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Loopholes

Good news: if you have money, even being A Good Jew in The Eyes of God™ is easier.

Instead of slaving away getting your house clean for Passover, just sell your house to a non-Jew (awesome loophole, Rabbis!) and go to the nearest tropical resort you can find. There, you can enjoy a five star experience that is Approved in The Eyes of God and Man while being entertained by the most inspiring Rabbis money can buy. Wouldn’t want any of that inspiration running dry, would you now.

Because sometimes, Judaism is all about the letter of the law.

Do I own any leavened bread today? No, because somehow one sorry Arab bought all of the city’s bread at the same time.

Is this the live hair of a married woman you are seeing? (the horror!) No, I cut it off and made it into a wig, mothefucker.

Am I carrying outside the zone on Shabbat? Nope, because see those telephone poles?

Did I just make an interest payment on a loan? No, because of that sign on that wall.

And other times, it’s all about the spirit.

Can you have all of your lights and TV and coffee maker automated on Shabbat? Nope, because you’d be missing the point.

Can you fuck a married woman using a condom, since condoms are like, totally spilling seed? Nope, because dude, you’re hitting the point.

Can a woman have a slit in her dress if it doesn’t show any prohibited skin? C’mon! It’s all about whether she’s arousing men, not what part of the body is actually showing.

When does the distinction get made? No one knows for sure. Or, more accurately, “the Rabbis are in disagreement on the subject”. In reality? This is just another expression of social norms – some things just made it in, others are still taboo.

Stop pretending this is part of some higher order and admit you’re just a bunch of fucking people trying to make sense out of life by arbitrarily following a certain set of rules – rules that still evolve, just in a different way than anyone else would call normal.

You claim to be resistant to change, preserving the ways of tradition. In reality you look nothing like Jews, or Judaism, or Israel looked like in the past – you just evolve at your own glacial pace, with your own stupid justifications.

You’re at least as dumb as everybody else.


After a certain Rabbi I knew all too well came out publicly as having had an affair with a married woman, while also reassuring people that there was no “actual transgression” involved due to the absence of penis-in-vagina penetration (can’t remember the exact bullshit language), I reposed this book cover with the following divrey chizuk:

Raboisay. In light of recent events, rachmana litzlan, it’s worth bringing up a recent point I’ve made so eloquently and humbly in the past. As we all know, sometimes it’s the most obvious points that need chizuk, especially if you’re delusional.

Religion is used as a supposed framework for morality:
“Who are we to trust ourselves? To know what’s right?

We need guidance! We need direction! We need clarification!

How many grams of cheese can fall into your cholent before you become a morally repugnant person? How many days old does a fetus need to be for it to be called a murderous abortion? Tell us, oh Torah written when we still thought the sun revolves around us. You know best.

In fact, the opposite is true:

When you look to a book to define what is wrong and right, it’s much easier to engage in the mental acrobatics we all do to justify your behaviors. It’s one thing to rationalize your shit, we all do that. It’s another to have God’s book on your side backing up your hair-splitting insights.

Let’s all take it upon ourselves to be mischazek in speaking as yeshivishly as possible and also not being total fucking idiots about what we KNOW is wrong or right, bullshit religious justifications notwithstanding.

V’hameivin yovin. 

Chumash as an Instagram Post

I think I was still religious when I made these. The writing was on the wall. Facebook wall, that is.

No Bad Questions

The kiruv world prides itself in its open-mindedness.

“Ask us anything! We will change our views in a heartbeat if you convince us! Sure you can ask about sex, and no, we don’t use a hole in the sheet, we’re super progressive!”

But ask yourself, have any of the really difficult questions that plague you (and you know what they are), been replied to with one or more of the following bullshit textbook answers?

• God knows what’s best for us
• Mashiach will come and we’ll all have clarity
There’s a Kabbalistic reason for that
• Don’t judge Judaism by the Jews who practice it
• We have a rich tradition of handing down bullshit verbatim from one generation to the next, so it must all be true
• God is true. God wrote a book. Deal with it.
• “You could never lie about a million people being around a mountain if it didn’t actually happen.”
• “The Rabbis knew what was best for us.”
• “People were way smarter back then.” See also: “Our generation sucks.”
• “That’s a very good question you’ve asked! Many smart people have asked that too!”
• Not to be confused with its condescending inverse: “You’re not the first person to ask that question, you know…”
• “We can’t use fallible human logic to understand such profound ideas.”
• Which is the exact opposite of: “Those are just guidelines, you’ve still got to use your head to figure out what’s right”
• “You can’t use your heart, use your mind!” But also: “You can’t use your mind, use your heart!”
• “The truth is, both opinions are correct! Both are the word of a living God!”

And so your questions have gone unanswered, because those weren’t answers.

Those were justifications.

My Rabbi is Bigger

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me this, I’d have enough money to start my own religion. Or at least my own congregation. Same difference, really.

Everyone seems to have some magical elusive Judaism that I’m missing out on.
“Your Judaism is not like my Judaism.”
“You should meet Rabbi Feiglebaum. He’s great, and he’s not even judgmental!”
“There’s this great book/shiur/podcast I’m reading, you should check it out.”

Here’s my question. How did I, with all my 14 years of Torah study, miss out on such a core part of this supposed Judaism? If it’s such an important insight/attitude/approach, where the fuck has it been this whole time?

God certainly knew exactly how to make it clear just how fucked you’d be if you crossed him. But somehow he, in his Infinite Wisdom TM, neglected to mention that amazing Kabbalistic insight until it was discovered in the 16th century and can now only be accessed in a dinky weekly class on a side street in nachlaot you’ve been going to?

Furthermore. Not one person has been able to articulate to me what this elusively amazing Judaism actually is. It’s always this exasperated sigh, “Oh dear, if only you’d had my amazing 3rd grade teacher you’d know the truth.”

“Tsk tsk, seems you’re just a bit too late to be open to hearing the amazing seminar that is mostly based off Buddhism but has a bit of some contemporary Rabbi’s ideas thrown in.”

If you’ve got some amazing insight, say it. I’d like to believe I can respectfully hear it. So far all I’ve got is some amorphous references to the Nirvana behind the paywall, some Scientology level I don’t have access to because I haven’t paid enough.

Musings on Religion

Recently, in light of recent events, a friend of mine asked to have a call with me, which was quite awesome, and to record it, which was cool.

We ended up discussing a whole bunch of stuff – why I write this stuff on Facebook and what it’s been like for me. Following your intuition vs. your mind. Self actualization vs. self awareness. My attitude towards self discipline.

The emotional liberation of dropping religion. My relationship with money and frugality – and how I see financial literacy in my family and society. On having children, being a father, and the guilt of parenting.

My views on marriage – in Judaism and in general. On loneliness, happiness, and dropping out of rabbinical school.

Since I was only able to record my side, it came out as an almost hour long monologue. It’s like a podcast with no interviewer and no defined subject. Dream come true, right?

So if you’ve been following my posts but also want to hear my sultry voice (I was fighting a cold, so even sexier than normal), or if your idea of a good time is listening to me talk for an hour, this recording is for you.

Kiruv Oxymorons for the Ages

It took me a long time to realize this, but the kiruv system pulls some really sophisticated mindfucks while trying to convince people about the “truth” of religion.

They will basically play both sides of an idea – contradicting themselves but making some convincing arguments in the process. Until you realize that they just got done using the exact opposite logic to make a different point a few minutes ago.

Here are some of my favorites:

Science is dumb and inaccurate, and is influenced by popular agendas”

Also,

This famous scientist agrees with our point, so it must be true”

Christians and Muslims are dumb and mislead, everything they say is bullshit”

Also,

Even Christians and Muslims agree about the veracity of the Torah, so it must be true

You can’t just follow the mindless masses. A bunch of zeros can’t add up to 1.

Also,

Wanna know what the best-selling book of all time is? The Bible.

Look at how immoral everybody else is. Reading the news makes our eyes cry and our heart ache. It makes you That’s why you need Torah as a moral guide.

Also,

Oh, that terrible law that’s in the Torah? That’s actually moral because God said so.

Look how happy the Torah makes us. You too can be happy if only you’d follow it!

Also,

Oh, that unhappy person keeping the Torah? That law that makes you unhappy? The Torah is not supposed to make you happy. It’s just the truth.

Don’t use emotions to arrive at ‘truth’; use the calculating logic of your mind.

Also,

Now that you’ve arrived at truth, please suspend your own logic and just do what you’re told.

Other nation’s folklore is bullshit, just a bunch fairy tales spun around campfires.

Also,

The epic of Gilgamesh proves Noah’s flood happened, and they actually found hieroglyphics in Egypt that allude to the plagues!

What other religion speaks so openly about the flaws of its leaders?

Also,

Well, actually, the Talmud explains that King David’s sin really wasn’t so bad.

The Torah holds truth for every generation.

Also,

Our generation is very distant from truth and is therefore misguided.

Got your own favorite oxymoron? Post it in the comments. Who knows, maybe you’ll even make someone frum in the process.

Deception

This one is a kiruv special, not aimed at Judaism as a whole.

“Did you know the Matrix is a metaphor?
That Groundhogs Day teaches us a valuable lesson?
That the lead singer for Maroon 5 is Jewish? (and hawt, mmm!)
What Gossip Girl can teach you about having a great Jewish marriage!

If that’s not a reason to drop your life and become so religious you never partake of any of those things anymore, I don’t know what is.”

Real shocker. the outside world also has concepts of struggle, self development, and the human condition. Let’s appropriate all of it as Jewish invention, Jewish influence, Jewish symbolism! Not to mention how cool and relatable it makes us look!

The irony of this Kiruv trick is that the Rabbi’s own children are often not exposed to this “filth”. Shabbat guests are tolerated for behaviors and methods of dress that family members would never be allowed to partake in. Rabbis will switch from their black and white snowsuits to more acceptable polo shirts and baseball caps when they move to campus. What are you, a fucking spy?

Even people within the rest of the Orthodox community have called out the Kiruv movement for this hypocrisy, for which I commend them. The Kiruv response is usually something along the lines of “when you’re saving a person’s (spiritual) life from a burning house, your clothes might get singed”.

I have seen those closest to me employ these tactics. Hiring non-Jews to advocate for Israel. Getting Bill Clinton to endorse Aish Hatorah. Whatever it takes to create the persona you need, the Kiruv world will make it happen, and keep their own ludicrous opinions to themselves long enough to keep the deception alive.

Pimply Kid

“The will of God is so,” explains the The Kiruv Rabbi in the most non-condescending voice he can muster.

The Pimply Kid before him, plucked from the bottom of the university barrel, nodded stupidly.

“And so,” continued the Rabbi, “It figures by default that the Jews are the most important people in the universe.”

He proceeds to illustrate this point beyond any doubt with a series of squiggly line diagrams and a video clip with a lot of reverb in the voiceover.

“Most of all, the Torah makes us happy,” finishes the Kiruv Rabbi with a flourish, hiding his sadness. “And it brings us close to God.”

It’s been another valiant attempt at convincing the masses.

But there’s an element of doubt. “Is this person’s mother Jewish, which would be amazing, or is she not, which would be a total waste of food?”

“Not everyone is as dense as the Pimply Kid,” thinks the Rabbi. There’s that one guy, The Smart Dude. “We really need to get that guy. He’ll make Great Leader one day.”

Making others into A Great Leader one day is the core mission of The Kiruv Rabbi. It’s the reason he himself is a rabbi. He used to be a really good skier. He used to love philosophy. He was passionate about the environment and human rights. Now he’s a Great Leader.

People rotate through the house like a revolving door. His kitchen has fed so many mouths. His couch has supported so many butts. And his words have enthralled many hearts, but much less than the total number of mouths and butts.

Because the vast majority, eat his food, sit on his couch, and move on. The Kiruv Rabbi tries not to let this get him down. “This is the sign of our generation,” he consoles himself. “They don’t want to hear The Truth. All they care about is social media and how many likes they get.”

In his social media posts, The Kiruv Rabbi tries everything he can. He uses the sexiest women he can find “who still have some clothes on”. Sometimes he has his graphic artist Photoshop some clothes back on to even sexier photos. But it’s frustrating, because sex sells a lot less when you’re severely limited as to how sexy you can be.

So he resorts to good food and a listening ear. “Because goodness knows both of those are hard to find,” reminds himself The Kiruv Rabbi. But it’s not about the actual food or listening ear, he’s not a goddamn soup kitchen. He’s not a fucking psychologist either.

This is a means to an end.

When fresh meat walks through the door on a Friday night, The Kiruv Rabbi’s heart leaps. But there’s an element of doubt. “Is this person’s mother Jewish, which would be amazing, or is she not, which would be a total waste of food?”

Also, will he be a Pimply Kid, who comes back often, or a Smart Dude, who often does not? For a Smart Dude to come back, you need a unique combination of Smart Dude Who is Searching, which not all Smart Dudes are. Some have had a good upbringing. Come from well-adjusted homes. Claim to not need advice about happiness or marriage or morality, thank you very much.

“It’s a numbers game,” the Kiruv Rabbi’s Rabbis taught him during his Great Leader training. “You’ll have to touch thousands, for just a few to be a success.”

There are a couple of levels of success. You can make them not intermarry. You could make them shomer Shabbos. You could make them married in Kiryat Sefer with 12 kids, like the real old-time legends were able to do.

So far, all The Kiruv Rabbi has got in his collection are three people who are “very interested”, one who is studying in Israel, and two who are dating Jews. But they may have already been doing so before they met him, he can’t remember.

The Powers That Be are not too happy with his numbers so far. “This is what we pay tens of thousands of dollars for?” They ask. They, for one, are not convinced by the whole “millennials are bullshit” argument. “Millennials are twice as hard, but we’re paying twice as much, so something is wrong with this equation.”

The Kiruv Rabbi is saddened. He feels the pressure. His family’s livelihood is on the line. This is all he knows how to do, and it’s hard to admit that he’s not the best. He wishes he could play guitar as well as Rabbi Gladstone. Tell stories that made people cry like Rabbi Frampton. Drop scientific facts and figures like Rabbi Schnauder.

That last guy has a freaking Ph.D., which is one of the benefits of becoming religious later in life, when you’ve got some actual knowledge under your belt.

It also makes for a better story.

His story isn’t great. He didn’t grow up in an ashram. Discover the world of God on a mountaintop in the Himalayas. Drop his successful career because he realized it was all meaningless.

He was just some Pimply Kid. Someone who had wanted a warm meal and a place to put his butt while he told someone about his dating woes and study stresses.

Now it’s eight years later. Enough time to feel like his prime is behind him, but not enough to become the person he wished he’d be, the person they’d promised during Great Leader training.

Now his success is all about numbers. So he doubles down and shares another fact about God’s lovingkindness with the next generation’s Pimply Kid.

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