Apparently, there were some who misunderstood my old moniker, and I wasn't careful enough about my identity, so there was fear that i'd give the wrong impression.
I hear it. It's not just pressure from superiors.
And I'm kafuf to Da'as Torah, though i'm not sure what that has to do with this.
From now on, only Torah. And if my understanding of s/t in Torah is in any way offensive, then I'm afraid you'll have to take it up with my Creator (who, incidentally, Authored the Torah).
Thus, the new moniker, ADDeRabbi.
It's a double entendre (duh).
The Aramaic word Aderabah is an exclamation, found all over Shas meaning - "On the Contrary!". It reflects the fact that I will often challenge assumptions and understandings that are prevalent in the Orthodox community, not out of spite or malice, but because i genuinely believe and lament that so much is misunderstood or superficially understood. witness the angst of so many fellow bloggers with such anger and pain stemming from their negative experiences within Orthodoxy; experiences that I don't think were necessary or the exclusive representation of Torah or Halakha. It encapsulates my desire to present an alternative viewpoint which is still part of the discourse 'on the daf.
The second intent stems from the well-known condition called 'Attention Deficit Disorder' or ADD, which applies to me. Many people believe that ADD is a handicap.
Aderabah!
the ADD mind can see things that others can't, can make connections that othrs can't, are naturally restless, critical, dissatified and brutally honest. They tend to be impulsive, creative, unconventional, and intuitive. I wonder, if polled, what the ADD rate is amongst bloggers. I'd be really interested.
[there we go; i've set up a poll in the margin to track exactly this issue]
There are types of situations for which the ADD mind is extremely well suited, and others for which the conventional mind is. The contemporary educational system is very well suited to the contemporary mind, and has become a Procrustean bed (mittat S'dom) for the ADD mind, which we treat as a handicap and medically lobotomize some of our promising youngsters.
[I sometimes feel that the plight of those with ADD is like the plight of the mutants in X-Men - people misunderstand and therefore seek to destroy]
I don't have ADD. I am ADD. This fact, no doubt, has caused me a fair share of pain; but it also has been my greatest asset when it comes to all of the things that I believe I am, everything that I think I can offer, and
everything that I hope to become.
Every day, I thank God for making me who I am, and for letting me be comfortable with it. And I thank my wife for seeing it for what it is and complementing it.
Elokai, neshama she-natatah bi tehorah hi.
nice. very good description of how ADD can be a positive thing.
ReplyDeletedefinitely something i worry about putting kids into the educational 'system' -- trying to put them in a box, and fit the way the teacher wants to teach, rather than the best way for the individual kid to learn.
there is a boy in my daughter's first grade class who definitely has an issue. can't sit still or focus. the teacher immediately wanted to meet with his parents; she didnt want him to "go through the system thinking he is a bad kid" and wanted to get to the bottom of it.
the question is what to do next. how to tailor a system to various modes of learning. i'm sure you have some ideas...
glad to have found your new location, and hope your definition of what qualifies as torah, and therefore fair game for a post, is broad.
:-) c