Jewish Prayer
jewish baseball players
Jonathan Rosenblum writes: I will never forget an address by Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman at an Agudath Israel of America convention on the topic “Living a Life of Ruchnios amidst Gashmius.” There is no ruchnius amidst gashmius. “Pesach in hotels,” turned out to be the winning answer. And my friend’s central criticism was similar to that of Rabbi Wachsman: the Pesach hotel industry takes what should be one of the ultimate spiritual experiences of every Jew’s life and encases it in a thick wrapper of materialism.
“The chilul Hashem alone,” he said, would be reason enough to close the Pesach extravaganzas.
That boy, my friend lamented, cannot possibly connect to the idea that Pesach cleaning parallels an inner process of removing the se’or she’b'isa ? the physicality and inner materialism that holds us back in our performance of Hashem’s commandments. We may no longer exchange our old dirt floor for a new one every year at Pesach time, as they did in Europe. But if those ancestors could return to observe our preparations for Pesach, they would recognize their descendants and feel comfortable joining us for Seder.
EVEN MY FRIEND recognizes that there are many perfectly legitimate reasons that families might go to hotels for Pesach. (In Eretz Yisrael , many yeshivos turn their dormitories into Pesach hostels.)
jewish temples
The issue of deluxe Pesach extravaganzas is, in truth, just one more aspect of an ongoing tension in modern Orthodox life. Rabbi Yehoshua Geldzhaler once described to me the pre-war Antwerp Jewry of his youth.
jewish new year
YourMoralLeader: Didn’t the rabbis teach you to be so pure in thought and word and deed?
Emma: Well thats good no injuries Chavi…
Chavi: Aye. The lesson of lashon hara. I’m a gossip, I know!
YourMoralLeader: You’ve always been the one to blame!
Chavi: I’ll make a good Jewish mother someday
Chavi: Adonai! Forgive me, please!
Emma: lol
Chavi: Take it out on Kansas!
Chavi: I would have said Texas, but I didn’t want to offend Ted
Ted: hahaa! we had our fair share of storms and tornados lately!
Chavi: I can imagine. Has it gotten steamy hot down there yet?
Chavi: Not sure where you are … but man. Austin is so humid and Houston is just downright miserable in summertime
Ted: no, still nice weather between storms
Ted: in the 60’s and 70s
Ted: Hello Mr Putin.
Chavi: Vladimir Putin? Such grace has entered the room!
User VladimirPutin changed their name to ChicagosBestBoy.
Chavi: Chicago’s Best boy?
User ChicagosBestBoy changed their name to VladimirPutin.
YourMoralLeader: Hey Vlad
VladimirPutin: I’m many in one.
VladimirPutin: EPLURBUS UNUM
YourMoralLeader: Chavi, we’ve had ElShaddi and Jesus Christ in here
Chavi: I guess that would make me Chicago’s Best Girl
Chavi: Ha! Have you had Xenu, though?
VladimirPutin: Where in Chicago?
YourMoralLeader: no
VladimirPutin: I wish I had thought of Scientology first.
YourMoralLeader: Vlad, why did you divorce the wife of your youth and hook up with some slutty 24yo?
Chavi: Where in Chicago? Everywhere!
VladimirPutin: Ask Luke about his Emma
VladimirPutin: Where.
YourMoralLeader: I haven’t divorced my wife, Vlad
Chavi: Presently: Hyde Park
Chavi: Typically: Lakeview
VladimirPutin: Surrounded by violent people of color
YourMoralLeader: now now
SweeTCaKesSs: you’re married
VladimirPutin: Chavi, have you ever walked south of 61st street?
Emma: brb
Chavi: Nope, and I don’t care to!
Chavi: Violence = not so much fun.
VladimirPutin: Luke, I see this as God’s way of bringing women to Judaism
YourMoralLeader: chat?
VladimirPutin: Women with the genes the Jewish people need
SweeTCaKesSs: u looked better without the beard luke
VladimirPutin: We have enough people who can argue and do taxes, we need more who are not strangers to water, who can ride horses and the like