How did Rabbinic Judaism, ever get off the ground in the first place? A Story

Originally published 1/3/10, 9:01 PM.
The epitome of this blog post below:

«It's my experience that even the believers are skeptics to new concepts, gezeiros, etc.»

How true. No amount of evidence will change most people's minds once they're made up.

"Still a Jew hears what he/she wants to hear and disregards the rest" [apologies to Paul Simon]


And it's even harder to change what they do.

Enjoy this cute snippet.

KT,
RRW

How did Rabbinic Judaism ever get off the ground in the first place?

Imagine, if you will. Chaim Yankel comes home from the First Congregation Anshe Yavneh Shul around 10:30 Shabbos morning in the year 101 AD.

"Shprintze, I'm home - "
""You're so late!"
"Well," he said, "we had a new Rav in shul today, and he made us repeat the shmoneh Esrai"
"You're kidding. What for?"
"He called it Chazoras Hashatz".
"Hmmm," she says, rearranging the table.
"You can't do that," said Chaim Yankel.
"Why not?"
"That's Muktzeh!"
"What's that?"
"Err, never mind..."
She rushes to kiss him.
"Stop!"
"What's the matter?"
"You're a Niddah!"
"What?"
"You're a Niddah."
"No I'm not. I'm a Zavah."
"Not anymore you ain't. And we now have Harchakos."

"The next day, Chaim Yankel, whose kids were all married off, found himself signing up at the "Second Congregation Anshe Yavneh". The Reish Gelusah is not getting to first base with his mispalelim, no matter what kind of believers they are. It's my experience that even the believers are skeptics to new concepts, gezeiros, etc.


But! The Resh Gelusa will have success in introducing this "stuff" to the kinderlach in yeshiva. It is the kinderlach who look at the bowl of fruit and refuse to eat the strawberries. »

From:
Baal Habos:
March 2009
http://baalhabos.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html