Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 14:46:14 -0400 
From: Sandy Bodzin <sb5i+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: On Hiding one's Beliefs
	<204651@unix.cis.pitt.edu>

Richard Thorne quotes Michael Shimshoni:

-  I understand  R.  Alter's motives pretty  well, or so it  seems to me.
-  He was encoding something he believes to  be the truth and part of his
-  religion as  he sees  it, but for  some reason he  does not  wish some
-  "outsiders"  to know  it.  I  consider a  person who  is not  ready to
-  openly admit his  beliefs a coward.  Even more so,  as both the "code"
-  he had used, and  the original text have been printed  and are open to
-  anyone  including  those terrible  "outsiders",  coding  this text  is
-  useless and to make this effort is rather silly.
-  
-  Perhaps I am in a "poor light" but at least I am not trying to keep my
-  views in the dark as Avrohom did and Balbin defends.
-  
-  Michael Shimshoni
 
To which Mr. Thorne replies:
 
>   What a Class A1 jerk.  I think that it is obvious that some would take
>this procedure which is in the realm of folk medicine and try to equate it
>with orthodox Judaism.  This procedure may sound silly but acupuncture
>was also derided at one time.  Now "modern science" is beginning to accept
>that there may be some substance to non-western medicine.  Unfortunately 
>there are people who would rather try to score points against one group or
>the other.  I really think that pure blind hatred has clouded your mind
>to reason Mr. Shimshoni.  You are as closed off to the real world as the
>Haredim that you despise.

>Richard Thorne  rdt@med.pitt.edu

Richard-

Firstly, the coding is ridiculous.  The post was made in "Ashkenazis"
Hebrew transliteration.  The Hebrew was to hide from those who don't
speak Hebrew (I suppose this worked).  The "Ashkenazis"  was put in to
confuse those who speak Ivrit, but do not embrace the yeshiva velt and
would be thrown off by words like:

>korim es zeh hepatitus.  Harefuah hamuzkar shum...

Boy, it would take a cryptographer to figure this stuff out!  

Secondly, and more importantly, the whole point of encoding the message
is wrong.  Richard Thorne defends the pigeon practice of Tzahevet
through an anology to acupuncture.  Well, if the practice is defendable,
then defend it.  If it's not then drop it.  And if the cure works, keep
doing it - if its detractors won't adopt the cure you can go frolic in
the sun while they suffer from hepatitis.

It seems that you're afraid of the fallout that may occur if people
learn that folk medicine is brought down in Orthodox tradition.  Let's
clear one thing up.  The point to be concerned about is not that
Orthodox tradition brings down a folk remedy.  Tradition goes back
before the age of modern medicine.  What actually concerns you is the
way such folk medicine would reflect on those who practice it today.  
But folk remedies are common, even today, in Judaism and in many
cultures, including "western" societies.  Why doesn't anyone make fun of
chicken soup as a treatment for the common cold?  1) because it works,
and 2) because nothing works any better.  Why should it be any different
regarding hepatitis?  If it works and modern medicine can't offer
anything better it should be adopted as well.  And if not, then go
frolic while they suffer.


Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish