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Ok, ujm, thanks for the psak on touro, do you also have gedolim on record against columbia medical school and against asu online?
For a non expert, what is the difference between a ketuba and a prenup?
I am not against languages. Not everyone did. Chofetz Chaim did not speak Polish and there is a moving story about Polish minister agreed with him based on seeing him speaking in Yiddish even before the translation. Of course, he was born before the Poland was back. Not sure whether he spoke Russian.
So Mrs. Shneerson was fluent in Russian? Interesting, I thought she spoke Yiddish.
> And the fellow who threw out the Hershey’s chocolate holds it is treif, per the psak of his posek. So he cannot give it to someone else, even if the other fellow holds otherwise.
This. is what keeps us apart. You could at least give it to your goyishe friend or cleaner crew, or to your dog.
show of hands – do we have here T 2020 voters who will not vote for him in the general 2024 election?
> Ice cream truck frequency
Just find out what the frequency is, jam it with white noise, and the kids will not hear the sound.
Neville, you can’t be that parochial. If you have a system that allows us to have better life at the expense of others, then you can, in a short term, have resentment, and, in a longer term, weaken the country where we are zoche to live. Jews who got freedom in Russia by destroying the wicked Czarist regime, got the short end of the stick.
We should always try to combine our own interests with the overall society.So, in this case, CTL is right in arguing for the benefit of the society, I just do not agree with his evaluation of the benefit.
RSo, that is why Kotzker chasidus is not so popular in our times! That, and the preference for emes before sholom.
I would even say that fasting on shabbos till midday is more questionable than eating a cholov isroel cake.
Neville, thanks for the reference. Interesting to note some of the factors that R Moshe used re:Queens – reliability of checking and sholom between communities.
As discussed in Nedorim, chumras are a double-edge sword, it can elevate you and it can make you into a rasha. Someone in Boro Park surrounded by Yiddishe stores would be silly to suddenly rely on the heter just to eat M&Ms. At the same time, someone who is from a family where the heter is used and who has, say, temper and attitude and learning problems – going for cholov isroel might help in some cases, leading to more observance, or deceive in other cases , making him presume that chumros will make other problems go away.
If you do not eat chalav hacompanies, would you consider plates treif?
a quick search for kelm shows several images with streets and markets with men only, also an image of children with various parents of all genders accompanying them, and a 1920 photo of non-yeshivish school with parents with no assigned seating at all. Was the takana for separate street sides at some specific times?
Back to original question about bridging the gap. I was once told by a wise Rav – Yidden can not pray together, but they can learn together. So, maybe this could be the way – both personally in your interactions and also here. This is a unique place where we can discuss Torah from multiple views and, hopefully, with integrity that Tora requires, rather than approaching issues as politics, where you can quote only sources that support your position and disparage those who hold opposite ones.
Maybe same can be happening at the level of Talmidei Chachamim. It says at the end of Sotah that T’Ch who live in the same town and do not learn together – one dies, another goes to exile… How often do we have such Torah discussions? We hear about Rabbis of previous generation having good personal relationships (R Feinstein/R Soloveichik/L Rebbe, etc), but how often we hear them learning together? Maybe invite a Rav from a different shul to have a public hevrusa with your Rav?
CTL,
I understand the realities you mention. I am talking about an ideal view of how things should be. There are so many discussions on how to deal with side effects of over-centralization. This is like chinese government in Beijing issuing edicts about lack of healthcare beds in a remote province. Same happens even in Great Britain with a PM spouting number of new beds built in some town that the MP just inquired about – due to central ownership of the issue. These issues are intractable, and each “cure” creates additional “inequalities” that yet another government office will “resolve”.Jewish educational system, as described in Bava Basra, suggests a local system with each town being responsible for hiring enough teachers. you are using a threat of segregated schools to oppose improved education of most of the country, including Jews – as if most of schools are not segregated anyway due to segregated housing. If you are so serious about the issue, and I respect that, then you should propose a limited solution for that without holding back millions of kids. for example, allow vouchers for schools that are in areas where there are no mixed areas, or where schools are not segregated. This would allow most of your state to move ahead in education. You yourself received wonderful religious and general education, how do you feel that others are not able to afford it?
I would say this affects even those who can afford it – can you open a Jewish school that will serve only rich children and hope to have good Torah and middos to happen there? From Gemora to Chofetz Chaim in 1920s Poland say that rich kids are not learning Torah well, talmidei chachamim will come out of poor children.
well, what if you’d like to become a Chosid?
Bava Kamma, I think, suggests several suggestions: to learn (no, not Sichos!) – (1) nezikin, (2) pirkei avos, (3) brochos. So, one of those seforim would be enough after tanach. I presume, therecommendation above assumes that one did not learn any of the above yet, and after learning one of them will be a chosid already.Maybe we need to clarify what “going to college” means in practice. Are we talking about sending a BY girl into a remote party school with a reform clergy for gender studies, or, someone going to a local or online college for a technical degree? Some non-Jews understand this also. I had a young Saudi girl in a CS class I was teaching as a grad student. Before the boys were able to approach her after the class, her father’s chauffeur was already there. Worth the expense.
> The iced cream was taken back, and thrown in the garbage.
There are no goyishe kids in your town!?
Just tell the kids that you don’t trust the truck kashrus.
I used to worry when I went to the store with several little kids that they’ll consume or destroy all the attractive items that are on display at the lower level while we were waiting for the cashier. Then, I inspected the aisle more carefully and realized that these items are there on purpose to attract the children’s attention. So, I turned to simply defending the cart from kids adding items to the cart. The rest would be store’s problem.
CTLawyer, thanks for additional info. CT is a prime example of what I mentioned – it had a state religion. I understand that things changed by now, I am just illustrating that all these restrictions are not part of the original US ideas, so if some of the non-federal restrictions are rolled back in some way, it is not ruining the whole idea.
For example, for schools – there is no good reason for most school to depend on federal money. This should be part of the state responsibilities. As to charters, you might have a good case – except that your state will be better off giving voucher to population and let them use it for the school of their choice, and all problems will go away. It seems that many R- states are moving in this direction. It will be an interesting eperiment, but it will take some years before results will be in.
> while sad, is not a tragedy
R Yaakov Kamenetsky’s son writes against this attitude (about his father). He says that people who think this way do not appreciate that the longer you know the person, the greater the loss.
All the discussions about protection from internet and secular colleges is important in terms of protecting people from assimilation. And this is practically very important and yeshivish/chasidic communities are more successful in keeping people within. At the same time, don’t confuse these measures (that Hazon Ish called “desert”) with all Jewish (Hashem’s) values. Torah does not require looking at down at people who have less chumros; dressing in black hats; staying ignorant of science; relying on non-Jewish charity or unwilling Israeli taxpayers to support their learning, etc, etc. This is like Chava confusing siyag with Torah.
I can see if someone davens at 10a AND slowly with kavana – that he would need a piece of cake before that. I saw a quote fomr Kotzker who answered his student, a grandson of R Akiva Eger, how to justify the practice to his zeide: Rambam says that if you hire someone to axe your logs and he spends most of the day sharpening the axe and only then using it – he is paid for the whole day. Maynr Kotzker to Rambam specifically due to the kashya of the Rambam above? Anyway, people who don’t get a profession before getting married live in glass houses (if they can afford them) and should not be quoting Rambam they disregard. <Ducking>
Given that most men prefer to be providers after kollel or whatever rather than takers, a smart high earning lady essentially forces her husband to earn more than her, at which point she can stay at home
Avira, such kallah could finish or almost finish a bachelor degree by the time of getting married, at reasonable cost with loans to be paid over long time or even forgiven eventually if she doesn’t earn much, not sure of details
She can then work a small number of hours at higher rate, exactly what a busy mother needs.Note that 1st amendment applied to Federal Gov. States could, and did, have official religions. Not sure how comfortable we are with that idea, but it does make sense. If we are bothered by a NY religion, we can move to Montana and get enough votes to make it into an Uganda or a Birobidjan. So, under this system, there would be no problem having 10 comm in a state school.
Only later expansion of right to state governments created a current system. It also, I think, hallowed out state governments and lead to the current, unhealthy, state where democracy is hinging on an election of all-powerful President who is the head of an all-powerful Federal machine.
If we were to still have strong states, people would stop freaking out about federal elections.As to 10 comm in public schools – just give everyone vouchers and the problem will be solved.
NY is huge not because it is so great that everyone from US moves there. To the opposite, maybe hundred millions arrived there from the other countries, and eighty millions left, the remaining 20 are temporarily stuck on an island before they can afford to buy a car, pay the tolls and cross a bridge to America proper. .. Jews had good historical reasons and fear of assimilation to be stuck in NY for longer, of course, so we move gradually to Elizabeth, Monsey, Stamford, and Lakewood …
Disregarding Nach seems to be a tradition stemming from (1) focusing on Gemora, (2) backlash to Zionists who highlight Nach as nationalist history and it is hard to argue against, so it is easier to skip.
Still, I don’t think we can call someone who claims Nach is not Torah an apikoires – just an ignoramus.
N0, maybe we just use different terms. I am not claiming that “he is not afraid”. I am not into hero-worship or similar avoda zara. I see him as Yaftach be’doro … His middos are both the source of his great things and his problems too, like with most people.
I was comfortable – at a time – with Romney’s policies, but he had no heart to fight dirty politics. He was laughed off for claiming that Russia is our biggest enemy – maybe there would be no war at the moment were he a President. While Romney correctly concluded that 47% will vote for handouts, Trump was able to win elections in his own ways, changing calculus of the 47% through his populist inspiration – “what do you have to lose”.
As you just added judges to the long list of his accomplishments, we need to acknowledge the achievements, rather than trying to explain them away just because you do not like the guy personally. It is a very Jewish thing to do, even as it is hard.
I think, you guys here are a little confused by viewing labels as defining a person. How about this view:
fact: we have Jews all along the spectrum of observance. I am not talking MO v non-MO, but along the traditional measures: shabbat, kashrut … We have millions of people R’L who are not at all, or are partially, observant. These people are not, mostly, result of laxity of MO shuls, but of all other factors of the modern world.
Some of these people might sometimes come to a shul or otherwise interact with observant Yidden and, hopefully, learn and get inspired. Where will these people go? Some to Chabad, some to MO, only rarely directly to a yeshivish or chassidish shul. This is what you are saying when you mention that many of people in “MO” are not observant. You seem to be proud that none of these Jewish people who need our help are not coming to your shul … (this may be an unfair generalization with apology to those to whom it does not apply). Any ideas how to fix it and invite those people to your shul!?
Poland, Lita and couple of other small places were exceptions where Jews lived – on average – better and more independent. Germany was similar to the most of Europe – and that is why “Ashekanzim” moved from Germany further East.
Communism was popular among Eastern European Jews at the time when most of them were not under Poland or Lita but under Russian empire, with those countries being “beyond the Pale” and not allowed into Russia proper. They were discriminated against, but still better off than actual Russian serfs.
what happened with athe notion that a Talmid Chacham allowed to change the words to deny that he learnt a masechet?! Should claim “hetzi” not “kula”
n0, could you look at your post with a fresh look – you are tying yourself into a pretzel finding far-fetched explanations for each of the cases. In each of them, you agree with the fact, but then find a way to say it was popular, it does not really mean that he did it on purpose, etc.
On Afghanistan, you seem to agree with my thesis, while highlighting that T had doubts too. I agree, I am not trying to paint him as a super-hero.
On embassy, I do not know of evidence that any previous Presidents were bargaining rather than just simply postponing. When T did that, it was met with usual condemnations how stupid and risky it was. Thanks for adding accords to the list. I presume you also discount it for some reason.
NS2 is now seen ass the center of German folly in their accommodating policy towards Russia. T tried to force them to reconsider, Biden caved, making it another factor in Putin’s decision to start the war, planning for no opposition. This is very “consequential”.
Most modern Europeans are barbarians who travelled there from Ukranian steppes and beyond.
ten comm are coming pretty close to what we are supposed bnei Noach to believe. I understand concern for church/state separation, but it is hard to take a position against your own religion for the sake of a constitutional principle. At least, suggest some modification to the stature but just arguing against 10 commandments is plain backwards. Especially, from posters who find some other bill of rights provisions, like 2nd amt, questionable.
Avira > Of course there are working people who are talmidei chachamim, but that’s only if fhey spent years learning before going to work full time.
Interesting question. I would venture majority of T’Ch in history were working, whether full time or not. Did we have T’Ch who always worked and learned, or all of them spent some time (presumably when young) exclusively in learning?
Right, cctv might not prevent an attack but it will ensure that the crime will be proven. Whether this is enough of a deterrent will depend 9n the location, time and your barber… if he of the type who might want to steal your car, he’ll be deterred, but if he is a possible jihadi, then maybe you need a mirror..might be awkward though to first look at the barber and then ask for a mirror. Maybe lo plug here and ask for a mirror all the time and not get accused of being a latent racist
R Yehuda in Sotah 49 suggests using Hebrew, Greek, or Persian rather than Syriac (seemingly Aramaic dialect). Guessing he would prefer English or even High German to Yiddish …
huju, my guess – Robert Byrd?
A fair comment about Europeans: and the best,and cheaper, alternative to German products, I guess, would be Chinese – who not only imprison 1 bln + of their own citizens but also support all other current dictatorships – Norks, Russia, Iran … So, if you can’t find a heimeshe or a free anglo world alternative, I would first limit purchases from the current commies and only as a second priorities to the German/Europeans even if the latter is more emotionally charged.
“As no people have the same faces, no people have the same opinions”, said one of the acharonim. So, if you expecting achdus by waiting until everyone else agree with your opinion, you are an obstacle on the way to achdus.
Marxist, chatGPT does not claim to solve our problems. It merely learns from the corpus of human writing and repeats nonsense similar to what an average human is spouting. It also might be biased towards the way you ask question in order to please you. Were you to ask the same question using a more lefty terms, chatGPT would have answered that service in Tzahal is a great way to meet eligible partners.
I suggest yeshivish invite some of the gvirim to give seminars on how to emter the business world and to succeed there. Even if, in your opinion, a particular gvir is “keeping up with the joneses”, yeshiva bochrim can take the good from the bad.
Maybe, if someone expand to the gvir about maalos tzedaka and then disclose to him the secret (that is usually not mentioned in the appeals to him) that the biggest tzedoka is to help someone with making a living, the gvir can take some of the more aspiring bochrim as apprentices.
Hashem offered Torah to various goyim and they objected to various of 10 comm. Isn’t this a good moment when a nation wants to post all of them?!
n0,
on Afghanistan: it was reported that T indeed wanted to leave and would have benefited politically and chance his mind based on strong message from his military leaders. Biden did not. T had strong-minded advisors, some disagreeing with him. They were given a chance to express them, and – in some cases – he listened. B has non-leaders in key positions, who do not confront him when needed, or are not capable of forming independent opinions.On embassy: classic pattern of ingratitude. He did something we were asking for, everyone was telling him how wrong he was, but we still have reasons to not be grateful. Try to look at this without a bias.
I agree that T may not have an overarching theory of government, the way Reagan (“I am from the government …”) or Obama (“you did not build it”) were. He is more a transactional guy, focused on a particular deal and making it work. Say, explain a simple thing: why was T trying to stop Russian pipeline and got some concessions from Germans, and B reversed the course (and so did Germans after B won).
DaMoshe, I also perused the book and do not remember anti-Israeli stance. This is motzi shem ra, even if the poster meant it as a praise.
coffee, reading and quoting other religions ls also annoying, even if it is also a comic.
Look at state gov site for Passport Agencies. You schedule an appointment and go there, I think, with tickets that are in 1 or 2 weeks.
You are missing something here in this jarring comparisons: Trump voters forgive his quirks for the attractive sides he brings: dismissing establishment, doing things others were afraid, etc. Biden had only one attraction – that he is a safe choice. Now, turns out a safe choice has corrupt connections, can not even retreat troops from a 3rd world country, etc.
P v NP is a misleading scholastic question. It talks about “worst case” performance -that is, a performance on a hardest problem of certain type. So, a traveling salesman problem (finding a shortest path through a set of towns) is NP-complete, does it mean that all of us are unable to plan our day with 3 stops? of course not. A relevant theory is “average case” performance – how long does it take to solve an average problem of this type. Many modern algorithms, including AI/machine learning, are built in this way (some explicitly, most implicitly) – solving typical problems fast, even if theoretical hardest problems are not solvable.