Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site wxlvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!ittvax!wxlvax!mls
From: mls@wxlvax.UUCP (Michael Schneider)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Halachic not Humanistic Judism
Message-ID: <421@wxlvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Mar-85 09:27:34 EST
Article-I.D.: wxlvax.421
Posted: Thu Mar 21 09:27:34 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Mar-85 01:30:21 EST
References: <248@npois.UUCP>
Organization: ITT-ATC SRD, Shelton Ct.
Lines: 58

The postings regarding religion in Israel, levels of observance,
and Humanistic Judaism have one thing in common, they ask the question:
       Do I have the right to determine what I wish to observe?  
The answer in at least two cases must be NO.  Those areas where every Jew 
must follow the most rigid level of observance are conversion and divorce.  
They effect not only the people who are directly involved, but any
children resulting from marriage.  Say, for example, you think that
the observance of Halachic conversion is outmoded or is unnecessary.  You have
children and they believe they are Jewish.  In fact, they become more observant
than you (this is not an uncommon situation these days).  It is now time
to get married and they tell the Rabbi the family history.  If the Rabbi
says the original conversion was invalid and it was the person's mother, then
THEY, not YOU, have problems.  In this case, it can be corrected, the
individual can convert.  How you think they will feel toward you and your
child toward him or herself?  If the child was a woman and she wanted to 
marry a Cohen, it is highly probable that the marriage would be called off.  
If it were a case of divorce, and the child declared a mumzer, there is 
little that can be done.  How do you think the child would feel knowing that
the choices for marriage have become highly limited?  

What would you say to either your child, the mumzer, or the woman who wanted 
to marry a Cohen?  =I did not agree with Halachic Judiasm and did it my way.  
I have closed paths that would have been open to you because I was only 
interested in myself.  For me to have my freedom, I have taken away your.=  
In serious cases of depression, a person may, G-d forbid, take his life.  
Would it all be worth it?

Having taught in a university and was the advisor to the Jewish student union, 
I was faced with students comming to me with some of the problems I mentioned
above.  In many cases I had no answer.  These problems not only effected
the direct children of the parent who disregarded Halacha, but also the
person who wanted to marry the child.  The hate that was shown to parents
can not be described.  I remember one case of a woman who found out two months
prior to her wedding that her father did not have a Get (Jewish divorce) from
his first marriage.  In that case, things came out ok, the wedding was
postponed (some excuse was found), the couple spent over six months digging
up information, and finally found a respected Rabbi who would poskin (many
Rabbis or Beit Dins avoid this area).  This event turned daughter against
father.  The father, who had to relive a painfull divorce almost had a 
breakdown.  I attended the wedding.  The woman's family was absent; much
of the joy was lost.  But, the father did it his way years earlier.  Was it
worth it?

In the past, when there was only one standard, these problems were less
prevalent.  There was a single standard toward conversion, marriage, and 
divorce.  Just as we have standards in many technical issues, we should 
have standards in the halachic status of Jews.  (I do not think that 
halachic standards should apply toward the secular Law of Return, whose 
intent is to provide a safe haven for people who are persecuted as Jews; 
their halachic status can be resolved when they are safe.)

Even if you are strongly anti-halachac, think of the following generations.  
The actions you take today may effect your children, and their children,
and their children....  The actions you may take today may ruin the lives
of your offspring and the people they intend to marry.  Why should your 
beliefs destroy the happyness of those who are innocent.

M.L. Schneider