I came to York to discuss how Shavuot relates to the choice to become Jewish. That’s not what it devolved into. A lot of fun that you could learn something from too. I preface: all views expressed by students do not reflect on my own.
I plan this week to follow this up with what I was actually going to speak about
First of all, I’d love to know what the student asked at 02:28.
And thank you for the shoutout!
And yes, I’m definitely gay. 100%. Nisht kein shaila. I had wanted to come out for years before this — anyone who is in my social circle knows of the torment, the emotional outbursts, the depression I’ve been through. I freestyle controversial statements — I have videos that we had to take down from YouTube for being too controversial. Controversy is easy.
No, this is the beginning of the rest of my life here. And I STILL believe in the Torah.
First of all, thank you Yitz for popping in. So I will tell you this.
First question: Who’s Y-Love? This was actually the worst for me since what I was saying got lost a bit on the example. Apparently once you leave the BT bubble people’s frame of reference of Jewish culture changes radically. I hope I did enough justice to you on explaining who you were.
Second question through however many: what does Judaism say about being gay and how does an Orthodox Jew play the line.
The first part I was actually hoping to really prep and give something solid. I know a bunch of stuff (you’ve seen Gil Student’s piece?) but I want to really prepare. Maybe that was stupid because they did want to know more about what we have to say about it.
The second part I’d actually like to talk to you about since well if I’m doing something not exactly on the approved behavior list I just say I’m working on it or make a lame excuse on occasion. I don’t think that’s the case here with you.
One question that has been racking my mind though: you did know what we had to say about it before you converted right?
I’m going to do a video on what I actually planned to speak about over there. Let me know what you think, and comments appreciated.
Shabbat Shalom
To be fair, I only saw the 1st part of the video. I stumbled upon this video googling myself.
Please understand – I tried my hardest not to be gay. I don’t know what precisely is expected of gay people. The overwhelming majority of us are never going to be able to pull off an opposite-sex relationship on any type of romantic level. I stayed in the closet for a decade. Why did I stay frum/become frum? Belief in G-d and the Torah, period.
This is why — and this is becoming a controversial statement — I believe that over time, halachic solutions for gay people are going to be found: you can not tell me that the same klal Yisra’el with definitions for everything from “fire” to “eating” to “cooking” has nothing to tell gay people but a blanket “no, it’s all an abomination.” There is a certain place that an issur starts and stops, and gay people can not be expected to pursue “kedusha” when “kedusha” is defined as changing one’s entire identity (because orientation IS identity, not behavior — the Torah, being infinite, must realize this and the failure is on us to see it).
Gay people have to be told how to live lives as good Jews, and this is going to involve much longer answers than “no”. Rabbis are going to have to listen to precisely what constitutes gay people’s lives, and pasken on individual things objectively. Without homophobia.
I’m not sure where you’re getting your stats on what most gays can and cannot do. You are of course aware that there are three general categories for gays: never had a straight thought in their life, institutional, and experimental. You are also aware that environmental factors can “cause” homosexuality, as some former homosexuals have attested to. It would seem that it is only the first group that you can expect rabbis to bend over backwards for. Excuse the expression.
You also know as well as well as I do that sexuality is fluid. Even Ellen DeGeneres admitted having a strange and unexplained crush on Justin Timberlake. I’m not 100% convinced that every gay person doesn’t have a straight counterpart they’d at least be somewhat happy with. I’ve heard too many stories of people switching teams in both directions.
I do admire your commitment to Torah despite. You deserve respect for it. Still don’t understand why you went all the way and didn’t just Noahide. Or was that just not an option presented to you?
The topic of homosexuality is far from new. The Tanakh addresses it. The Torah understands how difficult it is. Why are pork and mishkav zachar both called toevah? Because of their respective categories they are both the most appealing. Think about it: would you want to eat dog or sleep with your mom? That’s why the language is so harsh.
Yitz, where’d you go? Been waiting on you.