Wearing the kippa full time? Thank you for doing that. I’ve always said I’m less interested in whether Jews do everything the same way but at least we should have a shared language. First and foremost that comes from familiarity with basics from as well as the ebb and flow of the texts. But next it comes from experience with the norms- even if you no longer do them, at least you know what they are and they will have informed your sense of identity and relate to other Jews. Your increased practice of different norms, e.g. wearing kippot in public, allows us to communicate shared experience: The approaches from Christians asking us if we believe in Jesus. The impromptu discussions of Middle east politics. The pride in the eyes of some Jews and the discomfort in others. The (incorrect) assumptions that we have to address or ignore that people make about us. etc etc.

Anyway, it made me wonder- do you eat in non-kosher restaurants with it on? If so, what kinds of things do you eat? I’m not sure what halacha says about the different things to eat so I don’t take an opinion- just wondering.

Additionally, I guess that kind of points at the difficulty I was having in responding to your d’var Torah- I was thinking how your position seemed kind of shtark- with Jews being responsible for the aveirot of others; that the tzibbur could incur wrath for the transgressions of individuals; and that we had a chiyuv to direct the actions of others. And that that shtark position did not match my expectation of many congregations to the left of Aguda.

Why? Because to me it seems that the further to the left in the Jewish world you go, the less consensus and coherence of what norms to follow. That’s why I asked if people were put off or even offended- it’s a mighty sensitive thing to get involved in what your neighbor does or doesn’t do.

Now, for the main reason why I started this response:
I knew a Rabbi who divorced his wife. I believe his told me that HIS Rabbi, a teacher who’d gotten s’micha from Rav Moshe Soleveitchik and Rav Boruch Ber in Europe, told him, after he’d given the get, “Mazel tov.” I presume he said this because it is a mitzva to give a get, i.e. mitzva as related to norms derived from halacha as opposed to typical “American” definition of mitzva as “good deed.” Of course, it’s also a good deed insofar as the woman is not an aguna, the individuals can build new lives unburdened, etc.