Do You Think it's Crazy?

[Jude]

I heard someone use this line:

"It's crazy to be observant in today's world."

He's a frum person who wanted to point out what a challenge it is to be frum today, that there's a big nisayon to veer away etc.

Do you agree with his assertion?

[lambda]

Being frum is normal, but the world is crazy. I have authority to say this.

[Yankel Nosson]

A King once told his prime minister, who was also his good friend, "I see in the stars that whoever eats any grain that grows this year will go mad. What is your advice?"

The prime minister replied, "We must put aside enough grain so that we will not have to eat from this year's harvest."

The king objected, "But then we will be the only ones who will be sane. Everybody else will be mad. Therefore, they will think that we are the mad ones. It is impossible for us to put aside enough grain for everyone. Therefore, we too must eat this year's grain. But we will make a mark on our foreheads, so that at least we will know that we are mad. I will look at your forehead, and you will look at mine, and when we see this sign, we will know that we are both mad."

Rebbe Nachman

[Jude]

Well obviously the person who said it meant that living as we do as Torah-abiding Jews, strictly adhering to the minutiae of the laws, while living in a world where anything goes as long as you don't hurt anybody else, is bizarre. I just wonder whether his line is a good attitude for parents/educators to have, and whether the sentiments of the previous posters are not the right attitude to convey to our children/students, i.e. WE are sane. The WORLD is crazy! Following G-d's Rules is sane. Doing your own thing is NUTS!

[lambda]

By the way, al pi Chassidus (al pi Kabbalah really, but I can't use the Kof word too much here) Ya'akov is meshoresh in Tikkun, where everything is in order, and Eisav is meshoresh in Tohu, where everything is "crazy" and mixed up. See Torah Ohr Vayishlach (Torah613, I quoted the Chabad source to make you happy).

[Torah613]

How do I fall into this?

[lambda]

Your comment in the tzaddikim thread about me quoting a source earlier than the Alter Rebbe for something in LT. :cheesy:

[Torah613]

That wasn't my point then at all.

[zaque36]

Everyone has their own definition of crazy and normal. Perhaps to the world we are considered crazy, and to other frum people, normal.

[quest]

i think we are crazy. we live much harder lives than anyone in this world... AND WE CHOOSE TO!!! can u explain that? i just hope very soon we reap the rewards for our craziness b4 we realize how crazy we are and stop!

[Bittul]

:) So to paraphrase our Torah speaking about keeping Mitzvos, the reward for being crazy is the craziness itself!

[quest]

what? i didnt quite understand what u were trying to say there?

[Bittul]

We say that Schar Mitzvah Mitzvah - the reward for doing a Mitzvah is the Miztvah itself. So if doing Mitzvah is crazy, and we're talking about doing them for the reward, then we're being crazy for craziness' sake!

[zaque36]

lol. sounds crazy.

[quest]

but we are crazy so we may as well sound crazy

[Gevurah]

crazy only for someone who does not know what A"K is.

[Bittul]

Alte Kaker?

[quest]

i also didnt get that one

[monkey]

Originally posted by Jude
WE are sane. The WORLD is crazy! Following G-d's Rules is sane. Doing your own thing is NUTS!


I think this statement depends on which side you come from. I am sure that for chilonim and also for goyim you seem crazy.

The second part of the statement: I am not a big authority on the bible but isnt the whole point is that G-d gives man kind the choice to do what they want - without that choice there is nothing to separate us from animals. The choice between doing good or evil. I dont believe that we should fear doing "our own thing" I believe that this is a part of what G-d wants from us - within the set of commandments.

[hishtatchus]

The perception of us as crazy depends who is looking.

But objectively, craziness is defined as insane or extreme. Having a discipline, having a set of rules to follow- this is logical. Doing whatever you want with flexible morals is illogical. The latter is allowing oneself to be ruled only by their emotions. Of course this assumes that one feels that they are here for a reason...

[chassidus]

Crazy
1. a: Full of cracks or flaws b: Crooked, askew
2. a: Mad, Insane b: Impracticle c: being out of the ordinary: unusual
3. a: distracted with desire or excitement b: passionately preoccupied: obsessed

Of these definitions for crazy, I think religious Jew fall into some and don't fall into others. After all, any sort of religion means that even if the religion makes sense and can be explained and understood, yet it is approached with a super-rational zeal. Didn't the Rebbe say he is crazy about Moshiach?

In the sense of being flawed logically, we are saner than the world. In the sense of breaking logical bounds, we are more crazy then they.

[Gevurah]

see Lamb...they are 'A"K ignorant'....

i.e. to expound the expression for those who are even ignorant about what the Roshei Teivos are [nothing personal but someone PMs me and is misinterpreting so Lam if they misinterpret the roshei teivos how can you expect them to not not want people exploring the concept]

A"K = Adam Kadom

see Lamb.....they do not know what Adam Kadmon is?

[Gevurah]

crazy only for someone who does not know what A"K is.

Now of course I have to explain my comment....If I stop being gevuradik then I will have to leave :disapp:

"Up in A"K "... things merge to a nikuda where NImna Nimnaos ...i.e. which is a state that is crazy from viewing "down" here is not only the norm but the goal down here when Moshiach comes....