Guest Post - Encoding Jewish Internet Debate

A Modest Proposal for Encoding Jewish Internet Debate

by Steven Weintraub (stevenw at chelm.org)

With well over a 2 and a half decades of experience in the Jewish Internet I have noticed the problems that were discussed back in 1981 and those of today are either similar or the same. In fact, I notice the arguments used are the same as in 1981 and that the arguments used in one issue and the arguments used in another are often the same. As a result I thought I would aid in efficiency and number the most common arguments, and save much Internet bandwidth.

In doing so, I discovered a remarkable phenomenon. That like elementary particles, each basic argument has an equally compelling anti-argument. One does not arise without the opposite arising in the same argument.

Moreover I have discovered that true net Rabbis are adept at using both sides of a pair - depending upon which flavor supports the desired outcome of a particular issue.

Here are the pairs I have so far discovered and are immediately obvious to me. I am currently researching and developing more. If you know or discover any, please add them to the list as an aid for the whole community. I hope to have a fairly complete list by the 14th of Adar II.

I present these in hope that their use will aid in shortening our argumentation here.

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1+ These are the halacha on which I base my opinions.
1- These are the opinions on which I base my halacha.

2+ Current practice is wrong, the halahca I cite is right
2- Current practice is right, the halacha you cite is wrong

3+ Rabbi X does it this way
3- Rabbi X's practice is irrelevant

4+ Rabbi X says this is the halacha
4- Rabbi X's opinion is not to be trusted.

5+ This newest issue/scandal/ruling proves the moral bankruptcy of Orthodoxy
5- One incident/person/ruling shouldn't tar the whole movement, there are
bad apples in every movement

6+ This newest issue/scandal/ruling proves the moral bankruptcy of Conservatism
6- One incident/person/ruling shouldn't tar the whole movement, there are
bad apples in every movement

7+ This newest issue/scandal/ruling proves the moral bankruptcy of Reform
7- One incident/person/ruling shouldn't tar the whole movement, there are
bad apples in every movement

8+ The liberal movements of Judaism are the main cause of assimilation
8- The liberal movements of Judaism are rescuing those who have assimilated
and are bringing them back to Judaism.

9+ The Jewish people would not follow such a ruling
9+ The Jewish people need to be educated about such a ruling

10+ Current practice is mixed in this area
10- There is only one obvious way this should be, regardless of current practice

11+ We must put up fences to protect the Torah
11- Its a needless Chumra that detracts and cheapens halacha

12+ You're stretching the halachic envelope to meaninglessness
12- Its necessary to understand the bounds of halacha to know what is actually
allowed.

13+ This is a social/economic/political argument, has no religious relevance
and thus does not belong on the list.
13- Torah encompasses all aspects of life, so this is fair game.

14+ This is the sort of criticism you would expect from a self-hating Jew.
14- This is a heart felt response from someone who truly is trying to see
a flaw in a traditional Jewish view.

15+ Criticism of Israel is antisemitic or self-hating.
15- Israel is a Jewish state which we are responsible to bring to the highest
moral ground.

16+ This halacha is just plain wrong and immoral.
16- Halacha is THE definition of right and wrong and morality.

17+ This is the right way and we must change halacha to match.
17- Until a way is found in halacha, we can not do that.

18+ The halacha in this area is X. (often found in combination with
argument 4+)
18- That is one valid practice, there are many others (often found in
combination with argument 4-)

19+ To participate in that would imply the validity of less halachic movements
19- To participate in that would lead to greater Jewish unity.

20+ To do this would imply the suzerainty of more halachic movements
20- To do this would lead to greater Jewish unity by allowing halachic
movements to participate.
------------- Here start Larry's additions ------------------------------------
21+: It is best to be stringent so as to satisfy all opinions
21- "Greater is he who can rule leniently than he who can rule stringently"

22+ We cannot hope to approach the authority of the earlier generations
22- Halacha follows the most recent opinion