Nov 21, 2012

Chassidim and Chassidei Shoteh

This is dangerous, and probably criminal. The people who put the sign on this door definitely have qualified for the status of "Chassid Shoteh".




The image is of the door to a public bomb shelter in Ashdod. Ashdod, as we all know, is very close to the Gaza border and has been hit badly by Kassam rockets. Bomb shelters in Ashdod are necessary, and their accessibility must be assured.

The sign on the door says, "Under the direction of the rabbonim, shlit"a, this bomb shelter is designated for men and bachurim (male students) alone".

Meaning, women who find themselves in the area when a Code Red siren blares, can't go into that bomb shelter but will have to spend their 45-60 seconds or so running a couple blocks over to the next bomb shelter.

The stupidity of those responsible for this sign is in direct contrast to the hassidim from a couple of days ago who made the effort to help save a woman who needed assistance when the siren went off. Those are chassidim, while these are chassidei shoteh.


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20 comments:

  1. I know the sign says what it says but I almost can't believe anyone would be that stupid, even when it comes to "tznius". I would contact someone that knows about this miklat and ask what the deal is.

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  2. Just remove any such sign you see.

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    Replies
    1. I honestly can't fathom how people can be so stupid..

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  3. Jewish religious extremists are just as bad as Islamic ones. Those responsible should be put on trial for attempted murder.

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  4. If I were there, I would take the sign down.

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  5. Tsk, tsk. If the extremists catch you taking the sign down, they'll call you "kofer!" Then they'll physically attack you in the name of their merciful deity.

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  6. Not just stupid. Maybe even criminal, since they potentially endanger anyone who heeds the sign.

    And FWIW, 'shoteh' is an adjective. When the noun becomes plural, as in hasidim, so must the modifier. hasidim shotim. This message brought to you by Avshalom Kor... ;-)

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    1. If Rafi would have written "chasidim shoteh", you'd have a point. But with the possessive "chasidei", I believe he is correct in using the singular modifier.

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    2. I wasnt gonna argue, because I dont have enough knowledge of dikduk to back up any argument. but I was pretty sure I used it correctly. thanks.

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  7. Not just stupid, more like deranged. Irrational, hateful, and worthy of a punch in the nose!

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  8. One hopes any woman who is nearby when a siren sounds disregards the sign and goes inside. At that point it is clearly pikuach nefesh, and anyone who objects is in the wrong.

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  9. I'm curious, does anyone know where this actually is in Ashdod? Is there another door immediately to the right of it for women? Is it in a Shul/ Beit Midrash? I'm not condoning it either way merely asking. If that is the case, I would assume the Women are all for it, since they on generally on the same page as their male counterparts.

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  10. "One hopes any woman who is nearby when a siren sounds disregards the sign and goes inside. At that point it is clearly pikuach nefesh, and anyone who objects is in the wrong."

    And the fanatics inside will run out into the rocket barrage? How is that saving lives?

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  11. Either expelling her or running out of the shelter themselves is clearly incorrect, IMHO.

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  12. שומר פתאים ה
    They should just stand outside and anticipate divine protection in the merit of their extra zealousness for modesty.
    For some reason the phrase self-selection comes to mind, I just can't place the quote....

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  13. Whoever put the sign up probably made it up, otherwise they wouldn't have to cite rabbis anonymously.

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    1. anonymous rabbonim probably, I assumed, refer to their own community rabbis. ashdod has a big gerrer community, and we know how the gerrers relate to women and separation of the genders. I dont know that this is ger, but I think it is safe to assume at least some similar situation.

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  14. i wonder if the whole thing was a fake, ya'ani someone printed out the page, taped it up, took a picture and uploaded it and then ripped it down.

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  15. I'm sure they only put the sign up because they were planning on learning gemara in the miklat and women aren't permitted to learn gemara.

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