What's the deal with B&H being closed on weekends?

[ramon123]

It's not that Chassidim are "more serious" but rather that their dedication to observing Jewish law to as great a degree as they can manage is what drives them to identify with that group in the first place. That is to say, cause and effect are reversed here. Chassidim don't follow every word of the Torah, either. Just a much higher percentage than most other Jews do.

With all respect, as someone who knows about Chassidim probably a little more than you, I would have to disagree.

Orthodox Jews including Chassidim strive to and have to keep all of Jewish Law - there's no picking and choosing.

[Positron]

It's not that Chassidim are "more serious" but rather that their dedication to observing Jewish law to as great a degree as they can manage is what drives them to identify with that group in the first place. That is to say, cause and effect are reversed here. Chassidim don't follow every word of the Torah, either. Just a much higher percentage than most other Jews do.

With all respect, as someone who knows about Chassidim probably a little more than you, I would have to disagree.

Orthodox Jews including Chassidim strive to and have to keep all of Jewish Law - there's no picking and choosing.

I made no accusation of picking and choosing, nor of failing to strive to, nor even of not having to observe all tenets of Jewish law. I don't wish to start an argument, so I will drop the point here.

[stevenrrmanir]

I am Jewish, and I do support B&H for the same reasons. There are 5 working days during the week, and then there should be a rest day! Most North Americans don't have the concept of resting! They work 24/7 and wonder why they are so burned out! Take a break!

[roumin]

Since this thread has gone WAY offline, so here it goes..  I am a customer of B&H, but I must point out that the store's management and sales staff are predomintely orthodox jews, while lower positions are predomiently non-jews.  Does anyone else see anything wrong with that? What happend to equal apportunity employment?

If this happens at chick-fil-A, then I would have a problem with them as well!

Things are not always what they seem.

[unfocused]

This is a rare thread. It started foolish and ended up serious. Just the opposite of most of the threads on this site.

I do wonder though, if someone could enlighten me about something. (BTW, I do have Jewish friends and family, but none are Orthodox and all are about as observant as I am of Christianity – which is to say, not much.) This discussion has focused on B&H, but I believe Adorama also is owned and operated by Orthodox Jews. Yet, I notice that the two stores do not always follow exactly the same schedules and policies regarding ordering on Shabbat.

Really, just more of an academic question because I like to learn things, but can anyone enlighten me on why Adorama might follow slightly different policies? Or, am I mistaken.

[ramon123]

Adorama like B&H don't process your order till after Shabbat.

[funkboy]

The other sites are not in the same league as far as finding the product you want.  Its often a ordeal to find a item on the other sites.

Agree; my standard procedure is "search for it at B&H, if they don't have it go to Adorama, if all else fails use Amazon..."

[samuel613]

As others have mentioned, Jewish law prohibits conducting business on the Sabbath. So both stores state clearly on their sites that they are closed Friday afternoon and Saturday.

Regarding any apparent differences in observance of Jewish law between the two sites: the entire concept of online credit card transactions was obviously not around until very recently and it seems there either is or was a debate among Rabbinical authorities as to what, if any, parts of this online "world" is/are or is/are not problematic on the Sabbath.

Generally speaking, each Rabbi will have to decide questions in Jewish law for his own congregants. So if Adorama does do things slightly differently than B&H, then this most likely means Adorama's (management's) Rabbi ruled differently than did the one B&H consults with regards to these matters. Other possibilities exist, too, but, regardless, I would assume both stores' respective management are equally adherent to their faith in the running of their respective businesses, despite any slight difference(s) in practice and methods.

This is a rare thread. It started foolish and ended up serious. Just the opposite of most of the threads on this site.

I do wonder though, if someone could enlighten me about something. (BTW, I do have Jewish friends and family, but none are Orthodox and all are about as observant as I am of Christianity – which is to say, not much.) This discussion has focused on B&H, but I believe Adorama also is owned and operated by Orthodox Jews. Yet, I notice that the two stores do not always follow exactly the same schedules and policies regarding ordering on Shabbat.

Really, just more of an academic question because I like to learn things, but can anyone enlighten me on why Adorama might follow slightly different policies? Or, am I mistaken.

[koolman]

This thread has gone way over to theology - which is not a bad thing sometimes, as photography is about art, and art is about expressing something internal, and spirituality and religion are primary components of internal side of a human being, aside from his physical being and possessions.

To clarify the issue of BH and Adorama's websites on Sabbath. Both these companies are owned by orthodox Jews, and both observe the Sabbath. Neither company employs people on the Sabbath.

The question of their leaving the website active on Sabbath, collecting orders that would be processed on the following Monday, is an area which could be open for scholarly discussion, as the website serves the general public, which is primarily non Jewish, and its being active does not advocate transgressing the Jewish Sabbath.

This is especially true if they state openly on the site, that all orders will be held and processed only AFTER the Sabbath.

[Bosman]

As an Orthodox Jew I am quite surprised to see what was said in this thread. I'll do my best to straighten out the comments that were made here.

1. The written Torah and the Oral Torah are one entity. The Oral Torah expounds on the Written Torah to explain what each posuk (verse) means. The Oral Torah is thousands of years old and has a Mesorah (tradition) to have come directly down from Moshe (Moses) from Har Sinai (Mount Sinai).

2. Millions of Jews keep Shabbat. There's no such things as Chassidic Jews are "serious" about it or keep it more. There is something called Halacha (Jewish Law) which dictates exactly how to keep everything including positive actions and negative prohibitions.

3. A Jew cannot have his business open on Shabbat period and that includes benefiting from it. That's why B&H are closed on Shabbat and all the Festivals.

4. Many people think that by being closed that they would lose money. Jews believe opposite, that by closing and observing what the Creator wants, He will shower down more blessing. Well lets see, I think B&H shows us what massive blessing is.

5. B&H is an Orthodox Jewish store.

Have a great day

I did not mean to say the oral torah is cheap, meaningless or un-useful. Much of the oral Torah was meant to make a fence to protect the Torah. This in effect causes man to observe mans laws rather than the perfect law of God. It starts getting into washing of hands and use left hand to wash before right then eat. This is whether you believe in Yeshua (Jesus as most know him by) or not he fought the rabbi's on this matter and debated the teachers of the day on the subject of making what was easy and perfect (the Torah) and making it a burden. Most of Torah law relates to those who work in the Temple environment, the more basic laws relate to all, leaving a few things not to burben us but to protect us from harm in a world designed by God. Who better to tell you how a camera works than a manufacturer.

On another note, leaving the land fallow after 7 years of using the land to farm regenerates over that year of disuse and even the secular world finds great reward in keeping that law. The soil regains its mineral content and creates fruits and veggies beyond those over used and fertilized.