News-Record.com

"That eases restrictions of the holy day and allows people to carry food, push strollers and bring their house keys with them when they go out."......

my question would be - if you are attempting to honor God and His written word - WHY would one feel compelled to do an end around that word ? i'll answer my own question - apparently they find their own comfort and well being more imporant than honoring God (imo). i would further ask them which one(s) of the 613 mitzvots they believe they are breaking ? Jesus said this concerning the Jews "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me."

On the religious end of this story, I point out that at least these folks are trying to stay mindful of their laws, even if they are trying to sretch them to better suit their current life. In that vein, I'm reminded of many Christians who say that the Bible is inerrant, then proceed to rationalize away things in the book that they don't like to follow by pretending that the words in those parts don't mean what they obviously say.

But on the front of the secular world, where a government in this country isn't supposed to do things at the behest of a church, this appears daft. An unbroken cordon of fishing line? Are they mad? Well, you can't say that in polite society, but there you go. It sounds pretty lame to me. But it seems to me that if they can accept a real estate lot with boundaries made of invisible lines defined by established markers, why can't they define their "eruv" the same way?

Just a thought...

This is actually quite amusing. Talk about wanting your cake and eating it too. They want to be seen as god fearing law abiding jews, but at the same time, "let's hit the beach!!"