Seen in Jerusalem.
Photo: Miriam Woelke
B"H
I went to Rabbi Mordechai Machlis' house last Friday night. Not too prepared, as I had just returned from Tiberias and was tired. A friend of mine pushed me to the Machlis' and here we were. Well, I was in pants and death tired.
And when I wear pants, of course, some people from Mea Shearim have to run into me. They hardly ever do so when I wear a skirt and I am dressed in my worst modesty. Once I am not, everyone just comes running and the same happened at the Machlis house.
An aquaintance of mine from Batei Ungarin (Mea Shearim backyard) was also at the Machlis' and saw me in Jeans. She is a divorced Baalat Teshuva and thus, knows the "sinful" world. However, her first reaction was whether I had also come by car. Well, if I wear jeans so I must drive a car on Shabbat.
I did't really understand her logic and told her that I don't take taxis or any cars on Shabbat.
Then a guy I know started talking to me and the young Mea Shearim woman asked me if I have an affair with him. I wear jeans, probably drive on Shabbat and thus I must be a slut as well. She didn't use the word "slut" but her accusations were going into that direction.
I told her that I don't use cars on Shabbat and that I simply know the guy and talk to him. TALK and not having sex with him.
What came into my mind were two things:
1. She is definitely going to tell my Mea Shearim friends from the same backyard about my pants. Maybe about the "car" and the "boyfriend" too.
2. Why is she complaining at all ?
At the Machlis', people do not sit behind a Mechitzah or in other words: There is no gender separation in the livingroom.
The meat served by the Machlis family has the "Rabbi Rubin Hechsher" which is not acceptable in Batei Ungarin. Even the Belzer Chassidim don't eat "Rabbi Rubin".
Tomorrow night I will be at the Machlis' again. Probably wearing pants but walking and not using a car. Talking to some males I know and not turning into a slut. However, as soon as I will be back in Batei Ungarin, I am the car using immodestly dressed slut.
See what can happen when you come home tired and a friend pushes you to do something in order to get some chickensoup for your ongoing cold.
where can i get a copy of the takanos of toldos aharon ? are there any bookshops in mea shearim, or even batei ungarin, that sell this ?
ReplyDeletedo the avraham yitzhok and mishkenos haroim also have takanos
B"H
ReplyDeleteThe Jewish National Library (Olam Gershom Scholem) in Jerusalem has parts of the TA Takanot which are listed in a book written by Rabbi Aharon Roth (Ratha). However, those are the very basic ones and I once wrote about them here on this blog:
http://shearim.blogspot.com/2009/12/basic-toldot-aharon-takanot-part-1.html
I still haven't made it to the second part but it will come.
Nevertheless, the real present Takanot are only for members and not available to any outsider !
You can look around at the bookstores in Mea Shearim but it won't help you too much, as the group keeps its laws secret.
About the Mishkenot HaRoim I don't know but Toldot Avraham Yitzchak basically have the same basic laws as the TA. However, their Rebbe added his own customs which mainly come from Vishnitz. He once studied with the Vishnitzer Rebbe.