(this is a featured post and will stay at the top for the foreseeable future.. scroll down for new posts) -------------------------------...
Sep 9, 2009
Chumra of the Month
I haven't done a "Chumra of the Month" in a while, but this one I just heard gets the nod...
I do not stop my car at pedestrian crosswalks to allow female pedestrians to cross the street ahead of my car. It is inappropriate for me to sit there watching her walk across the street right in front of me. Instead, if I see a woman waiting at the crosswalk to cross, I speed up and drive right through...
Reminds me of what someone once showed me in a sefer (many many years ago, no clue which sefer it was) - It stressed how it is essentially assur for passengers in a car to look out the window as it is near certain that they will see something inappropriate. Then, the sefer continued to point out that really, it is assur for the driver himself to look out the window(!)... if not for the sakanos nefashos involved!
In Brooklyn this appears to be the inyun and when I spoke to a Rav about it he confirmed that this was the local minhag.
It is common practice to drive through stop signs, intersections and not look both ways or into mirrors to prevent being over the chiyuv of not acknowledging that women exist.
And, by the way, to point out two things from this article: 1) A "conviction" isn't what should hurt Biton's chances to become a dayan. What he did, captured on video, should be enough - even without the conviction! 2) If Drori acquitted Biton due to pressure from Rav Amar and Minister Yishai (rather than the facts of the case), then that's a good enough reason to keep him off the High Court!
I have no problem with someone taking on this Chumra but they shouldn't be a tzadik on the lady who wants to cross the road's cheshbon, instead they should get the bus and not drive.
Shimon - you obviously are assuming he can take a mehadrin bus to where he needs to go. chas v'shalom to use a regular bus and see women in front of you..
Rafi, On the bus a Tzadik can close his eyes and let the driver get the averot for him, which he can't do when he is driving.... Hang on! Maybe a true Mehadrin bus should only have Women drivers. It really can't be considered Mehadrin if the driver is looking at all the "michsholim" crossing the road!
if the driver is a woman, all the men getting ont he bus and paying will be forced to look at her. and do they hand her the money or card or would there be a bowl for them to drop it into and from which to receive their change?
This is hilarious - akin to the anti-gentlemanly practice of letting the man go through the door first, otherwise he'll check out her posterior as she walks in front of him. Or the one advising women not to wear seatbelts properly across their torsos so as not to accentuate their chest. Quite interesting.
the mind boggles! where did you get that?
ReplyDeleteyou like it?
ReplyDeleteI could tell you, but I'd have to kill you!
Reminds me of what someone once showed me in a sefer (many many years ago, no clue which sefer it was) - It stressed how it is essentially assur for passengers in a car to look out the window as it is near certain that they will see something inappropriate. Then, the sefer continued to point out that really, it is assur for the driver himself to look out the window(!)... if not for the sakanos nefashos involved!
ReplyDeleteWhat if it's one of the righteous burka ladies?
ReplyDeleteshe probably would not know she was ta a crosswalk and would walk right into traffic anyway because her eyes are covered!
ReplyDeleteis this for real, or did the person suggest it as a joke?
ReplyDeletekt,
josh
I heard it suggested, half serious half in jest. I don't know that it is actually being adhered to
ReplyDeleteIn Brooklyn this appears to be the inyun and when I spoke to a Rav about it he confirmed that this was the local minhag.
ReplyDeleteIt is common practice to drive through stop signs, intersections and not look both ways or into mirrors to prevent being over the chiyuv of not acknowledging that women exist.
Well, it seems that Itamar Biton was ahead of his time!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vosizneias.com/35482/2009/07/23/jerusalem-supreme-court-convicts-rabbinical-student-who-ran-over-woman/
And, by the way, to point out two things from this article:
1) A "conviction" isn't what should hurt Biton's chances to become a dayan. What he did, captured on video, should be enough - even without the conviction!
2) If Drori acquitted Biton due to pressure from Rav Amar and Minister Yishai (rather than the facts of the case), then that's a good enough reason to keep him off the High Court!
I have no problem with someone taking on this Chumra but they shouldn't be a tzadik on the lady who wants to cross the road's cheshbon, instead they should get the bus and not drive.
ReplyDeleteShimon - you obviously are assuming he can take a mehadrin bus to where he needs to go. chas v'shalom to use a regular bus and see women in front of you..
ReplyDeleteRafi,
ReplyDeleteOn the bus a Tzadik can close his eyes and let the driver get the averot for him, which he can't do when he is driving.... Hang on! Maybe a true Mehadrin bus should only have Women drivers. It really can't be considered Mehadrin if the driver is looking at all the "michsholim" crossing the road!
if the driver is a woman, all the men getting ont he bus and paying will be forced to look at her. and do they hand her the money or card or would there be a bowl for them to drop it into and from which to receive their change?
ReplyDeletea real mehadrin bus system would have buses for men, and buses for women.
ReplyDeleteanything else is an unacceptable compromise.
This is hilarious - akin to the anti-gentlemanly practice of letting the man go through the door first, otherwise he'll check out her posterior as she walks in front of him. Or the one advising women not to wear seatbelts properly across their torsos so as not to accentuate their chest. Quite interesting.
ReplyDelete