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You are absolutely correct, BUT – don’t talk about doing “my own hishtadlus” on this site or you will be labelled an apikores. YW commenters are all tzadikim g’murim, and as such need only rely on more tefila, learning, teshuva, etc. – and HaSh-m will do the rest. To say you have to do hishtadlus means you don’t REALLY have emunah – at least to many contributors here.
I wont repeat it now, – but I’m sure most of you know about the guy in the flood and the rowboat that came to rescue him…
Most of you have probably heard about, or seen, that a few years ago they started making ‘bedikas chametz kits’ that include 10 little pieces of bread to put around the house. What a wonderful idea, we all know how difficult it is to make those pieces ourselves! 😉
Well now in the constant effort to make Pesach a bit easier, we introduce the ‘instant salt water’ kit. – It’s a zip-lock bag of salt, – just add water. 😉
-Oh, and Haifagirl, just because ‘JustHavingFun’ forgot a word, is no reason to call him an ‘oxymoron’!!! 😉
In Eretz Yisrael it is well known that the majority of poskim have asur’d smoking on Yom Tovim since it can no longer be considered like ochel nefesh.
It’s about time that p’sak travelled over here.
“Is smoking mutar?” – Is suicide mutar?
WOW, impressive, some one actually DID read it!
FYI…
These were actually the FIRST words EVER spoken on the telephone, by inventor Alexander Graham Bell to his assistant…
“Watson, come here, I want you.”
Do you seriously think the CR crowd are Shakespeare-savvy?
howsabout…
“Click here…”
Anyone here ever heard of ‘Jamais vu’?
1) Grab a Byte
2) Cyber Land
3) Hi Tech Heaven
4) and finally, the ‘piece de resistance’…
‘Soliek’s (your real name’s) Computers’ – How’s THAT for catchy?!?
Certain subjects should be banned from discussion in the CR.
They ALWAYS bring out vicious, nasty comments (which people probably justify to themseves by thinking that THEY -and they alone – represent daas Torah).
In fact, these subjects just generate sinas chinam, lashon hara, and motzei shem ra.
Y.W. Editors: – Stop them before they start!
“Every time I think about the old days,
I always get so nostalgic”
-Steven Wright
I’ve found that if I’m getting sleepy, and need to be up, two small squares of dark chocolate has enough caffeine to do the trick.
Loads and loads of alternatives for 1)shuls of every type 2)glatt kosher meat, 2)kosher groceries, 3)kosher bakeries and 4)kosher pizza.
And, oh yeah… high rents.
They got so drunk that they couldn’t tell the difference between BARACK obama and ehud BARAK!
(Then again, I’m not sure that there IS much of a difference!)
They got so drunk that they put sabra-fruit in their mishlo’ach manos.
They got so drunk that in Beit Shemesh they insisted on sitting in the BACK of the bus!!!
They got so drunk that instead of wearing their usual arab kefiyah as a scarf, they wrapped themselves in an Israeli flag!
They got so drunk they started collecting for the
??? ???? ??????
(The KKL instead of the NK)
You get so drunk you accidentally make a KIDDUSH HaSh-m!!!
It is a well known vort, even among goyim, that if you have a car problem on the highway, (if you’re not already wearing one) put on a yarmulka and another Yid will stop to help you.
Probably a much less known vort, since far fewer people ride motorcycles, is that despite the tough ‘biker’ reputation that motorcyclists seem to have (see some of the comments above) the vast majority of riders, and this includes those in motorcycle clubs, are really very nice people, and WILL ALWAYS STOP TO HELP ANOTHER BIKER WITH MECHANICAL PROBLEMS THAT IS STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
So the moral of the story is, – people tend to help their own kind, – whether their own kind is Yidden and/or bikers!
In this country people are spoiled.
Most people can afford a car, even if it is not the best or the newest.
Also, despite the rising prices of gasoline, in many countries they are paying DOUBLE what we pay.
That is why in many countries (including Eretz Yisrael) motorcycles and motor scooters are MUCH more common. There is no “biker” connotation to driving them. They are just a much more economical way to get around, to get to work, to school, etc.
It IS true that they can be much more dangerous because you are much more exposed, and on 2 wheels and not 4. Nevertheless if the driver is mature and careful they can be a great (and fun) method of transportation.
AND… In Eretz Yisrael it is very common to see frum Yidden (with beards and tzitis flying) on a motorcycle (and their children can STILL get shidduchim!)
Probably will never happen.
It took about 2 – 3 years for people to switch from saying the “Interboro” to the “Jackie”(Robinson).
I think this name (and not to disrespect him) is too long for that change to happen.
There is also the issue of maaras ayin.
Although many people do know that one can download tefilos on these devices and daven from them, people are MORE likely to think that you are playing games or doing some work related task rather than davening.
L’fi aniyas da’ati, at least for the next few years, davening should be done from a siddur if at all possible.
I have not heard or read anywhere that R’Elyashiv Shlit”a was/is in pain.
Whether being in pain should make a difference in our tefilos is a question for the biggest gedolim, not commenters here in the C.R.
Don’t mean to be a ‘party-pooper’ but…
Just a little reminder…
More than 1,500 people DIED on the Titanic.
Is it really an appropriate subject for jokes?
Read this great chassidish story then click on the link to hear and see the present Kaliver Rebbe singing the song mentioned in the story…
The Forest and the Rose
Shabbat had ended. Silver stars twinkled in the black sky. The Chassidim had all returned to their homes, and their Rebbe, Leib Sarah’s (called such because of the extraordinary deeds of his mother and the exceptional circumstances surrounding his birth, but that’s a story for another time) left his shul for home to make havdala for his family.
Shortly after, he returned to the shul. Agitated, he paced back and forth, muttering “Oy, Oy” over and over again. Suddenly he stood still, and after tremoring slightly, stated with finality: “Whatever happens, I must do something.”
Stepping outside, he summoned his driver. In a short time they were off. The tzaddik whispered something in the driver’s ear, and then switched places with him, taking over the reins while the driver went to sleep inside the carriage. When he woke, the sun had already risen on Sunday morning, and he was amazed to hear from the tzaddik in the outside driver’s seat how far they had come. Even though, being the regular driver for the tzaddik, he had experience in these miraculous-seeming journeys, this time they had actually crossed the border and were deep into Hungary. He could barely believe the evidence of his eyes.
* * *
Little Isaac was only ten years old, but was already the man of the house. His father, Yusseleh, had recently passed away, and his mother Reizel desperately needed him to help support the family. She took whatever meager work was available to her, while little Isaac took care of their tiny gaggle of geese.
Actually, Isaac liked his job. Every morning he rose early to pray with the minyan in shul and say Kaddish for his father. He would then lead the goats to one of the fields outside of town. He loved the quiet and peacefulness there. After carefully counting his meager charges, he would sit against the trunk of a tree and enjoy the cool shade under its big, leafy branches.
Forest, forest, how vast you are.
Rose, oh rose, how far you are.
If the forest were but smaller,
Then the rose would be closer.
If you would take me from this forest,
Then we could be, the two of us, together.
Whenever he played the notes of this tune, he would close his eyes and allow the lyrics and the music to carry him off to a world of distant pleasurable visions.
* * *
Little Isaac was momentarily startled in the midst of his song, by the regal appearance of the bearded Jew who appeared suddenly from behind him. “What are you doing here, little boy?” the man asked gently. “Helping my mother by tending to our geese,” Isaac answered. “But what about learning Torah in school like the other boys?” the man continued.
Isaac looked away. “Not so long ago, I was still a student. And I was doing pretty well too. But ever since my father died, I’ve had to help my poor mother support our family, so I had to drop out of school.”
The tzaddik, Leib Sarah’s, immediately went to visit the poor widow, Reizel. After introducing himself, he asked her for permission to take her Isaac away with him. “Know that your son has a very lofty soul,” he explained, “and he can become very great. But for that he must be brought up in the right way, and that means he has to study Torah intensively.” He promised her a monthly stipend to more than make up for any loss of income that the boy’s departure would entail.
The boy remained in the yeshiva for many years, and thrived and grew great in Torah and Chassidut.
* * *
Years later, when throngs of Chassidim would crowd into the shul of the holy rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac of Kaliv, he would sometimes relate to them the long path of his development from a geese-tending childhood to the present. He would also tell them about his favorite tune when he played the shepherd’s flute: the Ballad of the Forest and the Rose.
On these occasions, he always mentioned his great debt to the tzaddik Leib Sarah’s, who went to such trouble to “discover” him and to redeem the holy melody which had been “held captive” for centuries.
“Now, however,” he would always conclude, “the words are different.” The chassidim would listen intently, for the Rebbe’s musical talents were well-known.
Exile, exile, how long you are.
Divine Presence, how far you are.
If only the exile were shorter,
Then Your Presence could be closer.
If You would take us out of exile,
Then we could be, the two of us, together.
This song is still sung by Kaliver chassidim, in Hungarian, till this very day. Indeed, here is a link to it being sung by the current Kaliver Rebbe!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7379896169063552724#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Translated-adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles (and first published in Kfar Chabad Magazine – English) from Sichat HaShavua #528. The video link was first sent to me by dear friend Yosef Ben Shlomo HaKohen (nee Jeff Obler), who passed away this year after long illness. May he rest in peace.
Biographical note:
Shrek…
Just tell the front desk person ‘I am a Sabbath observer and so I’m not allowed, for religious reasons, to use the electronic door locks. but I need to get into my room’.
Usually you need not say any more than that. Unless the person is a total idiot they’ll say to you “No problem, I’ll send someone to open your door for you.”
In this way you have not even directly asked anyone to do it for you, and what you DID say wasn’t even said to the person who actually opened the door.
Pick up the sefer ??? ?????? by the great Rav Gamliel Rabinovitch, shlit”a of Yerushalayim. It is also available in English and called The Essence of Emunah.
It is great and I think it might help.
It’s easy to have emunah when all is going well, but maintaining it when things are tough is a different story, and Rav Gamliel deals with that reality.
If you get anxiety attacks when you are trying to go to sleep, and all your worries are running through your head – try MY mantra… just keep repeating to yourself ‘Ain Ohd Milvado’, ‘Ain Ohd Milvado’ ‘Ain Ohd Milvado’ – over and over and over and over…
Hatzlacha rabah.
My idea is to have attractive but SIMPLE packaging for the mishloach manot, instead of the crazy expensive packaging so many use to show how creative (and maybe wealthy?) they are.
Why?
1) Everybody already has enough fancy trays, coffee mugs, etc. and don’t even know what to do with all this stuff when Purim is over (and most of it goes in the garbage!)
2) The money you save on this ridiculous fluff could be used for the more important matanos l’evyonim.
F.Y.I. –
The Ramcha”l ztz”l is buried in the holy city of Tiveria, on a hill overlooking the city and the beautiful Yam Kineret. His kever is next to that of Rabi Akiva ztzvk”l.
yichusdik…
“Please continue to daven for Ron ben Batya (Arad).”
I hope everyone will.
Everyone should also continue to daven for Yehonatan (Jonathan) ben Malka (Pollard) and Zecharia Baumel another Israeli P.O.W. whose father died never knowing his son’s fate.
Also, I would suggest to continue davening for a refuah shlaiymah for Gilad ben Aviva (Shalit) who although he is now B”H free, must undoubtedly be carrying severe emotional wounds from 5 years in captivity with those yishmaeli savages.
While it is true that our people have been the victims of countless horrific persecutions and mass murders throughout the centuries, the Holocaust is not merely the most recent, but was clearly quantitatively (and probably qualitatively as well) the worst of them all.
To me, aside from the fact that the deep wounds of the Holocaust are still far to fresh to “put behind us”, there is a much more serious reason to NOT just relegate the Holocaust to the shelves of anti-Semitic history.
Simply put, there are still those who would, if they could, who WILL, if they CAN, implement a new Holocaust even more devasting than the last one.
If we let ourselves, or others, forget that, it will bring it one step closer to reality.
F.Y.I. –
The ARIz”l and Rav Shlomo Levi Alkabetz z”l (author of Lecha Dodi) are buried right next to each other in Tsfat.
OneOfMany… (and BTGuy)
What’s wrong with boots?
Nothing (inherently).
I have a picture of my tzadik great-grandfather (with long beard and payos) with my great-grandmother, in their town in Poland in (approximately) 1900, and he is wearing leather boots that go almost to his knees.
Avram in MD…
Re the magnetic key cards…
I once read that you should NOT return the key cards because they are programmed when they give them to you, with NOT ONLY the data for the lock for your room, but also with PERSONAL information, like your credit card info (that you are using to pay for the room).
The Real Chasidishe Gatesheader…
I am not going to respond to your inquiry above NOT because I CAN’T respond appropriately, but simply because
A) I have no obligation to,
B) you and I are way too far apart on this topic to ever have a meeting of the minds, and
C) despite that, I am happy if you are nevertheless living here in E.Y. (which I’m assuming you are) which right away puts you head and shoulders above all our brothers and sisters who do not even aspire to live here (at least until mashiach comes, and I’m really not so sure about after he comes either).
So…
I will just say this to you…
You DO have some very funny entries on the Joke thread here in the C.R.
-T’hiyeh Bari!
I would like to know the SPECIFIC names of the gedolim that approved doing this?
Will, perhaps, a hundred avreichim do the same, so R’ Elyashiv may live to be 201?
I understand the good intentions of this individual, BUT, doesn’t HaSh-m have a plan (and a lifespan) for each of us?
Inviting anyone and everyone you’ve ever said hello to, to your simchas, because you’re afraid of being “in their mouth” (i.e. that someone you barely know might speak badly of you) – resulting in:
A) simchas with at least 2 to 3 times the number of people who really SHOULD be there.
B) ba’alei simcha having to go deep into debt to make the simcha, AND (ironically)
C) people having to show up at the simcha who don’t even want to be there so THEY won’t be “in YOUR mouth”!
From the immortal words of George Carlin…
Avi K…
Save your breath.
They don’t get it.
There is one more aspect to living in Israel without being a citizen…
You get to complain about all of Israel’s faults, about how terrible the anti-frum Zionists are, – WITHOUT being able to participate in the political process to try to improve things!
So you can sit back and just speak ‘dibat ra al ha’aretz’ without having to take any responsibility for it – or CAN you?
In the immortal words of George Carlin…
The Chassidishe Gatesheader…
“It just doesn’t provide you with any benefits and you stand to lose much more than you gain”
What ARE you talking about?
There are MANY zechuyot one receives as an oleh chadash.
Just speak to anyone who came with Nefesh B’Nefesh.
Why would you prefer to keep dutch citizenship to Israel citizenship?!?
Doswin…
You can’t do it.
What is your reason for wanting to?
Are you afraid of being called a Zionist?
Even the wackos in Beit Shemesh are Israeli citizens.
Are we sure it’s not “Baruch……zokef kefufim”???
This whole subject is really beyond any of us here in olam hazeh.
As much as we would like to think that a rasha gamur like hitler y’sh is experiencing unending suffering, we might also ask “WHY? – What would be the point of that?” So that he’ll be a good boy NEXT time? But he won’t have a ‘next time’ – will he? Normally when we punish someone, it is to teach him something and/or to accomplish something. What would be accomplished in this case?
Justice l’shma? Maybe.
As I said, I personally think we’ll have to wait til we reach 120 to get the answer to this question.
IT MAKES ME MESHUGA WHEN…
When you have the green light at an intersection, and you are waiting to make a left turn, and the first guy in line wanting to make that left turn stays back at the crosswalk line and does NOT pull up into the intersection (the way you ARE supposed to!) so that when the light turns red ONLY HE gets to make the turn, instead of 2 or 3 cars being able to do so.
GRrrrrr!!!!
mommamia22…
Yes, I heard her say that she was absolutely amazed that when she asked the kids about Mickey Mouse, Shrek, and Beyonce, NOT only did they not know who they are, but they didn’t even have any interest TO KNOW who they are.
gavra_at_work…
Ya’ mean we’re not supposed to do that???
oops!
😉
–Zahavasdad… That minhag is still done, though usually not enough ash is put on to be really noticeable.
–We do not kneel when we daven (except on R.H. and Y.K.) because it became the custom of the notzrim.