Comfortably Numb

Friday, February 6, 2009
I always said either I am the dumbest person in the world or I am brilliant. Either way it seems I don’t connect with society very well. I am bored with people. There is no fun in just sitting around doing zilch, talking about idiotic things, or hearing someone talk that everyone thinks is the second coming of Winston Churchill say things I could care less about. I hate when people are so fake. They parrot things they don’t mean, and they ask questions about things that they could care less about. How humanity has progressed in spite of society is beyond me. But I think it’s a miracle.

That is the problem with Ultra-orthodox Judaism. It’s hard to change people when they think their ideology is divine script. It’s becomes difficult to progress when people keep aping the same foolishness.

Uhhhhhh if I hear one more story or tidbit about the LR I think I am going to shoot myself.

When are they going to run out of ammo already? I feel like a man taking cover and the chamber of these monster gunners does not seem to empty.

I get it. He was a monumental figure, but why don’t they talk about things that actually mean something?

This guy was talking about the Yeshivah administration. Saying that kids complain they are not getting more love, and that is why they move on to greener pastures. He said you have to be your own man. Forget the past and live today.
Gee brilliant. But what got me the most is these people don’t get it. They are to blame because they don’t teach. They are to blame because they left their students destitute of any intellectual prowess. They left the kids without structure without skills to think and process information.

Kids don’t care about how teachers feel. Sure it is nice that they have a sweet teacher. Teachers are not there to give love; they are there to teach how to learn.
This was said by one of the leaders of chabad. Damn were screwed.

22 comments:

Just like a guy said...

I feel bad...no one's commenting...still, I'm too lazy to deal with the issues you bring up. You ever speak to a guy named SZB?

Anonymous said...

Life's truths in the eyes of a 17 year old Lubavitch girl. From the comments on CH.info:

To Shlomo:

I am 17 year old girl, and my parents are shluchim in California.
I was so taken aback by your story, I cannot beleive that you as a lubavitcher dont believe the Rebbe is moshiach, He told us straight out many times and would agree with His chasidim singing Yechi Adonenu. Just because it might not make sense now in the gloomy obscure world, but that doesnt mean we stop believing, let the Rebbe come and He will answer us along with Eliyahu Hanavi. We are Jews and even more Lubavitcher Jews and every chosid must believe that his Rebbe is the moshiach, It is the only way to go and the only party in town.
Every night at our Chabad house countless people looking for direction come and write in the Igros Hakodesh, and they get unbelievable answers just because you dont believe you should not put the Rebbes holy answers down. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE REBBE! I never got the oppurtunity to meet my Rebbe but I feel He is with us and alive more then ever before, We are the dead ones! I dont know were I would be with out the Rebbe and I believe with complete emunah that he is with us in 770, our sages tell us that in a place that their was kedusha it never departs. A big part of the holy Tanya was composed by answers the Alter Rebbe wrote in response to questions of his chossidim. Until today we study the tanya in depth, and it applies now just as before. Same with the Igros hakodesh, they are answers the Rebbe wrote to people like me and you and they apply now just as before. The Rebbe Once said about the Friedeker Rebbe that He is Godliness inclothed in a Talis. The Rebbe is our Friedker Rebbe, The Rebbe is Godly, He is not like me and you and ANYONE who saw him can testify this.So the Rebbe has his ways to make sure that the answer the you get in the Igros is specifically for you, --what happeneed to Hashgocha Pratis? I know myself that I have been through hard times and the answers the Rebbe gave me was straight guidance and it was a s if he customed the letter just for me, it has helped me so much and I feel so indebted to my Rebbe. What have I ever done to have the zechus to be connected to the Nassi Hador, My rebbe!!! ABSLOLUTLY NOTHING!!

We have suffered much to long, and even in these darkest of times we choose to continue, fight and flourish! I hope Hashem sees this and Immediatly redeems us this moment!! I learned today that we can choose what to focus on, we always say that this generation is “the last generation of golus and the first generation of Moshiach” We can focus on the first half of how hard and dark Golus is or we can focus on the positive second half that we are the first generation of geual, WE will be the ones to greet moshiach!! So stop complaining and worrying, Hes here!!!
I am sure we all know this direct Nevuah from The Rebbe:
“HANAY, HENAY MOSHIACH BA!”


http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=15568#c

Just like a guy said...

At least she believes in something, no?

Anonymous said...

What has that got to do with anything?

Just like a guy said...

Everything/nothing.

Rationally pious said...

TRS, you should not feel bad. It takes time to recruit the people you want to comment in the first place.

Nemo regarding the letter, let’s see where I object.

“He told us straight out many times”

I always thought it was very pretentious to claim what the Rebbe meant or said. Obviously things change, just like many great people were wrong so too the Rebbe can be. Besides that I don’t think he ever said it point blank. Go to seforim blog and see the comments of the latest post.

“every chosid must believe that his Rebbe is the Moshiach”

There is absolutely no bases for this in the Torah that I know of. There is no must. And of course we are talking about a holy person who passed on to the next world. Not only is there no obligation, arguments can be made that it is insanity and wrong. I may not agree with that perspective, but let’s not make up new laws and custom and obligate inane ideas.

“write in the Igros Hakodesh”

Ever heard of the confirmation bias? How about the Forer effect? How about subjective validation?

People believe in Graphology and Personology. Hell people believe in tarot card readers. Does it make Iggros completely wrong? No. But it does not help a thousand times before it does. Relying on it is biased, subjective and is no way to live. You definitely don’t base you life around it. I definitely question the intelligence of people who use it to get some divine and i repeat "divine" answer.

“but I feel He is with us and alive more then ever before”

I apologize that I am not so delusional. The power of brainwashing is absolutely amazing.

“it applies now just as before. Same with the Igros hakodesh, they are answers the Rebbe wrote to people like me and you and they apply now just as before.”

Now this may be the strongest argument, and one that I totally agree with. Wise words and insight into our souls are everlasting. Claiming there is divinity is altogether wrong. The point is the Torah is filled with books on advice. Do we claim that they are alive and are Moshiach? What is the connection?

“what happeneed to Hashgocha Pratis? “

So I should flip a coin? It is the same idea. If G-D wants it he will make it fall on heads (I usually chose heads) why bother with the whole Igros thing in the first place?

“I am sure we all know this direct Nevuah from The Rebbe:
“HANAY, HENAY MOSHIACH BA!””

And now you claim the Rebbe is not wrong? Do we take that literally or figuratively?

TRS, believing in something is not the Torah way. Believing in the truth is what counts. Like I said about the above “sciences” believing in them does not make them right.

Just like a guy said...

You really want me to comment?

I'm a firm believer that believing in something is better than nothing. Besides, who knows what the truth is?

Rationally pious said...

Who said you should believe in nothing?
According to you one should believe in Peoples Temple rather than be an atheist?
Torah tells us the truth, coupled with empirical data, and avoiding proven neurological and logical biases and prejudice.
I think all the above is something you as a Frum Yid should believe in.

Just like a guy said...

Hmm, after eight years in the system...I'm not sure what I believe anymore.

Rationally pious said...

What? Now you are confusing me.

BTW here is a cool blog for you;

http://livingintwolanguages.blogspot.com/

It's awesome.

Just like a guy said...

A. Wow. Scary blog there. One that I could easily become addicted to...
B. What are you confused about? I'm not Mr. "I'm going on shlichus with out a doubt", but I'm also not Mr. "I'm off to college and real life!"
Where am I? Even I don't know.

Rationally pious said...

That is a real blog. It is moving, touching, and it's real.

I feel you pain, and i do not know if i am any different, but i think you ideology should be set right now.

I did not greet you because i think you would be throw off by the dichotomies of me and my persona online.

Just like a guy said...

Who says I'm in pain? By me, theology is not that important. The real world is what's important.

And please, everyone is surprised by what everyone looks like.

Nemo said...

I disagree with your "divinity" contention. As laughable as I think some of the Mishichist camps assertions about the Rebbe and his powers are, I have never been convinced by those that allege they believe he's God.

They say that the Rebbe is precious, all knowing, all powerful, immortal, etc., but they're not referring to Godly powers. They may have trouble articulating what they mean, and you may have trouble distinguishing their words, but they don't believe the Rebbe is the creator of the heaven and earth or that he sits in the skies and makes flowers bloom. Their assertions about the Rebbe are that he has some sort of meta-divinity, a person so battul that even his bechirah wouldn't go against Hashem. They think he reads minds, sees destinies, has some semblance of control on the universes, and knows what you're doing even when you're not there, but they don't think he makes things turn (although granted they would believe the world would cease turning if he wasn't around).

They have recreated him into a superhuman, but I'm not convinced that they've quite elected him God yet.

Rationally pious said...

What you say is semantics. Half man half G-D theology has been around for a long time. And yet we don’t believe in such a deity. Saying he has divine insight is in no way saying he controls worlds. He may have influence but in no way does that say he is king.

“all knowing, all powerful, immortal,”

How can you say that and not mean a G-D?

I personally think that if they would learn theology and philosophy or any mythology for that matter, they would see that their inclination to impute divine powers to a visual being is quite common, and might I add quite a temptation.

We must always distinguish that which is in our head and that which is reality. We do so by trial and error.

Nemo said...

How can you say that and not mean a G-D?

Because even if he possesses these traits, he is still a creation and not a creator.

And I take back what I said about immortality. They don't think the Rebbe is immortal; they just think that he hasn't died yet.

Rationally pious said...

You take back immortal and not all powerful? Do they not go hand in hand?
How about all knowing? Are you to say he knows everything, past present and future?
He has knowledge of all sciences?
If that is not a G-D, I don’t know what is.
I don’t know if the human brain has the capacity to be all knowing.

Nemo said...

No, that doesn't make you a god. That makes you a person that knows a heck of a lot and that can do a heck of a lot. "Person" being the operative word.

Nemo said...

And like I mentioned above, I'm not so sure that these people really know how to articulate their beliefs about the Rebbe, which is why they're so misunderstood in the first place.

They may think that the Rebbe could explain science to Dawkins or that he could easily beat Bobby Fischer at Chess, but I think there's a point in his all-knowingness that they would concede he doesn't go. Furthermore, while people may say that he causes happenstance meetings on the far side of the planet, and some extremists may tell you that he could fly if he needed to (but of course, out of humility, he doesn't want to), I think that even they would limit his powers at some point.

Rationally pious said...

“there's a point in his all-knowingness that they would concede he doesn't go”
How do you describe contradiction?
“limit his powers at some point.”
See above regarding being all-powerful.

End of the day I don’t care what people believe. I care about valid precedents and I care about avoiding clear cognitive biases. Combine those two and what you get is that half the things people believe about the LR are idiotic, foolish and above all very revealing about the people parroting them.

Nemo said...

How do you describe contradiction?

What are you saying here? I hope you're not harping on the semantics of "all-knowing" and "all-powerful," because those were just descriptions that I came up with ...

Nemo said...

BTW, see my blog.