Comments on: What is this Thing Called Hashkafa?

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:48:51 +0000

The seemingly superficial things such as color, location, and material of kippah, color of shirt, etc. might not be dictated by either Torah or Halacha, but like different hechshers, uniforms on soldiers, length of white coats on health professionals, or brands of foods or even sneakers (many avoid “goyishe” food brands even before looking at hecshers; is a Tiger Woods golf shirt from Nike worth as much as it used to be?), they are market signaling mechanisms (as an economist might say) and shortcuts for decision making. What information do we get from seeing a young man without a tallis in shul or woman without a hair covering… we immediately know they are single, right?. In ever larger and globalized communities, societies, and markets (even the singles “meet market”), there are too many choices. Just ask modern Orthodox singles on the Upper West Side about inability to commit because there might be somebody better coming along tomorrow. Good or bad, accurate or not, we use those superficial signals to quickly winnow and cull. The larger the market and the greater the choice, the more information we need and use to narrow our choices. It might not be intended to be so, but it’s just a manifestation of modern consumer marketing.

By: ABG

ABG — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:28:21 +0000

I have to say, i really love this blog, and i think it’s absolutely hysterical, but I kind of disagree with ur analysis of hashkafah. one of the most important things in marriage is having similar life goals, and hashkafah often serves as a benchmark of these goals. for example, i have a friend who was recently set up with a cousin of mine. My friend and I spent a lot of time discussing whether or not she should go out with my cousin. The major issue is that my cousin’s father works, but my cousin’s planning on being a “long-term learner”, with his father’s full support (religiously and monetarily). My friend’s father works and she’s more used to this traditional kind of household, with the father supporting the family and the mother staying at home. Even though she’d be able to stay home if she married my cousin, she still just feels kind of uncomfortable with the whole idea. If she’d marry him, even if she’d have made peace with the whole long-term learner idea (which I kind of doubt, because she’s really not that into it), she would still never fully support him in his learning, which i think would probably be kind of bad for their marriage–after all, he’s learning full time because he feels that’s the most important thing he could be doing with his time, but his wife is pretty ambivalent about this tremendous expenditure of his time and money. My friend’s still undecided, but I think you get the picture–hashkafa can be a pretty strong benchmark of common life goals, which is one of the most important factors in marriage. By that token, I strongly disagree with the metaphor of a car, seeing as the features that are analogous with hashkafa are the most superficial ones, and semi-common hashkafos are a crucial factor in marriage.

By: bad4shidduchim

bad4shidduchim — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:52:36 +0000

By: Leilah

Leilah — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:00:57 +0000

I am insulted that I have been reduced to a mechanical object that is soley used for ease and comfort. You can kick the tires, check under the hood, choose the color. How come no one mentions taking it out for a test drive?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:24:21 +0000

i think the color of the car and its options do have a part in the car i canlearn alot aboutt a car by its external apperiance for example if i see a car that has GPS (built in ) or has mp4 (built in)i can say that this cars is not older than 5 years etc same with a person

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:51:58 +0000

I think following sports is a normal, healthy outlet for most frum guys if it isn’t extreme.
As far as the music, this might sound petty, but many couples spend a lot of time in the car together. Realistically, you won’t be talking the WHOLE time. I think you kinda have to agree on the music.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:54:12 +0000

LWY, yes, that’s what I thought. If that’s not what you meant, Ben, I apologize.

By: Lawyer-Wearing-Yarmulka

Lawyer-Wearing-Yarmulka — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:24:56 +0000

Ben, I think anon thought 4-6 was referring to dress size.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:15:20 +0000

anon-
I presume you are judging on my units of measurement for the trunk – I’m not planning on moving bodies in it, it is just a unit of volume in common usage in certain professions. But way to make judgments on single line.
Let me do the same. Go take your pills.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:39:11 +0000

“All I’m lookig for in a car is good engine, good brakes, good suspension, and a 4-6 body trunk.” YOU ARE A SICKO! You’ll deserve what you get…good luck.

By: Elitzur

Elitzur — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:34:56 +0000

The standard answer to is:
Halacha tells you what to do in a certain situation, hashkafa tells you whether you should be in such a situation in the first place.

Example: I work with non-Jews. Sometimes we have meetings and the like at non-kosher restaurants. Halacha tells me whether I can enter the restaurant, whether I can drink water, whether I can order undressed salad, etc.

My hashkafa tells me to get a job, to create in HaShem’s world, to value the general studies that are part of my job and to be an or lagoyim. At times that requires that I contemplate entrance into non-kosher restaurants. Certain people’s hashkafa would tell them that they should never be in the situation where it would come up that they may even think about such a restaurant.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:39:11 +0000

Profk – I like the car analogy. All I’m lookig for in a car is good engine, good brakes, good suspension, and a 4-6 body trunk. Everything else is negotiable.