The Red Bendel

Masora.org put up a web page to combat the red string currently being sold at Judaism.com. They make some good points.

Back Row of the Bais takes issue with their taking issue, since this issue is a non-issue compared to other more important issues.

The problem is that you cannot let the "unimportant" matters slide in light of larger more important issues. Any problem can be considered unimportant when placed next to some other issue. Social Security? How can you worry about that when Iran is developing nuclear weapons!? Who will take Dean Adler's position? How can you worry about that compared with the human rights abuses in North Vietnam? The fact that YU degrees are not accepted in Israel? How can you think about that in light of the fact that people are trying to destroy the practice of Metzitza Be'Fe / people are endangering infants with metzitza be'Fe?! How can you worry about Metzitza Be'Fe compared with molestation cases?! How can you worry about copepods in your water when there are Agunas trapped in their marriages?! How can you worry about Agunot when there is terrorism in Israel?! How can you worry about the attempt to ban Rav Slifkin's books, or about kiddush clubs and the possibility of resulting alchoholism when all this more important stuff is happening?

Surely there are more important and less important issues. However, that does not mean that people should not, or will not care about these issues.

In this instance, it appears that red strings are a long-standing complaint of Rabbi Ben Chaim, and he feels that one must combat superstition in Judaism whenever it arises.