Word Choices

[debka_notion]

I was reading Rikud (Israeli Dance Listserve, where we are for the umpteenth time debating what makes an Israeli Dance Israeli/authentic/genuine), and came across a post in which someone was suggesting that we get a dance expert in the position of "rabbi" to certify dances kosher, and people who cared could just stick to those dances, and others that were "treif" could still be available to the dancing public: it would be a matter of personal choice. (In which "kosher" dances are ones that are by whatever standards unquestionably Israeli, "treif" ones would have anything from a Non-Israeli choreographer to music composed elsewhere to lyrics in another language or a combination of such elements. Myself, I could see that leading to kosher and treif sessions, and of course, at least 10 [the Israeli Dance world is smaller than the actual Jewish population] different dance "hechshers"- my goodness, the world does Not need that concept acted on.) However, the interesting part wasn't so much the kashrut analogy- that's a concept that has been played with before, if without the analogy. The interesting bit was that at the end, the writer put limits on her own idea, which was suggested, I believe, rather tongue-in-cheek (the Committee To Teach Maya Sarcasm is having some slow bits of success), saying that if session leaders couldnt choose to play treif dances, it would be "Dance sharia". Sharia law isn't so different, especially in concept from halakha- so why did she change her analogy when she wanted to be disparaging and call it over-controlling? She could have stuck inside the system she was working and made reference to ultra-orthodoxy/the haredi world. My thought is that we're supposed to respect that, even if we don't agree with it: they're "our own people". Sharia' is Islamic, therefore it's ok to use as a derogatory term: even when there are as many variations of how it's followed as there are of halakha. But well, navelofwine I thought this might play in interestingly with your blog.

Comments

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Different dance hechshers? Sounds like a concept for Machmir Man, except that he'd probably just outlaw dancing altogether to be safe.

I remember reading somewhere that "sharia" is actually the Arabic word for what in Hebrew is "shulchan aruch", so in fact the concepts of Jewish and Muslim religious requirements are linguistically almost directly equivalent. shirei_shibolim, could you check this one?

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

Shaaria`, as debka_notion will tell you if I don't, literally means "street" or "path." As such, it is a near-perfect analogy for halakhah, which has the same literal meaning.

Debk (I can call you debk, right?) probably knows far more than I about the names of various shaaria` compilations and their resemblances to the Shulhan Arukh.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Seeing as we're not used to bk blends, you probably want to end with a vowel to make that a 2 syllable name, but otherwise sure, Debk is a fine nickname.

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

I didn't want to use Deb because I didn't want to imply that it's your name. Debka wouldn't work for the same reason I wouldn't call you Waltz or Lindy Hop. The extra letter seemed the most efficient way to go, though I can see how it might be a little daunting for some to pronounce.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

DN? ALthough that sounds like some sort of poor elementary school boy with a double name...

[belu.livejournal.com]

There's always 'Maya' or '<lj user="debka_notion">' or 'Steve', though that last one is a bit ambiguous.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Aww, you're spoiling our fun...

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

A thought- we could turn it into some weird Eastern European-izing of an Arabic dance form: debke. Oh my, the looks I could get...

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

As shirei_shibolim commented, Shaaria' (the root, if you care, is shin, ra, 'ayin, hence our weird spelling with an apostrophe at the end of the word) is indeed the word for road/way/path. THere are, in fact a number of different schools of Shaaria' law that differ from each other in larger or smaller ways. Suni and Shiite Shaaria' law are pretty different, one considers the gates of err, religious interpretation (for lack of the right word) to have been closed after I think the 4th Caliph (I might be off on that one), and the other holds that they're still open. Even inside of Suni law, there are at least 4 major schools of law. So yeah- very much like Judaism, with Ashkenaz and Sephardi divides, not to mention the internal spatting groups...

[zodiacmg.livejournal.com]

we're going to write a maseket rikud