I did not want to get involved, but I think if I don't say anything, I might go crazy. The basic situation is that R. Nosson Slifkin, author of works dealing with the relationship of Torah with modern Science, has been put under a ban for saying certain "heretical" things. I am not going to go through all the details, for these can be found at various other blogs, but there is one newer development that really bothers me. It seems that Dr. Gerald Schroeder, author of Genesis and the Big Bang and the Science of G-d, has now also been harmed by this ban, for his lectures on the age of the universe have been pulled from the Aish HaTorah website until reviewed by "Today's leading Torah scholars." Now, while I am not a big fan of Aish HaTorah and things they teach (not for discussion now), this is getting out of hand. While it might not be my place to go up against the leading Torah scholars, I really have to question their judgment when it comes to "bans" and heresy hunting. Why are we so afraid of the search for truth? How can we deny intellectual honesty? This feels like Rabbis trying to control their constituents.

My brother sent me a link to this article from the Jerusalem Post about the newly formed Sanhedrin. They recently met to discuss the issues of establishing a Jewish monarchy in the state of Israel and of what to do with the Temple Mount. While this might be a noble gesture, I am hard pressed to understand how further strife within Israel is going to help the situation. One could argue that if these things occur, the other problems Israel faces will go away. However, I would think that to be relying on a miracle. Besides, if there is no peace within Israel, how can the Messianic age actually be said to begin. I might be naive, but I would like to see people getting along before I see a Jewish king who will most likely become the leader of the anti-government crowd, which might lead to bloodshed.

Rav Shagar was recently profiled in an article in Haaretz. As this is my first exposure to him, I will limit my comments. The only thing of note is that he doesn't seem to fear the individualizing of Judaism from an emotional perspective. Postmodernism's call for relativism does not seem to frighten him but instead challenges him to create an education theory that includes emphasis for the personal experience within Judaism.

In Haaretz, someone wrote an editorial in response to the recent fighting between Haredi leaders and the Israel high court regarding whether schools that do not provide secular studies should receive state funds to help run the schools. Avi Garfinkel claims that the Haredi world is trying to again lie about the history of "Yeshiva" learning in order to guarantee that the high court will reconsider. As Garfinkel claims, Judaism not only tolerates secular studies, but it also requires them. As with most editorials, the author only presents a half truth. There is a strand, starting back in the Talmud, of those following the idea that Torah should be studied 24/7. The fact that such study was not for the average person is the real issue to be discussed regarding today's Israeli haredi society. Not everyone is capable of learning Torah and succeeding in it. The majority will not succeed, and without a secular education, will have no future. We need to rethink how we view the Yeshiva, because perhaps while there can be a few institutions with students sitting and really delving deep with Torah, the rest should provide basic skills, even if only vocational. No one is telling them to allow "dangerous" secular subjects in the schools.

More conspiracy theories
Pearl Harbor, JFK... 9-11.

Shira and I were walking towards Penn Station last thursday when we heard people advertising a website called NY911truth, a website whose goal is to reveal the "truth" about what happened on September 11. As I am one who has spent much time reading about conspiracy theories over the years, one thing has always struck me. Everyone is connected to everyone. To be in power, you need leverage somehow. Therefore, creating crazy theories, whether they are credible or not, is a waste of time because the truth will never really be known.

Regarding 9-11 specifically, I do not care about the political details, whether President Bush knew or not, whether it could have been prevented or not. The fact is, hindsight is 20/20 and there is one fact that can't be disputed... 3,000 plus people died and two huge buildings, symbols of America, were destroyed. The skyline is empty. Punishment is needed to be meted out for the terrible action. Let me put it this way. Ask yourselves, are you angry with FDR, who might have known about Pearl Harbor, for involving us in a war which in the long run might have saved the world from being overrun by tyranny. It is absolutely horrible to the memory of those who have died for this country to be trying to undermine the means to protecting us from more.

What's next? Are people going to try and explain the conspiracy behind the deaths of 100s of thousands of people in the Tsunami of Southeast Asia? (after writing this line I have come across conspiracy theories discussing why the people weren't warned).

Conspiracy theories are cute alternative reads of history, but when they become rallying cries, then we lose sight of reality.