- This topic has 115 replies, 30 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by .
-
Posts
-
When becoming frum, how can I become Chareidi? Alternatively, how can I become Modern Orthodox?
Why choose? Just find a Rabbi and follow Halacha. Distinctions like MO or Chareidi shouldn’t define our Judaism.
imho i think you should go for regular orthodox before modernizing it yet…
Arguably, the difference is based on whether you would have supported establishing Israel because it was a mitzvah or whether you would have gone along with it since it benefitted the Jewish people. If you are under 80 years old (i.e. weren’t involved in politics in the 1940s), this discussion is moot.
In Israel, at one time you could say that a “Hareidi” was someone who held that the government of the State of Israel had no more halachic status than any non-Jewish government, and it was permitted to ignore any of its laws that were contrary to halacha. Modern Orthodox held the State had a special status under halacha and its laws were binding. After Gush Katif, it is arguable that anyone “modern” still holds that way.
The lines are totally vague and are based on distinctions that are largely historical, especially in America. Especially in America, many people with beard and pe’os, who dress “frum” hold college degrees and work as professionals. In both America and Israel, but especially in Israel, there are many people with a kippah serugah who say hallel on Israeli independence day, who also are strict in all mitsvos and learn Torah full time.
The Chareidim opposed the establishment of Israel. And they still hold its treif, but have different approaches on how to deal with it. Most tolerate it.
Is Isreal the only difference between orthodox and modern orthodox?
I say go for the original version of orthodox, rather then the modern version of it.
Yeah, I know that the modern version is more sleek and stylish. But its its still not the original!
What’s called Orthodox, is how Jews acted for about 2,000 years.
This is all based on the premise that neo-yeshivishism is in any way the “original” version of Orthodoxy. Every single charedi Jew over the age of fifty knows this premise to be a bad joke.
This is all based on the premise that neo-yeshivishism is in any way the “original” version of Orthodoxy. Every single charedi Jew over the age of fifty knows this premise to be a bad joke.
Yes, yes, whatever. The original judaism is to follow the halacha, and listen to your rav, and hire a rav who will listen to the bigger ravs who all the other ravs are listening to.
Call it whatever you want. That’s the judaism that I affiliate with. If you also do, that’s great.
As it also happens, we have done this discussion a million times. And this seems like a troll thread to me.
Not sure why you jump to the conclusion that people here think of Orthodox as yeshiva life.
Its between MO and plain original O.
Over 50 hasn’t anything to do with anything. It’s how Torah Judaism was 100, 200, 300, etc. years ago.
Torah Judaism over 300 years ago didn’t have these differences. Some people worked, some learned, some studied sciences, and they all followed Halacha. Basically the same as we have nowadays, except nowadays everyone who is in one of those three groups think the other two groups are not following authentic Judaism. The idea that “Modern” Orthodoxy is in any way different than what frum Jews were like 300 years ago is completely false.
Why, then, do they call themselves modern?
They don’t. Everyone else calls them “Modern” so the name stuck. A real, knowledgeable “MO” person would most likely refer to themselves as “Centrist Orthodox” or (ironically based on the path of this thread) “Authentic Orthodox”.
It’s the same as Chalav Yisrael. People spent their entire lives trying to convince me that I think Chalav Yisrael doesn’t apply anymore. Chas V’shalom. My Rabbis were very particular in saying that of course Chalav Yisrael still applies. It’s just that in America because of FDA regulations it’s like all Chalav Stam is really Chalav Yisrael. No Jew, MO or otherwise, would deny an Issur D’Rabannan. They just say that the current level of supervision fulfills the requirements of that Halacha.
popa: +1
amused: For the same reason we all call ourselves Orthodox — a new movement popped up and dumped a label on them.
Amused
because they live in modern society? And don’t see it as entirely evil to be shunned through and through? (Not saying that all “others” believe the contrary, just this is emphasizing it. Personally I agree with Sam2 and think these labels have no clear objective definition and don’t do Am Yisroel much good at all)
not true. MO is a new invention. the creator/forebearer of it was quoted as saying (i read this in a book about him- very pro, not anti, this isnt propaganda) not verbatim that “modern orthodoxy lacks the wings to soar to the hights that the old-fashioned judaism allowed for”. he said so. so pick the one that allows you to soar. darn it.
Amused,
Why do chareidim and Yesivish label themselves?
The idea that “Modern” Orthodoxy is in any way different than what frum Jews were like 300 years ago is completely false.
I disagree.
If someone is not religious and becomes religious, it might be too much of a shock to become Charedi. Its not about Halacha, but rather Hashkafa.
Are you willing to change your mode of dress, are you willing to take chumas for yourself that maybe your shouldnt like Gebrachs, are you willing to seperate from your non-religious family
They don’t.
Not only why do they call themselves MO, when did they begin calling themselves MO? When I was growing up, there were either Orthodox or Conservative Jews (there was no Reform in western Canada yet). I never heard the term MO until just a few years ago.
Is Derech joseph or pba?
zdad. gebrochts isnt a chumra that you take on. its a minhag. like whether you daven sfard or ashkenaz. sheesh you drive me nuts.darn it.
How Chareidim look up to Gedolim, including smaller Rabbonim looking up to greater Gedolim, is how Klal Yisroel practiced our Mesorah since Moshe Rabbeinu.
Everyone else calls them “Modern” so the name stuck. A real, knowledgeable “MO” person would most likely refer to themselves as “Centrist Orthodox”
Actually, their own organizations refer to themselves as modern. And even though sometimes they call themselves centrists, what exactly are they centered between? Who are the “two sides” around them, that they are “centrist” from, exactly?
not true. MO is a new invention. the creator/forebearer of it was quoted as saying (i read this in a book about him- very pro, not anti, this isnt propaganda) not verbatim that “modern orthodoxy lacks the wings to soar to the hights that the old-fashioned judaism allowed for”. he said so. so pick the one that allows you to soar.
[therefore]
Sam, are you saying that the only difference between MO and original Orthodox is Learning vs working/studying science?
There are plenty of people studying science and many more that work yet they are considered Orthodox.
I think that there is a bigger difference between MO and Orthodox.
Lesschumras, chareidim and yeshivisha don’t label themselves. They just go about their daily life and make sure to hold on to their heritage.
??? If anything, Torah im Derech Eretz davka (as opposed to living a Torah life and working, which probably was the norm until the haskila came around and led people astray) is the 200 year old movement.
The old system was closer to Williamsburgh or KJ Satmar – the town rav ran a single kehilla, and you could take it or leave it. Even the village oisvorf was part of the kehilla, albeit perhaps its laughingstock.
If you took it, you were taken care of as much as possible when hard times hit and expected to contribute in good times. If you left it to go to a big city or emigrate, you were on your own but often found people from the same place and established a shul and small kehilla in your new place of residence (later more like a meeting house with no frumkeit especially on the Lower East Side, but look at all the shuls called Anshei-some unpronounceable name or any of the pre-American Chabad period Tzemach Tzedek shuls in the US and you’ll see what I mean). If you were an oisvorf, you hung around anyway and you were perhaps known as Shmerel der Oisvorf, but you were still part of the kehilla, just as the town gonif remained within the kehilla but was known as a gonif.
And as usual Zahavasdad blows it again. Many charedi BTs have contact with their families and plenty of MO do not. Nevertheless, only the Satmarer Rov Reb Aron holds that American-born Jews who are frei are not tinokos shenishbeu (I agree with him until it comes to people who are 30 or under, and who really are confused by all of the crazy New Age ideas out there regarding Jewish identity).
Gebrokts? That’s Chassidish. Charedi BTs who go through Aish or Ohr Sameach don’t give up gebrokts. Got news for you – not all Breslovers avoid gebrokts either – they hardly have any unified minhagim. Mode of dress? Maybe – but how far is a dark suit from regular business or professional attire? Again, Chassidish is not the only choice for charedi BTs and it is not even the usual choice. Chabad and Breslov are not as “charedi” as some Litvish communities are. Bostoner chassidus is certainly not hard-core charedi and neither is Reb Michel Twerski’s community in Milwaukee.
2scents: The only real difference is learning vs working. Everything else is just details that really stems from that or artificially created distinctions that came later because one group wanted to differentiate from the rest (e.g. Chalav Stam). What would you label as the main differences?
According to your logic I am a MO?!
No, I don’t think so. Actually I know so. I grew up in a MO neighborhood. There is a foundamental difference.
Orthodox people make sure not to change their tradition. Working is not about tradition. Its all those ‘small’ things together that we hold on to.
MO doesn’t care about keeping a straight heritage.
This is my personal observation.
Learning vs working? No charedim work? Hmm..who owns B and H, Eastern Union, Hirsch Wolf and Co, Madison Title, all these car leasing offices, Americare etc…and who works there? Even in EY, the people who have the shops in Geula and Rechov Rabbi Akiva look 100% charedi to me (never mind Leviev and other top charedi entrepreneurs).
I think the divide is between those who are frum first and part of their general society second, versus those who try to bend frumkeit to match secular social and moral norms so that they can blend in while keeping the bare essentials. The first are guided by Torah and daas Torah – the second by the society around them and dass baal-habayis.
The first group are defined as charedi by some. Still, you’ll find plenty of the former in MO, especially in YU. The latter are more socially frum than anything and you’ll find them at the margins of the yeshiva and chassidishe velt. Nevertheless, they are far more prevalent in the MO world.
However, those who profess the second as an ideology are found only in MO (and RZ in EY, where you still have a hard core for whom tzioinis is more important than Torah to the point they believe that Knesset decisions have the force of Torah).
Kollel seems to be more of a yeshivish (What I supposed used to be called Misnagdish) thing (Like Lakewood, Bnei Brak, etc) and Chassidim do seem to work more (Like B & H)
Charn, Joseph used to post the same material. He might not appreciate you swiping his material. 🙂
In the book “Thinking Aloud”, which was based on the things the Rav told his secretary in the 70’s, he mentions that when he first formulated his views on modern Orthodoxy, the Orthodox shuls were full of old people and the Conservative and Reform had the youth. So he thought that a pure Torah Orthodoxy just wouldn’t work. He admitted that he was mistaken.
jothar- tell me if im reading between the lines but wouldnt that mean that these desperate measures, taken to insure klal yisroels survival, were therefore wrong, and , as such, should be replaced or better restored, to original orthodoxy, not the watered down version. i dont get it. if its all on his shoulders and he was maskim its wrong now, whose shoulders are all the MO people on? and why dont his “talmidim” revert back to the original?
2scents: What do think makes someone Modern Orthodox then?
Toi, you’re “asking good”. If someone has a copy of the “Thinking out loud” book and can post the exact quote, it would be enlightening.
troll. does anyone really think that your whole life should be based on what we tell you here?
Toi: What do you mean “the original”? I highly doubt that any of his Talmidim who currently give Shiur at RIETS (or anywhere else) think that their version of Judaism is any different than what was done 500 years ago. I think every single one of them would be incredibly insulted if you even implied to them that they are any different.
sam2- yes tyhey do.junk. R JB said it himself. i dont know what ghost youre fighting but if said so then al kol ponim anyone MO must agree- they base their way o0f life on his sayins-so.
Sam2, The Rov himself said that his version of Judaism was different. So why would any current rebbe at riets think differently than the Rav?
I find that quote very difficult to take at face value. I still stand by my statement that their version of Judaism is 100% authentic and the same that was practiced by Ashkenazim for over 1000 years.
what about charn’s quote from the Rav’s own words? Did the Rav lie?
Left wing MO and an over-emphasis on kollel were both horaas shaah. Left wing MO is falling apart on its own – but so is universal koilel. The former was necessary to prevent losses when it was socially very hard to be frum, and the latter was a must to produce an American-born frum leadership (leaving aside the deals made in EY for army exemptions).
Toi:
1- The man you are talking about was not the “founder” of modern orthodoxy or any other movement.
2- I read it in context. He was talking about post-holocaust Jewry in general. Yes, including yours.
BTW, are you in your early teens?
Go Hassid. The dress code is simpler. And the kugel tastes better.
OK smartysam2- you know better then the movements founder. i dont even hold of it and i still think he knows better then you.
Go Hassid. The dress code is simpler. And the kugel tastes better.
The Streimel will cost you a thousand
no itch im 4
- The topic ‘Becoming Chareidi or MO?’ is closed to new replies.