tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8552682727548828725.post8297360825117372791..comments2023-10-17T05:01:42.650-04:00Comments on Abandoning Eden: stepping off the derech part 2Abandoning Edenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696116071749613265noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8552682727548828725.post-5824565298875895762007-10-10T09:21:00.000-04:002007-10-10T09:21:00.000-04:00The child of a cohen who marries a convert is a ch...The child of a cohen who marries a convert is a <I>challal</I> (roughly translated as desecrated), not a <I>mamzer</I> (commonly, and incorrectly, translated as 'bastard'). The former is the result of a union of a cohen and a convert or divorcee,and all that means is that the child has none of the rights and privileges normally accorded a cohen. That's not much today-- just duchening (blessing the congregation during services) and given first aliyah, bentching. In Temple times, obviously, there was a lot more.<BR/><BR/>The latter is a child born of a prohibited union.. NOT, as commonly believed, merely born out of wedlock. For example, a child born of an adulterous union woul dbe a mamzer. A mamzer is a full community member with all rights and priveleges, except for the fact that they can only marry another mamzer. <BR/><BR/>The whole mamzer thing can be looked at as a very powerful social method of discouraging adulterous relationships. In an era where birth control was virtually nonexistent, the potential consequences of a forbidden relationship could serve as a very strong deterrent for adultery, and in fact, I am sure that it did. <BR/><BR/>But enough about that. I am intrigued by your journey off the path-- I'm semi-prax myself (in the sense that I'm largely prax, but skeptical about a lot of things, less about God but more about normative Orthodoxy). I was struck by your mention of "tearing toilet paper". To me, that's nothing. I do that and I still consider myself Orthodox (or -prax, or.. well, you get the idea). But to you, this was your "gateway" transgression- it seems that tearing TP started you down the slippery slope of aveirot. This, I find, is something about a lot of 'abandoners'- they start "messing up" on some small things, and then they think, "well, if I'm going to chuck some stuff, and be 'bad', I may as well chuck it all". But Judaism isn't an all-or-nothing religion. Observance isn't a zero-sum proposition. The fallacy among many, I find, is that things like tearing TP on Shabbat are given the same weight as eating non-kosher, leading to the kind of decisions you have made.<BR/><BR/>I'm not judging you at all, BTW. Just my observations.Nice Jewish Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08143569412761938449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8552682727548828725.post-58807419990392819802007-10-01T15:27:00.000-04:002007-10-01T15:27:00.000-04:00thanks anonymous. It has been a long time :)thanks anonymous. It has been a long time :)Abandoning Edenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12696116071749613265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8552682727548828725.post-42466516872422471982007-10-01T14:46:00.000-04:002007-10-01T14:46:00.000-04:00Even at my most frum I didn't think of shomer negi...Even at my most frum I didn't think of shomer negiah as being as bad as other sins. I figured once you get married touching is no longer asur so it must be different. Even still, there was a time where I would feel guilty after making out with my girlfriend.Lubab No Morehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15853466344401477725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8552682727548828725.post-81463038839671671982007-10-01T14:35:00.000-04:002007-10-01T14:35:00.000-04:00tashlich. you obviously mean tachlis. it must be...tashlich. you obviously mean tachlis. it must be a really long time for you...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com