Posted on 05/23/25
Someone sent me a striking article that’s been circulating online (attributed to @AP_from_NY). It’s bold, and makes a powerful point.
But as with many strong messages, it needs context.
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Did you ever notice how Orthodox Jews couldn’t care less what the world thinks of them?
Not a little. Not secretly.
They truly, completely, deeply don’t care.
They’ll walk through an airport looking like they time-traveled out of 1850.
Pray out loud in a hoodie or a hat while people whisper.
The men grow beards, wear hats, let their tzitzit hang out, like from another world.
And they’ll show up to your office two days late because it was a holiday no one’s ever heard of.
And they won’t apologize.
You can’t imagine what it’s like to disappear from the world—fully—every single week.
Shabbat comes in and they’re gone. Just gone.
No phone, emails, group chats, news, and no chaos.
You could be calling them a hundred times… They won’t pick up.
And they wouldn’t even know.
And honestly? They don’t even care.
While the world is busy arguing over the next divisive topic, they’re sitting around the table with their eight kids. Singing 1,000-years-old songs…
It’s not just that they are screen-free or tech-free.
They are world-free….
You might think they’re disconnected from the world. Maybe.
But somehow, many of them still manage to run multimillion-dollar companies, donate billions to charity, raise big families, live rich lives…
How?
Because when you live with clarity, you waste less time chasing noise… you’re not shaken by what’s trending.
Because when you know who you are, you don’t need to keep proving it.
They don’t care what people think—
Not because they’re rude or arrogant.
But because they already have something better than approval: conviction.
Their compass doesn’t point to likes or clicks.
It points to Sinai…
So yeah, they’re not ashamed.
Not of their prayers.
Not of their outfits.
Not of the way they live.
Not of the rules that guide them.
They’re not trying to be different.
They’re trying to stay loyal.
To something eternal.
In a world obsessed with changing,
they’re holding on.
And that kind of confidence—that kind of freedom—
You can’t buy it.
You can’t fake it.
You can’t even imagine it.
But they live it. Every day. Proudly. Openly.
And they wouldn’t trade it for anything
@AP_from_NY
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If taken the wrong way, this attitude — “we don’t care what the world thinks” — can foster a culture that’s dismissive, and potentially damaging to our mission as Hashem’s ambassadors in the world.
So what’s the truth?
When should we care — and when should we not?
It’s certainly not black and white.
So where’s the balance?
We don’t care for the world’s values or physical pursuits. We do care about filling the world with spirituality.
We don’t care what the world thinks of our lifestyle — but we do care about the world around us.
We care about every human being, recognizing their tzelem Elokim and spiritual potential.
We care that every encounter reflects His midos—compassion, honesty, and humility.
We care deeply about kavod Shamayim. We yearn for a world filled with the knowledge, midos, and values of Hashem — like water covering the sea.