Eretz Yisrael Time

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Around a year ago I was listening to one of the Israeli talk radio shows when a caller calls up and says “Varda, my husband and I don’t have any communications anymore. We can’t work out our schedules to meet. Our family is falling apart.”

The caller was asked if there was no time, even an evening that the family could just sit and talk. The caller responded that even when her husband comes home from work on Saturday evenings, the only time both are home, he is too tired.

Neither caller nor radio host felt that there was anything wrong with the fact that the caller’s husband had to work on Shabbat if he wanted to keep his job in the shopping center.

Neither caller nor radio host thought that there was anything wrong with the fact that the husband would lose his main source of income if he refused to work on Shabbat.

In fact, neither caller nor host thought there was anything even unusual that the man was working on Shabbat.

One of the greatest gifts the Jewish people gave to the world is the Day of Rest.

Yet here in Israel (not for the better off mind you), secular coercion is forcing people to work on Shabbat if they want to keep their jobs, whether it is in the Intel plant in Kiryat Gat (notice that it was built in a low-income area), or one of the many shopping centers or restaurants that are open.

Secular Israelis talk about Freedom to Shop on Shabbat, and Freedom to Eat Out on Shabbat, and Freedom to go to Entertainment on Shabbat, but they all forget one thing.

They talk about laws allowing restaurants, entertainments centers, and public transportation services to be allowed to run on Shabbat.

Their freedom is someone else’s slavery (and I don’t use the word lightly).

They never consider the teenagers, or the middle/lower income families that find themselves forced to work on Shabbat if they want to keep their jobs during the week.

They never consider the families that can’t even get a common day together where they can all sit down and communicate, play, or even ignore each other.

Who exactly is working as their waitress, cook, salesman, bus driver, and projectionist?

Certainly it’s not someone who is on the same socio-economic level as they are.

Not at all - it is the poor person who has no choice -and that is exactly who the Shabbat laws are there to protect.

But all that matters is that there is Freedom to Whatever, even as it steals away the freedom of someone else.

That’s called Secular Coercion.

I wasn’t going to discuss this, but I’ve changed my mind. Next week the proposed abomination parade will be marching through Jerusalem (well, hopefully not actually).

Another Freedom to Whatever that infringes on the rest of us.

There is no other way to describe this, than as Sexual Harassment of the General Public.

The general public does not need nor want to see the exposed flaunting that will be on display.

This is both an abuse and harassment of the general public that will have no choice but to see this open provocation in our streets.

You want to have sex with each other, with animals or with little children. I don’t want to know about it. I don’t want to see it.

Keep you predilections to yourselves (or go to the police).

But this is unfortunately another example of Secular Coercion.

When it happens in the workplace, we prosecute it, because, for among other reasons, one’s fellow employees don’t have much choice as to working there and deserve a safe, comfortable working environment without feeling sexually harassed.

Well, we the general public deserve the same things in our streets. They can do what they want in the privacy of their own home, but why must they stick their sexual activities into in our faces where we don’t have a choice but to see it?

We want a safe, comfortable environment in our streets as much as we want it in our workplace.

This is Secular Coercion.


Moshe Feiglin had an interesting point. His party, his goals are less important to the religious man on the street than they are to the secular.

Why?

Perhaps because in many ways, we religious already live our lifestyle in the healthiest way possible (just look at the statistics on lifespan and other health indicators on religious communities in Israel - we top the charts). We watch out for our religious and social needs because the Torah commands it and because we are aware of them.

It’s the average secular Israeli on the other hand that needs the Shabbat laws.

The average secular Israeli is being exploited by those more well-off and powerful than they. The average Israeli doesn’t have the security net of their community when they don’t want to have to work on Shabbat despite the coercion to do so. They may not even be aware of the damage being caused to their families because of it because their society doesn't discuss it or accept it.

So they suffer instead or call up radio show hosts who haven't a clue either.

Secular Coercion.

24 comments:

yitz said...

Hi Joe,
Great post, and right on the mark. Problem is, are there any secular Israelis reading this blog? Hmmm, I wonder if Ha'aretz would post it on their op-ed page? On second thought, they too are part of the secular coercion equation, & probably wouldn't. Oh well...

Anonymous said...

See my article on this subject:

http://mevaseretzion.blogspot.com/2006/10/gay-pride-in-jerusalem.html

Anonymous said...

great post. I am surprised yu only got two comments (3 now). I am going to link it...

Anonymous said...

I say that word should get out that NOT ONE HUMAN BEING show up at this "event".
Since there isn't much more to do, I think totally empty streets are the next best response to this. In addition, all stores should close down for that amount of time to let "them" pass through.
Can you imagine what a shocker this would be?
HJM

Fern @ Life on the Balcony said...

I think you have a really good point about Shabbat. Many states in the U.S. used to have laws requiring that everything be closed on Sundays for largely the same reason. It's interesting to note that an Orthodox Jew challenged the validity of those laws on the grounds that, since he didn't work on Saturday and was forced by the "Blue Laws" not to open his shop on Sunday that his business was suffering. The Supreme Court rejected his claim and upheld the validity of the Blue Laws. If the U.S. can uphold the right of families to spend one day of the week praying and enjoying each other's company, then Israel certainly should be able to do so.

Anonymous said...

joe -you are swinging.Great chop.It would be helpful to know the coercion factor.

Anonymous said...

Joe,

I linked to your post from Rafi G's blog. I must say that I could not have a more divergent opinion.

If you bear with me I would like to respond to each point.

#1-"Neither caller nor radio host felt that there was anything wrong"

you repeat this line 3 times in a row. However, your line implies that it would be correct and healthy and helpful to the discourse for a person who has been called for help to pass judgment on the caller. They are calling for help. Regardless of whether you believe that it is one's place to pass judgment on anouther person's lifestyle choices when being asked for help it is certainly not the time.

two- "Their freedom is someone else’s slavery (and I don’t use the word lightly)."

ummm, that is so ironic, because actually, you are using that word lightly.

three - "Who exactly is working as their waitress, cook, salesman, bus driver, and projectionist?
Certainly it’s not someone who is on the same socio-economic level as they are."

there are afew issues here. 1st,while many people who work are on the lower end of the economic scale it is not limited to that group. 2nd, economics is important. 3rd, you are being intellectually dishonest if you make no distinction between a day off or shabbat. There are very few people who work full-time 7 days a week. I'm sure there are a few but most people who work on shabbat have a day off somewhere in the week. So is your argument about working on shabbat or working 7 days a week?

4-"Not at all - it is the poor person who has no choice -and that is exactly who the Shabbat laws are there to protect"

No, shabbat laws are a law of the torah. A free society is not based on the torah. There are some good ideas that can be utilized like a day off but fighting for a day off is a labor issue, shabbat is a religious isssue.

And let me ask you this, if they were not allowed to work on shabbat would that not be religious coercion? Even if they had anouther day off offered them? How is it intel's fault that there are poor people in israel who need work and are willing to work on sat. and take their day off on another day? And if they can't work sat who will support them? I am not sure that you looked up the definition of coercion before you wrote the blog.

5 - "proposed abomination parade "

ok, if thats how one starts a dialouge I guess I missed that lesson in diplomacy 101 or how about just no name calling. Oh wait, isn't that why the parade is going on? Because people refer to this minority as an abomination and as a group they have typically been treated like jews have been and they are marching to say that they refuse to be treated like that.

6- "You want to have sex with each other, with animals or with little children. "

Is it fair to link homosexuality with beastiality and pedophillia?

7-"This is both an abuse and harassment of the general public that will have no choice but to see this open provocation in our streets."

so when religious people march down the streets,maybe at a chag, shaking a lullav, or singing on lag b'omer or simchat torah, would you say the same thing? Or are you only against people using the public streets for ideas and lifestyles with which you disagree?

It's very easy to pass judgment on other people. But protecting people is about arrogance and helping people is about humility. If you want to help people than fight for labor laws, if you want to protect people under the cloak of your halo than fight for shabat laws.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
JoeSettler said...

Dan G:
Thanks for responding, but I couldn’t disagree with you more:


#1-"Neither caller nor radio host felt that there was anything wrong"

you repeat this line 3 times in a row. However, your line implies that it would be correct and healthy and helpful to the discourse for a person who has been called for help to pass judgment on the caller. They are calling for help. Regardless of whether you believe that it is one's place to pass judgment on anouther person's lifestyle choices when being asked for help it is certainly not the time.


She was calling for help, and the fundamental problem in their life was that they had no together time in their family. Something the Shabbat clearly provides. Clearly the family keeping Shabbat would allow them the together time they need.

And yes, I do have the right and place to pass judgment on another’s lifestyle. You may not agree, but that is your option.

But again, they were calling for help, and Shabbat was clearly the solution both for their personal life (and for Israeli society).


two- "Their freedom is someone else’s slavery (and I don’t use the word lightly)."

ummm, that is so ironic, because actually, you are using that word lightly.


When someone is given no choice but to go to work 7 days a week, particularly when the current law states that they shouldn’t have to, I would use the word slavery. Would you be more comfortable with “serfdom”?

I am using the word accurately. Shabbat frees us from the drudgery of work and materialism, such as bosses who make unfair demands on us throughout the week which we must comply with. Take Shabbat away and we become slaves to the those things, people, and institutions.

three - "Who exactly is working as their waitress, cook, salesman, bus driver, and projectionist?
Certainly it’s not someone who is on the same socio-economic level as they are."

there are afew issues here. 1st,while many people who work are on the lower end of the economic scale it is not limited to that group. 2nd, economics is important. 3rd, you are being intellectually dishonest if you make no distinction between a day off or shabbat. There are very few people who work full-time 7 days a week. I'm sure there are a few but most people who work on shabbat have a day off somewhere in the week. So is your argument about working on shabbat or working 7 days a week?


From what I see people that work on Shabbat fall into 3 categories.
a. Those that have no choice (the majority) because they are poor
b. Those working for companies in middle management, who have locked themselves into the need for the high salary, and therefore become dependent on their firms and their bosses good will, and must therefore fulfill the demands of their firms to work 7 days a week (I knew plenty of people like that in the US, and some here). They become slaves to their jobs.
c. People with no families, social life, and are workaholics (the minority).

Shabbat is more than just a day off from working.

As a common day off it provides for growth of family, community and social life - aspects completely central to a healthy society. Take away the common day for socializing and you remove an important component for a healthy society.

I guess by you it's ok if a father can't see his children ever because his schedule and theirs just never coincide.

Or perhaps schools should have flex-time?

4-"Not at all - it is the poor person who has no choice -and that is exactly who the Shabbat laws are there to protect"

No, shabbat laws are a law of the torah. A free society is not based on the torah. There are some good ideas that can be utilized like a day off but fighting for a day off is a labor issue, shabbat is a religious isssue.

And let me ask you this, if they were not allowed to work on shabbat would that not be religious coercion? Even if they had anouther day off offered them? How is it intel's fault that there are poor people in israel who need work and are willing to work on sat. and take their day off on another day? And if they can't work sat who will support them? I am not sure that you looked up the definition of coercion before you wrote the blog.


I’m afraid you don’t understand the laws of the Torah or what Torah society is about.

The Torah is the legal system that Jewish society is based on. It is not a bunch of religious laws, it a legal system designed around interaction between man and man and man and G/d on every level and in every aspect.
To quote the Left-wing liberal Aharon Barak, “Everything is Judicable”, and in the Torah’s case this is actually true.

Labor issues are Torah issues, as much as Shabbat is.

Unfortunately you don’t understand that yet.

I can’t believe what you just wrote about Intel. Have you considered what you said?

Is it Intel’s fault that they want to take advantage of the poor? Was it the Chicago sweatshop owner’s fault that they took advantage of the poor immigrants?

(a) Yes it is coercion. They are taking advantage of an economic group that doesn’t have a choice but to fully comply with their terms if they want to eat. There are not many jobs in their area and they can’t afford to move to a new place.
(b) That is in part why we have Shabbat laws, to prevent the wholesale manipulation of people, by people or companies stronger than them such as Intel or sweatshop owners.

Here is a definitions of coercion from the online dictionary I looked up:
to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means

So perhaps you don’t know what the word means.

As an aside on Intel. The government had the choice to allow it to open on Shabbat or not. The government decided to let it. The mayor of Kiryat Gat, so desperate for the jobs it would create invited them down and said they could even stay open and work people on Yom Kippur.

If that’s not a town that needs the protection of Shabbat then I don’t know what is.

To quote a well known expression (into English), ”More than the Jews keep Shabbat, the Shabbat keeps the Jews.





5 - "proposed abomination parade "

ok, if thats how one starts a dialouge I guess I missed that lesson in diplomacy 101 or how about just no name calling. Oh wait, isn't that why the parade is going on? Because people refer to this minority as an abomination and as a group they have typically been treated like jews have been and they are marching to say that they refuse to be treated like that.


I never said I was interested in dialogue. Perhaps you missed the point of this blog? This blog is a monologue that occasionally allows guests to comment.

The Torah calls the act of male homosexual relations an abomination. I believe it is therefore a very accurate synonym for a parade that promotes that behavior and tries to get it become socially acceptable.

Perhaps they should stop acting that way instead?

Or maybe we should have the Kleptomaniac Parade, or the Pedophile Parade. Let’s get those behaviors socially acceptable too.


6- "You want to have sex with each other, with animals or with little children. "

Is it fair to link homosexuality with beastiality and pedophillia?


All three are improper sexual acts prohibited by the Torah and bad for society. So yes.

7-"This is both an abuse and harassment of the general public that will have no choice but to see this open provocation in our streets."

so when religious people march down the streets,maybe at a chag, shaking a lullav, or singing on lag b'omer or simchat torah, would you say the same thing? Or are you only against people using the public streets for ideas and lifestyles with which you disagree?


I think we already l know the answer to that.


It's very easy to pass judgment on other people. But protecting people is about arrogance and helping people is about humility. If you want to help people than fight for labor laws, if you want to protect people under the cloak of your halo than fight for shabat laws.

I think something got cut off here…

I am fighting for a Jewish state and Torah society.

That you don’t understand that labor issues and laws are also fundamental aspects of Jewish society and the Torah means you still have a lot to learn about Judaism.

I would recommend you read Rabbi Eliezer Berkovitz to start off with.

And let me finish off with this:
“Kol Yisrael areivim zeh la zeh”

JoeSettler said...

Idan,

I actually know gay people. I don’t find their sexual behavior acceptable at all even if I find them to be very nice or even good people in other areas.

But that doesn’t make me a “homophobe” or a gay hater. You clearly didn’t read the post, but rather gave a knee-jerk reaction.

Their behavior is prohibited by the Torah (and is unhealthy for society imo). No where did I say wipe them out. I do say they should stop their behavior and most particularly stop trying to make it socially acceptable - just like the Kleptomaniac should stop stealing despite their compulsion.

Animals in nature do lots of things.

We also find in nature animals stealing (including your chimps) and killing. Some animals even eat their young.

That doesn’t make that behavior any better just because it is “natural”.

We are not animals. We are human being “b’tzelem elokim” and we should try to act that way. (Unless you also want to justify eating your children).

Also, it’s very boring when people throw in the Shoah to allow for the acceptance of any kind of deviant behavior.

JoeSettler said...

rafi: Thanks for the link (I think).

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
JoeSettler said...

Idan,
I have no need or reason to refute you. As my regular readers can see, you come from an ideological viewpoint that is the antithesis of Torah values and it really has no place on this particular blog.

This is a blog about Israel and Torah Judaism.

Since your writing shows you don't accept the basic tenets that this blog is based on, there is little we can agree on or discuss, and so this really isn't the proper forum for you to be espousing your opinion.

There are plenty of liberal, anti-Torah, and homosexual sites you can be debating on. But not here.

You will choose to see this as my not debating you, and you will be right.

I’m not interested.

What you see as hatred in my heart, you are simply confusing with my complete lack of interest in the subject.

As I’ve stated, I don’t care what you (or they) do in the privacy of your own bedroom, but when you feel the need to forcibly expose me to your personal predilections and perversities, that is wrong on just so many levels.

If it wasn’t that this is being so provocatively thrown into our faces in the most crass and animalistic manner I wouldn’t be discussing here it at all.

I’m sorry you can’t understand that, but that’s your problem, not mine.

For future reference to all, this blog is not the forum to promote the acceptance or acceptability of deviant and anti-Torah behavior.

Anonymous said...

why is it natural for homosexuals to have their “natural” tendencies and we should accept them, but it is considered unnatural when we have a natural revulsion to their “natural” tendencies. if your tendency is natural and must be accepted, then my revulsion to your tendency must be natural and be accepted. instead of your hate and calling us homophobes, embrace our revulsion and let it define societies laws and ethos. we should have homophobe parades in san francisco to generate societal acceptance for our natural tendencies.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Wow, Joe. That was real big of you. Big man -- bye now.

JoeSettler said...

As I said this is not the forum for you to promote your value system.

Anonymous said...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=6659

Anonymous said...

I see you have met my brother.. :-)

This is a comment I wrote on my blog defending your post from Idan..

Another point, the Torah calls the act of homosexuality an abomination (Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. People who behave in homosexual practices are performing abomination, as per the Torah. I would not call them (i.e. the homosexuals themselves) an abomination, but the Torah calls their actions abomination, and therefore JoeSettler is not making it up and settling to name-calling.

Gay humans are humans. Their sexual preference does not interest me. I prefer they keep it that way. We do not have heterosexual parades celebrating heterosexuality. We do not have nudist parades celebrating the nudist lifestyle, we shoudl not have gay parades celebrating gay lifestyle. Keep your sexual preferences to yourself. It does not interest me and I do not want to know about them

JoeSettler said...

Rafi: Looking to expand your readership and rack in those pageviews I see. :)

Anonymous said...

"And yes, I do have the right and place to pass judgment on another’s lifestyle. You may not agree, but that is your option."

Having the right to pass judgment does not mean that it is right to pass judgment.

"But again, they were calling for help, and Shabbat was clearly the solution both for their personal life (and for Israeli society)."

shabbat is a solution not the only solution. I guess my issue here is that you are being disingenous. If the issue is finding ways for families to have time together there are multple solutions to that problem. If you argument is to create a "torah" society, the fact that shabbat may offer some good for families is irrelevent to the overarching theme that the rules (all the rules as the orthodox define them) are from their god. So is your concern for the families or do you really just want a theocracy as defined by the minority right wing?

"Would you be more comfortable with “serfdom”?"

So because I work to provide for my family and because I would rather be fantastically independently wealthy and I am not I am therefore a slave or a serf? The common elemnet of slavery and serfdom is the lack of legal rights to land ownership (from a legal technical perspective) Working in a capitalist democratic style society is simply life, it is neither slavery nor serfdom.

"From what I see people that work on Shabbat fall into 3 categories"

I guess you have to ask, why do people work on shabbat. Some people choose to work on shabbat because they would rather have a day off during the week. Some people, like biz owners, work on shabbat because they have their responsobilities and again choose to work on shabbat. Some people are poor and while they might like the idea of having sat. as a day off they are happy to switch that to anouther day to fill the demand for jobs on sat. Some people like working on sat because it is frequently a short workday and they still have time to do things with family and feed their family as well. There are very few people who work full-time 7 days a week. But in a capitalist democratic style society people have a choice. They can even choose to be orthodox and assert their legal protection to shabbat if they chose.

"I guess by you it's ok if a father can't see his children ever because his schedule and theirs just never coincide."

As someone who works very hard myself I sympathise with people in that situation. But anyone who is working 7 days a week full-time is typically doing so out of need. How would forcing them to keep shabbat help them? God will provide? I can imagine the sceane now, a family living in a shelter because they could not afford rent because of a forced shabbat observation but at least they have time together.

"I’m afraid you don’t understand the laws of the Torah or what Torah society is about."

I'm not sure you know me well enough to make that judgment of me.
The torah is not a legal system. The torah, as the orthodox define it, is the guidebook to acheiving a relationship with their god. The fact that it contains some good legalistic ideas does not make it a legal system. Or you could say that it is a legal system and one could compare it to the taliban? kill women for adultary, kill children for being born to amalek, kill children for residing in cannan and not being from the tribe of abraham, kill kill kill. Its all very nice to point out that the torah has some good ideas like shabbat but the torah as a whole is a religious document with a religious sytem which may be debated legalistically but is the atithesis of a democratic style society. A torah society is by definition a theocracy.


"to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means"

to cause to do [that which people would not otherwise do] people choose to work. Otherwise by that reading I am being coerced to work every day by my need to eat and have shelter. It is intellectually dishonest to call intel coercive unless they force people to defy labor laws. But they do not. Everyone has at least one day off, it simply may not be on sat.

As for the homosexual issue, that is a torah issue. You obviously believe in the divinity of the torah and therefore accept wholesale that homosexualtiy is an abomination and killing children is not. I have the opposite opinion and I daresay neither of us will be swayed. So i will drop this part of our dialouge (or 2 monolouges if you prefer).


"And let me finish off with this:
“Kol Yisrael areivim zeh la zeh”"

And that is precisely why I engage in (hopefully) thoughtfull and thought provoking conversations. I desapair that a vocal minority group like the right wing orthodox represents judaism to the world and my hope is that as I work with orthodox jews they will come to understand that the torah is an anthology of our history and not a divinly written book. That ideas like killing kids and other racist genocidal concepts are holdovers from a tribal warring society that grew into a developed culture of laws.

JoeSettler said...

"my hope is that as I work with orthodox jews they will come to understand that the torah is an anthology of our history and not a divinly written book"

Which is exactly why I prefer not to waste my time on cross-dialogues as your (in this case) value/philosophical system and mine are completely, inherently, and irrevocably in opposition.

JoeSettler said...

(But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a very nice life or anything.)

JoeSettler said...

Here is an excellent article:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1161811246342&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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