[Avodah] Are Upsherin and Bonfires Taken from the Gentiles?

[rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com]

R Toby:
> B. the tendency to resist change. Although they seem mutually
> contradictory, in fact both tendencies are constantly operative.ֲ 
> Change is inevitable in any human society. The notable thing about
> Jews (Torah Jews) is that we approach any type of change very warily
> and cautiously. Changing while resisting change is not "hypocrisy"
> but the normal Jewish way of doing things. It has made us, Orthodox
> Jews, largely immune to the kind of radical and extreme changes that
> would tend to lead to our extinction, the kind of changes adopted by
> our C and R brethren.

While essentially agreeing I don't see shtreimels as a sensible resistance
in 90 degree weather!

AIUI both Hanukkah and the closing of the Volozhiner yeshiva as examples
of resisting IMPOSED changes. (Hareidim might say they were bot opposing
ANY form of secularization)

That is to say when the Hellenists or the Tsar imposed assimilation we
Jews revolted

However Hirsch's TIDE is a program that has filter for what is legitimate
to accept and what to reject. Most yeshivos here accept some or more
secular studies. And There may be similar programs.

Chabad under the late Rebbe embraced technology and translations into
many languages. Yet the pinched fedora is still part of a uniform -
just as the shtreimel is. So I guess not changing malbush is bigger
amongst Chassidim.

In my posts on Sukkah sensitivity, the schach symbolizes this filter to
the outside world.

For MOs in North America English is used most of the time - even in
learning - but not in davening. Move right and you get less English.
Move left and you get more.

Rav Gorelick had a mashal about ikkar and tafel. A tie enhances a man's
outfit, but when you run out of your house in your pajamas to escape a
fire it is ridiculous to put on a tie! :-). Thus the filtering process
must factor in priorities and avoid trivializing the process.

-RRW
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