7/29/2019 Are You Shomer

1/1

Are you shomer?

Shomer what? Shomer not handing change to a female as an excuse to look at her? Shomer notgazing at womens clothes hung on a wall, kal vchomer when theyre wearing them? Shomer notwinking and making hand gestures? Shomer not facilitating urination by hand unless married?Shomer keeping my hands above my belly button even if Ive been stabbed? Shomer not gazing

at womens pinkies? Shomer not gazing at other peoples wives, even if theyre ugly? Shomer notwalking behind women if possible? Shomer not making jokes about sex and saying 'Behold! Notdefiling one's mouth is only a safeguard!"?Oh, shomer negiyah?It seems that everyone at Brandeis becomes aware at some point of the Jewish Torah law not to

touch anyone of the opposite gender other than your spouse (and family). Though most of themthink it just means "he won't shake you're hand". Yes, this is suppsoed to be strange anddifficult, for a Jew trying to maintain holiness, the emotional drama runs quite deep and ofcourse anyone fighting temptation is considered abnormal in the eyes of the sex-driven culturewe live in.

, , ( , ), . , ,

, ,, . , '

The popular term for those who do not bring such death upon themselves is Shomer Negiyah,

a parallel term to the only mitzvah which traditionally has the term Shomer in its observance,i.e. Shomer Shabbat (much like the term Orthodox, the term Shomer Negiyah was inventedby people who are not Shomer Negiyah).I guess such a term is necessary for people to identify themselves as not shomer negiyahbecause without identifying themselves as such, I would assume they are shomer negiyah, the

same way I assume a person professing to be a Jew is Shomer Shabbos.But in keeping with the Torahs prohibition to touch women that arent yours, our sages gave usmany more fences intended to keep our camp holy, guarding both against lustfulness andcausing jealousy or even suspicions of unfaithfulness. Why arent there specific terms for peoplewho dont keep these fences?

So if a person tells me theyre not shomer negiyah trying to imply that they follow the Torah ingeneral except this one thing. Thats okay, its hard, especially if you're not used to it or go to fratparties on Friday night instead of learning Torah.

But for people who use the term not Shomer Negiyah as a lchatchila position, well, the Mishnain Sanhedrin 1:11 describes the fate of those who deny a single precept lchatchila.

So please, next time you tell me, Im not Shomer youll have to be more specific.Especially I am so keenly interested in the exact parameters of you sexual deviancy and applaudyour bravery in taking a critical eye to the Halachic process for the sake of Hashems honorby

the way, this line was sarcastic in case you couldnt tell.