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The internet includes the entire telecommunication system, including all telephones (even landlines) and all mobile phones (even “kosher” ones). It also includes the entrie financial system including all credit, debit and smart cards, and all bank deposits (e.g. when the Federal Reserve “creates” money, it does so by creating online balances there weren’t there before). While there is an analog aspect of the postal service (someone drops off a piece of mail), the whole system of tracking and routing involves the internet.
In all fairness the internet was invented in the early 1800, and in its first version involved operators communicating by tappping a binary code (dots and dashes). Many people immedciately and accurately saw the mischief that would lead to.
Note that many people (frum and otherwise, Jewish and otherwise, intgelligent and otherwise) confuse the “internet” which specific uses of the internet, in particular the “world wide web” or various “smartphone” ( mini-computer that resembles a phone) programs and applications.
Probably makes no difference. Most women marry men with whom they agree on politics, and most children end up reflecting their parents views, so overall the result will be the same. Some had the theory that women would be less warlike, but in all fairness during the last century women have had the vote in almost all major countries, and more people have been killed in war than in the rest of human history combined.
Until recently, in both the Middle East and Europe, it was the custom of males to cover their heads. Being bare headed meant you weren’t properly dressed. The halachic reasons for wearing a yarmulke only came into fashion when decently dressed goyim stopped wearing hats.
My impression is that at this point in time there is no longer a problem of discrimination against Jews other than a prejdice against Orthodox Jews, and that only against ones who “look frum” (not affecting women with bare heads, men with bare heads and no beard, going out of the way to aviod being “too frum” in public, etc.), and even there some who is “too frum” could still get into a law school (though with a BTL and no other credential probably would not work at an elite school).
The point that needs to be made is that if someone’s “dream” is to open a law office in a frum neighborhood, representing local people and businesses, and not expecting a road to riches – the “elite” law schools are largely worthless as their focus is on preparing students for the elilte lawfirms and academic life but not working in middle class communities.
Who wants to get rid of him (as opposed to annoy him)?
If Trump leaves office, Pence becomes president. He is a traditional conservative Republican with good ties to all the non-Trump parts of the Republican party. In fact he was mentioned by the “never Trump Republicans” as a possible “savior” in 2016, and was chosen as Vice-President to unify the party. If Trump were forced from office, his supporters (the “deplorables”) would be outraged and would transfer their support to Trump’s loyal Vice-President, meaning the Republicans would go into 2020 unified. The last thing the Democrats want is to get rid of Trump.
However if Republicans “ditch” Trump it would alienate the “deplorables”, and the rest of the Republicans aren’t strong enough to win in 2020 without them.
And in all fairness, the worse “crime” Trump is accused of involves the same sort of activities Clinton was guilty of, and which are clearly not “high crimes” as defined by the constitution.
Scaif09: To get into Harvard Law School (or any of the top law schools) with no more than a BTL and good LSAT is probably hopeless. If you really want to be a lawyer, and realize that it doesn’t involve getting big bucks in Manhattan, but probably grubbing for a living in the outer boros or the suburbs, a respectable LSAT, a BTL and $150K (assume you can commute from home and don’t have a family to support) can get you into the legal profession. After that, what you make of it is a function of your own industry and competence.
Even a kid who went to a yeshiva that managed to avoid most secular studies isn’t all that worse off if he wants to enter a secular field. In terms of language, he can read four languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish and English, from different families (two Aryan, two Semitic), which is a big asset in acquiring any language based skills. He has experience studying ancient texts, including and especially legal ones, in the original language with medieval commentaries in the original langauge (skills usually attempted in public schools only in the graduate school level). He is used to working independently. While he will have to do some work in some subjects, he’s starting with a humanities background that is quite rare today (though was common among the secular elite a few centuries ago).
Note that in the public school,s academics is hardly a full time focus (cf sports, clubs, social activities, etc.). Most subjects are serious stripped down and oversimplified (imagine studying science or the ‘hard” social sciences without having learned calculus and statistics, which are rarely taught before 12th grade – or trying to study foreign language and literature without knowing a foreign language).
A yeshiva student who was a success at learning Torah and decides to pursue a job that require secular advance education probably can manage to a GED in a few months, and some AP or CLEPs within a few years, and can then easily get into a college. Many students follow this route in the real world (e.g. home schoolers). If someone with an exotic background (yeshiva is sufficiently “weird” to qualify) shows up with a year or two of college credits from self-study, they can get into a good university.
I suspect the OTD Hasidim who complain they are stupid were just as bad off when they were frum, and rather than admit their own shortcomings are trying to blame their parents and teachers.
1. You aren’t talking about “genetic modification” but rather a total rearrangement and redesign of its internal organs and digestive tract. At that point, it would not be a pig. It goes beyond, even from a science fiction perspective, genetic modification (cf: quotation above showing this can not be done by science but only by a Ha-Shem).
2. It would have no messorah.
3. A more reasonable question would be modification of the hoofs of camels and llamas.
If you sentenced to death (and executed) everyone guilty of theft, murder, perversion of justice and that which we can’t speak about — the world would be empty, and we have a kabbalah that Ha-Shem wants the wolrd to be inhabited.
It is certainly the standard by which we should judge the goyim, but realistically, if we wanted to avoid dealing with a government (or the goyim in general) unless they refrained from perverting justice, spilling innocent blood, stealing and doing the sorts of things we don’t mention on YWN – we would end up having to be total hermits.
Because political parties ALWAYS focus on what their opponents are doing wrong, and Trump has so far done very well in economic matters (though his “trade war” might be his undoing, but that isn’t clear yet).
Why would the Democrats need one? They have defined Trump as evil incarnate, the great “satan” (as some would say), etc. By definition anything Trump does is wrong, evil and worthy of any and all opposition. Since they have accepted this “definition” as “fact”, it is obvious that anything else is a fiction (e.g. low unemployment, a growing economy, etc.).
1. If you favor frugality, admit that in the last election, frugality lost. There were some frugal candidates running (the former “Tea Party favorites” but they lost to a big government “Republican” (who recently changed parties, eight years before he was an Obama Democrat) who doesn’t worry about deficits, favors “big government” (not to mention rejected a generation of pro-immigration and pro-trade Republican dogmas). If Trump keeps control of the Republican party, there might be room for a conservative policy to compete with Trumpian “Big government” populists and the now-socialists Democrats.
2. The military parade is a drop in the bucket, and most of the cost is paying for troops who get paid anyways.
Why New York is questionable because many New Yorkers are anti-military, and almost anti-American. The parade is certain to attract counter-demonstrations.Shouldn’t we asking what happens if the computer can solve the puzzle? Would that means it can convert?
The example cited did not have a hecksher. Has anyone found similar products with foods produced in China that did have a proper hecksher?
Unless you predicted Trump in 2010, or Obama in 2002, or Bill Clinton in 1986, or George Bush in 1994 — GIVE UP. You probably aren’t in the ball park. Stick to Purim. The only person who seems to have been predictable well in advance was Hillary, who had the nomination wrapped up in 2002, and the presidential election wrapped up in 2010.
Joseph: The problem is currently NOT Mexicans, it is people from Central America. Worrying about Mexicans is like being concerned about the Soviet Union or the danger of an invasion coming to the US via Canada. It’s a past problem. While Trump may change this, Mexico’s economy improved due to NAFTA to such an extent that few Mexicans desire to move to the US.
Actually the idea of adding Mexico to the United States was strongly supported by the Democrats in the 19th century. The Whigs objected. Leading problem was that the Mexicans were Catholics, spoke Spanish, used Roman law and were slightly off color.
It also should be noted that Mexico is ALSO very much opposed to open borders, which is why all the Central Americans fleeing incompetent or corrupt governments end up at the US border having passed through Mexico, which was unwilling to grant them refugee status.
The serious advocacy for liberalized immigrations come from employers (who have to be polite about it, since it doesn’t look good to put out a sign “Help wanted – good workers willing to work at low wages”, and those seeking to move to the United States to take the jobs that Americans don’t want (at least, not at the aforementined low wages).
Setting a too high minimum wage, “high” defined relative to the wages set by the law of supply and demand, forces many businesses to either close (since they won’t make a profit) or to automate. It cuts income to the poor and increases dependency on charities and welfare. One already sees signs of increased use of machinery to replace workers (restaurants getting rid of waiters taking orders, development of driverless vehicles), as well as outsourcing jobs to countries with lower minimum wages (eliminating perhaps most good jobs that can be performed by people with advanced education).
The zionists (and secular Jews in general) believe that the goyim are inherently good and worthy of emualation and being assimilated into, and therefore have to hold that the holocaust was something radically out of the ordinary. Therefore it rates a special day, and much special attention.
A frum historian will more likely come to the conclusion that the holocaust wasn’t all that “special”, and was merely a mid-20th century manifestation of what we have seen for many, many centuries (and millenia), going back to the origin of Tisha B’Av. If we had a full day fast every time the goyim persecuted us, we would risk starvation.
Is it written in Hebrew script?
Should not the answer to the question “can one ride a self-driving car on Shabbos” be the same as the answer to the question “can you ride in a car driven by a non-Jew on Shabbos”?
Yiddish (and all other Jewish dialects) are the local goyim’s language written in Hebrew letters. Written in the Roman (or other original script), they are just mere dialects of the goyim’s langauges.
Should the real question be, “Is HEBREW SCRIPT” holy?
It has always been “nominally” a Jewish state, albeit run by apikoresim, that rejects halacha, and persecutes Bnei Torah. Note as well that Stalin set up a Jewish state, likewise run by apikoresim, that rejected halacha and persecuted Bnei Torah.
The police can seize a car temporarily if it is evidence. They can seize a car permanently as a “forfeiture” if it was used in any sort of criminal activity, though libertarian-types object since the process doesn’t involve a conviction or even a judicial review (though the owner can sue, the owner has to prove his innocence, which is somewhat un-American). They will seize any care believed to be stolen. They also might seize a car if there is someone else claiming ownership. Many police forces fund part of their budget by seizing private cars, and many opposed to “big government” think this is totally corrupt and unconstitutional.
If a person hires a lawyer, their chance of getting the car back is greatly improved.
If you need to ask such a question, ever, you already have the answer.
1. To get into a law school you need a bachelor’s (almost always). It can be in anything though usually accreditation is required. Its possible something similar to “Empire State College” (in New York, there are others elsewher) will help with the credential. You might want to consider doing online courses from an accredited university that is liberal in granting credit for past work. Also note that while there is no formal pre-law requriements, courses in history, social sciences and communication (written and oral) are important if you want to suceed as a law school student and lawyer.
2. You realize that unless your dream is to “hang out a shingle” and build a practice from scratch, the employment prospects from a non-elite law school are less than good. It shoud be noted that law schools have not radically cut tuition to reflect the difficulty of all but the best students earning enough to pay off the student loans incurred in going to law school. The less expensive law schools (run by public universities, for in-state residents at least) tend to be very hard to get into.
3. If you want to become a lawyer since you think it will lead to great riches, you are probably making a big mistake. Have you ever worked in a law office? Do you actually know what lawyers do for a living? Even if your living costs are covered (e.g. living at home), the cost of law school does approach a quarter-million dollars, with no guaranty of earnings to pay off the loan. If you really want to be a lawyer, even if it doesn’t pay much more than a teacher, go for it. If you think a JD is the next best thing to be the sole heir of a rich relative, you are making a big mistake,
4. You have 93 years to go (and even if you don’t make it, you have 40 until you are qualify for full social security). It’s no rush. If you already need to support a family, look into a “night law school” which takes longer to graduate, but leave times for a full time job.
Dear Other Person: Those are for very large or new houses, probably closer to Baltimore County (and that is very important, especially to people who want to make use of the Baltimore County Public School system, which many modern Orthodox do). However the Hasidic population in Baltimore is concentrated in the area between Glen Avenue and Clark’s Lane, along Park Heights Avenue, which consists of older housing stock which is where the inexpensive housing is to be found. While 20th century houses are be definition “not new”, they are a lot cheaper the the newer “McMansions” – and they are well situated for those who prefer living in a neighborhood full of people wearing a kapotes.
mild edit
Baltimore is cheap (homes in good, safe, frum neighborhoods for under $150K). The local government is run by goyim who leave us alone, at worse, and are often friendly – unlike New York politics which are dominated by secular Jews who wish we would go away. The addition of an Hasidic Kollel “planted” a good number of people in the community. But at present there is still only one shul of Baal ha-Basim where the announcements are in Yiddish. The real test for growth will be if frum businesses start moving to Baltimore (other than one’s that solely sell to frum people, similar to stores such as “B&H in New York).
For example, look at the book “Our crowd” written by a secular Jew totally uninterested in halacha. The book has a totally unrelated purpose, And then check how many of the families mentioned (who came to the United States before the American Civil War) were intermarried. Furthermore, due to the American custom of women adopting the husband’s surname, it means that the people with “Jewish” names are the least likely to be Jewish.
Among Eastern European Jews, the movement towards assimilation began only in the late 19th century, so it is easier to trace.
How many “Reform” Jews are motivated by ideology is questionable. In a typical Reform “Temple” there is a small inner-circle of ideological “Reform”, and a large number of “twice-a-year” types whose motivation is a desire to have an unburdened Jewish affiliation. If you do not county the nominal Reform as part of Reform, i.e. base the estimate of who is a non-assimilated Jew on who engages in some form of Jewish religious life on a daily basis, then instead of Reform and Conservative dominating American Jewry (the conventional analysis based on synagogue memebers and “high holiday” attendance) you end up with Orthodox Jews (all of whom engage in “Jewish” activities daily even if only making a bracha or wearing distinctive clothes) as the overwhelming majority of American Jews.
Most non-Orthodox Jews in America perceive themselves as Americans and have little interest or knowledge of Yiddishkeit. From all perspectives, political, social, ecnomical and increasingly genetic, they are a distinct people from the frum community. The split is largely complete. Asking what to do about assimilation today makes no more sense that asking what to do about the holocaust — it’s done, it’s over, its history, and we need to live with the consequences.
A fairly high percentage of non-Orthodox Jews are actually goyim with Jewish ancestors. While there might have gotten them in trouble with the Nazis, from our perspective they are 100% goyim. Since it has been over two centuries since the non-Torah movements in Judaism began, we should be dubious of the yichus (meaning in this case, “Jewishness”) of any non-Orthodox Jews and regard them as safek Jews (meaning that while we can’t ask them to do work for us on Shabbos, we don’t want them touching non-mevulshal wine, etc.; while we should feel obligatged to bury them, we wouldn’t want our kids to marry their kids). There are also shailohs since many hold that their marriages were valid, but their divorces weren’t, and children of remarriages are mamzerim.
Of course if they do Tseuvah, being safek goy, safek mamzer is not so bad, since they can quickly and easily convert and rejoin klal Yisrael.
Any natural food is “not kosher” until you clean it and check for bugs. It would be rather hard for humans to eat raw corn on the cob.
Jews don’t daven VIA anyone but Ha-Shem. You must be confusing us with Catholics.
Probably because they get a good deal financially on the AP (Associated Press) which has become a leading purveyor of “fake news”, whereas the more reliable new sources such as Fox and the Wall Street Journal are disinclined to be aggregated at a reasonable price. Note the bias is not “anti-Trump” as much as anti-Republican and anti-Conservative.
1. If you are an Ashkenazi, and unless you are descended from a gadol, it is unlikely you can trace your ancestry much before the adoption of surnames, since there were not all that many records.
2. Using scientific evidence, together with Humash, I can safely say I am descended from Adam Ha-Rishon, and I am a bit nervous from what all the other people are descended from.
Would a shul of thieves (or inside traders, or just plain old fashioned gonifs) be such a controversy? Just because a Yid is flunking at one mitsva does not exempt them from the rest. And frankly, would we want such persons, even if they are otherwise frum, in our shuls?
The alternative to saving money is to borrow, and often it is hard to borrow without paying interest.
The parents are free to take their children and either enter the United States legally at a border crossing (if their papers are in order), or return home. No one is making them cross in the middle of a wilderness, knowing it is illegal. None of them are fleeing anything so horrible that they would qualify for asylum.
Trump has asked permission to keep the parents and children together while they are being held pending a decision on deporting them, but Congress needs to pass a statute to allow it.
One should note that American isolationism was based on the fact that America’s military wasn’t even able to defend the country (we only defeated the British since we had help from several other countries, and especially France). We several years after Washington the US launched what amounted to a “special forces” raid we largely used locally recruited mercenaries and it was so amazing we still sing about to this day (in the Marine hymn, the “Shores of Tripoli”). Like most of the founding fathers, while being very pragmatic he was also quite self-righteous and if he ever imagined the USA has a major power he would have expected us to be interventionist good guys saving the world.
One can make an argument that all criminals are insane. One standard for insanity is based on whether the person would commit the crime knowing he would be caught, as in, even though there was a policeman standing next to him. An important rule of criminal law is that while ignorance of law is not an excuse, ignorance of fact is an excuse.
Since there is reason to believe that most criminals are unaware that Ha-Shem rules the world, and is constantly observing their actions, and punished wrong-doers, most criminals should be considered insane since they lack knowledge of the reality that Ha-Shem is present and judges their action.
Frankly, hanging makes a lot more sense.
George Washington. 1) He was the last president who attempted to be non-partisan and to work with everyone not just his own faction; 2) He respected the restrictions on Federal and executive powers in the Constitution; 3) He was probably the most friendly to Jews of any president, and set the tone of toleration and respect of religious diversity that has prevailed in America ever since
The online courses will look “good” for someone applying to a lawschool. While a law school can admit anyone regardless of background (something that lets not just yeshiva students, but others such as music majors, engineers, literature majors, etc., go to law school when their undergradutae studies don’t led to jobs), to be a success in law school (and law) requires good communication skills, familiarity with the social sciences and knowledge of history sufficient to understand the background of the legal system.
One assumes the student really likes the idea of practising law, and doesn’t think he is apply for a “pot of gold.” Only a handful of students (usually from elite universities, often with good family connections) end up in the six-figure incomes out of law schools, and a yeshiva student is very unlike to qualify. If one is clever and hard working, one can build a career in law. Given the costs of legal education, and the prospect of a yeshiva student not getting into an elite law school nor ending up with a high paying “associate” position at a “Big Law” firm – the student is advised to minimize costs (go to a cheap local law school that one can commute to).
1. It is common for a Baal Tseuvah to discover that he or she is not really Jewish, or for a potential Ger/Giyoret to discover that they are really Jewish. No big deal (conversion is very “easy” in the case of a Shomer Mitsvos who discovers that he/she isn’t really Jewish). Remember intermarriage has been wide-spread for the last eight generations.
2. If one holds “Reform” marriages, or even non-marital relationships, are in fact valid halachic marriage, one would probably have to assume that all non-frum Jews are at least safek mamzerim. This is a minority position, and probably most non-orthodox marriages are considered void since neither party intended to be married “k’das Moshe ve’Yisrael”. Also there is the rule that a two safeks (doubts, safek goy, safek mamzer) is resolved by going with the least problematic result (cf. issues with Ethiopian Jews).
Define “Beckishe”. Are you talking about a silk coat with fancy embroidery (hundreds of dollars)? Do you mean plain (wool/poly or poly) “kapote”, which is a double-breasted frock coat (perhaps $100 if you shop around)? If you want something for Purim, consider checking the “steampunk” or “reinactor” oriented shops, who base their merchandise on what was popular the last time long coats were popular among the goyim (i.e. before King George V stopped wearing them on a regular basis, and they almost immediately went out of fashion except among Jews, similar to what John Kennedy did to hats).
It is interesting that in Europe, Jews could never be charged with “witchcraft ” since that crime was part of the law of heresey, and one had to be Christian to be guilty (in our terms, it was “Avodah zarah”, worshipping a false power other than the Christian religion, was for similar to treason for a Christian (Jews, having no legal duty to be good Christians, were “patur”).
Reform “rabbis” have a job similar to most Protestant clergy, and tend to be well paid. Unlike rabbanim, who are professional scholars, the “reform” clergy have many “priestly” functions adopted from the Christians, particularly leading formal public services. Given that secular Jews tend to be rich (remember, getting rich was and is the main attraction of secularism for Jews), it is rational they will pay their servants well.
NOYB – Actually the Poles (and the French) were as well, or better armed, than the Germans. The Polish cavalry who charged tanks with lances knew they were committing suicide but preferred a honorable death in battle to surrendering to the Germans (who had already won). The normal role of cavalry in 1939 were as highly mobile (compared to foot soldiers) scouts. And BTW, the last American cavalry charge was in 1942. — And if one is talking about personal defense against a mugger, a gun would be useful, if one is talking about a government organized pogrom supported by the armed forces, there isn’t much we can do but flee. The right wing militias idea is they can flee to the woods and mountains, but the chance of the militia organizing itself to overthrow the government (what trigger the original British prohibition of the right to bear arms) is long gone.
You should take up reading history. If you think it is bad now, in the past it was worse. Much worse. Very much worse. I suspect the original question is from someone young enough that they don’t remember the Cold War, and that World War II was something their grandparents or great-grand-parents talked about.
As for guns, having them during a pogrom would have been nice. If one reads the accounts of the pogrom in York (really the only pogrom in an English-speaking country), they had weapons even though it was strictly illegal for Jews to bear arms (didn’t do them much good, the accounts of them are a eulogy). There were European shuls built like small fortresses with firing holes (didn’t help). It should be noted that the Poles were well armed in 1939, and it didn’t stop the Nazis. If Ha-Shem decides to destroy American Jewry, there really isn’t much you can do about. If you are worred about security, focus on davening and learning (and remember that if worse comes to worst, all you assets will be destroyed and your debts will be cancelled).
If you are living in Eretz Yisrael, holding on to a foreign passport is a way of stating that you really aren’t sure about staying in Israel, and need to have a place to flee if the country collapses or if the medinah survives but becomes fanatically anti-religious. There are some inconveniences in holding on to a foreign passport (and a lot of tax issues particularly for Americans), but the bottom line is that if the medinah is driven into the sea, the leading priority in all but one country in that region, you won’t be a stateless refugee.
1. Once you agree to allow secular culture in Eretz Yisrael (we had the option to ally with the Muslims against the zionists, and we did not do so), you are stuck. “Eurovision” is no more a “hillul ha-Shem” than the rest of zionist culture. It doesn’t make any sense to object to “Eurovision” unless yuou are objecting to the rest of secular entertaininment (which frequently involves undress male and female performers, as that is the nature of their culture). Indeed, since almost all performers in “Eurovision” are goyim, it is much less of a Hillul ha-Shem then the typical secular entertainment in Eretz Yisrael.
2. If the zionists get “Eurovision” in Jerusalem it would be a major accomplishment for them since all the European countries do not consider any part of Jerusalem to be part of Israel. Don’t be surprised if it gets moved to the internationally recognized capital of Israel: Tel Aviv.