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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!csd2!meth
From: meth@csd2.UUCP (Asher Meth)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: ALBJ
Message-ID: <3780057@csd2.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Jun-85 16:38:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: csd2.3780057
Posted: Mon Jun  3 16:38:00 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Jun-85 08:03:45 EDT
References: <331@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 57


I previously wrote, in reference to the lightbulb 'joke' :

>Think about this, Mr. A. B., the next time you think about telling such
>"jokes"; especially before posting them to a public forum. To shame another in
>public is a very serious matter. Notwithstanding the mentions of such in the
>Talmud and other sources, common decency dictates that we be very careful to
>weigh our actions and our words. Your words are your own only before you utter
>them; your teeth act as a guard to stop the tongue from prattling; use your
>teeth a little more judiciously in "guarding your tongue."

I received a 'flame' concerning this response, and will respond publicly.

I wrote my response to the net (and not in private) because of the implications
of the posted article (as I quote above from my response). I felt that the
matter was serious enough to warrant a public outcry against such 'jokes'.
(Furthermore, lest this be taken as the norm and as an accepted, sanctioned
mode of behaviour, by any person or society, I felt the need to respond.)
Consider, especially, that the 'joke' itself was viewed, and probably laughed
at, by many people out there. What does that say about the sensitivities
of the readers? Of those being written about? Of those writing? Have we sunken
to such depths that these considerations are not included in our daily lives?
Or do we think about these things only when we are on our best behaviour, and
are interested in impressing someone? I am not one who 'sticks in my two cents'
on every issue that comes up on the net. When something is blatantly wrong with
a posted article, and leaves great possibility for a misimpression out there, I
feel it necessary to respond. Doesn't everyone out there realize that other
people look at their every action and interpret them as the "Jewish thing to
do". Especially, the written word appearing in a public forum gives another the
license to extrapolate to the "accepted Jewish norm".

As far as the possible implications of my article (re : shaming others
publicly; one might construe my words as attacking the respondee and shaming
him in public) : I am not / did not "undertake to give myself a psak din (rule
of the court) that I may now write articles about him to the net".
Further, I did not mean to leave room for such an inference. I, just as
everyone else, must be aware of the possible inferences of what I say, and take
them into account before saying them. I apologize (here, publicly) and ask for
forgiveness. Again, the reason that I responded so sharply was a feeling of
"how can anyone say such things ? Don't we think of ourselves as being proper,
nice, sensitive human beings ?" Maybe these things just bother me more than
they do the rest of you out there.

(By the way - I am not a Lubavitcher. You should not think that THAT was the
reason for my sharp retort.)

I am more the type who cannot stand all the silly bickering that goes on. I
also like to think that I fight for that which is right. One of the high
priorities on that list is the Torah and its precepts.

To borrow a line from a different posting, Shalom : and I mean peace.
The misnah in Pirkei Avos (Avot) tells us of Aharon Hacohein (Aaron, the High
Priest, brother of Moshe - Moses) that he was "oheiv shalom verodeif shalom" -
a lover of peace, and one who would run after people to ensure and to promote
peace. May we all learn a lesson from this.

Asher Meth ....... meth@nyu-csd2.arpa ....... allegra!cmcl2!csd2!meth