You don’t construct a good theology on bad apologetics. … Martin Stern’s May 31 letter (“Surprised”) is a tip-top example of a parochial mentality. He unabashedly places in the mouth of Maimonides words that Rambam never wrote but most likely were set forth by some commentator’s opinion as what the Rambam had intended to mean.
Stern’s rhetoric is revealing. He brazenly insists that the “standard” interpretation of Deuteronomy 22:5 set forth by Issachar Friedmann (Your Say, May 17), as this prohibition not being applicable to a single item of clothing, is the reading of non-Jews. In other words, his interpretation is Jewish, and anyone else’s is not. This is to say that the only authoritative and authentic interpretation of this verse (and, presumably, every other one in the Torah) is the haredi one, with all others (including Modern Orthodox) being treif.. That shows stupendous self-righteousness and contempt toward the rest of the Jewish community.
Sam Betancourt
York, Pa.
