Monday, February 05, 2007

Condemning The Good

Crawling to Uman: Who by Fire?

posted by A Simple Jew @ 4:44 AM   5 comments

5 Comments:

At February 5, 2007 at 8:43:00 AM EST, Anonymous Bob Miller said...

This paragraph of his bothered me:
"Perhaps if someone had taken the time to explain things to my relatives, and myself, in these terms, instead of the shrieking and hand flapping from the shtetl crowd, which drove them to the cold rationalism of the assimilated, different decisions would have been made."

Spare us this blame game. Excuse me, but the burden of seeking out the truth in our most difficult situations is on us, not on others. Yes, it would be just wonderful if others walked up at just the right time to offer just the right explanation or guidance. But, when the first answer or the second or the nth, isn't so convincing, we don't just abandon our quest for truth.

 
At February 5, 2007 at 1:06:00 PM EST, Blogger der ewige Jude said...

Bob,
I'm not blaming anyone, like I said those are the decisions that were made at the time, by people who had been through a greater darkness than I can even imagine, who am I to second guess them?
What I am saying is that in a time of great emotional distress, such as the death of a loved one, there is a way to communicate something important without spouting hellfire and damnation at them. If someone is already distanced, that certainly isn't going to bring them closer.
ASJ,
Condemning the good? When I refer to the shtetl crowd, I am referencing a specific type of behavior, there are certain individuals that believe the only route to halachic judaisim lies in replicating an idealized village life in eighteenth century Poland. Unfortunately these individuals seem to be the ones that throw rocks, spit, and scream heretic, at other Jews. As I said to Bob, there are better ways to communicate.

 
At February 5, 2007 at 1:11:00 PM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Der Ewiqe Jude: My choice of title "Condemning the Good" for this posting was not a bit of editorializing on my part, rather it was simply drawn from your sentence here:

"I can not conceive that G-d, who sustains the wicked so that they have the opportunity to repent, would condemn the good to nonresurrection because they exercised the free will they were given and made a, perhaps misguided, decision as to whether their remains should be buried intact or after being reduced to ashes."

 
At February 5, 2007 at 3:33:00 PM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

bob,
no blame game was intended I am sure. What is done years ago is done..but it does teach us to be careful with our words..
Sometimes a 'reaction' with words can cause a lot of pain and asssmimilation.
Seeking an answer to a question in a time of distress does rest on us, but the responsibility of how to answer is on the asked.

 
At February 5, 2007 at 3:44:00 PM EST, Anonymous Bob Miller said...

"...the responsibility of how to answer is on the asked."

Yes, to the best of their ability.

"there is a way to communicate something important without spouting hellfire and damnation at them."

We've gone through some repetitions now, but we still don't know what was said.

 

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