No We’re Not Dying Off Due To Lack of Modesty

Everything is foreseen, yet free will is granted…the mystical side of Judaism and life

by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths

Life Expectancy in Israel is now among the highest in the world (Israel is #3).  Females born in 2013 are expected to live an average of 84 years, and males an average of 81 years.  (In the United States, stats for 2012 say females will live 81 years and males 76 years on average.)

I received the following by email, letting me know that we’re all dying at unprecidented rates due to the lack of modesty within the religious community.  While I’m all for modesty, I’m also for truth.  And while we should love and FEAR Hashem (G-d), if the fear is based on lies then when the truth comes out the religious foundation will fail.  Here’s the letter…

We are very near the end, the final berur (sifting out) is happening.  

(Every day may be our last, and Moshiach may come today, G-d willing!  But for how many days…months…years…decades can we use “the end is near!!!” as the motivator for proper religious behavior?)

Only the Kedoshim (holy ones) will remain to see the Moshiach and the Beit Hamikdash.

(First I’d love to see the source for this statement.  Then I’d like to see a mitzvah breakdown of what makes Kedoshim?  Is it one who helps others, ones dedicated to the community, ones who learn all the time, or ones who scream about modesty?)

With the summer approaching, the women have begun worshipping the ‘sun gods’ again by taking off their clothing and revealing themselves in public. Unfortunately, many good Jewish women have fallen captive into the influences of the 70 Nations and are also copying their way of dress and immodest behavior.

(Or perhaps people don’t like to be extremely hot and sweaty, and want to wear clothing that lets them moderate their body heat?  Maybe instead of screaming about modesty you could work on creating a modest clothing line that incorporates extremely lightweight fabrics (the Indian Sari like idea)?)

All our True Tzaddikim and the Torah and our Prophets have been crying out to us that the way of Am Yisrael is to be holy. Holiness as defined by Chazal is only to be found where there are barriers to ervah (immodesty). Unfortunately, we have fallen very far away from this ideal. You can’t even step foot out in the street in even the most religious neighborhoods without being hit in the face with a complete display of ervah (immodesty). The concept of covering the legs has almost completely disappeared and the tightness of the clothing reveals everything else! Hashem hates this! It is a disgrace to His holy nation.

(It’s yet another round of blame the women.  We are all responsible for our modesty and appropriate behavior, and if you personally have such a problem with your glance coming across a women, keep yourself inside!  Now I’m not recommending anyone hang out at a mixed gender beach, but the religious communities are generally pretty reasonable in their modesty.  If you want more, stay inside or put on a blindfold!  And when making a statement that Hashem Hates This, prove it – bring your sources.)

(While modesty statistics are impossible to come by, Marital Satisfaction statistics are available – and one would assume that if modesty was a major problem that people would be jumping out of marriages to “take advantage of it”.

- Percentage of Orthodox Jewish Marriages that are “Happy” – 73%
- Percentage of Orthodox Jewish Marriages that are “Unhappy” – 13%

- Comparison, Percentage of Non-Jewish Marriages that are “Happy” (US) – 50%
- Comparison, Percentage of Non-Jewish Marriages that are “Unhappy” (US) – 50%

- In the non-Jewish community, marriage rates have fallen below 50%, and divorce rates have risen to 50% (meaning half of eligible people never get married, and half of marriages end in divorce.)

- Orthodox Jewish marriage rates are above 80%
- Orthodox Jewish divorce rates are around 25%

…My analysis— while Orthodox Jewish marriage rates have fallen slightly from the past and divorce rates have risen significantly, the numbers are so different from secular society that there is no indication people are jumping relationships — it is doubtful that modesty is a driving issue.  And while it COULD become one, constantly screaming at people is not what’s going to stop it.)

At least if you want to be brazen and uncovered like an animal, do it in the privacy of your own home, but when you go outside like that, you are burning up souls. How can you expect to have a carefree life while you are wrecking other peoples lives and children who are almost forced to have to see your nakedness in the streets. Do not think that this world is a free for all. There is a G-d and there is reward and punishment!

Do you really think that short tight and stretchy clothing which reveals the shape of your body is modest!?  Do you really need some Posek or Rabbi to tell you this? Is it not obvious enough to anyone with a head or heart.

(Yes, if this is a problem in the community it IS exactly the rabbi I expect to hear speak about it!  Screaming zealots are not positively effective and generally only succeed in terrorizing the community.  Do you think THAT will be considered a mitzvah in Shamayim?)

Do you wonder why there are so many deaths, diseases and accidents in Am Yisrael (lo aleinu)?  Don’t be shocked, to find out in the World of Truth that it was YOU who caused it all!! When there is ervat davar (lewdness), the Shechina runs away. Without the Shechina, there is no protection. In the world of truth, the immoral and immodest women will find out that they are the real terrorists and murderers of am Yisrael (see Isaiah end of ch. 3).

This is where he really jumps the shark.  Life expectancy is UP, disease rates are DOWN, and while (G-d have mercy) terrible things do happen, accidents, crashes, and yes people get terrible diseases, and even terrorism, WHEN PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONGER IT MEANS LESS TERRIBLE THINGS ARE HAPPENING!

In what generation did we have great rabbis living to over 100?  And our synagogue rabbis living into their 80’s?  And almost all of our children surviving birth and into adulthood? 

“So many deaths, diseases and accidents” are not “so many”, they are, THANK G-D and the efforts of modern medicine, car designers, road designers, etc, MANY LESS.  But of course not none, in the end everyone will encounter death.

Sometimes scaring people is appropriate, fearing G-d is part of our divine service.  But lets make sure it’s TRUE.

(Sources – OU marriage study, Israel central bureau of statistics, US census bureau, University of Chicago.)