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Apr 7, 2015
checking for chametz
This is reported on Ynet, so I don't know if it is reliable or not - visitors to parks are being checked for chametz this holiday.
In some places they checks for knives and guns before allowing entry into a public area. In other places they check for religious contraband (Har Habayit), and at parks they now check for bread and pretzels.
I remember hearing from a "kiruv professional" that the two most impressive statistics regarding religion in Israel were the percentages of people who observe (in some way) Yom Kippur (fasting) and Pesach (the seder, and staying away from chametz). This "kiruv professional" said that the reason the percentage on these items is so high is because there is no law obligating it - if there were a law, people would become antagonistic to fasting on Yom Kippur and to observing Pesach.
So now we are checking for sandwiches the way TSA checks for baby bottles before getting onto an airplane?
These security guards are very machmir about their bedikas chametz. They do their bedika from erev pesach all the way through the chag. longest bedika I ever heard of!
Nothing good can come of this.
In some places they checks for knives and guns before allowing entry into a public area. In other places they check for religious contraband (Har Habayit), and at parks they now check for bread and pretzels.
I remember hearing from a "kiruv professional" that the two most impressive statistics regarding religion in Israel were the percentages of people who observe (in some way) Yom Kippur (fasting) and Pesach (the seder, and staying away from chametz). This "kiruv professional" said that the reason the percentage on these items is so high is because there is no law obligating it - if there were a law, people would become antagonistic to fasting on Yom Kippur and to observing Pesach.
So now we are checking for sandwiches the way TSA checks for baby bottles before getting onto an airplane?
These security guards are very machmir about their bedikas chametz. They do their bedika from erev pesach all the way through the chag. longest bedika I ever heard of!
Nothing good can come of this.
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Was the "kiruv professional" Yair Lapid? He said exactly that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a widespread sentiment - people like religion so long as another human being isn't lording it over then.
DeleteGood insight, Rafi!
ReplyDeletewhat a chilul hashem!!
ReplyDeletehttp://thepartialview.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-following-anonymous-article-was.html
Sorry, big disagree. A) like you stated, since it is a Ynet article reporting about Jewish issues, we don't have the whole picture or exactly what interaction was. B) I don't agree with the 'kiruv professional's take on it. There are many Jewish laws that are not forced on people (oh, someone remember 'Shabbat'?), but does not mean that everyone is running out to keep it. C) The law explicitly forbids selling Chametz. If you want to be kosher (vast majority of supermarkets) the Rabanut requires you to not sell chamtez so frankly, it's (mainly fresh bread) not readily available.
ReplyDeleteWhat we have is a 'status quo' is Israeli/Jewish life. Yom Kippur fasting and keeping Pesach are already part of secular Israeli culture and here to stay. The YK fasting is now some endurance/health feat, and the Pesach thing is well, hard not to keep but people do shop at Arab stores and keep pita's in the freezer.
BUT, baruch Hashem that the non-religious do mitzvot, even if bedievad and without kavanah. The soul is pure and strives to stay dedicated despite, even if just a bit.