Thursday, September 08, 2005
Kosher Ready House For Sale
What does Kosher Ready mean, in terms of a house? Is it like Kosher style, with all the look and feel of a frum home, but without all of the baggage? Does it mean that the phones come pre-programmed with Chinese take-out?
I may not know what it means, but there really is a house down the block, newly constructed, advertising just that.
I was thinking that it's kind of like a Jew. Every one of us is Kosher Ready. Some of us will keep Kosher, some of us won't. But just like a house is neutral, neither blessed or impure after construction, but becomes "Kosher" by virtue of the Jewish values that will be practiced within its walls, so too is the human being. We have an equal opportunity to embrace our heritage. We can sanctify the "walls" that make up our body. Or we can choose to "Treif" it up. Some may make choices out of ignorance, others out of conscience, but ultimately the difference between a Kosher Ready home and a Kosher Home is only how ready we are to accept responsibility for our own decisions.
I'm not saying a "Frum" person leads a better life than a "non-Frum" person. The "Frum" person can be guilty of ignorance and the "non-Frum" person may be acting on conscience. But we all start with the same potential, and have the opportunity to make the most out of our situation.
I may not know what it means, but there really is a house down the block, newly constructed, advertising just that.
I was thinking that it's kind of like a Jew. Every one of us is Kosher Ready. Some of us will keep Kosher, some of us won't. But just like a house is neutral, neither blessed or impure after construction, but becomes "Kosher" by virtue of the Jewish values that will be practiced within its walls, so too is the human being. We have an equal opportunity to embrace our heritage. We can sanctify the "walls" that make up our body. Or we can choose to "Treif" it up. Some may make choices out of ignorance, others out of conscience, but ultimately the difference between a Kosher Ready home and a Kosher Home is only how ready we are to accept responsibility for our own decisions.
I'm not saying a "Frum" person leads a better life than a "non-Frum" person. The "Frum" person can be guilty of ignorance and the "non-Frum" person may be acting on conscience. But we all start with the same potential, and have the opportunity to make the most out of our situation.
# posted by Josh : Thursday, September 08, 2005
Comments:
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Besides being a springboard for your philosophical outlook on being m'kadeish the chol, I'm guessing it probably just means that there are 2 sinks, 2 drawers in the kitchen for cutlery, at least 2 kitchen cabinets, etc.
"Better life" is a very vague choice of words, Josh, does thinking before one acts contribute to a "better life", or does it just make your life not the life of an animal, acting mechanically according to one's drives, which can be physical, mental, or spiritual, where the drive in the latter two would be acting out of rote? Did you mean to say that it invests life with meaning and purpose?
With regards to everyone starting life with "the same potential", I belive you are broaching a topic in Jewish philosophy that is much bigger than you think, and while you propose a nice fluffy idea of equality, it's not so cut and dried.
Gut shabbos.
"Better life" is a very vague choice of words, Josh, does thinking before one acts contribute to a "better life", or does it just make your life not the life of an animal, acting mechanically according to one's drives, which can be physical, mental, or spiritual, where the drive in the latter two would be acting out of rote? Did you mean to say that it invests life with meaning and purpose?
With regards to everyone starting life with "the same potential", I belive you are broaching a topic in Jewish philosophy that is much bigger than you think, and while you propose a nice fluffy idea of equality, it's not so cut and dried.
Gut shabbos.
# posted by 
: September 09, 2005 9:03 AM
: September 09, 2005 9:03 AM
Anon- I wish I knew who you are. Your thoughts are always so critical, so well thought out, and so respectful. I enjoy them.
I'm not sure that there are two sinks (not that I've checked). In my neighborhood, just being brand new and clean would be Kosher ready. And it my neighborhood it is absolutely out of place to advertise such a thing. This isn't Boro Park here.
As far as my "better life" vague wording, yes it was intentional. My closing paragraph wasn't meant as part of my little Vort. It was simply a disclaimer.
Thinking before you act doesn't necessarily make you better. It depends on what your thoughts. I would argue that if you think about your decisions within the context of a value system, than yes it does make you a better person. I'm not jealous of the person who goes through life without thinking, whether they are frum or not.
As far as people starting out with the same potential, you are correct. Things aren't as even as I proposed. But while we may not have the same abilities to accomplish the same goals, we all have the equal ability to choose the direction we will head.
I'm not sure that there are two sinks (not that I've checked). In my neighborhood, just being brand new and clean would be Kosher ready. And it my neighborhood it is absolutely out of place to advertise such a thing. This isn't Boro Park here.
As far as my "better life" vague wording, yes it was intentional. My closing paragraph wasn't meant as part of my little Vort. It was simply a disclaimer.
Thinking before you act doesn't necessarily make you better. It depends on what your thoughts. I would argue that if you think about your decisions within the context of a value system, than yes it does make you a better person. I'm not jealous of the person who goes through life without thinking, whether they are frum or not.
As far as people starting out with the same potential, you are correct. Things aren't as even as I proposed. But while we may not have the same abilities to accomplish the same goals, we all have the equal ability to choose the direction we will head.
Well said.
I once asked a Rav about how one can be funny with one's friends and create what we would call an icebreaker atmosphere while many gemaros imply that concrete manifestations of the yiras shamayim that is supposed to be felt in one's heart take the form of speaking very little, realizing before Whom one is speaking ,etc.; to the extent that Rambam in Deios 2 codifies this and says that silence is more than just a virtue? He explained that such statements of Chazal have to be understood in their proper context: Such statements are speaking about staying away from issurim and are valid in their own right; however, they must be viewed simultaneously with the idea in Avos of being "nocheh lab'riyos". In other words, as long as one thinks before he makes the joke (i'm assuming of course that it is clean and isn't violating any prohibitions, i.e. crude) that he is fulfilling the precept of being fun to be around and not being someone who is "sonei lab'riyos", then it is perfectly legitimate and acceptable to make the joke.
In fact, look at the Gedolim, well at least most of them, are they not all sharp and witty, making you feel comfortable around them?
In short, I'm agreeing with your statement that one should think before one acts and put it into the perspective of an a priori value system, in this case, the Torah.
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I once asked a Rav about how one can be funny with one's friends and create what we would call an icebreaker atmosphere while many gemaros imply that concrete manifestations of the yiras shamayim that is supposed to be felt in one's heart take the form of speaking very little, realizing before Whom one is speaking ,etc.; to the extent that Rambam in Deios 2 codifies this and says that silence is more than just a virtue? He explained that such statements of Chazal have to be understood in their proper context: Such statements are speaking about staying away from issurim and are valid in their own right; however, they must be viewed simultaneously with the idea in Avos of being "nocheh lab'riyos". In other words, as long as one thinks before he makes the joke (i'm assuming of course that it is clean and isn't violating any prohibitions, i.e. crude) that he is fulfilling the precept of being fun to be around and not being someone who is "sonei lab'riyos", then it is perfectly legitimate and acceptable to make the joke.
In fact, look at the Gedolim, well at least most of them, are they not all sharp and witty, making you feel comfortable around them?
In short, I'm agreeing with your statement that one should think before one acts and put it into the perspective of an a priori value system, in this case, the Torah.
# posted by : September 11, 2005 5:31 PM
: September 11, 2005 5:31 PM<< Home
