David's Harp: I am write
Dear Mr. Newspaper:
I am writing to your Jewish paper to tell you what’s on my mind. I am a Jew who lives in the neighborhood. Not exactly in the middle of the town but not far from it and I have lived here for many years. Maybe not as many years as some other people, but still probably longer than many, or at least most or some.
Although I often get the paper I am not an avid reader as there are probably those who read it more religiously than me, but I still do pick it up each week and follow the stories and columnists. I would like to comment on a specific topic, but first must say that I am not ultra-Orthodox, but rather modern Orthodox leaning toward achdus with an open mind and a strong feeling toward kiruv. While I am politically right I am still socially compassionate and although I am not associated with the Tea Party I have been at times supportive of the Libertarian view without designating or aligning myself with the party formally, physically or philosophically. In fact I am not registered with a specific group, and at one time was registered a Democrat and later a Republican. If I were presently registered with a specific party, which I’m not, I still wouldn’t feel the obligation to mention it at this time. That is my own private business. Please understand I am not rigid in my beliefs or at least not dogmatic in the conviction that all people have to agree with me or my theories or theologies, whereas there are those who will put their stubborn idiotic thoughts onto anyone and everyone that they stand in front of, or those, who given the opportunity, will thrust themselves in the company of non-believers and admonish and preach till they are blue in the face.
It is important to me that you understand clearly that I come from a place of love and chesed when I speak of my community, its leaders and all their foibles, fallacies, falsehoods and fantasies that seem to bother others who are less understanding than myself. Unfortunately, not everyone is as learned and humble as I have been blessed to be and their children are even more at a disadvantage and will cause the weakening of our people due to their frivolous and petty concerns and discussions. I have heard many words and banter that are inappropriate coming from the mouths of those who claim to be in the know, and although I speak of them often and ridicule their incongruent behavior, I only share these thoughts with my closest friends who are like-minded and who will not speak of this to others. And if they do speak to others, they will warn them to not speak to anyone else about our discussions.
There are those who are religiously to my right and there are those who are to my left. I am such a patient person who takes a deep breath each day in order to deal with these people. Even in my own synagogue and in my very home there are those who actually don’t think the same way I do on each and every topic. I find it insulting, aggravating and it tests my very being. Why should they be allowed to think this way and why are they sometimes blessed? But I put up with it and hardly ever chastise them or mock them publicly. This is the way I was brought up. Not everyone has that yichus. I come from a long line of souls who taught each generation how to be more obstinate and fiercely inflexible and judgmental. This is a strong difficult concept that even my rabbi doesn’t understand.
I am writing your paper to tell you that for the last two weeks you neglected to put in the crossword puzzle.
Thank you.
Yisroel Klal
Kfar Away, NY
