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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
class=apple-style-span><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'>Stefan<O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "></O:P></span></font></span><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
class=apple-style-span><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'>I am not so sure that the distinction that
you make is important. I do not hear Orthodoxy saying that although the
Torah is immutable it allows us to be flexible. Isn’t their approach that
we cannot change what G-d has given us (especially as we do not always know His
reasons)? <O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "></O:P></span></font></span><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
class=apple-style-span><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "><font
size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'> </O:P>And in practice we see that they are not readily open
to change. Any changes are painfully slowly, over centuries. Consider the 18</span></font></span><span
class=apple-style-span><sup><font size=1 color=navy><span style='font-size:
8.5pt;color:navy'>th</span></font></sup></span><span class=apple-style-span><font
size=2 color=navy><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'> Century clothing
that our charedim wear. I suppose that you might argue this shows
flexibility because they have only been wearing that form of dress for three
centuries.<O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "></O:P></span></font></span><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
class=apple-style-span><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "><font
size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'> </O:P>Returning to our theme, the reason that they do this,
is that this provides a badge of difference. It shows they are not part
of the remainder of society. However other strands of orthodoxy embrace some
aspects of modern life. <O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "></O:P></span></font></span><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
class=apple-style-span><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "><font
size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'> </O:P>I especially wanted to thank you, Annette, for allowing
us to share in your wisdom and love. It has been worth being part of this
programme for that alone.<O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "></O:P></span></font></span><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
class=apple-style-span><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; "><font
size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'> </O:P></span></font></span><span class=apple-style-span><font
size=1 color="#993300" face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:#993300'>Barry Abrahamso</span></font></span><span
class=apple-style-span><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>n</span></font></span><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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