Open Forum: Response

MIT student says "Shomer Shabbat-style" has no validity

(Editor's Note: As we wrote in the first issue of the KOACH Ezine: "From time to time we’ll bring you interesting opinion pieces meant to inspire discussion." You have responded to our call and we present here a first response. There are those readers for whom the initial piece rang true and others for whom it did not resonate at all. We expect that the responses will yield similar reactions. As this section's name suggests, these are your opinions. KOACH neither endorses nor condemns them. If we have gotten you to think more about the subject at hand, then we have achieved the goal of the KOACH Ezine Open Forum. Send your responses to koachoncampus@koach.org. Let the games begin!)

By William Friedman
William Friedman
MIT Class of 2002

As horrified as I was to read Gil Varod's recent piece celebrating his "Shomer Shabbat-style" lifestyle, I am more horrified by KOACH On Campus' decision to publish it, particularly as the inaugural Open Forum article.

Presenting this article, in which the author brazenly advertises his Shabbat violations and expresses only minimal and vague remorse for them, as a motivator for "discussion," implies that there might be some validity to the viewpoints contained within. Any halakhically committed Jew can assure you that there is absolutely no validity whatsoever to "Shomer Shabbat-style" living unless it serves as a stepping stone to a fully halakhic Shabbat.

(To be even more precise, violations at "stepping stones" are still violations, but might be considered beshogeg [unintentional].)

I also object to the term "Shomer Shabbat-style." Much like the term "kosher-style," it is misleading and disingenuous. Moreover, that this was published in an official Conservative Movement journal without any disclaimer whatsoever that the contents are not endorsed or support by the Movement implies that the Conservative Movement (at minimum) approves of the viewpoints contained within, which, even if not true, possibly violates the issurim (prohibitions) of marit ayin (appearing to sin) and of "lifnei iver lo titen michshol" (do not place a stumbling block before the blind).

There are so many topics worthy of real discussion, that I wonder why it was needed to kick off the forum with an article that will clearly draw the lines between those striving to be halakhically observant and those who are not (yet) halakhically observant, rather than one which might help m'kareiv (draw close) those in the latter group to the former.

William Friedman
MIT Class of 2002