Comments on: The Rabbis Don’t Want You To Know

By: michael

michael — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:11:28 +0000

Scratch that, the full item 10 was correct as well.

By: michael

michael — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:09:48 +0000

I guess I meant “told him” as opposed to “made him”, will fix now. As for the others, I suggest you have another look at the opening paragraph.

By: Rich Medved

Rich Medved — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:38:23 +0000

Item 10 is incorrect. At Ezekiel’s request, God allowed him to change the instruction to using cow dung.

Most of the other “Rabbis don’t want you to know” is just silly bacause it is all stated in simple language right in the Biblical text.

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By: michael

michael — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:51:29 +0000

Yep, the title was more of a joke (there’s just the comic effect of pronouncing “the rabbis don’t want you to know” in a grave voice). I tried looking for the original comedian on YouTube but failed.

However I do think many rabbis wouldn’t be comfortable discussing these passages because they undermine modern “sophisticated” ideas about God and the Bible.

The urine section is in the part of the service where we recite things about the [Temple] service from the 3 sources (Mikra/Mishna/Gemara) — I was just puzzled that of the 100s of passages from the Gemara about the service they picked that one.

Also would you say that by teaching controvercial topics (at least some of the time) the student interest can be increased?

By: Joel

Joel — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:45:52 +0000

I hardly find most of these things those that the Rabbis don’t want you to know. The fact that you were not taught them openly in school is likely due to other factors, such as the teachers not quite being brave enough to discuss Philistine foreskins, and for good reasons, and presuming there were more important things to talk about.

Truth is, the episodes you mention from Genesis to Deuteronomy are encouraged regular reading for all synagogue-attending Jews. One may argue that the rabbis didn’t want us to know about things that have been excluded from sections read as haftarot, but a number of the items you list were.

The passages you cite would have been more relevant and appropriate for people of a different time. Modern Jews choose to make other parts more relevant to themselves personally, communally or otherwise. The fact that different portions of the bible are reapplied (or elided) in each generation is nothing new, and really is a fact for any seminal literary work, but especially one that people choose to live their lives by.

And the passage regarding urine relates to the make-up of the incense, which is considered a particularly important “azkara” which allows us to substitute for temple service by its description. In particular, its details are largely specified by the Oral Law and hence also have an elevated status in their role of affirming the rabbinic tradition.

Rather, I would say that the problem here is: (a) low levels of interest from students; (b) the pedagogic necessity of avoiding some controversial subject matter which is tangential to the educational objectives; (c) poor Jewish education systems.

What contemporary rabbis actually don’t want you to know include things like “the textual integrity of the torah has long been questioned and discussed by major rabbinic authorities”.

By: michael

michael — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:40:00 +0000

Ah yes the old “nevertheless they do not bring urine into the Temple” line!

What a weird passage to select. On the other hand it’s probably just our 21st century sensibilities where thanks to modern sewage systems urine isn’t a daily part of life.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:38:23 +0000

Speaking of being bored during prayers, I remember our friend Simon would often point to me a certain passage in the prayers. If you still have that little brown prayer book we used, it was the second paragraph on p36/37.

It involved Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel talking about bleaching onycha with Cyprus wine to make it “pleasing” or “pungent”. He then went on to say “Even though urine is more suitable for that, nevertheless they do not bring urine into the Temple out of respect”.

He found it quite amusing that religious people would say this every morning during prayers.

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:08:59 +0000

Sorry, I didn’t realise the addresses would be hyperlinked automatically. The culprits are those pesky full stops. Here they are again, sans periods:

http://www.thebricktestament.com/genesis/rape_treachery_and_slaughter/gn34_24.html
http://www.thebricktestament.com/david_vs_saul/david_mutilates_200_gets_married/1s18_27b.html
http://www.thebricktestament.com/david_vs_saul/a_song_for_jonathan_and_saul/2s01_26.html