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Joseph, are you a PA troll?
I half agree with Ben Levi. What is important is not the actual age of world but why Chazal took the trouble to calculate it. For dating legal documents we could have stuck with the minyan hashetarot – which the Yemenites still use.
Joseph, it depends on what one means by “the world”. There is a midrash that says that Hashem created and destroyed worlds before this. The Torah also says that Adam’s body was created and only later did he receive a “living soul” (according to Onkelos the power of speech.In fact, according to archaeological evidence writing has only been in existence for a little over 5,000 years so perhaps 5,776 is from the time people were raised above the animals. this si the world as we know it.
As for Rav Eliashiv, with all due respect there are other poskim. Perhaps the “halacha” (I find it difficult to write that about a non-legal matter) is not like him.
Joseph, Rashi does not say that or even hint that. He says that it was not called the first day to show that there was only Hashem. In fact, it could not have been a day as we know it as the Sun was not created until the fourth day. Actually, the word “yom” can also mean “time period” (e.g. bayom hahu”). In English we also say things like “in those days”.
These are all not funny but cruel. They are a violation of “v’ahavta l’rei’eicha kemocha”, geneivat daat and onaat devarim for starters.
Lilmod ulelamaid, the question is whether or not the dog knows that.
lilmod ulelamaid, as soon as it barks you’re supposed to say
“???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ????”.
As a mater of fact, Menachem Begin and his family were adopted by a stray dog while he was hiding from the British. The dog barked whenever British soldiers or police were near the house.
Dov, if they do it right that will keep them very busy. Most of Orech Chaim and Even HaEzer. All of Choshen Mishpat and Yoreh Deah. Not to mention Mussar and Emuna so that it is not just an intellectual exercise.
Sparkly, she mentioned on another thread that she is married so she is a woman.
Rambam Hilchot Melachim
5:1
??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ?????:
7:4
???? ??????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???? ??”? ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ??????:
Abba, if they are ignorant of secular subjects about the only jobs they can get is flipping burgers. If someone is not learning at a very high level where he has a Torah obligation to go into the IDF according to his physical abilities and intellectual talents (e.g. some people can go into Intelligence and learn computer technology while they are at it). Someone who is has an obligation to pass on his Torah. I would have these guys give shiurim to the solders. At the very least they should dedicate their learning to the success and well-being of the soldiers. Of course, it could be that they do not really believe that their learning has supernatural powers. This was evident during the first Gulf War when chutznikim stormed the airports for flights back to the Galut. It was proven again when missiles fell on the South and Chariedi (but not RZ) yeshivot relocated.
Abba,
1. On the contrary, they want to break the cycle of Chareidi poverty.
2. Unfortunately, Affirmative Action exists in government jobs. It is called “reparatory discrimination”. However, all discrimination is destructive. Why should someone who was never guilty of discrimination have to suffer? Moreover, the fact that there is a certain percentage is the population does not mean that they are the same percentage of qualified people. In fact, the Chareidi sector is less qualified because of the stubborn refusal to study secular subjects, especially Math, Science and Engish (needed in Hi-Tech). Unfortunately, the Chareidi “leadership” learned from the socialists that he way to keep people voting for the party is to keep them dependent.
Joseph, from your attitude we got Yushki (Gittin 90a and Iggeret Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai).
Abba,
1. There is a mitzva to join the IDF as I have posted many times.
2. Yesh Atid does not want to draft those who are really
learning. However, there are many guys who are registered but are just wasting time as they are not suited for full-time life-long learning. They should be drafted and later put in professional training programs. This will not only alleviate the tremendous cycle of poverty in the Chareidi sector but allow for real learners to receive decent stipends. Not to mention the fact that with the growth of the Chareidi sector as a percentage of the general population Israel cannot afford a blanket exemption from military service and work.
3. IMHO, the new erev rav are the post-Zionists and anti-Zionists of all stripes. They are doing exactly what the old ones did.
Comlink, the Chassidic movement started as a populist movement that told those who were marginalized because of their ignorance that they could be good Jews even if they were unlearned. Ironically it became highly stratified in a way that the yeshiva world had never been. For all its shortcomings (and it has many), OO, IMHO, is trying also trying to keep marginalized Jews from going completely OTD. However, like the Chassidic movement it needs an opposition to show it where it is going too far. Hopefully it will merit a leader who will realize this.
Abba, I do not have the exact citation right now but I believe that Chazal say that they were slaves from other nations who saw an opportunity to break free. Why should Egyptians who were disillusioned with paganism leave to join another religion and immediately try to undermine it?
Abba, the erev rav (please try and get this right – as I have previously posted the eruv rav is the rav hamachshir of the eruv) were a mixed group of slaves from various nations. The Messianic Jews are by and large people who were born Jewish and practice a hybrid of Judaism and Xtianity, much like the minim in Chazal’s time.
Comlink, the early Chassidim were guilty of many excesses. Sefer Yaakov Yosef denigrates talmidei chachamim in the most extreme language. One “rebbe” drank in public in the middle of Yom Kippur claiming that he saw through ruach hakodesh that the gates of Heaven had already closed. They ignored the zemanei tefilla. For these and other deviations the Gra put them in cherem. The Baal HaTanya and others after him brought back over the line. BTW, Rav Kook says that this is the function of opposition to new movements in general.
Miriam the Women’s Hair Stylist (a.k.a Mary Magdalene) went OTD because her husband was overly strict about this (Gittin 90a).
The footsteps are from all the walking to check the eruv.
Joseph, “much” obviously varies according to time, place and community. See the Levush in the likutim that even in his time women were involved in business dealings with men. Apparently Beruria also went out and about from time to time (Eruvin 53b).
Joseph, If the Americans and English are two peoples separated by a common language how much more so Yiddish speakers. When a Galitzianer says ‘Elokeini” a Litzvak thinks that he is saying “My Gd”. For that matter, Yiddish has many loan words from whatever is the local language. In fact, Ruchama Shain commented in “All for the Boss” that when she returned to NY form mir her relatives did not understand her son’s Polish Yiddish as they spoke American Yiddish.
Ben Levi, Ponevich has many Chassidic talmidim and even waives the no beards rule for Chassidic bachurim (Litvaks consider it haughty for a bachur to have a beard). Rav Schach was very much opposed to ethnic discrimination.
JF, there are many mixed minyanim. In fact, my weekday Shacharit minyan goes according whatever the Shatz davens. If there is a pinch hitter in the middle it switches.
Joseph, keli gever and keli isha are according to local custom. Tell me,do you use a mirror to shave, trim your beard or check if your head tefilin is positioned properly (Rav Chaim Brisker used a mirror for this and when told that the Divrei Chaim says that it is a shetut he replied that he would rather be a shoteh with tefillin than a Chassid without tefillin)?
Many of the Cantonists settled in Finland after they were discharged. There are also descendants of Jews form Nordic countries (Finland is not technically Nordic as the
Finns are a Turkic people)and Poland. Interestingly, Jewish soldiers in the Finnish army were given leave for Shabbatot and chagim. Today there are approximately 1,500 Jews in Finland.
There are actually two mitzvot. Talmud Torah and limud Torah. The former involves the inner workeings of Torah (sevarot, middot shehaTorah nidreshet bahen, etc.). The latter involves learning practical mitzvot including mussar and emuna. Women are exempt from the former but obligated in the latter (therefore they say birkat haTorah in the morning). Thus, for example,a woman would not have to learn Mishna Berura or Aruch HaShulchan but she would have to learn Chayei Adam or Kitzor Shulchan Aruch. Whether and what one should teach them in our time is a matter of discussion and different commuities have different approaches.
Crawley,
1. People from different backgrounds in general express themselves differently. In fact,no two people express themselves the same way.Thus no two nevi’im prophesied in the same style.
2. Today only Chasidic schools teach in Yiddish. Moreover, Yiddish also has different dialects which are not necessarily mutually intelligible. In fact, Rav Arye Levine zatzal re-tested a boy from a Hungarian background because he thought that maybe he did not understand his Lithuanian pronunciation. According to your line of reasoning there should be separate schools for each ethnic group.
3. Why can’t they teach both sets of minhagim? In fact, it would be good for kids to know this. It wouldenrich their knowledge of Judaism.
How else are they going to know what to do and not do?
MLK, we have already discussed the issue of shaking hands with women (which also applies in the business world). BTW, when Rebbetzin Jungreis met with Bush II he was told in advance not to extend his hand and there was no problem. For a candidate there would probably be elss than an issue becuaue he shakes so many hands that it’s most likely a nuisance for him.
As for anti-Semitism, that is a problem although today religion is not an issue, Nobody, for example, would consider asking a Catholic if he would let the Pope run the country as they asked JFK. There are Jews on every other level of government including SCOTUS (BTW, Stephen Wise opposed Felix Frankfurter’s nomination because of this issue and it did not pan out even though anti-Semitism was rampant in America at the time). Whatever one thinks of him Obama proved that there are no longer bars to minorities. Moreover, Jews have been advisors to Presidents from both parties with no repercussions (unlike when the new Deal weas called the “Jew Deal”). Of course, being the power behind the throne has certain advantages. How many people know that Ted Cruz’ senior adviser and deputy chief of staff for strategy is a frum Jew named Nick Muzin? Yet he certainly exerts a great deal of influence, possibly more than if he were in the limelight.
Bek, in what type of law are you interested? To get into Biglaw (advantage: huge pay disadvantage: high pressure to rack up billable hours) you will have to go to an Ivy League school. Even then you will have to be near the top of your class – and there are many legal geniuses in those schools. If you want to open you own firm it obviously does not matter but you will have to put in long hours at low pay in the beginning as in any other business. In any case, so far as I know CUNY law does not exact any contractual or moral obligation to go into public law. However, that seems to be the thrust of its program, which is very much tilted to the left (in fact, unlike other schools it does not have any prosecutorial or business clinics).
Miamilawyer, the problem is that sometimes the leaves are from another type of tree. Rav Kook says that that is the purpose of opposition to a new group. In fact “Mekor Baruch” quotes the Tzemach Tzedek as saying that the Chassidim owed a debt of gratitude to the Gra for pushing them back on the right side of the line. I will add though that Rav Kook says that the purpose of these groups is to show where the establishment is falling down on the job.
Miamilawyer, every development in Judaism was created and evolved to deal with the exigencies of the times. Rambam wrote the Guide to deal with the problem of perplexed students of Aristotelian philosophy. The Chassidic movement rose to keep the ignorant masses within the fold and when it wentto far the Mitnaggedic movement rose. This si why we are told to listen to the judges in our time. Dor, dor v’dorshav.
KJ, that was the position of the spies and the Erev Rav
Writer, Mea Shearim started as a settlement. At that time the Old City wall was the Green Line.
Writer, Rav Aviner says that he personally knows a psychologist who has had successes. Of course, as with every other issue it depends on how much the person wants to change.
There would be many halachic problems, starting with Shabbat. In Israel frum Jews have been on the Security Cabinet but here the overwhelming majority are Jews. There is also the problem of the election campaign as many events are scheduled on Shabbat and candidates are expected to partake of the locals’ food. There is also the danger of the Jews being scapegoated for failures. This happened when the Confederacy began to lose even though AG Judah P. Benjamin was totally assimilated and married a Catholic.
MLK, if the gentile records it for himself why should a Jew be prohibited from listening?
Bek, as for CUNY law being left-wing, that is true of most law schools although there are individual professors who are conservative or libertarian. CUNY law has a branch of the Federalist Society so apparently there are a significant number of conservative and libertarian students there. The big plus, of course, is the low cost, especially for NYC residents. If one is considering public-service law that is an even bigger consideration as the salaries are much lower (although with the exception of prosecutors’ offices the hours are more or less 9-5).
Simcha, a mamzer may marry a gioret. He can also go to a country that allows slavery and buy a shifcha Kenanit. After she can no longer bear children he can free her so that he can marry her as she will then be a gioret. As for gays, it depends on whether they are strictly same-sex or can go either way.
Writersoul and Joseph, actually I once read an article by someone (albeit a Catholic) who admitted to being attached to this sin but added that he is celibate.
Both the Gemara (Shabbat 156a) and the Zohar (Parashat Pinchas) recognize pre-dispositions. According to Kabbala it even sometimes happens that a male neshama is reincarnated as a female and vice versa. However, hese are challenges to be channeled or overcome. Having said this, it should also be recalled that financial crimes are also toavot (Devarim 25,13-16) and many who commit them justify them and even brag about them. As these are aveirot ben adam l’chaveiro teshuva is much more difficult, as is well known.
Anyone who commits any aveira, Torah or rabbinic is disqualified (Choshen Mishpat 34,1-3) until he is punished by a bet din or does teshuva (ibid seif 29). This, in fact, was the basis for Rav Moshe disqualifying non-Orthodox weddings. However, a person must be disqualified by a bet din after testimony regarding him.which means two, not ten (ibid seif 25). It would seem though that according to Rav Moshe there would be an anan sahadei, which works like official testimony, where it is known that people are connected to certain non-Orthodox groups.
The distinction between someone who is mechalel Shabbat in public and in private only refers to treating him like a gentile (e.g. rendering his wine non-kosher).
Abba, Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky was once asked why the children of someone who learned (or more appropriately, studied) every day went OTD while the children of an ordinary baal bayit stayed frum. He said that the former bragged about cheatng in business whereas the latter was scrupulously honest. Rav Moshe balme it on the expression “shver tzu zein a Yid”. the kids don’t want another difficulty.
DY, your children are at risk everywhere. How many Jews were killed in the WTC attacks? How many in attacks in Europe? Not to mention intermarriage and cultural assimilation – which also affects the frum community.
Joseph, neither does someone who says lashon hara, cheats in business, steals from government programs, etc. I wonder how many kosher eidim are left.
KJ spy,
We have a mitzva to go to war if necessary in order to conquer EY (Ramban, Sefer HaMitzvot, Mitzvot that Rambam “forgot”). Once Bnei beraq was the border. When someone expressed doubt as to whether to live there the Chazon Ish told him that if Jews would not live there Tel Aviv would be the border.
In any case, the risk of being a victim in Judea and Samaria or any other part of EY is far less than in any American city. There is some risk but if people take risks for material parnassa how much more so for spiritual parnass.
1. According to Faranak Margolese (“Off the Derech”) the most common reason why people go OTD is because of negative religious figures. In fact, I personally know someone who went OTD (and baruch Hashem came back) because of the blatant contradiction between what his father preached and what he sold in his business.
2. Becoming BT does not change one’s basic personality. Each person becomes the type of frum Jew that parallels what he was in his secular life. For example, an academic type will be drawn to a yeshivish life-style whereas someone who is more emotional will be drawn to Chassidut.
Miamilawyer, “contains much allegory and the traditions, customs and law have value but are not absolute” ” is not necessarily non-Orthodox. it depends on how you define your terms (and you know that many laws start with definitions). How many are many? For example, Chazal say that “an eye for an eye” means monetary compensation (and prove that lex talionis is untenable). Traditions, customs and law are certainly not absolute in the sense that the same answer applies to all cases. There is lechatchila and b’diavad, shaat hadechak, hefsed meruba, kevod haberiot, etc.
As for “lo baShemayim hi”, that means that we follow human logic (using internal rules of deduction) rather than to come to conclusions rather than relying on miracles or nevua. By definition Chazal’s halachic and ethical statements are correct. This is even true where they contradict each other as there are several possible conclusions. We also have that in Mathematics. A quadratic equation can have two answers. A cubic equation three, a quartic equation four, etc.
Miamilawyer, you are a proof for the truth of Torah. As Mark Twain wrote in “Concerning the Jews” “The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”
The fact that there are apparent contradictions in the written Torah does not mean that it was not written by Hashem c”v. It means that Hashem employed different literary styles for different reasons. If you excelled in Gemara you know that resolving difficulties is the lifeblood of Talmudic discourse. In fact, as Rabbi Gordimer has stated, the mefarshim deal with these issues. I am sure that in Miami there are good Tanach classes with rabbis who can deal with your issues. Try them.
Bachur, once a gentile judge asked how much the eruv would cost the taxpayers. When he was told that in fact the would pay the costs plus rent on the air space he told them to build two.
Karl, some say that you do.
How is this an issue in the election? Pence is a staunch supporter of Israel whose social values are very similar to those of Judaism. Hillary is an opponent of Jewish rights to all of EY, a proponent of the Obamanation and an incompetent, grossly negligent crook.
What do you mean by mixed kiddushim? Different types of fish?
Huju, actually Israeli demographers have predicted that in the next generation or two the majority of Israelis will be Haredi or Dati Leumi. As of 2010 the Central Bureau of Statistics report breakdown according to self-identification was 8% Haredi, 12% as religious, 13% as traditional-religious, 25% as traditional and 42% as secular. The figures for the religious increase as the age group becomes lower. Moreover, over 30% of school children are enrolled in religious schools. Ten years, however, is an exaggeration. BTW, I used to work in the actuarial field.
Ray,
That is where his reason was known. You only know that the doctor and rav are ehrlich and talmedei chachomim. You indeed do not need more in order to judge them favorably. However, you do need to know more in order to extrapolate to another situation. You should have asked them in a respectful manner. If they are truly ehrlich and talmedei chachomim they would have been happy to tell you. Not asking is intellectual laziness and kula shopping.
Health, the only way to get rid of her is for the House to impeach her and the Senate to remove her. Being that she is 83 and not in the best of health anyway they will probably let it ride.