(Rabbi) Asher Meza

[xkatz]

I am wondering what the opinion of the "Orthodox" Jews of Judaism DIR are on this rabbi and his outlook/ideology.

 

[Tumah]

My opinion on him: he's nuts.
My opinion on his outlook: it's nuts.
My opinion on his ideology: nutty

The Talmud teaches that converts put Israel into a difficult position. We understand that this is for one of two reasons:
Either the convert ends up being righteous and those of us who were raised in the religion and do not act righteously are held even more accountable.
Or the convert doesn't end up being righteous and now we have another problem on our hands.

You see where I'm going I'm sure.

 

[xkatz]

My opinion on him: he's nuts.
My opinion on his outlook: it's nuts.
My opinion on his ideology: nutty

The Talmud teaches that converts put Israel into a difficult position. We understand that this is for one of two reasons:
Either the convert ends up being righteous and those of us who were raised in the religion and do not act righteously are held even more accountable.
Or the convert doesn't end up being righteous and now we have another problem on our hands.

You see where I'm going I'm sure.

I understand a problem with the latter point you make but not the former. TBH my problem is less so with his position on converts than he seems really anti-Hasidic. He thinks Maimonides has the only correct interpretation AFAIK, despite admitting in a debate with Michael Brown that there will be various interpretations because the messiah hasn't arrived yet.

 

[Tumah]

I understand a problem with the latter point you make but not the former. TBH my problem is less so with his position on converts than he seems really anti-Hasidic. He thinks Maimonides has the only correct interpretation AFAIK, despite admitting in a debate with Michael Brown that there will be various interpretations because the messiah hasn't arrived yet.

He debated Brown??

I think for one thing, the guy converts ostensibly to Orthodox Judaism and then decides that we're doing it all wrong. He's been studying Judaism for how long now? Who is he? Does he know the alef beis yet? You can't just walk into someone's house and start moving around the furniture.

Secondly, I don't think he follows Maimonides. I think he found Maimonides to agree with himself. But I'm not even sure that he is correctly interpreting Maimonides. The Yemenites who follow the Mishne Torah as opposed to the Shulchan Aruch and theoretically would be more knowledgeable in these matters, don't seem to see eye-to-eye with him. The Brisk yeshivos are also another group who learn Mishne Torah in depth. Although they generally stick with Kodshim and Taharos, they would most likely be aware of such a stance in Maimonides. Yet we've never heard a word from them either.

So what happens when one Lone Ranger comes around with the TRUTH that nobody else could figure out?

The same as another youtube member who is a convert to what he claims is Orthodox Judaism. Yet he makes videos telling people to pray Shemoneh Esreh with pishut yodayim v'raglayim or something - and some other things that I can't recall anymore - because that's what we used to do or something like that. What does he know about why we do what we do or what we don't do? From his two days of study?

To me, these are people with psychological issues, who are just expressingthose problems within a Jewish framework.

 

[Tumah]

Also, something I found that is very relevant.

 

[xkatz]

Also, something I found that is very relevant.

A very good and interesting read. I wonder if any other "Orthodox" Jews would mind providing some input on Meza *COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH*