Sorry I didn't come back sooner. I haven't felt well. I had a talk with my neighbor, who is Jewish, and she said many of the orthodox families here send their children off to boarding schools after they finish the Jewish day school. So, I guess that's why I never knew many who were orthodox, while having many Jewish friends. My neighbor's grandson attends the day school, but isn't orthodox.
I was just curious about how Orthodox Jews can follow so many rules and still live a life that's keeping up with modern times at all. It's difficult enough if you are Christian or not religious at all to keep up with everything in the life of a family without having to abstain from driving and turning lights on and off, and wouldn't studying schoolwork fall under prohibition during the sabbath? Most of us feel we don't have enough time as it is. And so many events for children happen on Friday nights and Saturdays. If both parents are working and have to observe the sabbath so strictly then how do they ever get everything done?
Also, I found it interesting how modem issues have been addressed. There was no electricity when these rules were made so why are they interpretted the way they are? And why was it forbidden to light or put out a fire in the first place? Doesn't that seem necessary? Or now if someone is ill you may drive them to the hospital, but once there you may not turn off your ignition because the act of driving there was all that was needed. To do so would be considered putting out a fire. It seems to me since driving wasn't expressly mentioned in the Torah then wouldn't driving the person back home seem reasonable to be part of the same event and necessary?
I've read both sides about covering the head with wigs for women and just can't buy it. I understand that if it's not your real hair there may be less glory in it and your Jewish friends and neighbors would understand that, but how does the other guy on the street know it's a religious act? He might just think the woman looks better than if she didn't wear the wig. In this case it seems like a scarf or other head covering makes more sense.
Those are the type of things I was thinking about when I posted. It's not about agreeing or disagreeing with whether or not anyone should follow the rules of their religion. That's a different issue. It's more about the logical consistency within those rules as they've been interpreted for modern times.
Also, I'm not really talking about Hasidic Jews or groups that really separate themselves. I do know of some Orthodox Jews where I live who you'd never know were unless they told you. They have a very secular life, too, but I still wonder how they do it all. Just keeping kosher must be so difficult. It's one thing to abstain from eating certain foods, but to have to not eat certain foods together (okay, maybe) and keep two refrigerators and oven and sets of dishes... I saw an amazing kitchen on the cover of a decorating magazine that showed a designer kosher kitchen. But many people wouldn't have a kitchen that large or be able to afford all that they had.
I'm really just curious about living that way and the logic of some of the modern interpretations, that's all.
"There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on." - Rod Serling
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