Parshas "Kee Saitzai La'Milchomoh al Oy'veichah"
11 Ellul, 5779 °°° Sept. 11, '19
By Binyomin Feinberg,
Contributor to The Jewish Press*
* Perspectives and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of The Jewish Press. (This particular post is a significantly expanded version of the Dispatch column appearing in this week's issue of The Jewish Press.)
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On Monday, hundreds of Orthodox Jews, led by about a two dozen or so Rabbinical leaders, trekked to Albany from various New York communities, to beseech the NY Board Of Regents to reject the recently proposed NYS Educational Equivalency Regulations. Those Regulations would require private and religious schools, including Yeshivos and Bais Yaakov girl schools, to comply with the teaching requirements of public schools, and submit to significant government control over the education of their students.
To understand the points raised at the rally, we review some important background information, reported on previously in the Jewish Press Dispatch column.
Section 801a of the NYS Education Law now requires teaching "respect" and "tolerance" for LGBTQ, including those who celebrate the sin of sodomy. The act of sodomy is branded an "abomination" in VaYikra 18:22 and 20:13. The Dignity for All Students Act, passed in 2010 by the NYS Legislature (including legislators [mis-]representing Orthodox communities), introduced those LGBT indoctrination requirements into law. At the time, political activists kept the Orthodox community in the dark about this legislation. N.Y.state government cleverly interpreted the new law as NOT applying 801a beyond public schools, thereby avoiding alerting Orthodox communities.
Last November, when the Democratic Party took over the N.Y. state Senate, it attained a trifecta in N.Y., and freed them to reveal their true agenda. Thus, a few weeks after the November election, NYS Dept. of Education Commissioner Elia announced that now even religious schools will be legally required to meet public school requirements. As reported in The Jewish Press, in a subsequent email, the Department of Education clarified that that includes 801a requirements. Elia added that parents of children learning in non-conforming schools will be considered responsible for allowing their children to be truant, which itself starts an entirely separate "process." (Children could be removed from their parents, G-d forbid, for such things.)
At the time, Commissioner Elia issued "Guidelines." Those Guidelines required Yeshivos to comply with educational requirements of Public Schools, including teaching respect for LGBT. Subsequently, a NYS Judge struck down those Guidelines as procedurally deficient. Consequently, NYS Government issued these new "Regulations" in question now. NY did so in order to comply with required procedures, which include providing an opportunity for public comment, followed by issuance of "Guidelines." Those forthcoming Guidelines, intended to elaborate on how to "apply" the general Regulations, would add much detail, specifically including requirements not mentioned altogether in these "Regulations."
For example, *these* Regulations don't mention the LGBTQ teaching requirements of section 801a of N.Y. state Education Law. However, they aren't excluded either. Therefore those LGBTQ requirements could be included in the forthcoming Guidelines with a stroke of a pen, unless of course these Regulations are voted down. And that is precisely what the rally was asking for.
This rally was scheduled for a day when the Regents board was to meet about other matters, inasmuch as they'd all be in Albany that day, to witness community members' expression of concern. The rally, held outside the location on the Regents meetings, comes on the heels of the submission of over 100,000 comments and petitions to the Board of Regents, mostly in strong opposition to the Regulations.
The main address concisely identified the concerns front and center: NY State governmental interference in foundational religious matters. What our readers may find most noteworthy was the fact that the Board of Regents was put on notice here about Jewish concerns over the pro-LGBTQ requirements of Education Law 801a, and that acceptance of these Equivalency Regulations poses a threat of imposing those requirements on private and religious schoolchildren.
There are other concerns with the Regulations, and ensuing Guidelines. However, by far the greatest threat is LGBTQ indoctrination. The pro-sodomy LGBTQ Lobby is unquestionably amongst the most militant movements operating in the arena of Education. It is true that the proposed Requirements, if accepted, could result in the forthcoming Guidelines specifically including requirements to teach about other religions (and in a favored light), or Evolution, or radical Environmental nonsense blaming unregulated human reproduction for climate change and massive hurricanes. But it is hard to conceive of a scenario which would impede the LGBTQ movement from extending their pervasive influence throughout public schools to religious schools, even Yeshivos, if given legal license to do so, via acceptance of these Regulations.
The primary statement read at the rally implored the members of the Board of Regents to reject these Regulations, and thereby avoid a scenario in which many Orthodox Jews would be compelled to choose between leaving the state or maintaining ongoing non-cooperation with the government on this crux issue. Teaching heresy - or the LGBT agenda - is "something we are obligated to give up our lives to avoid," a reference to the Torah obligation of "Yaihoraig ve'al ya'avor," which applies to such foundational assaults on Judaism. The prospect of engagement in "the storied tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience" was explicitly mentioned. Similar issues were raised in other speeches.
Implementation of such anti-Torah policies would require Jews to shun any cooperation whatsoever with this anti-Biblical, pro-LGBT, and anti-Constitutional agenda.
Even from a strictly constitutional perspective, to force Americans to indoctrinate children of any faith, or of none, into the LGBTQ agenda is anathema. The Founding Fathers drew a line with England over issues that were less monumental than this. To redefine Education as LGBT indoctrination would be a betrayal of the Constitutional Republic, in addition to being an outright rebellion against Our Creator.
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The second item covered in the print Dispatch column of this week reports on the IDF persecution of a religious girl, Avigail H., and her severely ill mother, who was an Israeli Air Force captain before she became a baalas teshuva.
See previous posts:
See also:
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Reb Dovid Eidensohn on gay mikves/yeshivas and child molestation
ReplyDeletehttp://torahhalacha.blogspot.com/search/label/child%20molestation%20in%20the%20Torah%20community
There is no way to win this one.
ReplyDeleteLGBTetc rights were long ago equated with rights for Blacks.
So, there is an air of eventuality to the battle. Sooner or later the LGBTeers will be victorious unless there is violent opposition.
Since violent opposition is off the table, the Orthodox community needs to either get used to violating the Torah, or prepare to engage in mass civil disobedience.
Ok, Kalonymous Anonymous Supercilious. So your point is that some communities are hypocritical for not doing more to prevent the use of prostitutes by members of the community, and not doing enough to limit homosexual contact between teachers and students and between adult community members.
ReplyDeleteAnd now those communities make themselves out as purists opposed to educating students to be nicey nice to gays?
Is that it? You just HAVE to be right?
If so, gotta admit you might be on to something....
wow, you are smart, no need to be supercilious
ReplyDeleteIt's not just that the way they present themselves as purists, it is how they ignore when this stuff happens in their schools and other religious places. How they turn on the victims rather than the perpetrators. Didn't they burn someone's house down in Skver a while back?
The reason I quoted Reb Dovid, is that when I just make the statement myself, then I am harassed by self-certified "holy people". Since it is Reb Dovid who argues against ,say K-G, and supports Gestetner, then his opinion would be better received by someone you perceive as being supercilious.
Yes but we must demonstrate not give up!
ReplyDeleteHashem will then help us in unknown ways!!! ..
.Kiyimay tzaschah May erets Mitzriam Arenu Niflaois ! " arenu " I will Show Us! even hashem will come up with something new for himself (kaviyachol)
I don't know if the eventuality is violent opposition. I also don't see winning a violent battle against them. I think what will happen is that the yeshivas will certainly (hopefully) not teach this stuff because it is an OPEN AND DELIBERATE (in uppercase to explain to Kalonymus the difference) defiance of The Torah and Yiddishkeit to teach this. There will be strong pressure of sorts, but not officially condoned violence. The yeshivas will not succumb to the pressure because they simply can not do this. Things will shuffle but eventually settle. But this is the scenario only if most yeshivas remain loyal to The Torah. But if chas veshalom a significant number of yeshivas cave, then that will cause a worse position for those who remain loyal.
ReplyDeleteOy. The viccisitudes of the Internet. Sarcasm fail.
ReplyDeleteI liked what you wrote. I am your fan! I put on the mask of nemesis, but the last line where I shed the farce and reveal my true intentions is meant to be the surprise ending: "...you might be on to something...."
You are completely on target. Something is rotten in the State of New Amsterdam. And the rot is not all in the halls of City Hall. It in those communities that are, as I attempted to illustrate in a recent guest post, who wrap themselves in the guise of perfection, but which are far from it in reality.
Supercilious: behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to .
others
To reiterate: ypur comment was fastidious, I was being facetious, and my comment was not meant to be scurrilious nor oprrobrius (no such word but I want to keep up the alliteration), but rather obsequious (there, I'm back to real words.)
In other words, as I said at the top, I liked what you wrote!
I tend to think that some schools may cave, and that then others will follow suit.
ReplyDeleteIt comes down to survival.
Opposing the law comes with the risk the schools will be shut down and children taken from families. Those who run that risk will need real Mesiras Nefesh. I'd like to think that Jews will put it all on the line for Torah. So I hope I'm wrong in thinking some schools will fold their hand.
Imagine standing in front of a class room and telling Yiddishe kinderlach all about these abominable things and how we need to respect that way of being. I just can't see any frum school actually doing that. Do you really think they would cave and mamash teach this? And don't think they'll pretend to teach this but really won't and they'll thus try to get away with it, because you can be sure that there will be meticulous follow up.
ReplyDeleteThank you
ReplyDeleteI can imagine it.
ReplyDeleteWe don't eat non-kosher food. But we are able to respect non-Jews who eat non-Kosher food. Of course homosexuality is forbidden to non-Jews, while non-Kosher food, aside from Aver Min Ha'Chai, is not. But you get the idea.
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Good morning, children. I'm Joe Orlow. I've been asked to talk to you about respect.
The Torah you know is from G-d. It tells us how to behave. How should we treat those who don't follow the Torah?
If by accident or on purpose I eat something unKosher, should I get angry at myself?
No.
I should treat myself with respect. I should try harder to do better.
So it is with others. I should respect others who sin. And hope they do better.
Now, sometimes the Torah teaches us to hate the sinner. But is is not a personal hate. It is a hatred of their behavior.
Is that clear? We still have a respect for the person who sins. We just dislike how they do things.
So this is also part of American law. If you meet a tranny, speak respectfully. You can hate the tranny's behavior and think of them as your enemy, but at least outwardly be respectful.
Any questions?
Yes...? What's a tranny?
A tranny is man who pretends to be a woman.
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Cute!
ReplyDeleteBut they are demanding much more than that.
Good morning children.....
You please make the script because you're good at that and you even make it entertaining, but the script has to contain the following messages.
A person's gender is not necessarily that which was seemingly assigned a birth.
Some people are wired hetero and some people are wired homo and neither person is better or worse than the other.
Pride means people need not conceal or be ashamed that they are...... because it's ok to be that way.
The definition of marriage is not necessarily ....... but rather .......
Etcetera....
“Section 801a of the NYS Education Law now requires teaching "respect" and "tolerance" for LGBTQ, including those who celebrate the sin of sodomy.”
ReplyDeleteEzekiel had no respect and no tolerance for those celebrating any sin.
Daf hayomi yesterday:
K’rithoth 20a
GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: [From the text:] “And you must not consume any blood, either of bird or of animal, in any of your settlements. Anyone who eats blood shall be cut off from his kin” (Leviticus 7:26-27). I might infer that even the blood of those that walk on two legs [i.e., man], and the blood found in eggs, and the blood of locusts and of fish were included; therefore the text teaches, either of bird or of animal as bird and animal are characterized in that they are subject both to light [light uncleanness is identical with food uncleanness i.e. the foodstuff has no inherent uncleanness but can can transmit its uncleanness to other foodstuffs.] and weighty uncleanness [weighty uncleanness is that which is inherently unclean, e.g. a carcass, and can transmit uncleanness by carrying], and are [at times] forbidden and permitted, and are of the category of meat, so all are included that are subject to light and weighty uncleanness; I must therefore exclude the blood of those that walk on two legs, for they are subject to weighty uncleanness and not to light uncleanness [for an unclean person transmits his uncleanness always through contact].”
Beautiful. The Torah declares the punishment of eating blood of birds and animals, karet. I notice that Ezekiel in remonstrating that even righteous may sin and God will punish for that sin, meaning that his righteousness won’t save him, Ezekiel gives the sin of eating blood, disgusting, surely, no normal person wants to eat blood:
“Now, O mortal, say to your fellow countrymen: The righteousness of the righteous צדקת הצדיק shall not save him when he transgresses, nor shall the wickedness of the wicked cause him to stumble when he turns back from his wickedness. The righteous וצדיק shall not survive בה (through his righteousness) when he sins. When I say of the righteous He shall surely live, and, relying on his righteousness, he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but for the iniquity that he has committed he shall die.” (Ezekiel 33:12-13).
“The word of the Lord came to me: O mortal, those who live in these ruins in the land of Israel argue, Abraham was but one man, yet he was granted possession of the land. We are many; surely, the land has been given as a possession to us. Therefore say to them: Thus said the Lord God: You eat with the blood, you raise your eyes to your fetishes, and you shed blood—yet you expect to possess the land! You have relied on your sword, you have committed abominations, you have all defiled other men’s wives—yet you expect to possess the land!” (Ezekiel 33:23-26).
My take is that Ezekiel was talking to basically righteous, who know very well God promised Israel to Jews, yet God expelled Jews from Israel. Why? Ezekiel’s explanation is that they did sins, including “You eat with the blood” ! Interesting that the Torah gives the punishment for eating blood of birds and animals, Karet.
Yesterday, NYS COA:
Mo. No. 2019-649 Susan Aranoff, Respondent, v. Gerald Aranoff, Appellant. Motion for reargument of motion for leave to appeal dismissed as untimely (see Rules of Ct of Appeals [22 NYCRR] § 500.24[b]).
500.24 b states: Timeliness. Movant shall serve the notice of motion not later than 30 days after the appeal, certified question or motion sought to be reargued has been decided, unless otherwise permitted by the Court.
I did serve the notice of motion a drop later than 30 days. I argued, then, being in Israel and being that I’m an old man and not a lawyer and that the matter is fraud related for the Court to permit my motion 649. On the phone they told me, yesterday, that the Court did not permit. I wait what SCOTUS 18-9390 will say.
As you request:
ReplyDeleteNow, children, today we talk about words in different languages.
Taked the term "Kadosh". We say "Kadosh" all the time. It's in the Davening. But can we translate "Kadosh" into English?
Yes and no. Many times Kadosh is translated as "holy." So Kadosh can be translated. "Holy" means close to a higher place or being. "Holy" means set aside for a special use.
But really, "Kadosh" cannot be translated. Because in English "holy" can be applied to all people. But "Kadosh" only applies to Jews.
Now let's talk about "gender."
What...? No! "Gender" does not mean "children" in Yiddish!! That's "kinder". Back to our lesson, gender-lach, I mean kinderlach....
Please turn to your "Hopskotch Handout Sheet" for the definition of "gender" in the City of New York: A person's gender is not necessarily that which was seemingly assigned a[t] birth.
In Hebrew, we speak of someone being a "Zachar" or a "Nekava". It is one or the other, and it is generally fixed at birth. Sometimes these words can be translated into English as "male/female", "boy/girl", "man/woman".
But this not an exact translation. In the City of New York today, the word "man" can mean anyone who wants to be a man. So someone born a girl can decide later she's a man.
Now, let's take a related example. According to the Pet Peever, in the City of New York, [s]ome people are wired hetero and some people are wired homo and neither person is better or worse than the other.
This is not what the Torah teaches. The Torah teaches that homosexuality is wrong. Our class today, though, is to explain city values.
Let us turn to "pride". Again we quote HPP: Pride means people need not conceal or be ashamed that they are...... because it's ok to be that way.
This is not a Torah idea. The Torah focuses on action. People who sin should feel shame, not pride. But if you are asked what city values are, please use the city definition.
Finally, the definition of "marriage" according to the Torah is defined different than the way the city defines "marriage". This is important to know.
So, we must always live as Jews at all times and places. And part of that is being careful with how speak. If we use terms like "marriage", "gender", "pride", etc we must have it clear in our mind whether we are using the word to describe a Torah concept or a city concept. We must be careful not to get confused and think that the word "marriage" as used by the city has anything to do with a Jewish marriage.
First of all you are hired by all of those caving yeshivas to prepare the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all when I read about the Hopscotch handout sheet, I laughed out loud. You are very clever and also very cute and entertaining.