Avi K

DY,

1. I was referring to Rambam’s statements regarding a milchemet mitzva.

2. The Kesef Mishna only says that a rav who teaches others may receive payment. In any case, today he can publish books and receive royalties, receive a salary from the yeshiva, etc. Of course, if someone is receiving aid anyway because he cannot find a job, has a disability, etc. should go and learn to his ability.

Scared, he violated the terms of his probation for fraud.

MW,

In Mishna Tora he clarifies that “war” refers to a milchemet reshut and “conquering cities” means outside EY. You still have not defined a talmid chacham. It is certainly not some butterfly (the Israeli slang expression) who is officially listed as a talmid but goofs off. In practice, Rav Tzvi Yehuda (Kook) gave a personal pesak to each talmid in his yeshiva. Moreover, you have not dealt with the suggestion for establishing military battei midrash whose students will be officially part of the IDF like other support troops learn for the success of the combat troops. Asfor Rav Moshe’s teshuva, with all due respect he is a daat yachid. It is also very puzzling as Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues supported Bar Kochba. Moreover, it is against Rambam, Ramban (in his Sefer HaMitzvot), the Ran and the Netziv as I previously posted.

Even better, why not privatize all of the pools and beaches? Why is this a municipal function? However, that will not end anti-“discrimination” suits, as Xtian bakers have discovered.

Sam, the most an independent can do is throw the election into the House. All that has been written about Trump is true but Clinton is just as bad. She was fired from the Watergate committee staff for unethical behavior, participated in the Whitewater fraud, caused the deaths of American diplomats and laughed about getting a rapist off scot-free by taking advantage of a prosecutor’s error (which may have been a breach of attorney-client privilege). However, Trump is in favor of building settlements and his adviser on Israel is a frum Jew who heads the American Friends of the Bet-el Yeshiva. That makes him our bum (to paraphrase FDR’s comment about Somoza).

DY & MW,

1. Yes we do pasken that Rambam.

2. Who is a talmid chacham? Some bachur who spends half his time at the coffee corner, reading newspapers and demonstrating? If the tzibbor is going to give them a deferment the Chief Rabbinate should be the body to see if they are really learning. Moreover, if they are serious about being part of the military effort they should dedicate their learning to it seriously.

Joseph, the Rema only brings that as a “yesh omrim”. Stam v'”yesh omrim”, halacha k’stam – and what about Sepharadim? In any case, if the tzibbor is going to pay them it should be able able to make sure that it is not being cheated through audits (without warning so that there is no time to pad the bet midrash) and exams.

5miyodeya, I wrote that if it is an “English-speaking” position being Hebrew-impaired will not make a big difference. However, if I were hiring for a position where people would have to participate in meetings and deal with Hebrew documents I would consider it a major black mark. In any case, you really should make an effort to learn and use Hebrew. Just as one who plans on living in America has an obligation to learn and use English so too one who plans to live in Israel should learn and use Hebrew.

Joseph, that in itself is an anti-Semitic comment.

Actually, many non-frum Israelis know about it. In fact, the secretary in a former workplace of mine once told me that she does not extend her hand to observant men. Your rusty Hebrew is a much bigger problem unless you are interviewing for an “English-speaking job” (e.g. dealing with international business). In America someone who does not speak good English will not get a decent job except in a company owned by people who speak his first language so too in Israel.

Blubuh, that is the chance you take when you accept a request for an estimate without asking for an examination fee (which I believe is the custom). What about a case that occurred in an office in which I worked: A repairman was called in to fix the microfilm machine. He came and saw that the only problem was that the lens was not in place. He charged $25 (almost forty years ago) for making an office call.

Akuperma, while I do not know of statistics, it makes sense that OTDs will want to preserve those aspects of their former lives that they enjoyed. Some, BTW, eventually come back (I personally know one), in some case to another stream of Orthodoxy (e.g. Chassidic to MO). As for not being distinguished from goyim, it takes several generations of assimilation to lose all of the little thinks (manner of speech, body language, etc.) that come from the national aspect that is not connected to free choice (see Rav Soloveichik, “Two Beritot”) make us distinguishable.

Joseph, I think he means the part about safek goy. However, if one holds like Rav Moshe 9an certainly at least b’diavad we do) if someone’s parents were not frum most likely the kiddushin was not valid. In fact, someone told me that before he became BT he was a witness at his sister’s wedding.

I do not see anything wrong with giving an animal a name. If Adam haRishon gave each species its name why can’t we give them individual names? However, putting them on the same level as humans is wrong and dangerous. As for Harambe, how did the kid get into his cage? Someone was negligent. BTW, when someone’s animal dies on says ????? ???? ?? ?????? (Berachot 16b).

Crawley, Actually, an OECD poll showed that Israelis are among the happiest in the world (#5 after Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland). Israel is one of the best places to raise children (#4 after Austria, Sweden and Finland according to the Family Life Index). It has one of the best medical systems(#28 on the WHO list). You are over on the sin of the spies. Or you are overcompensating for guilt feeling at not living here.

Is a Jew allowed to buy from someone who supports Bernie Sanders?

Joseph, what about people who send their kids to Orthodox schools who are dishonest in business, say lashon hara (I even know someone who imitates the accents of gedolei Tora and another who tells insulting jokes about various communities because they thinks it is funny), use bad language, etc.? The Gra says (Even Sheleima 2) that if someone has naturally bad middot learning Tora will actually make him worse. This is why Tora is compared to water. It makes everything grow. As for children who go to public school, would you differentiate between playing in your home and in theirs as perhaps the other kids will be influenced? What would you tell someone who has close non-frum relatives?

MW13, the mishna in Avot refers to an individual and his individual status. It does not make blanket assumptions.

Rebyidd, there is no religious test for public office in the US. In fact, Joe Lieberman came very close to becoming VP in 2000.

Charlie, isolationism might be good for the Jews this time. The US uses its “aid” to Israel as a bludgeon. Moreover, he will not pressure Israel on settlements. In fact, he said in an interview with the London Daily Mail that Israel should “keep going” and “keep moving forward” with settlements. No surprise as his adviser on Israel heads the American Friends of the Bet-el Yeshiva.

Zahavasdad, the Chafetz Chaim told Rav Elchonon in so many words that there would be a holocaust.

Akuperma, his name is Ralph Nader. I do not think that he made a neder.

What about the kedusha of business dealings? This is where the serious chillul Hashem exists.

The Chatam Sofer did not say “Machnisei Rachamim” but did daven for others. He explained that being that all Jews are connected the person is really davening for himself. If he is a talmid chacham he has more merit and davens better. However, angels have no involvement with us (Responsa OC 1:166 -http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14663&st=&pgnum=130) .

Charlie, not correct. The authorities can rely on circumstantial evidence (Guide 3:40). The purpose of the secular criminal justice system, unlike battei din, which are concerned with atonement for the criminal, is to maintain public order(Iggerot Moshe Chohsen Mispat 2:68 and see Ran Derasha 11). In fact, Noahides can be executed for being over on any of the sheva mitzvot. Thus, if a Noahide who has a record longer than our combined arms is executed, even though he did not commit this specific act the only unjust result is that the real murderer thinks he got away scot-free (although really it is just a matter of time until he gets his). In fact, even if a Jew is a three time loser he is locked up in a tower and left there until he dies (Rambam Hilchot Sanhedrin 18:5).

Charlie, if the seller only wants to sell to a gentile or to a Jew why should he not have that right? Besides having overwhelmingly Jewish neighborhoods is good for the Jews.

Feivel, if you mean not muttar l’chatchila that is what I meant, not because I am deciding between the poskim c”v but becuase it might be a safek d’Oraita and anyway it is at least an almost universally accepted hanhaga. However, just as in other areas of Halacha we can rely on lenient opinions in certain situations so too in this matter.

Feivel, the point is that iti s questionable if shaking hands in a business situation is derech hibba v’taava or simply a formality. Rav Herschel Shachter and Rav Aharon Solveichik permitted it – and Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky said in Emmet l’Yaakov on Tur Shulchan Aruch p. 405 note 4 “Regarding returning a handshake to women when they extend their hand first in greeting, not in an affectionate manner, this is a very serious question and it is difficult to be lenient. However, in circumstances where the woman may come to be embarrassed, perhaps one could consider being lenient. This requires further study”. Rav Moshe himself (Iggerot Moshe EH 1:56 at the end) that there are yirei Hashem who shaker hands when women initiate it and suggested that they hold that it is not derech hibba v’taava although he said that it is “difficult” to rely on this.

On the hand, there are issues of embarrassing someone,causing hatred, losing a job or job possibility. These all might be good reasons to rely on lenient opinions.

As for your smart-aleck examples, what is wrong with eating in a gentile home per se? If they offer you unopened certified kosher cold cuts on paper plates with plastic knives and forks and cold drinks in paper cups (although really if their utensils are cold it is not a problem b’diavad) it is totally permitted. The other examples do not deserve a response.