sjs,
Welcome back.
“I took a poll amongst my friends about having a Rav”.
Well, who can argue with an official poll? 🙂
“About the vilifying the black hat/charedi communities – I think the vilification goes both ways”
I’ve never disputed that. I’m just trying to point out to the non-chareidi crowd that all this talk of chareidim “looking down” on THEM is hypocritical. Additionally it has been my observation (& now it appears many others’ as well) that the attacks from the MO toward chareidim are more venomous than the reverse.
“Just remember, you admitted that you don’t think MO is halachically sound. Why are you asking the MO community to respect your halachic path when you don’t respect theirs?”
Because we have two thousand years of Mesora behind us & MO only has fifty.
Additionally, as I pointed out earlier, although MO was created by an Adam Gadol, it was rejected by ALL other Gedolim of that Generation.
“As for maikel/machmir – I think its a circular debate because the terms are sort of dependant on each other. 10 is greater than 9, but 11 is greater than 10. Its a reference point, rather than an absolute.”
I agree 100%. That’s why it bugs me when MO complain that chareidim are “machmirim”.
“One more thing about TV: if you can accept that it wasnt damaging (and was beneficial) to me, why cant you accept that for some people it can be beneficial? I think that people who cannot handle TV should absolutely NOT use it but that its a personal decision. Thats it :-)”
Marajauna is beneficial for some people too, that doesn’t mean that it should be endorsed, or even be left to a “personal decision”. If it’s BAD for 99% of the population it should be banned.
“We have had plenty of spirited debates”
🙂
yossiea,
Once again I only respond not to be accused of “shtika k’hodah”.
“That is also true. The reason is because that is the Mesorah which we have recieved from R’ Shach, The Chazon Ish, The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchanan, R’ Akiva Eiger, The Noda B’yehuda, The Vilna Goan etc. etc.”
“1) Why does the mesorah only start a few hundred years ago?”
Apparently you missed the etc. etc.
“2) All/many/most of those you mention had a job. Is that now not part of the Yeshivish mesorah?”
They new Shas before they got a job. That remains the “Yeshivish Mesora”.
BTW the only “job” any of the above had was Rav or Rosh Yeshiva, save the Chofetz Chaim who worked for a few hours in his grocery store till he had enough money to live on for that day – then he would close the store. Is that part of the MO mesora? The Chazon Ish & Vilna Goan NEVER HAD ANY JOB AT ALL. (Except for one year during WW1 when the Rav of the city where the Chazon Ish was fled & the Chazon Ish took over till he returned).
Next time before you send in a post please aquaint yourself with the facts first. Consider that an answer to your last two points as well.