The rest of the Rabbi's latest blog post is a snoozer, but if you're looking for laughs the first paragraph provides plenty:
It is hard to deny that fear pervades much of the civilized world these days, fear in a variety of forms. There is fear of terror, fear of violence, fear of driving on certain roads or visiting particular neighborhoods, fears stoked by the sense that Western political leaders have no answers, fears of the outsized reach of dictators as evinced by the recent contretemps involving North Korea, Sony, and the awkward release of a movie comedy, and even fear of repercussions – public ridicule and the like – for saying the “wrong” thing, using politically incorrect language, or otherwise not toeing the ideological line imposed by elite thinkers.Never mind, that most of this so-called fear has been stoked by irresponsible hacks like Pruz and the loudmouths who provide him with both his ideas and his presentation style
Never mind, that I perceive that the civilized world is currently pervaded with optimism, thanks to the humming economy and the president's demonstrated competence.
No, what matters is the last sentence. Read it again. Pruz is mad that "elite thinkers" are trying to tell him what to say and think. Um hello? ALL PRUZ DOES IS TELL US WHAT TO SAY AND THINK.
Why is it OK for this Rabbi - or any Rabbi, for that matter - to instruct us on how to behave and what to believe, but a terrible crime when non-Rabbis presume to do the same? Either both groups are entitled to boss us around - while responsibility for the final choice remains with us - or neither of them are.
Worse, Pruzansky is personally responsible for threatening repercussions – public ridicule and the like – for saying the “wrong” thing, using politically incorrect language, or otherwise not toeing the ideological line imposed by elite thinkers.
He's done all of this himself to his own political enemies!
He's threatened Jewish feminists with ostracism and said Open Orthodox Rabbis have no right to call themselves Rabbis.
He's publicly ridiculed both groups, criticized their tone and choice of words, and beaten them up in print and from the pulpit for not toeing the ideological line, he and other elite (religious) thinkers wish to impose.
Now, I may side with Pruzansky on some of the big issues (God exists; Judaism is cool), and I do agree with him on some religious points, but I am not going to let him whine about the mean old elites who try to shut down opposing ideas when he sees himself as an elite, and regularly trys to bully his opponents into silence.
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