish Ethics book (Sefer Musar) called "Sefer Hamidot" (by Magid of Duvna), and I came across a passage that reminded me a lot of the Taoist philosophy of yin-yang (with the exception that we, Jews, don't believe in a void, that somethingness spontaneously came out of nothingness; rather, we believe in G-d, and that G-d created this world).  Here is my informal translation (page 183):

"... Evil is the root of Good in this world, and mourning --- the root of happiness.  Because just as the root precedes the fruit, and the soil precedes the tree, so the soil is more abundant than the tree and inferior to the tree, and the tree is larger and inferior in quality to the fruit it bears, and so that which is lacking and inferior exceeds that which is complete."

This describes in general terms the spiritual evolutionary process of a society, and of mankind in general.  And it is just a tiny, infinitesimal fraction of the vast sea wisdom of our Scriptures and our sages' commentary on them, that even a lifetime of study is not sufficient to master.  There is no reason for a Jew to look for "meaning" elsewhere---all the meaning that we will ever need is right here, in our remarkable faith, and we are so lucky to be Jewish, thank G-d!

Shabbat Shalom.

Alex:
Beautiful words.

jdl4ever:
Davkakach's comments were beautiful.  All I would like to add is that anyone who sets their TV on a timer to go off on the Sabbath or Yom Kippur is angering G-d immensely for the whole purpose of these holidays is for you to set asside your daily activites and become close to G-d.  While technically they are not doing any work since the timer was set before hand, it is still wrong to do and G-d will punish those who knowingly do evil even if it doesn't directly violate a commandment (see the last prophet, Malachi where G-d was extremely angered over those who keep the Sabbath but who spend the whole day engaging in business talk and said if the Jews want to do G-d's will they will call the Sabbath a delight to G-d). 

You absolutely must listen to Rav Kahane's speaches and read his books and then you will uncover the truth.  We don't observe G-d's commandments because we understand them, we observe them because G-d commanded us to do so and they must be correct.  The Torah's purpose is for us love G-d by emulating him. This is done by observing his commandments and studying the Torah.  Just as G-d is incomprehensible to mere mortals so to are many of the commandments.  First we observe them and then we try our best to find out the reason for them. Some we are not on the cognitive level to figure out.  Pushing a baby stroller and carrying an umbrella are considered carrying and are forbidden on Shabbat without an Eruv because carrying is a type of work.  This is very logical just like lighting a small fire is considered work.  Talking on a microphone is forbidden because it MAY directly or indirectly involve lighting a fire since it may have small lights going off in the indicator equipment, and electrical sparks going off in the transformers or circuiry.  While there are microphones where such things do not occur, the orthodox community bans all electrical devices since it is very probable that many of them do involve lighting a fire and this is a big sin so we are stringent.  For example, most electrical motors involve the brush design.  This design ignites thousands of tiny electrical sparks every second (if you don't believe me turn on an electrical drill in the dark).  Turning on a light bulb is the same as lighting a fire.  Due to most electrical devices being forbidden, it is a better idea to ban all of them since if we make one permitted than the public will be lenient and start using forbidden devices.  Even if an electrical devise might seem to be permitted, you have no clue what kind of stuff is going on in the power stations, the base stations, the underground transformer and indicator equipment.  Most probably, any device used has some effect on hundreds of indicators and pieces of equipment at the power station level and involves some form lighting a fire. 

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