Saturday, March 28, 2009

They're Both Right

Reuven and Shimon come to the rabbi with a court case. Reuven explains to the good rabbi why Shimon owes him $100. (Chauvinist footnote for the non-Yeshive educated: Reuven is always claiming that Shimon owes him $100. Either that, or his cow is goring Shimon's cow.) Says the rabbi, "You're right!"

Shimon explains why he absolutely doesn't owe Reuven the $100. Says the rabbi, "You're right!"

The rebbitzin, who was cooking chicken soup, pregnant, but not barefoot because she was a tznius lady, says, "They can't both be right!"

Thinks the rabbi for a minute and says, "You're also right!"

My dear friends, farwhy do I tell you this oft-repeated joke?

Nameless Faceless rails against the evil of Tefillin Dates, and Frum Satire extols them. If the circumstances demanded it, I could passionately argue in defense of both of these position (although not at simultaneously). What do I really think? I don't know. It's a moot question, so I'll probably never find out.

17 comments:

  1. Presumably because you'd never bring your tefillin along...

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  2. sometimes it's an advantage to be able to see both sides - like when you have kids who are arguing - sometimes it's a disadvantage.
    but in this scenario, i think it's a good thing.
    because there are many different kinds of people who do this kind of thing. some who are trying to hold onto whatever they can in Judaism, and some who don't care that their actions are hypocritical.

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  3. Whatever. Go namelessfaceless. I was surprised by her rebuttal.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. trs: thanks for stating the obvious.

    cheerio: the reason i can always see both sides to a religious argument is because i have had so much practice espousing and defending positions that i disagreed with. now i don´t know what i think.

    le7: what rebuttal?

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  6. I was surprised that she stood for the opposite of Heshy on this issue.

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  7. was it a response to hesh? i didn´t realize.

    whatever. it was a really great post. i love when people really stand up for their scruples.

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  8. it depends.
    if you "dance" in both worlds, then it's worse. however, if you are like most of us (regular guys, blogging through life), then every good deed counts.

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  9. Anon, care to elaborate on the difference between dancing on both worlds and being a regular guy?

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  10. don't regular guys often dance in both worlds?

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  11. And what's the definition of a regular guy?

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  12. The two posts are talking about two different things and don't disagree. If someone is already planning this, it's great that he brings his Tefillin along. But he shouldn't plan on it to begin with.

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  13. anon here.
    @e you can only dance in both worlds if you have strong footing in both worlds.
    you regular guy can't be in both worlds for the long term, making it better to make as many jewish related moves as possible.

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  14. that's a really pessimistic atitude. basically you're saying, "I'll eventually lose everything, so I might as well chap arein and do as many of the easy mitzvos as possible and not even attempt the hard ones (e.g. abstinance)."

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  15. no no...
    on the contrary - hatora machziro limutav.
    whereas one who is well footed will be able to juggle the two, so the prophet tells him better stick to the baal.

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  16. hmmmmm...
    Interesting topic.

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Forth shall ye all hold.