Controversial topics list

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  • #2027507
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    As we watch fun threads sink lower and lower, we stop to wonder what to do to hold on to them. Obviously, all was said and there’s nothing to add. And יושב בטל כישן דמי, and so they slowly, slowly sink into the abyss.

    And so, we need some controversial topics to discuss. Can we list them here and when one dies out (either from lack of responses, repeating responses, or down to a duel between just two people), we can move in to the next one.

    Zionism is already used up.
    Chabad has a way to go. Currently two threads on that.
    MO community vs Chareidi. We’ve done some, but the fact that w can still get along shows that we’re not done.
    Kollel. Hardly explored, only discussed from an outsiders perspective and as part of MO vs Chareidy.
    Music – long ago was a big discussion. The recent one didn’t kick off.
    Levush, maybe.
    Tzimtzum.
    Learning science before 40 and מילא כריסו בש”ס ופטסקים. Never discussed.
    Anisakis.
    How to approach community splits.
    Eilu v’Eilu.
    Machlokes on a Metzius.
    Chazal and science. An oldie.
    Rishonim and science. Ignored topic, eclipsed by the previous.
    Chasimas Hatalmud.
    Definitions of Rishonim, Achronim, Geonim, Kadmonim, Rabanan Savura’i, Poskim, Roshei Yeshiva, my rov, before Tana’im after Shimon Hatzadik.
    Was the Mishnah written (no it wasn’t) before the Gemara?
    Applications of Eis Laasos, and who gets to decide.
    New Gezeiros and Derabanans.
    Bias of a Talmid.
    Derech of different Yeshivos.
    Which derech is the “real” derech, and is that a dumb question.

    Any more? Perhaps this list should be pinned until we’re through with all of them. If you need space, you can remove the Succah thread – it’s already a דירת קבע.

    #2027812
    ujm
    Participant

    Learning Zohar before age 40. (You and me have briefly argued this point. But it wasn’t ever finalized or fully explored.)

    #2027814
    ujm
    Participant

    Kollel, MO, science were all major discussions, with many threads, in early years of the CR. So was feminism (which you forgot to include.)

    #2027830
    AviraDeArah
    Participant

    I’d add

    the scourge of television/movies
    Politics having an influence on one’s hashkofa
    What if any non Jewish culture is acceptable
    Kiruv
    If it’s important to teach children proper English
    If yiddish is still important

    #2027841
    ujm
    Participant

    Television, English education and Yiddish language were also discussions in early years of the CR. (You can find/revive most of those threads. Some, though, got so heated that the mods closed it for new posts.)

    #2027859
    AviraDeArah
    Participant

    Also i don’t think zionism is used up. There are many issues that i don’t think are discussed often which I’ve found to be very convincing to people I’ve had discussions with.

    #2027860

    Shiduchim is a massive one

    #2027864
    Yserbius123
    Participant

    Oh yeah, I member when I tried to do this and got the thread locked.

    What is your most controversial opinion?

    1. Someone mentioned Zohar, so I guess we should add the authorship of the Zohar
    2. How far should Da’as Torah extend (and is it even a thing to begin with)?
    3. Secular studies in high school
    4. The infallibility of Rabbonim, from Tana’im to your local Rav
    5. Whether we have a responsibility to act better than goyim
    6. Is it assur to oppose the GOP?

    @AvirahDeArah I don’t think there’s much controversy here regarding TV and movies. Most people on here will agree that they have little inherent value and if you can keep yourself and kids away from them, kol hakavod.

    #2027865
    Yserbius123
    Participant

    Community splits is one I have a hard time with. I was involved with one many moons ago. From my perspective, it was abundantly clear that one side was acting like childish buffoons and the other side was just trying to live their life. But I can understand how people outside may look at both of us as just a bunch of yutzes making a huge chillul Hashem. In hindsight, it’s nice to see that the Rabbonim that were involved with and supported “our” side are now world-renown in very important positions while the one Rav on yenem tzad had his shul fall apart.

    But then I look at other community splits where clearly both sides are acting in a manner more akin to street gangs than Yidden. Full-blown fist fights in shuls. A guy hospitalized when a molotov cocktail was thrown into his window. Cars overturned. People running into shuls to grab sifrei Torah. Brothers that refuse to speak to each other. I don’t see any way to be dan l’kaf zechus on these manners, it’s just machloksim she’lo l’sheim Shomayim.

    #2027880
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    Wait. This is just for listing. Not for actually having all conversations in one thread.

    #2027881
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    Shiduchim is a massive one

    Maybe, but to me they’re boring.

    #2027878
    ujm
    Participant

    Daas Torah and secular studies were also well covered in the early years.

    Infallibility is a straw man and red herring. No one claims it. Authorship of the Zohar is firmly established by the close to unanimous acceptance.

    You mentioned how everyone outside saw *your* community split as both sides acting badly. Yet you then immediately make the same assumptions about *others* communities split.

    #2027888
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    Whether we have a responsibility to act better than goyim

    Only a little. Just enough to make a Kiddush Hashem.

    That’s it. Nothing more to discuss. Topic checked off.

    #2027889
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    You mentioned how everyone outside saw *your* community split as both sides acting badly. Yet you then immediately make the same assumptions about *others* communities split.

    Hmm. Thought provoking.

    #2027901
    Yserbius123
    Participant

    Add this to the list:

    Racism.

    #2028005
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Science (olam keminhago naheg) helps to understand the Torah.

    #2028080
    commonsaychel
    Participant

    All trollish topics

    #2028108
    AviraDeArah
    Participant

    Yserbius, racism is indeed something i have a lot to say about

    #2028128
    ujm
    Participant

    Avira, please start a thread on it. I’m interested in your opinion on the subject.

    #2028178
    TS Baum
    Participant

    I made a doc with the list as a checklist. I never understood why Sleeping in a Sukkah was pinned? Who decided that? The moderator?

    #2028183
    TS Baum
    Participant

    “Which derech is the “real” derech, and is that a dumb question.”
    That will cause a HUGE uproar and controversy from everyone. You’ll probably not have an agreement on there. Not so sure it is a good Idea. Look at some of the big controversial topics, and that only has to do with community in the frum world. Imagine the whole matzav.

    #2028186
    TS Baum
    Participant

    I think everyone likes funny, or at least non-controversial topics that people agree on but just share their opinions. We ned more chilled topics. Haleivi does have some nice topics to discuss.

    #2028213
    AviraDeArah
    Participant

    Ujm, id love to but it would be a serious chilul Hashem unless i used a ton of yeshivishe shprach…kulei hai ve’ulai.

    #2028225

    > I never understood why Sleeping in a Sukkah was pinned?

    this seem like an only genuine question in this whole thread.

    #2028243
    ujm
    Participant

    The Sukkah thread was pinned due to an odd technical issue that prevented it from appearing on the main CR page even when it had new comments.

    Avira, nu, redt mit ah bissel Yiddish.

    #2028250
    Sideliner
    Participant

    Also you can do,
    What seforim everyone should have?
    If the Chinuch system needs to improve, and if yes, what?
    How to stop divorces from commonly happening
    Where Klal Yisroel will be in 100 years from now
    Does writing a sefer and having followers the right to call yourself a chassideshe rebbe or is there more to it?
    Are going to concerts wastes of money and time?
    Is there only one real nusach or there are different nusachim for different derachim?
    How does one become a recognized gadol?

    And many more…

    #2028267
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    And just like that the sukkah thread disappeared

    #2028280
    ujm
    Participant

    Rabbosai, it is easy to start a new thread. You folks are offering lots of ideas… go for it!

    Like Foggie would tell you, there’s a “Create New Topic” option on bottom of the main CR page.

    #2028449
    Avram in MD
    Participant

    ujm,

    “Infallibility is a straw man and red herring. No one claims it.”

    Agreed. Once when I was in middle school, I found a mistake in the answer key that was in the back of my math textbook. I pointed it out to the teacher, who praised me for finding it. That experience was actually detrimental to my learning, because other times came up when my answer differed from the back of the book, and I would argue the correctness of my answer and be wrong. Because while the textbook was obviously not infallible, it made far fewer mistakes than I did. It’s the same thing with the Avos, or the Tannaim, or gedolim. They’re not infallible; they made or make mistakes. But their level is so much greater than mine, that it is exceedingly more likely that I am mistaken or do not understand than it is that they are.

    #2028451
    Avram in MD
    Participant

    Yserbius123,

    “From my perspective, it was abundantly clear that one side was acting like childish buffoons and the other side was just trying to live their life.”

    I never took you for an anti-masker…

    🦆

    #2028509
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    🤣 🤛🏻

    #2028576
    Participant
    Participant

    yibul nochri

    #2028657
    ujm
    Participant

    The obligation to get drunk on Purim
    The obligation to have available the use of corporal punishment for child discipline
    The contemporary Mitzvah to kill Amaleikim
    The order to save the lives of a Cohen before a Yisroel, a Talmid Chochom before another person and a man before a woman
    The obligation to give Tochacha
    Jewish superiority
    The mitzvah to mock apikorsum

    #2028933
    Avram in MD
    Participant

    ujm,

    That post has so much concentrated Joseph in it that I think you can probably retire with full pension.

    “The mitzvah to mock apikorsum”

    That ability unfortunately left the CR with popa_bar_abba. Nobody could do it better. Alas he ate too many lethal beans.

    #2028973
    ujm
    Participant

    Papa is still angry at me for arguing in favor of parents and rebbeim giving children petch.

    And for stalking him.

    #2030498
    Romain
    Participant

    The haredim are inocent tzadikim and 95 percent of us are
    Not extremist and the zionists abuse us and persecute us
    That is thr contreversial topic i would like to talk about

    #2030548
    Yserbius123
    Participant

    @syag-lchochma @avram-in-md Nu shtill Vremele, shtill kinder.

    #2030541
    huju
    Participant

    I think I remember what I wrote. I turned off my filter because the topic OP asked for was controversy. You have my e-mail address if you want to tell me anything that should not be posted.

    #2030938
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    What happened to the Olam Haba and angel threads?

    #2031058
    AviraDeArah
    Participant

    I was wondering that too

    #2034294
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    Who dares to push this thread onto page 2?

    #2034333
    philosopher
    Participant

    I’m surprised covid mandates and regulations are not on the “most controversial topics” list.

    #2034379
    ujm
    Participant

    Should women be permitted to drive

    #2034400
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    philosopher, it’s been the only topic for almost two years. Doesn’t it expire at some point?

    #2034581
    Yserbius123
    Participant

    @ujm Women driving isn’t controversial. Either you hold that the Vizhnitz and Satmar Rebbe’s psaks are still chal, like Vizhnitz and Satmar do, or you don’t.

    What’s controversial is this: Should I be responsible for picking up the slack because you’re women don’t drive? L’Moshol, there’s a family near me whose mother doesn’t drive. They have many kids and there’s no decent local frum taxi service. So when the mother needs to get the kids somewhere, she relies on favors from neighbors to take them, even if they are women. Is that right?

    #2034602
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    wow. that’s not controvertial, that’s just pigheaded. I would bett a million dollars that if her reason for not driving was severe nystagmus you would jump at the chance. anti-semite in training?

    #2034618
    n0mesorah
    Participant

    Dear Syag,

    I hear your point. I disagree. And it is not out of any negative perception of women not driving.

    #2034619
    n0mesorah
    Participant

    How could everyone leave out toenail fungus!?

    #2034630
    n0mesorah
    Participant

    On saving a kohen before a yisroel and man before a woman….

    I once took it up with a very well established poster on these very holy pages. He or she kept referring to one essay that was available online. I searched for it and it was only accessible on small sites with giving a lot of personal information. Or it was behind a paywall. From what I was able to recover, it was all about obliterating the sources. Which is below my standard of evidence.

    I then posted on this site the basic sources starting with Mishna. This one poster engaged me and then rudely ignored me as I was going through the major acharonim. He or she posted on some other threads a few more times, and then completely vanished. And I never got around to posting the correct interpretation of the Chazon Ish😢

    #2034628
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    n0m – totally good with that. disagreeing works for me. I don’t have time to ask you to elaborate, but I will also say that his previous postings influenced my opinion of his intent.

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