DEFINITION OF R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Posted at mentalblog.com - Thread: I'm 23, I live in Crown Heights and I write well. Deal with it :)

In response to S.H., who wrote: "I respect a person’s right to choose their own lifestyle."

With all due respect, this is a formula statement (the kind one is expected to make in polite company) with not a shred of any meaning. Do you mean to say that while you sincerely respect the right of any Jew to be mechalel shabos, you equally respect the right of the beis din hagoddol (when it is re-established once again) to stone said mechalel shabos (with proper eidim vehasrooh, naturally)?

STERN WARNING FOR IDIOTS: the preceding comment is tangential and has nothing AT ALL to do with any [specific] individual...

berl, crown heights 11.01.05 - 11:47 am Link: #

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Although, this back & forth WAS posted further down:

GOT IT: respect / ri’spekt / noun(n) :
Describes a willingness to tolerate someone’s disagreeable actions and refrain from attempting to ‘force them to change through humiliation, intimidation, or the threat of being cut off from the family’.
berl, crown heights 11.01.05 - 12:58 pm Link: #
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Respect... I like to think of it as a transative verb rather than a noun. It gives it more oomph, you know? Well, that's about right. Sounds a little militant, I suppose, but I think you've got it. ...
S. H. 11.01.05 - 1:08 pm Link: #
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OK, I looked it up and have to admit that I am wrong on this one.There is a dictionary definition of the word 'respect' that means simply 'avoid harming or interfering with'. And here I though it was just a common misuse. Hmm.
berl, crown heights 11.01.05 - 1:12 pm # )