WellInformed:
I find myself agreeing with you often.
It wasn’t that long ago when I expressed my views on learning in kollel and the only one who agreed with me was Joseph.
And what’s this business of not riding in the front seat?
I disagree. If these are the hanhagos of her community, she is obligated to follow them altz al tifrosh. Its not on any one person to determine whether to accept or reject the hanhagos of their community.
I am a spiritual extremist by choice.
In a healthy framework, I don’t think there is such a thing as spiritual extremism. “Ultra-orthodoxy” is only in relation to the other streams of Judaism. But 300 years ago there were only two types of Jews, frum and secular. The frum Jews of yesteryear were not “ultra-orthodox”, they were frum. Yet by today’s standards they would be called Chareidi. You are not more frum than them and considering yeridos hadoros, probably less.
Feeling alone is only a result of being depressed. Speak to your husband/Rov about ways you might be able to get sipuk in ways that are acceptable to your communities Rov. Maybe there are things that you can do in the privacy of your home. Two of my Rebbeim’s (s’?) wives from Yeshivah created art- one painted and the other made crafts- in the privacy of their homes, for their private use.
b_o_r:
I admit it is not on the Jewish calling card per se, but I finally realize through some reading of other vegitarians that it is a higher way of ethics and I have also deemed it to be the only way that you can truly not eat the blood of another animal.
Personally, I don’t think vegetarianism is compatible with Judaism. Following an additional “ism” in addition to Judaism, suggests to me that there is a deficiency in Judaism that needs to be filled. I don’t believe that is true. Similarly, I don’t believe that there can be a higher standard of ethics beyond what our Rabbis have outlined for us. Neither is there any halachic or spiritual problem with eating blood in meat that was kashered according to halachic standards.
mods:
Sorry for my megilahs lately.