General Category > Ask JTF

Ask JTF for Sunday, October 3, 2010

<< < (4/5) > >>

Secularbeliever:
Shalom Chaim

I want to follow up on a discussion we had a few weeks ago about why Israel has deteriorated in terms of self respect, self reliance, appeasement and needing approval from the outside world.  You said it was that secular nationalism is unsustainable.  I think there is a great deal of truth to that at least in theory.  I also think that Jewish culture minus the religion makes little or no sense. 

Anyway getting back to Israel, while your hypothesis is very logical I am not sure it is born out by experience.  The Israel that said no to the US, the UN and the world was very secular.  It was led by people like Ben Gurion, Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir.  The Jewish underground, the Irgunists and Sternists were led by secular people.  Rabbli Kahane once said that when talking about the Jewish right to the land of Israel, Begin puts Orthodox Rabbis to shame (that was before his caving in to Sadat and Carter).  The Orthodox Parties in Israel at best seem to pay lip service to the Land of Israel, Rabin once noted he was surprised at how little he had to give the Orthodox Parties to get them to agree to Oslo.  There is no more stalwart champion of the Land of Israel these days than Aryeh Eldad who is largely secular. 
So is secularism really what is pulling Israel down?

Estragon1396:
Dear Chaim,

I have 2 questions for you this week.

1) I've recently read an article which claims that the typical attire of Haredi Jews (black hat, black coat, white shirt, etc.) is based on the clothes worn by Polish noblemen in the 18th century, and Jews had never worn such clothes before that time. Is this information correct, or is it just a smear against Haredi Jews? Also, if it is false, where does this style of clothing really come from? When did Orthodox Jews start dressing like that?

2) What are your thoughts on the emotion of hate? Do you think it is natural and healthy to feel hatred towards our enemies and those who wish us harm? Should we hate those who have wronged us in the past? Or do you think we should strive to overcome such feelings?
Also, what do you think about the Christian ideal of "loving your enemies"? Is this ideal applicable to Jews? And is it a good idea in general for people to follow?


Thank you for your answers,

Estragon1396

Rubystars:
Greetings Chaim. Someone on Pal Talk a few years ago once told me I shouldn't be friends with Jews because Jews don't consider Gentiles to be human beings, but animals in human form. I told him he was nuts and dismissed it from my mind. Then several months ago a Jewish person told me that Gentiles are animals so this reminded me of what that anti-Semite had said. Do you know where this idea comes from, even if it's exaggerated or wrong? I don't believe that most Jews feel that way because most of the Jewish people I've spoken to have seemed like very nice people and you've stated in the past that Jewish doctrine says that all human beings are created in G-d's image.

patches:
Shalom Chaim,

Do you believe that certain stories from the Bible were inspired by older stories from other cultures? For example many scholars claim the flood story of Noah is similar to many flood stories found throughout different cultures, the oldest source being the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh.

Thanks,
Patches

Chai:
Shalom brother Chaim,
I was reading Mein Kamf the other day (have you read it?) , and I think I believe his general feeling toward secular Jews was worse then that  of religious ones , I was surprised

For example, Hilter states;
"I now saw the liberal attitude of this press in a different light; the lofty tone in which it answered attacks and its method of killing them with silence now revealed itself to me as a trick as clever as it was treacherous; the transfigured raptures of their theatrical critics were always directed at Jewish writers."

Hmm, sounds like John Stewart not Rabbis that sit and learn Torah.

Is this sentiment  what Rabbi Kahane said when he stated people talk down to Jews when they are no around in bars? 

"For the so-called liberal Jews did not reject the Zionists as non-Jews, but only as Jews with an impractical, perhaps even dangerous, way of publicly avowing their Jewishness."

People that hate Jews like the Hitler creature do not care how "liberal" or "modern" you behave and act?

Today, its the  Karl Marks Gorge Soros   , Mike the Kike  Bloomberg Madoffs , Emanuel  Etc, Etc that are causing Jews a mess and make Jews look like they are trying to take over the world.

Did I understand what Hitler was trying to convey?
Do you feel Jews should read this? Because it lets us know what others think of us. It is popular among Arabs and we should know what they know.

You thoughts? Anything to add?

Thanks as always

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page