Point well taken, Rabbi Waxman. I pretty much agree with everything you are saying about certainty.

I just think that by focusing on this aspect of Orthodoxy we end up missing more than we uncover. The miniscule rise in Orthodox violence is just not that big or important of a story compared to the rise of Orthodoxy in general, the move toward more observant lifestyles, and a re-claiming of “traditional” forms of Jewish life and practice.

I think there is much more to talk about regarding those issues than regarding the 1 percent of Jews lifting their fists.

–Posted by Rabbi Eliyahu Stern