How else to explain this story?
A 27-year-old man, claiming to be a yeshiva student, decided to launch an unusual protest against a court ruling allowing stores and restaurants to sell leavened food during the holiday of Passover. The man, dressed as a haredi, arrived Monday afternoon at a store belonging to the non-kosher Tiv Taam supermarket chain in the city of Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv. Upon his arrival, he undressed and remained with only a sock covering his private parts.
The man explained that he could not be prosecuted for an indecent act inWell, it is now, buddy. Thanks for sharing. Does Tiv Ta'am sell vomit bags?
public, because according to the court's interpretation of the leavened food law, a supermarket is not considered a public place. He even wrote on his stomach, "This isn't public???"
From my friend Mort: I wonder if it was a white tube sock, or if it was one of those fancy cris-crossed argyles that the haredim usually wear. Too bad there weren't any pictures.
No, I take that back. Thank G-d there weren't any pictures.
When my parents checked me into my dorm room the first day of college, there were already beer cans all over the table and this poster up on the wall. Can you say "uncomfortable"?
According to crazy dude, "I left the sock on because I'm religious." That's it-I know what I'm wearing to shul next Yom Kippur as I streak across the mechitzah. WHO'S WITH ME???(Thanks, Mort and Tony.)
6 comments:
Ha! I just KNEW that you would read this article before I had a chance to send it to you! :-)
My goodness there are just SOOOOOOO many hilarious comments to make, starting with what if he was one of those haredi who wear furry hats? What about if he was a haredi with the knee length pants and who, instead of socks, uses something that resembles sheer nylons?
And, by the way, the link DOES provide a picture, though not of the sock in question. This is not a bad looking guy. He obviously works out a little. As long as there is no back hair, well, I might just pay a dollar to see that protest.
Oh, and here's a question about the logic...
If the man claims that the supermarket is not a public place and he kept the sock on for religious reasons, does it then not follow that if he is in his home--also not a public place--he wears a sock in the same fashion?
No way this guy is legit. Seriously, if he was, whatever community he is a part of will definitely put a cherem on him!
He's probably a super-chiloni trying to make the religious in this here country look ridiculous. Sheesh, Benji. Just contributing to the split in our fair state, aren't you!
I declare a cherem on Benji Lovitt!
Is that like declaring a thumb war?
You had me rushing to Wikipedia to figure out what that meant.
Man I wish I had seen that.. not because of what it was but .. trying to explain that picture when I came home to my friends and family would be funny... well he was protesting.. uhmm protesting a grocery store.. having uhm.. products with leavening in them... thats one thing I doubt you would see in America..
I dunno. The Orthos in Maryland are pretty intense. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this happened in Potomac if a Jewish-owned grocery carried bread during Pesach as well. Or my own university's Hillel, for that matter... they've pulled similar stunts before when someone stupid (probably me, actually) brought something from outside the Hillel's kitchen into the dining room. ("It could have been in the room of a building that MIGHT have had PORK in it at some point in time!! HOW DARE YOU!" Really, now. Chill out, kids. I mean, I'm majoring in Jew. I know the laws as well as you do. I just think they're dumb. Only difference.)
I know I got a lot of shit for eating on Yom Kippur... I was leading the services, I'm hypoglycemic, I'm not allowed to fast, especially when I'm standing and playing guitar for two rounds of every service (yay for Reform services)... so, in attempt to be considerate, I went to the girl's bathroom to eat my snacks between services so I wouldn't be taunting anyone with my Goldfish and granola bars. Then two uber-religious chicks walk in (their service is still going on, so they're skipping out anyway, the slackers), see me munching on some Goldfish crackers, and start REAMING into me for breaking the fast, for making the bathroom unholy (the chametz rule applies to YK too? Beats me), for setting a horrible example for the Jewish community at Maryland by eating on the holiest fast day of the year inside the building where services are being led, yadda yadda yadda... I just let them finish their rant, stared at them for a minute after they finished... they were about to turn around and report me to the Ortho rabbi (would he care? maybe) when I started laughing, they demanded to know why, and I barely got the words out to explain that I have health reasons for eating, that I have to be back to lead another service in 5 minutes so didn't think I had time to go outside, and wouldn't God rather I not, you know, pass out in the middle of the Yizkor service, and isn't it funny that I know the ruling about health taking place over fasting better than they do? They just stared at me, then stormed out. They didn't even use the bathroom, which I presume was their original intention. I had a "stern" (read: trying not to laugh the whole time) talking-to from the Hillel director later, but even he thought the complaint was ridiculous and only said anything to me at all because the girls were across the room watching, still huffy and angry. Whatever.
Not as funny as a sock. But yeah, the super-religious are kinda crazy sometimes.
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