controversial
Question
Obviously many of the opinions that your website has expressed are controversial in the face of "traditional orthodoxy", although they may actually be correct from a halachic standpoint. 1)As an example: If using a microwave for milchig and fleishig is really ok, what do you think about the fact that MOST rabbi's will paskin its not allowed. The problem being that many will stop eating at others homes , and stop trusting eachothers kashrut. 2) The whole reading of ingredients has spread to people just picking up any item and thinking they (the ingredients) sound ok and buying the product. The ingredients of any dunkin donuts donut are kosher, but not when they are sold in a dunkin donuts that sells ham and vessels are all washed together. I believe what you are doing is great and that the halachot are accurate, however the issues above are concerning and they are only the tip of the iceberg. Please address these concerns , but dont just say " they are not concerns." I would really like to read your more lengthy response.
Answer
Answered by Aaron AbadiMost of our so-called "traditional orthodoxy" begins from the Chassidic movement. Even amongst Sephardim, the Rabbis often have a Chassidic influence. Many of them even wear Payot or Payos. The Cholov Yisrael farce, the Hashgacha farce, the dress code thing, and so much more are all from the Chassidic movement. The purpose is to bring us back to our traditions; the way it was in the days "way back when." Back to the times of Moshe Rabeinu, King David, King Solomon, etc... The confusing part of all this is that the Chassidic movement itself did not exist prior to about 300 years ago. It was a completely new program and way of life that never existed before. King David never wore Payos and didn't dance in the streets, accept in front of the Aron Hakodesh on the day it was brought in. His wife, Michal, was mortified and scolded him for that, and was eventually punished for her criticism. Suddenly we realize that the Chassidic movement is not traditional Judiasm, but rather a revision and alteration of Judiasm. Not at all to say that they are, as a whole, bad people. But rather that change in Judiasm is not acceptable. (If it were allowed, we would need to take a better look at Christianity and Islam. They believe in Judiasm, but say that it was modified somewhat.) We can update our understanding of the laws to apply them to a modern generation, but we cannot change the rules. Times for praying must remain, and cannot be played with. There is a very specific format for studying Torah that we have been losing and ignoring in the recent generations. The biggest problem is Chumrot, being stricter than the law permits. This was the cause of the sin of Eve (Chava), the only reason why we're here today. The Mesilat Yeshorim is based on this concept, not allowing extra credit items until you have all the 613 Mitzvot 100% accurate. So in short, we cannot let so-called "traditional orthodoxy," our currently confused society, hijack our religion! Halachah is what we follow, period. Ein LeHakadosh Baruch Hu BeOlamo Ela Daled Amot Shel Halachah." There are hundreds of Rabbis that took advantage of the fact that they stopped studying Halachah in most Yeshivot. They studied just enough Halachah to sound intelligent and became Rabbis. The Rambam had it in his days, too. Now they run around forming opinions. I watched my father as I grew up, and I saw what real learning was. Day & night, day & night, non-stop, for years & years & years. Ask anyone that learned in the Lakewood Yeshiva. This is what is required to accumulate the knowledge required to make Halachic decisions. 30-40 years of studying 18 hours a day. Not constantly going to weddings, Brit Milah's, Bar MItzvah's etc... Not strolling in to Yeshiva at 10:30am and going for lunch an hour later. The average Yeshiva guy would be fired if he kept the same hours at any real job. Then Chanuka we stop learning, Purim everyone goes home, and 3 months off for the summer. This cannot create a Posek or Talmid Chacham. This is not going to create a real Rabbi! Unfortunately our society has seemingly an unlimited amount of Rabbanim from this Yeshiva system. They spent a few years in a Yoreh Deah class, and got a Semicha of some sort & now they're making Psakim. It is scary and depressing! Are these the people that you would like me to cooperate with?! Should I begin to buy laundry detergent & spring water with a Hashgacha?! Should I eat bugs on the say-so of all these people, only for them to retract 15 years later?! Should I risk my Olam Haba, in order not to feel different than the others?! AA