• From time immemorial, the Jewish attitude towards war is described succinctly by one of our greatest warriors, King David, who said in Psalm 20 : “Some trust in chariots and some in horses,  but we trust in the name of Hashem, our God.” In general, although we have been often called upon to fight, we know that our true power comes from G-d’s help, and not only from human strength.  There are innumerable verses in the Jewish Bible that attest to this.
   
• In keeping with this idea, from the time of Moses and on, there was always a dual track of draftees who were conscripted to serve the people.  Numbers 31:4 states “A thousand for each tribe, a thousand for each tribe, from all the tribes of Israel you shall send into the army."  The Talmud teaches that this means that for every thousand sent into battle, there were an additional thousand who were dedicated to learn Torah and serve G-d full time to invoke merit for Divine mercy during this difficult time.  Theologically then, those who are learning full time are also serving in a vital capacity in defense of the nation.   Obviously, this does not mean that an unlimited number should be in this service, the concept nevertheless is clear.  See here for a fuller development of this concept.
   
• Fast forward to the early 20^th century.   It goes beyond the scope of this short answer to describe this in detail, but there were very different attitudes that developed in the Orthodox world in regard to Zionism and the State of Israel.  Very broadly, one could describe the Religious Zionists, who were very supportive of the formation of the State and served proudly in her army on the one hand, the anti-Zionist Ultra-Orthodox Hareidi on the other extreme who were opposed to the formation of the State and to serving in her army, and a large middle ground of what I would call the non-Zionists, who were ambivalent about the state, and held similar views about army service.   (I wrote about this division and its implications for today here .)  Based on these concerns alone, there was always a principled resistance within the Hareidi movement to army service for the Zionist enterprise, which remains for some today. 
   
• The Holocaust is a major factor in this discussion as well.   While there is enormous deserved attention devoted to the horror and cruelty of the Holocaust in the brutal killing of so many millions, not as much is written of the sea change that was caused in the role of Traditional Jewry, the erstwhile majority of the Jewish people, who at least nominally lived under the guidance of the great Torah scholars and Yeshivot of Central and Eastern Europe.   When the accursed Nazis, may their names be blotted out, destroyed virtually the entire Torah world, there remained a terrible paucity of Torah scholarship that was in grave danger of extinction.  The persecution of Jews in Arab lands as well led to a severe crisis of Torah scholarship within the Sefardic community as well. 
  
  Both in America and in Palestine/Israel, there remained only a miniscule number of great Rabbis and scholars who had escaped the conflagration, who found themselves living within a society that was largely hostile to traditional Jewish scholarship.  They understood that it was absolutely vital that Torah scholarship, the timeless spiritual energy source for the Jewish people, be planted again on new shores and restarted with all hands on deck.  Some of those great scholars who had survived, notably Rabbi Yosef Kahaneman of Ponovezh, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (the Chazon Ish), and others in Israel, and Rabbis Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, Rav Aharon Kotler, and Rav Joseph B Soloveichik and others  in the USA  became the heroes of a movement to restore Torah scholarship to its original glory, and set out to conscript any young man who was willing to devote himself to Torah study at a high level to take part in this highest of national priorities.
   
• This effort was initially met with much skepticism from those who were busy writing the epitaphs for Orthodox Judaism, confident that it would never take root in the “New World”.   In a famous meeting, the Chazon Ish extracted a promise from Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion that those who devoted themselves full time to Torah study would not be drafted while they remained at their studies.  Ben-Gurion later was quoted as saying that he agreed to this because it was not worth having a civil war over the few hundred yeshiva students, who in any case represented a world that would soon die a natural death due to their being out of date and out of touch.
   
• Fast forward to today. (I told you this would be a short summary – there is much that I am leaving out).  The Yeshiva movement has been successful beyond the wildest dreams of the Rabbis of yesteryear.   The Orthodox community and the Yeshivot are growing, vibrant and dynamic, and pulsating with reborn life.  It is truly a modern miracle that the Yeshiva world of Europe has not only been restored, but according to many (certainly in terms of sheer numbers) been surpassed.  Rather than the few hundred students that Ben Gurion saw, we were witness a few weeks ago to the Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi, which saw hundreds of thousands around the world celebrate the completion of the entire Talmud by thousands dedicated to this remarkable study.
  
  As part of this successful resurgence, there are now (at least) many tens of thousands of young men of draftable age who are studying full time and therefore by law, not able to work or earn money to support themselves or their families.  Far from being a tiny fringe group, there is now a very significant number of dedicated learners, who are seen by a non-appreciating secular community as draft-dodging freeloaders, and hence the problem that we now face.   This is exacerbated by the fact that virtually every young man in the community is still expected to devote years to full time study, when truth be told not every person has the aptitude, discipline or interest to do so, and thus there are all too many who while nominally are enrolled as students, who are seen pursuing non-sacred interests as well.
  
  A question that is, and should be, raised is whether it is still necessary to exempt every single young man from Army service, or whether the Torah world has been sufficiently reconstituted to the point that only those who truly show promise as the future scholars, teachers and leaders be granted the exemption, while others ought to be required to participate in National service and do their fair share like everyone else.
   
• Another complicating factor in this discussion that is not well known is the role that the IDF has in Israeli society.   Although far less so today than in the early days of the State, the Israel Defense Forces has played a major beyond its primary mandate of being a military institution, serving as a “melting pot” consciously been designed to transform the various immigrant groups with their religious, ethnic, and cultural differences into the “Modern Israeli”, who leaves behind the “Galut mentality” to become the fearless Sabra warrior without the baggage of the past.   The IDF was very aggressive in persuading young moldable minds of the importance of fitting in and leaving behind the outdated customs and attitudes of the past, particularly religious ones.  As a result, many of the young conscripts from deeply religious homes in the early days came back to their parents transformed into secularists who had little use for Torah and Halacha.   This trauma caused a severe backlash even among those who might have been willing to send their children to serve in the IDF, for the fear of losing them as G-d fearing Jews. 
  
  Although this has been somewhat alleviated today with the creation of Hesder and Nahal Hareidi and other religious tracks within the army, the basic fear and resistance still is very strong.  (See here for an interesting take on a recent case).

1. The sanctity and importance of the great Yeshivot are preserved, and the truly deserving scholars will continue their vital spiritual service
2. For those who do go to the Army, they will be able to serve their country with no need to compromise their religious beliefs and standards.
3. More openness and dialogue between the hareidi leaders and the rest of Israeli society be promoted to lessen the walls of fear and mistrust and gain appreciation by all of the different ways that people of all types are serving the Jewish people, each in their own important way.

From your question, I am not sure you are interested in hearing what an Orthodox Rabbi would say about your situation, but I think that for your future, and more importantly, for the future of your eventual children, you ought to consider this:

As you say, you are only possibly accepted as Jewish by the Reform movement. You wonder whether you need a conversion to be accepted by Conservative. What you are in fact saying is that already at this point, you are accepted as Jewish by some and not by others in the NON-Orthodox Jewish world.

As you surely already know, as a person born of a non-Jewish mother, you would not be accepted as Jewish in the Orthodox community without a proper Halachic conversion.

I feel bad for you – through no fault of your own, you were born into a situation in which you are in a sort of religious and national no man's land – accepted as Jewish by some but not by others. That is the bitter fruit of intermarriage

My question for you is – Is this what you want for your children someday? Do you want to further a situation in which their Jewish-ness will be questioned – and rejected – or, you are serious about fully wanting to be a full member of the Jewish people, do you want to consider a conversion that will be acceptable to all Jews – whether Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, or non-affiliated ?

The choice is yours. I wish you well.

Funny you should ask this question. It reminds me of when I asked a very similar question while I was studying the very intricate and complicated Tractate of Yevamot (the section of Talmud that is devoted to these laws) which is one of the most difficult texts that are regularly studied in the Great Yeshivot. In the short space I have here I cannot fully explain how I discovered the importance of studying all that, but I can attempt to answer your question briefly.

The question presented, I suspect, is not unrelated to various events that have happened in the Jewish world over the last several years.  It is in that context, and informed by the responses that have already been submitted by my non-Orthodox colleagues, that I tread carefully in this difficult realm.

 To begin with, it is important to note, that Kashrut certification is just that – certification that the products presented as kosher are in fact kosher – which means that they do not contain any non-kosher ingredients.  As a Rabbi who did extensive Kashrut supervision in factories, stores, and restaurants over many years for several major Kashrut agencies, I can attest that it is a painstaking and difficult process to ensure in the modern world of advanced food technology that we live in.  There are myriads of possible ingredients, many vessels that upon which there are sometimes kosher and non-kosher , or dairy and pareve runs, which need to be assiduously checked and documented on a regular basis, at all times of day and night. 

The Mashgiach (supervisor) and the agency have to contend with many issues, most of which may occur when they are not present, and can only do so if a good level of trust (based on constant verification) and respect is established between the company and its employees and the Kashrut agency.  Included in this, of course, is the sense that the people with whom one is dealing are decent and ethical, and that the way they run their business is fully legal and compliant with government safety regulations.

The basic attitude of most Kashrut agencies has been summed up by Rabbi Menachem Genack, head of the largest Kosher supervision Agency, the Orthodox Union, (known by the OU symbol). He said:

“We don’t agree with the Heksher Tzedek for the following reason which has been our stated position. . .[it is not that we are] insensitive to ethical issues, animal welfare, etc., because all of these issues, which we should be proud of, are rooted in the Torah. The principle of [paying workers fairly and on time and the prohibition against cruelty to animals are certainly ] Jewish principles. However, we don’t believe that it is the responsibility of the OU or any kashrus agency to be the arbiters of those issues, because they are all covered by different federal and state laws and regulations. State and Federal agencies – the USDA, OSHA, FDA, and the EPA, which handles environmental issues – have the authority and expertise to handle these issues. We don’t. The Heksher Tzedek notion sets what will ultimately be very arbitrary and amorphous rules about what is considered appropriate standards.

“[For instance, ] one of their standards is that the companies should pay their workers above medium or average wage of that given industry. Does this mean that any company that is paying their employees less than that is unethical? Does that mean that if a company has to pay above the medium wage that half the companies of the United States – the half under the average – are automatically unethical? That simply defies logic. We will not put in place such standards.

"We supervise plants throughout the globe. We rely on the local – state or federal – authorities to manage these issues. We don’t have the ability or the expertise to do it. Our focus is on what we know – the Shulchan Aruch, the laws of kashrus.”

However, in light of certain practices that came to light, especially at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, IA, all agencies took a very long and hard look at the possibility that the company, owned by observant Jews, was engaging in unethical and illegal practices.  After activists from PETA discovered a questionable practice post slaughter, several delegations of leading Rabbis went to Postville and instituted some important changes.  See http://tinyurl.com/ou-postville for more info on this.   When the Rubashkin story (that was mentioned by Rabbi Stanway in his reform response to this question) broke, the Orthodox world was very pained, upset, and at the same time incredulous that this was possible.  There was much soul-searching and introspection, as well as a great desire to know if in fact the story as originally reported was true.

Without delving into the entire tragedy here, one may fairly note that it is tragic and contrary to communal norms of civil dialogue when a person outside the Orthodox community uses the Rubashkin debacle to berate and mock America’s scupulously honest and ethical national network of Orthodox kashrut supervision agencies as practitioners of “hypocrisy”, “extortion”, and “inhumane” behavior.  Surely a fair-minded reader will understand that it is somewhat ludicrous for a responder, whose movement, from its American inception, abandoned the core values of observing the Kashrut laws, to pontificate on what is, or is not, Kosher.   It is furthermore completely disingenuous, as in fact, Agriprocessors was exonerated of virtually all the charges that were brought, and thus what actually happened there is being completely misrepresented by said respondent.   In fact, over-zealous prosecutors brought buckets and buckets of accusations and charges that since have been thrown out by the courts. Every single count of animal abuse was thrown out. The number of charges of child labor was reduced from 9,311 to less than one percent of that number – more than 99 percent of those charges were thrown out.  All charges of unsafe work conditions were dropped.  For all the defamation against the slaughterhouse and the media splash, virtually the entire case was thrown out.  Thus, the respondant’s unfair screed against the Kosher supervision industry is unfair, uncivil, and disingenuous.  For further reading on the Agriprocessors story, see http://tinyurl.com/rubashkin and  http://tinyurl.com/6z2xa8l .

It therefore is not surprising that thousands of people joined, not to exonerate Rubashkin, but to protest the civil rights irregularities that accompanied the entire media circus behind the arrests, the exaggerated charges that were dismissed wholesale, and the excessive sentence that was imposed and that presently is being appealed as violative of American Constitutional laws.  See further at http://tinyurl.com/judge-reade, http://tinyurl.com/aclu-iowa, and http://www.cnbc.com/id/42131815 . 

If we transcend beyond “denominational politics,” we will find that Orthodoxy’s most broad-based rabbinical body, the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), has spoken eloquently to these issues of business ethics in the kashrut industry.  See RCA Issues Guidelines to Enhance Kosher Food Producers’ Compliance with Jewish Legal and Ethical Teachings and Jewish Principles and Ethical Guidelines for the Kosher Food Industry .

As a rule, I would not have engaged in the above discussion in this forum, but it was necessary given the untruths that had been stated.

As to the other parts of your question, as mentioned, certainly it is forbidden to treat animals inhumanely.  In fact many inhumane practices, such as force feeding animals, are not only forbidden in their own right, but also have a high probability of causing internal damage to the animal, which render it non-kosher as well.  Because of this, I am aware of many individuals who will not eat goose liver pate, or veal, as a matter of principle. 

Nevertheless, if, in fact the animal’s internal organs were not damaged and the basic requirements of a healthy animal are met, the animal is still kosher under the basic requirements of Jewish law.  It is true that it may be "within the letter of the law, but outside the spirit of the law" to patronize such phenomena, but that is true in many areas of any legal system – one can find gray areas that are left to the conscience of the individual, but are not per se illegal.

It is hoped that the meat producers who produce these products, while seeing the animals essentially as a “crop” to be “harvested” for their meat, would treat the animals humanely.  Certainly in the light of what was mentioned above, virtually all reputable Kashrus agencies are striving to ensure that the business they supervise and lend their names to, are meeting at least minimal, and hopefully higher, ethical and humane standards, as well as following the basic law of Kashrut. 

Now there is an interesting question.   The whole topic of Shabbat elevators is actually one that is quite complicated, as there not only are issues that extend beyond whether or not  the passenger (or operator) presses a button to activate the machinery, which go to the basic physics of how most elevators operate.  That is to say, most elevators take advantage of the weight of the passengers to provide a counterweight that is important in getting the elevator to rise, and even more so, to descend.  In fact, some elevators actually use the force generated by the weight of the passengers to generate electricity.   See here for an extensive and clear discussion of the Halachic issues involved.  A simpler summary of the issues can be seen here as well.

As a result, the practice of most Orthodox Jews that I am aware of is that healthy and physically fit people avoid using Shabbat elevators, reserving them only for the elderly and infirm for whom climbing steps is a real hardship.  There is a leniency that many cite as well in regard to a high rise building, such as is common in Manhattan, according to which the Shabbat elevator may be used for anyone going over the 10^th floor, although I have never seen the source.  Even according to that leniency, one should avoid using the elevator to descend, which is, surprisingly, more problematic than ascending.  See the quoted sources for further reading.

As to your question, obviously a boat, trolley, or automobile are far more complicated systems, and much less amenable to “programming” than an elevator, which goes straight up & down (except for one operated by Willy Wonka) and can be set to stop at regular intervals, with no other traffic and without any use of an operator.  (The only devices even similar that I can think of are the trains monorails that run in airports and Disney which are completely automatic, which in fact are less problematic than elevators, because there is less of a weight issue.)

If, however, such a device could be designed, it would left for the foremost halachic decisors, who, upon painstaking analysis in consultation with technical experts, would be looked to for a ruling on these complicated matters.   

May your Shabbat be sweet, restful, and full of spiritual adventure!

This is an interesting question that touches on many major issues.

As described in the Torah (Deut 24:1-4) and as the ceremony is performed today as well, divorce is initiated by the husband, while the wife plays a more passive role.   Furthermore, the husband may not in any way be coerced to grant the divorce; any Get that is not given willingly is de facto invalid.

However, we already find in the Mishna (Ketubot Chap 7) a list of those cases in which a husband may be compelled to divorce his wife, later codified in the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 154).  Included in the instances where a husband may be required to divorce is an instance of a husband refusing to engage in marital relations.  It is important to note that conjugal relations are an obligation that a husband owes to his wife, referred to as mitzvat onah, which is completely independent of the commandment to “Be fruitful and multiply”.  (An excellent book that may be consulted on this topic is Marital Intimacy by Rabbi Cary A. (Avrohom Peretz) Friedman.)  Thus, a husband who refuses sexual relations is in serious breach of his most basic marital obligations and must release his wife from those bonds.

It is interesting to note that although, as I stated above, the husband is generally the active party in initiating a divorce, among the famous enactments of Rabbeinu Gershom of the tenth century was a cherem  (absolute ban) forbidding a husband to divorce his wife against her will, which provided a balance to the system.  Since that time, a get can only be properly executed if both the husband and wife agree to end the marriage based on their own free will.

The requirements of a halachically valid divorce are complex and can only be performed properly by Rabbis who are expert in this field.  The stakes are very high; if a person is not divorced in a halachically valid manner, and then remarries and has children in a subsequent marriage, those children would, heaven forfend, be considered a mamzer (illegitimate) in the eyes of halacha, which is to be avoided at all costs.   I would very highly recommend that anyone considering divorce consult with Kayama, a wonderful organization that, at no charge whatsoever, will help to facilitate a halachically valid get for this reason. They can be found at http://kayama.org/, or by calling (800) 932-8589. (Note: I have no personal interest in Kayama).

Finally, it almost goes without saying, divorce is a tragic, last resort solution that may be necessary, but is to be avoided if possible.  Competent help from marital counselors and clergy may sometimes help turn a difficult and painful  relationship  back into the bliss that was dreamed of when the couple stood under the chuppah, which would be the best possible solution for the couple, and of course, for any children.

I would like to answer this important question on two levels – first a more (halachic) answer, and then perhaps a more “spiritual” answer.

A Halachic Approach

 To answer your question directly, I will just give a short answer, and direct you to where you may do some additional reading (If you have time )

 In brief, no Virginia, Pesach cleaning and spring cleaning are not the same thing – in fact you are right that much of the anxiety that is associated with Pesach comes from unnecessary effort being expounded for this. 

 What is required is to rid one’s home of Chametz, not dirt.  (Chametz is sort of defined as leavened substances, but the precise definition is  complicated, and probably beyond the scope of this article.)  This is so because there are two basic prohibitions in regard to Chametz, which are noted in the Torah in several places, e.g. Exodus 12:19-20:

1. Not to eat Chametz for the Pesach Holiday
2. Not to have Chametz in one’s possession during the Pesach Holiday.

 In regard to #1, the Halacha is very stringent, and one may not eat even a minute amount of Chametz on Pesach.  For this reason, it is very important to get rid of all Chametz food, and to clean all surfaces that might touch food eaten on Pesach, which might contaminate Pesach food with Chametz.

 In regard to #2, owning Chametz, the Halacha is less stringent.  There, the requirement is that one not own chametz that is significant, i.e. it is about 30 grams or more.   It does not apply to little crumbs and small amounts under the piano, etc.  

 The problem, as I see it, is that people sometimes feel that they need to clean their entire homes the way that it is necessary to clean a kitchen.  And that leads to unneeded headaches and exhaustion.

I will leave it at that , in terms of the Halacha.  For more reading there are many good resources available online.  One comprehensive, but easy to read treatment, is Passover Cleaning Made Easy , and it can be found at aish.com

 As for the second part of your question, I tend to agree with you that Pesach has, in fact, become too commercialized.  What used to be a holiday dedicated to returning to the simple, plain, unadulterated flour and water, and some vegetables, meat  and simple recipes, has become a major industry in the food business.  I think that part of the reason for this is that for some people, Passover is one of the only times that they are punctilious about Kashrut, and the food vendors cater to those who are afraid that they will be in for deprivation.   Be that as it may, no one forces you to buy any of that stuff, and each person has to decide for themselves how much to indulge in Kosher for Passover foods.

This leads me to the “spiritual” insight that I wanted to share with you.

Spiritual Approach 

Passover is a most unusual holiday.  On the one hand, it is far and away the most burdensome and expensive festival -- just ask any Jewish Mother!  The cleaning, the cooking, the special shopping, and the Pesach dishes - you could just plotz! 

On the other hand, Pesach is the holiday that is the most adhered to, even by those who conduct live far from an observant lifestyle. Statistics show that almost 92% of Jewish households intentionally purchase at least some "Kosher for Passover" products.  Jews who do not even attend services on the High Holidays almost always make it their business to attend at least some type of Seder.  True, some of the more “modern seders” are quite untraditional, but nevertheless they are a Seder.

Furthermore, Pesach has been observed in the darkest times of Jewish history, and under the most frightful conditions.  In her important book, "Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust", Prof. Yaffa Eliach writes movingly of the concentration camp scene in which starving inmates accompanying the Rebbe of Bluzhov gave up their pitiful rations for weeks, and placed themselves in incredible danger by asking the Nazis for permission to have an oven, all for the chance to bake matzos and have a semblance of a Seder on Pesach eve.

What is it about this holiday that engenders such steadfast loyalty?  What deep reservoir within us is touched by this holiday – what is it that draws us to it with such force?

The Talmud (Shabbat 130a) states that any Mitzvah that the Jewish people observed at great personal sacrifice -- for which we exhibited נפש מסירות -- will always remain with us.  As an example, the Talmud cites Brit Milah, or circumcision.  One can, in fact, see this borne out by the facts even today.  Even if no mohel is used, regardless of whether it is done as a simple medical procedure, or a celebratory religious event, virtually all Jews make sure that their male children are circumcised.  The difficulty that accompanies this mitzvah, the pain of the child and of the parents, the willingness to undergo adversity for their strong convictions - these have combined to create a collective national iron-will about this issue that is only rarely disputed.

The original Pesach offering as well, required great personal sacrifice of the about to be released slaves.  Right under the noses of their cruel Egyptian taskmasters, the Jews had to muster up the courage to take the sheep, revered as having divine qualities by those tyrants (Perhaps they could not imagine how one could be physical and at the same time so calm and peaceful), and inform their tormenters that they were going slaughter these very same sheep for their own G-d.   What a tremendous act of courage and bravery this was for them!   Clearly, when the Hagadah compares the "blood of Milah" to the "blood of Pesach" it intends to link these two national symbols of sacrifice through which we, as a people, proved our readiness to undertake our historic and eternal role as a Light to the Nations, all inherent difficulties notwithstanding.

We are living in very difficult times for our people. We are facing a frightful spiritual holocaust, in which so many of our children are being lost to us as Jews.   We all know that "continuity" has become the buzzword of choice for all major organizations attempting to grapple with these problems.  What, in fact, will promote "continuity"?  How can we assure that our heritage and traditions will pass on to succeeding generations?

The answer can be found in the Talmud's comment regarding Pesach and Milah.  If we want something to stay with us, to remain as our precious possession that will never be taken away, we must be willing to sacrifice our most precious resources of time, money, and effort, nay, even give our lives for it.  If we make it clear first to ourselves, and then to our children, that our Judaism and our Jewishness are the most sacred treasures that we possess, we will instill in ourselves and in them the resolve to do what it takes to make sure that it is never lost.

Sacrifice, strength, and determination.  It is these that we learn from our collective experience.  Thus, and only thus will we be able to lead the way for coming generations until the time of Moshiach, speedily in our days.