1/ My brother asked why many in the frum community resist medical knowledge - despite the mitzvah to follow doctors & paramount need to preserve health - as seen in their response to COVID.
Even if shuls were closed, many had backyard minyans & even now reject masks/distancing.
2/ Rejection of science is nominally part of the Daas-Toirah type of avoda-zara applied to their health & well-being
Again, it's 100% assur to endanger one's life except to prevent murder, arayot, or avoda zara
That the desire to risk lives is itself avoda zara is [chef's kiss]
3/ Daas-Toirah minim deny science b/c outside facts pierce the bubble of the patriarchal authoritarianism that they need to keep power. For this reason, I'm deeply cynical of religious leadership that suppresses science & freedom
God commands modern Orthodoxy as lichatchila IMO
4/ This worst form of science rejection are the frum anti-vax, & in my rabbinic opinion that's purely assur w/no Jewish patina at all. Just outright passive manslaughter.
However, in COVID's case there were are other understandable factors, like Jewish practice & tradition
5/ Authoritarian Orthodox find firmer ground to deny medicine and science when it contradicts Jewish practice (shul, beis medrish) & tradition (e.g. metzitzah b'peh).
5/ The overlooked factor, and one that I think dominates the frum support for the GOP is that the community leaders are 'conservative' which means supporting authoritarianism but also prioritizing *personal comfort* over self-sacrifice
6/ I'll try to expand this more, but personal comfort (like rejecting masks) is a pillar of modern conservatism. These people hate being told 'no' and that extends to how they understand religion & practice.
They want to tell the Other 'no' but they hate being told no themselves
7/ This is an key object of analysis b/c I believe many conservative religious communities have successfully perverted their traditions - which preach self-sacrifice for higher ideals - into a 'prosperity gospel' deal where personal indulgence is transformed into piety
8/ This should be the baseline way of discussing the authoritarian religious movements in America (see work of #exvangelical scholars like @C_Stroop & the journal @RDispatches) & I see the frum community which rejects masks as following "personal comfort as religious ethic"
9/ If I have time, I'll try to explain how I can stand in front of God and not condemn my religious community for their support for a neo-N*zi fascist like Trump (ym'sh)
Big key: Kol Nidrei is basically about accepting people who've turned to avoda-zara & yet stand next to you
10/ But I have said, since 2016, that while 70-80% of the frum community have failed the test of the #TrumpCrisis, the non-Orthodox community has done a much better job. If we survive this as an American Jewish community, it's due to the mitzvot of the non-Orthodox. Thank you
227.02/ #ChochmatNashim for #ChayeiSara 5784 2023 (LAST YEAR) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with working links to Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars. 19 pages. #ChayaSara #ChayeiSarah
227.03/ The first time through the cruel & stupid Trump (ym'sh) circus I read the news with trepidation because I didn't know what terrible thing he'd do next. This time, I read the news with contempt & anger because the MSM helped elect him and wants him to succeed.
225.02/ Finally dropped off our ballots this morning & took a selfie. A fun thing then happened: a young dad carrying a baby arrived after us & he said that it was his first time voting after becoming a citizen! So I insisted on taking a photo of him (with his camera). USA! USA!
225.03/ Yes, I'm the one who waited all Shabbas for the poll, taught my kids how polls work (social science PhD, baby) & what I hoped would happen (GOP leading by only 5). And they got to see my stunned elation in real time when I read the news.
224.02/ There's sticker shock and then there's "standing on the bathroom scale after 3 three-day yuntifs and 2 major fasts over 3 weeks" sticker shock.
224.03/ BTW, Trump (ym"sh) abd the MAGA-GOP going completely mask-off with racist nativism was very much on my BINGO card.
223.02/ Downside of "October is the Best Sports Month" - mixed blessing really - is that at 8pm tonight 3 of my teams will be on at the same time. NYMets facing elimination, #LIGHTITUPNYL in the last game of the finals, and the Steelers on SNF.
223.03/ #ChochmatNashim for #Vezot #SimchatTorah #SheminiAtzeret 2023-5784 (LAST YEAR). @ChochmatNashim
Downloadable PDF with working links with Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the topics of the week. 23 Pages drive.google.com/file/d/1pQso-a…
222.02/ #ChochmatNashim for #Sukkot 5784 2023 (LAST YEAR) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the holiday & other weekly topics. 15 pages. drive.google.com/file/d/154AH4_…
222.03/ Another October sports is awesome moment: Mets playoffs, Yankees playoffs, Monday night football plus the #NYR at home. Pretty much all at the same time.