Criminal Minds: As I said last night I have three Criminal Minds topics to discuss and Mr. Patinkin is going to be the first. Mr. Patinkin sings like an angel. He is wonderful in concert. I know because I have seen his concerts several times. I have never seen him on the stage but from what I have read he is flawless there as well. I think he is a gifted and wonderful tv and motion picture actor. His charitable works and support of the State of Israel are nothing short of inspiring. His long term marriage and the poise his sons show while out in public show a true and deep commitment to family which in his business is rare. He has always been open and honest about his previous health problems and his fight with depression which I truly admire because I believe by doing so countless others have been educated about several of his medical conditions and learned how to ask for help and that is a great service to the community.
I do not know why Mr. Patinkin left Criminal Minds. I, like most of you, pray that he isn't sick again. In normal circumstances I would defend to my death his right to privacy but these are not normal circumstances. When your behavior has the real potential of seriously hurting countless others then I think your right to privacy becomes a moot point. In my opinion, Mr. Patinkin's behavior and his timing with this matter are not just unacceptable they were also reckless. Had Mr. Patinkin given the studios proper notice of his intentions to leave, for whatever his reasons are, then they would have had the time to do what needed to be done to insure a smooth transition. That is the business end of it but to me the personal side is even sadder.
To me it is not acceptable to treat the people who you have worked with and for with such disdain and lack of loyalty. Mr. Patinkin and I are both Jewish and as a Jew I can tell you that we are taught that you feed others before yourself, you take care of community before yourself, you take care of your family before yourself. It is what is expected and what is required. All religions speak of personal responsibily but Judiasm is based on it and Mr. Patinkin is a true Jewish man who seems to have lost his way. This is the part that breaks my heart and the reason I have attended services every night since this started. I pray for his health and I pray for him to once again find his Jewish compass. He has one. Tzedukah says it is not only the money you donate or the fundraising you do but also the charity of heart in how you treat those who need you. These may sound like fancy words to you but they are the backbone of the Jewish faith. G-d requires action before words, responsibilty before rest and commitment before pleasure. So it is written and so shall it be. Up until this all happened I used Mr. Patinkin as a wonderful example of Tzedukah for my daughter who is now 16. He has been one of her examples for all her life. I told him this when I visited the set in March and he told me how much that meant to him. In Judiasm you teach children from an early age by showing them other peoples' and your own example of the proper way to commit Tzedukah. My 16 year old daughter would never have handled this situation in such an undignified and reckless manner. She learned her lessons well and her moral compass is defined.
There has been talk about people never watching him on tv again, burning his CDs, etc. I cringe at what he did. I dislike it with every fiber of my being and I will never be satisfied (not that this would matter to him) until he has asked for and received the forgiveness of each and every cast member, producer, writer, crew member and security guard on the studio lot. But burning CDs and the such is not what is called for here. Mandy bashing is not what is called for either. Praying that Mr. Patinkin will find a way to not only take personal responsibility but to positively help those he has, in my opinion, damaged is what is called for in this situation. Pray for the people who have been injured both emotionally and with the new truckload of work they are wading in now. Pray that you can help find the show new viewers to help replace those that will leave. Pray that Mr. Patinkin will soon stand before those he has damaged and tell the full and real reason he left, apologize for the manner in which he left and take responsibility for his actions. That is what Judiasm expects and he is a true Jewish man.
Many of you have emailed me and asked if I hate him now. Of course not. Hate is a wasted emotion that serves no purpose and has no place in everyday life. I deeply dislike what he did. I do not hate the man. What I feel is sadness and disgust. Disgusted that he did this and sad that he has lost his way. I am sad for those he has injured and for those are are hurting. I am sad for those of his fans. like myself, that are hurting. I am sad that even looking at his picture on my blog right now makes me want to hit the delete button. It made me sad to hear the hurt in Mr. Bernero's voice when I spoke with him.
For what it is worth or is not worth these are my thoughts right now regarding Mr.Patinkin.
