Tuesday, May 26, 2009

DID THE TABLES TURN OR DID I JUST SWITCH SIDES?

For a little over a year strawberries have been banned, due to infestation. I have always liked strawberries, but now I have to eat their cousins the kiwi, who is not as good. The strawberry saw itself drop from the markets, no more shmorgs with the strawberry salads, no more weddings with strawberries going untouched, the strawberry era had died.

That was until recently, when an unlocal Israeli rabbi supposedly lifted the ban. I was shocked, "are the tables turning" I thought to myself "could it be that after 7 years of chumros, will come the 7 years of heterim?" I dreamt. Then VIN interpreted the Rabbis words. The Rabbi meant that, if there were worms that were invisible to the naked eye then you can eat the strawberry (then yosef was appointed to viceroy). Who in the world makes a mistake between visible worms and invisible worms! and if the worms are visible youre still not allowed to eat them, no matter what the rabbi says. Im not getting how someone can make such a mistake.

So when I thought the tables had turned, they didn't, and I was only fooled that they did, it was an optical illusion (or they turned invisible who really knows?). Well, now I cant wait for the next chumrah (Yaakov please come and end this 5 years early).

14 people gave their 2 cents:

Altie said...

Or become a Rabbi and make your own heterim. Rabbi mike. Has a nice ring to it.

Proud MO said...

I never know exactly what to do with strawberries. I buy the ones that come with a hechsher (usually frozen) if my wife needs them for something. I rely on the organization certifying them.

frum single female said...

now im waiting to hear what they have to say about the invisible "bugs" in nyc water. im sure alot more grossness is found in the water of those who use the shmatta version of a water filter.

Mikeinmidwood said...

Altie

I have been called that before.

Proud MO

well I happen to be MOM (modern orthodox machmir) so I am not going to rely on that.

Frum Sinle Female

I thought the same thing when I had the shmattah "filter", then we got rid of it.

Ookamikun said...

So all you gotta do is find some legally blind bubbie and ask her if she sees any bugs. If she doesn't, you can eat the strawberries.

Mikeinmidwood said...

Moshe

its a good heter, but how can you speak to women?

Ookamikun said...

You ask her grandson to ask her, duh.

Mikeinmidwood said...

you cant trust a child.

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

I didn't know Kiwis were related to strawberries, no wonder I like both of them.

I do love strawberries, for now strawberry froze fruits will have to do.

btw, I went to a shiur last shabbos- R' Tuvia Leff, really good speaker, he spoke about this topic of chumras, and he said "You think their out to get you, what chumra can I think of to make this persons life miserable, But really it's not like that The Rabbi's say these things for our benefit, their making boundaries, because they care for us, and don't want us to fall. An example of a kid who has diabetes, his father tells him not to go on the block of the bakery, the father makes the geder so that the child will not get the temptation to have a cookie and then get hurt by it, so he's doing it to protect his children. Same with the Rabbi's they want to protect us, and it's only cause they care"

Ookamikun said...

Read that story a couple times and you'll see how foolish it is. Remember what you said on your blog about banning internet, same here. Think of all the recent bans, were they made because those rabbis care or because they want to keep people in line?

Regarding the story, no father with a brain would do that. Why? It's the lazy frummie way of dealing with things. What will be the result of such education? The child will end up in the hospital.
Instead of explaining to the child about sugar, the father tells him not to go to that street. Problem is, he can get cookies in many other places but the foolish father didn't explain to him about the sugar, he just told him not to go to that street.

Mikeinmidwood said...

Going to have to agree wtih moshe on this one.

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

Moshe: I was thinking along those lines too. I left out a part though, the mother explained to the son about diabetes and why he can't eat from the bakery. The father was the one who forbade it. So both are options and it can work either way, just men usually aren't good with understanding things, if they want something they go after it. So sometimes men tend to be stricter and forbid things, while the women can control herself.

I think every child is different, and has to be explained to differently. So for every child a different method will work.

Ookamikun said...

Here's how these rabbis think:

Green potatoes contain poison and the green should be removed.

People are too stupid to do this so let's ban potatoes, it's for people's own good.

There are other vegetables that look similar to potatoes and if people buy them, they may go and buy potatoes so let's ban those vegetables too.

There are fruits that also look potatoes and frummies don't know the difference between fruits and vegetables so let's ban those fruits too.

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

oy vey, that does sound ridiculous. I agree some of the bans and chumras are uncalled for. But if they make sense then...I'll find you a good chumra that I agree with.