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Thursday, February 08, 2007

What If? The Power of Rabbanim

Life-of-Rubin has a fantastic post up today. Excerpts:
I was thinking that if 100 Rabbis [sic], or however many it is can get together and decide that a simple piece of clothing material should be assur then what would happen if these same Rabbis [sic] actually used this power for other things plaguing our communities worldwide.

What if 100 Rabbi's got together and decided to ban smoking. Smoking claims the lives of so many [...]

What if 100 Rabbi's got together to end obesity. [...]

I guess that's the question isn't it. What if ... ?

4 comments:

  1. I often wonder the same thing, but my cynical side feels that these kinds of issues aren't addressed because they wouldn't get the same response. I remember commenting on a Jewish mailing list back when the Indian wig issue was going on, what would happen if a similar proclamation was issued about cheating on taxes. Would there have been the same immediate and massive level of compliance?

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  2. Elie - I think that's part of the point: He's complaining about the focus.

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  3. shavu'ah tov

    i agree regarding the improper focus of rabbonim.
    http://agmk.blogspot.com/search?q=failure+abuse


    the rca has "banned" smoking
    http://agmk.blogspot.com/search?q=smoking

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  4. Dear Ezzie,

    With respect to obesity, I said the very same thing to my kallah the other day! In fact, I would wager that observant Jews, as a sub-class of Americans, are among the most overweight folks in the country!! How many of us are "double-dipping" as it were on Shabbat morning after davening? Do we any longer need a cholent at kiddush, along with cake, other pastries, schnapps, kugels and candy, when we are going back home or a friend's house for a big Shabbat lunch?

    Is anyone really that hungry for seudat shlisheet (sic!)?

    If so, then not only do we need "one hundred rabbonim" to declare gluttony usser but extol the merits of the treadmill from the pulpit as well!

    I am,

    Very Sincerely yours,

    Alan D. Busch

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