Conservative vs. Orthodox

December 17, 2018 at 5:25 PM
Ariel asked 5 years ago
Hi Rabbi, It's me Ariel I watched your lecture at AISH Hatorah and had a conversation with you on the phone. Anyway I heard on of your question and answer sessions about Reform and Conservative Jews and you answered that anything below Orthodox is not OK. I was bothered by it (even if it's true) because I always thought that Conservative Judaism wasn't too cold (like reform) and not too hot (like Orthodox). In fact I was very happy to be a Conservative Jew because we didn't have so many restrictions like the Orthodox and we didn't water down the religion so much like the Reform. I also grew up in a conservative Jewish family where my family would drive to Shul and not only that my grandmother lived up in the hills of Bel Air so the only way to get to her house for Shabbat dinner was by driving (I didn't drive up there with my mom because we already lived there). I even think that you said in that answer being totally secular was even better than being a Conservative Jew... Anyway I grew up in that environment but, felt like something was a little off when we just prayed in the synagogue but, it didn't really feel authentic like we just prayed to g-d and after that we just went about our lives religion was very boring for me and had no purpose. Recently I watched a Rabbi online who hated Reform and Conservative Jews and said that the movements were worse than Christianity because it's like they opened up the torah in the middle of road and stepped all over it. My question is do Orthodox Jews view Reform and Conservative Jews as evil heretics? Even in the Conservative Temple when they are praying to g-d intensely but, at the same time violating Shabbat does g-d hate them and he's going to send all of them to suffer after they die?? I mean I really don't know what to think anymore to cut off ties with my family and become Orthodox and warn them about their conservative ways? What do you think Rabbi?
1 Answers
Rabbi Yosef Karpman answered 5 years ago
Shalom ,   First there is no divine hate and second, the Torah is like a spiritual science.  Just as you wouldn’t get upset at gravity for someone’s injury after falling or at electricity for someone getting electrocuted, you need to see the orthodox view as the unchanged original version of. A scientific text.  Ignorance of the laws of science doesn’t protect us from the consequences of doing something dangerous and similarly the spiritual laws must be promoted and learned by all to avoid tragic consequences.    Best Wishes    R Yosef Karpman