http://www.radicaltorah.org/2007/04/24/243/reconstructing-tradition-a-call-for-communal-mourning-over-the-iraq-war-during-the-omer-mourning-period/ Sources for the Jewish Social Action Community Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:05:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6-beta1 http://www.radicaltorah.org/2007/04/24/243/reconstructing-tradition-a-call-for-communal-mourning-over-the-iraq-war-during-the-omer-mourning-period/#comment-5079 Matthew Gindin Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:39:29 +0000 http://www.radicaltorah.org/2007/04/24/reconstructing-tradition-a-call-for-communal-mourning-over-the-iraq-war-during-the-omer-mourning-period/#comment-5079 B"H Very positively provocative dvar Torah, thank you. I ama Canadian, and I, like many other Canadians, feel more disconnected from the Iraq war (although more concerned with the war in Afghanistan). It seems mostly to fuel the typical unfair Canadian chauvinist reponses about the "stupid americans". In any case, I like the general idea of using the Omer period as a time to think of how our communities fuel conflict, not peace. I think about Canadian involvement in shady mining ventures in South America, and in financing China's railroad to Tibet, whose main passengers are Ethnocide and Exploitation. And other examples, of course. Let's all light candles, and think of what we can do. One other comment: not to be anal, but as one student to another- the logical priniciple "kal v'chomer" means "if so in this minor case, how much more so in this major example of something similar" if I am not mistaken. It doesn't mean " and one more example" or "all the more so given this". A word to the wise. Thank you, and a meanigful sefirat ha-omer. Matthew B”H
Very positively provocative dvar Torah, thank you. I ama Canadian, and I, like many other Canadians, feel more disconnected from the Iraq war (although more concerned with the war in Afghanistan). It seems mostly to fuel the typical unfair Canadian chauvinist reponses about the “stupid americans”. In any case, I like the general idea of using the Omer period as a time to think of how our communities fuel conflict, not peace. I think about Canadian involvement in shady mining ventures in South America, and in financing China’s railroad to Tibet, whose main passengers are Ethnocide and Exploitation. And other examples, of course. Let’s all light candles, and think of what we can do.
One other comment: not to be anal, but as one student to another- the logical priniciple “kal v’chomer” means “if so in this minor case, how much more so in this major example of something similar” if I am not mistaken. It doesn’t mean ” and one more example” or “all the more so given this”. A word to the wise.
Thank you, and a meanigful sefirat ha-omer.
Matthew

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