Warning. Long, Political-Type Post. May Contain Some Mussar
My name is Typo Lad and I am a bleeding heart liberal.
(Okay, so technically that's my pseudonym, but let's not quibble).
Today being Election Day in the US, I'd like to talk about something that may seem unrelated at first. That’d be the upcoming World Pride Parade in Yerushalayim [Jerusalem], or more specifically, the violent protest surrounding it.
(I can almost hear the "huh?!"s)
Let me start by asking a question of my readers (both of you): what is it about homosexuality that sparks such a violent reaction in so many? Why this one particular aveyrah[sin]? Is it because the Torah uses the stronger term Toeyvah [abomination]? If so, why don't we see the same level of disgust and distaste about other Toeyvot? Are there riots in Israel by Treif sea food eateries? Do disrespectful children get excised from the community? Do we have people making sure that everyone around them keeps Hilchat Niddah [The Laws of Marital Purity] and publicly denouncing them if they don't?
I think we need to be honest with ourselves and say that the issue is not based in Torah, but based in a visceral reaction of "ick". The slightest thought of homosexual intercourse, frankly, grosses many of us out. That's fine. Nothing wrong with that. I'm sure the thought of heterosexual intercourse isn't something a homosexual person finds particularly appealing either. That’d be the point, no? They have a Tayvah [desire] that we do not.
"But," you say "this is different! This isn't a protest of the orientation at all! It's a protest of flaunting an aveyrah in the Holiest City in the world!"
You do have a bit of a point there, my friend, except for the aveyrah part.
(Stop looking at me like that! I didn't say it, Rav Aaron Solveitchick z'l did:
"If you are secure in your Judaism, you don't insult other religions. If you are secure in your Orthodoxy, you don't look down on other Jews. If you are secure in your sexuality, you have no reason to [verbally] attack homosexuals. Homosexual intercourse is against the Torah – Homosexuals are still created in Hashem's image and we should treat them as such."
Being gay isn't an aveyrah. Having homosexual sex is. Before you say one goes hand in hand with the others, know that I have several friends who describe themselves as gay but are chaste because they feel acting on their orientation would be a violation of the Torah.
That said, I will admit that people like my friends are the exception.)
I personally do find the parade to be in poor taste, simply because the goal is to get a reaction from the religious communities of not one, but three religions. I personally feel any parade celebrating who one sleeps with is tacky. I think such things should remain between those in the bed. I would feel the same way about a parade that celebrated heterosexuality, monogamy, or even Hilchat Niddah
That said, the people throwing the parade have every right to do so. The simple fact is, they are not breaking any laws, secularly speaking. It is important to remember that although we chose to live our lives in accordance with the Torah, not everyone does. We do not live in a theocracy, not here or in Midinat Yirael [The State of Israel]. I know that many people refer to the lands outside the Midinah with the sweeping term of galut [Exile], but the simple, sad fact is that even in Midinat Yisrael we are still in galut. As such, we cannot expect the entire world to be shaped by our views.
The solution, of course, is to act in a manner that will hasten the coming of Moshiach. Which is clearly not being done here. I am reminded of a Drasha I once heard in the name of Rav Shlomo Breuer z'l, the Sage of Frankfurt:
Why is it that the length of the galut after the destruction of the first Beit Hamigdash [Great Temple] was known, but we do not know how long the current galut will be for? Rav Breuer answered that the reason was because we knew the reasons for the destruction of the first Beit Hamigdash, but we do not know the reasons why the second Beit Hamigdash was destroyed.
Hold up! Rewind the tape. What does he mean, we don't know the reasons? A schoolchild can tell you the reason why the second Beit Hamigdash was destroyed: Sinat Chinam [Hate for your Fellow]!
Rav Breuer responds that the difference is that when you are worshiping an idol, having intercourse with the family dog, or slitting someone’s throat, (the 3 reasons the first Beit Hamigdash was destroyed), they are active aveyrot. You know darn well what you are doing.
Sinat Chinam is different. We lie to ourselves about it.
“I don't hate him! We’re just palling around!”
“Oh I don't hate him, I hate what he does.”
“I treat him this way to make him a better person.”
“It's okay, they're not Jewish!”
“It's okay, they're not frum!”
“It's okay, they don't daven in my shul!”
Etc…
We excuse it. We justify it. We tell ourselves that our hatred is Min Hatorah [In accordance with the Torah].
I have heard it said that every generation that does not bring Moshiach is essentially destroying the Beit Hamigdash anew. It seems clear to me that the tactics of these protesters are not in keeping with the Torah and furthermore are not conducive to dealing with the issue they are protesting in any meaningful way.
They do have an option though. You see, even though we are in galut, we have a commandment regarding D'nai D'malchutai Dinah [The Law of the Land is the Law]. While the current forms of protest fly very much in the face of that Halachah, the same Halachah gives those who are dissatisfied an option:
Vote.
If you don't like the decisions made by your lawmakers, vote. If you feel the leaders of your community are too liberal, vote for someone whose thoughts are more in line with yours (the obviously works the other way too).
We are (hopefully) fortunate to live in lands where the seventh of the Sheva Mitzvot [The Noahide laws] (the creation of a system of courts and laws) is kept by the nation we live in. We are also fortunate that we have the right to vote in those countries.
Despite being in galut we can effect change if we desire it through peaceful means that violate neither Torah Law or Man’s Law.
(There. Told you this was about Election Day!)
May our votes be in keeping with the teachings of our Rabbayim and may we be remember to act in accordance with Halacha in our dealings with other men.
(Okay, so technically that's my pseudonym, but let's not quibble).
Today being Election Day in the US, I'd like to talk about something that may seem unrelated at first. That’d be the upcoming World Pride Parade in Yerushalayim [Jerusalem], or more specifically, the violent protest surrounding it.
(I can almost hear the "huh?!"s)
Let me start by asking a question of my readers (both of you): what is it about homosexuality that sparks such a violent reaction in so many? Why this one particular aveyrah[sin]? Is it because the Torah uses the stronger term Toeyvah [abomination]? If so, why don't we see the same level of disgust and distaste about other Toeyvot? Are there riots in Israel by Treif sea food eateries? Do disrespectful children get excised from the community? Do we have people making sure that everyone around them keeps Hilchat Niddah [The Laws of Marital Purity] and publicly denouncing them if they don't?
I think we need to be honest with ourselves and say that the issue is not based in Torah, but based in a visceral reaction of "ick". The slightest thought of homosexual intercourse, frankly, grosses many of us out. That's fine. Nothing wrong with that. I'm sure the thought of heterosexual intercourse isn't something a homosexual person finds particularly appealing either. That’d be the point, no? They have a Tayvah [desire] that we do not.
"But," you say "this is different! This isn't a protest of the orientation at all! It's a protest of flaunting an aveyrah in the Holiest City in the world!"
You do have a bit of a point there, my friend, except for the aveyrah part.
(Stop looking at me like that! I didn't say it, Rav Aaron Solveitchick z'l did:
"If you are secure in your Judaism, you don't insult other religions. If you are secure in your Orthodoxy, you don't look down on other Jews. If you are secure in your sexuality, you have no reason to [verbally] attack homosexuals. Homosexual intercourse is against the Torah – Homosexuals are still created in Hashem's image and we should treat them as such."
Being gay isn't an aveyrah. Having homosexual sex is. Before you say one goes hand in hand with the others, know that I have several friends who describe themselves as gay but are chaste because they feel acting on their orientation would be a violation of the Torah.
That said, I will admit that people like my friends are the exception.)
I personally do find the parade to be in poor taste, simply because the goal is to get a reaction from the religious communities of not one, but three religions. I personally feel any parade celebrating who one sleeps with is tacky. I think such things should remain between those in the bed. I would feel the same way about a parade that celebrated heterosexuality, monogamy, or even Hilchat Niddah
That said, the people throwing the parade have every right to do so. The simple fact is, they are not breaking any laws, secularly speaking. It is important to remember that although we chose to live our lives in accordance with the Torah, not everyone does. We do not live in a theocracy, not here or in Midinat Yirael [The State of Israel]. I know that many people refer to the lands outside the Midinah with the sweeping term of galut [Exile], but the simple, sad fact is that even in Midinat Yisrael we are still in galut. As such, we cannot expect the entire world to be shaped by our views.
The solution, of course, is to act in a manner that will hasten the coming of Moshiach. Which is clearly not being done here. I am reminded of a Drasha I once heard in the name of Rav Shlomo Breuer z'l, the Sage of Frankfurt:
Why is it that the length of the galut after the destruction of the first Beit Hamigdash [Great Temple] was known, but we do not know how long the current galut will be for? Rav Breuer answered that the reason was because we knew the reasons for the destruction of the first Beit Hamigdash, but we do not know the reasons why the second Beit Hamigdash was destroyed.
Hold up! Rewind the tape. What does he mean, we don't know the reasons? A schoolchild can tell you the reason why the second Beit Hamigdash was destroyed: Sinat Chinam [Hate for your Fellow]!
Rav Breuer responds that the difference is that when you are worshiping an idol, having intercourse with the family dog, or slitting someone’s throat, (the 3 reasons the first Beit Hamigdash was destroyed), they are active aveyrot. You know darn well what you are doing.
Sinat Chinam is different. We lie to ourselves about it.
“I don't hate him! We’re just palling around!”
“Oh I don't hate him, I hate what he does.”
“I treat him this way to make him a better person.”
“It's okay, they're not Jewish!”
“It's okay, they're not frum!”
“It's okay, they don't daven in my shul!”
Etc…
We excuse it. We justify it. We tell ourselves that our hatred is Min Hatorah [In accordance with the Torah].
I have heard it said that every generation that does not bring Moshiach is essentially destroying the Beit Hamigdash anew. It seems clear to me that the tactics of these protesters are not in keeping with the Torah and furthermore are not conducive to dealing with the issue they are protesting in any meaningful way.
They do have an option though. You see, even though we are in galut, we have a commandment regarding D'nai D'malchutai Dinah [The Law of the Land is the Law]. While the current forms of protest fly very much in the face of that Halachah, the same Halachah gives those who are dissatisfied an option:
Vote.
If you don't like the decisions made by your lawmakers, vote. If you feel the leaders of your community are too liberal, vote for someone whose thoughts are more in line with yours (the obviously works the other way too).
We are (hopefully) fortunate to live in lands where the seventh of the Sheva Mitzvot [The Noahide laws] (the creation of a system of courts and laws) is kept by the nation we live in. We are also fortunate that we have the right to vote in those countries.
Despite being in galut we can effect change if we desire it through peaceful means that violate neither Torah Law or Man’s Law.
(There. Told you this was about Election Day!)
May our votes be in keeping with the teachings of our Rabbayim and may we be remember to act in accordance with Halacha in our dealings with other men.
posted by - Typo Lad | 7:10 AM
6 Comments:
Hello, Having spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East partly to interview men on their opinion of homosexuality for my book;"why gay men do what they do",an inside look at gay culture. I found it very apparent that nearly all of the Middle Eastern men,whether heter or homo had homosexual relationships even while married. This subject however is a very taboo subject and is a strictly forbidden act but that doesn't preclude them or prevent them from seeking out these encountes. The interesting thing to note is that they are in such denial about the fact that they have sex with men that if they consider themselves a "top", they are then not homosexual. The bottoms are the homosexuals and the have nothing but contempt and total disrespect for the bottom participator. I found that rather interesting. I feel quite comfortable in saying that homosexual encounters among the straight men is far greater than it is in the western or non Muslim world. They just identify it differently for the sake of denial. Needless to say Muslim culture and sexuality is extremely interesting and complicated. Perhaps another book on the horizon for me. Thanks, Aaron Jason Silver www.aaronjasonsilver.com
Tatty-
Really? You think it's all about Sodom?
That's interesting, because the aveirot of Sodom were about more than the one they've become synonymous with.
Or are you saying that people who learn about Sodom and don't chap that there was more going on than just "Oh there were gay people there" are the root cause?
Very nice post! I've never read an article like this where the writer is frum (you ARE frum right?)and has such views about homosexuality. Very interesting read. Thanks.
Funky,
There's more people who think like me than you think. We just get drowned out by the far right and far left.
I read your blog. Sounds like you're going through a hard time. Sorry man.
Nice post.
'we can effect change if we desire it through peaceful means that violate neither Torah Law or Man’s Law.'
If we really want Jerusalem to be the capital of the Jewish State, we will have to put up with public protest by people with whom we disagree. If you really insist that Jerusalem be totally pure, better move the capital back to Tel Aviv.
'The interesting thing to note is that they are in such denial about the fact that they have sex with men that if they consider themselves a "top", they are then not homosexual.'
There are other cultures for which this is true.
'Here's a one-word answer: "Sodom" '
Jewish tradition is very clear that the sin of Sedom -- the reason for its demise -- was inhospitality to strangers, not homosexuality. Only the Christians associated it with sexual depravity.
"I've never read an article like this where the writer is frum (you ARE frum right?)"
Yes, I know the author. He is frum. I am, too, and I've written on this issue as well:
http://charliehall.blogspot.com/2006/03/problem-with-homosexuality-r-rated.html
Dear Bein, I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your very interesting and important question. The answer is complex but I do believe the major problem goes right back to the anxient scribes. Being fluent in another language has helped me understand how easy it is to mistranslate words from other culures. Speaking spanish myself I know that from one country to another there can be very different words for the exact same thing. A funny antedote that I hope will enlighten this topic is that I travel often throughout Spanish speaking countries. However in Costa Rica my first time there, I asked the maid for more towels. Towels in other Spanish speaking countries is toallas. I asked the maid for more toallas and she got beet read and I was horrified at what I might have said wrong. I ran back to my room and got my Costa Rican dicitionary and shockingly found out that I had asked for more tampons. I was mortified as you can imagine and fortunately after showing the maid my innocent mistake we had a great laugh. Even in English speaking countries there are many different words for items. Bonnet for the hood of a car etc. Imagine how difficult in anxient times it would have been for the scibes to be bilingual or bi-cultural which is VERY different than just being fluent. Being bilingual or bicultural is a huge advantage because one then understand those differences and also understands nuance. Just think of the distances between countries and the travel time it took to get from one place to another. It would have been nearly impossble to understand all of the varying words for certain things and concepts. A translation is only as good as the translator and their objectivity. We are very fortunate to have mountains of written material left behind by the ancient Romans and Greeks about their daily lives and their language. As most "truly" biblical scholars know that there was nothing in the origional scriptures specifying homosexuality as immoral. "True" biblical scholars are scientists with no hidden agendas but to learn the truth about whatever it is they are studying. I hope this makes some sense and sheds some light on the issue of homosexuality and how it was treated during those times. Thank you, Aaron Jason Silver
Post a Comment
<< Home