Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I am not opposed to giving them a state. Just far away from Eretz Yisrael. Another possibility is an international fund to pay them to emigrate to countries that need moneyed immigrants.
I heard from Rav Yehuda Ben-Yishai that there is no source for this saying. His proof was, in fact Tisha b’Av.
Mochoh, cite your source for your contention that “most people who fall under the category where their actions we pray shall be vanquished from the earth” and your apparent interpretation (“vanquished” can mean that they will see the error of their ways). We see that Beruria’s way worked not Rabbi Meir’s. Here is what Rav Tzvi Pesacch Frank says
(??”? ?? ??? ???? ???? ? ???? ???):
?. ??”? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ????? ???”? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????. ?”? ???? ?????? ?? ??, ??? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ?”? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???.
??? ????? ??? ??? ??????????? ????? ?? ??, ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????. ????, ???? ????? ????? (?? ?? ?”?) ?????? ??? ???? – ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?’ ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??????. ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????, ???”? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ????. ??? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?????. ????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??????, ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?????, ??? ?????? ??????. ??”? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?’, ??? ?”?, ????? ?? ?? ??? ???????: ???? ???, ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????. ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????, ???? ??”? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???. ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???, ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???, ?????? ????.
In many states and localities it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of marital status.
Patur, Rav Moshe does not say which of ball game he is referring. Baseball? Not so dangerous. Perhaps football? In Israel, the English-speakers’ yeshivot have their own league. Are exercise and letting off steam matirim?
In Kol HaTor Rabbi Hillel Rivlin quotes his rav, the Gra, as sayingthat in the time before Mashiach the Sn of the Spies will attach itself to those who hold on to the Tora. Rav Teichtal hy”d, who lived in Budapest and was murdered in Auschwitz, also discusses this in Em HaBnaim Semeicha.
Charlie, that is true so far as questions such as interest and owning shares of food companies during Pesach are concerned. However, Tora knowledge does not make one an advisor as to which of two permitted stocks to buy. In fact, any posek will consult professionals in the field before paskening. For example, Rav Moshe asked an electrician what would happen if someone tovelled a toaster.
Rav Ovadia also said that those who do not learn should serve in the IDF. Rav Nachman Kahana proposed a simple solution – test them. Those who make the grade will be able to continue learning but will have to devote some time to teaching in an IDF framework. They will also have to say the mi sheberach for the soldiers. their current refusal, along with their refusal to say the prayer for the State, is scandalous, especially as they claim that they are learning for everyone.
As for running away, let’s see who will take them. If someone does, let’s see how they get along with the Islamists and neo-Nazis.
Sam, what you wrote is generally correct but you fell into the same trap as those who “oppose” the State. There is a difference between a state, a regime and a government. The classic example among the other nations is France. It has had monarchies (the first and the restored), two empires (Napoleon and his nephew Napoleon III)and is now on its fifth republic (= constitution). I n that time it has had many governments. However, it is still the same state known as France.
A state is an organic concept possessing population, land and sovereignty. The government, is the group of people who run the state. The regime is the form of government. Thus one can be happy with the existence of the State of Israel and at the same time be dissatisfied with the regime and critical of the government. In fact, when Yom HaAtzmaut fell on Bahab Rav Tzvi Yehuda (Kook) said both Hallel and selichot. When asked why he said “Hallel for the State and selichot for the government”. Similarly, he said that the educational and legal systems need to be redone from scratch.Yet his joy at having a state was not diminished. Hashem did His. Now the ball is in our court.
1. Akuperma, there is no issur of behukoteihem where there is a logical reason for the practice, as with doctors wearing white coats to identify themselves as doctors (*Rema Yoreh Deah 178:1).
2. Hakatan,
a. Rav Kotler also called a certain rav an am ha’aretz. When the Satmar rebbe became upset he was calmed down by someone who told him that Rav Kotler said “am ha’aretz like he said “apikoros”.
b. How do you show your respect for those who have fallen? Do you even say the mi sheberach for those who baruch Hashem are still alive (Akuperma is also invited to answer)?
The only prohibition is owning a vicious dog. Even then if one needs it for protection it is permitted so long as it is properly tied up (Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 409:3 and see Rema). As for being muktzeh, Rav Moshe says (Iggrot Moshe Orach Chayim 5,22) that if one normally pets and plays with it this is its purpose and it is not muktzeh. However, Sepharadim may hold differently (see Shulchan Aruch Orech Chaim 308:45 with Rema and Mishna Berura seif katan 158 regarding playing with a ball).
Rav Dessler says in Kuntras Nekudat HaBechira that each person is judged according to his choices based on where he is holding spiritually. It could be that a someone raised in a secular home who chooses not to eat pork because he is Jewish receives a better judgement than someone raised in a frum home who keeps mitzvot by force of habit. See Rambam Hilchot Tesuva 3:2 that only Hashem knows the weights of mitzvot and aveirot.
I heard that when Rabbi Yochanan redacted the Yerushalmi he deliberately used difficult language so that when the horaat shaah to write down Tora SheBall Peh was revoked (which he hoped would be soon) people would not use it as a crutch.As for the lingua franca, it was probably Greek as this was the common language of the eastern Roman Empire although different dialects of Aramaic were also spoken locally. Chachamim spoke Hebrew as we see in the Mishna. In fact, even Rebbe’s maid was an expert in it. The admixtures are mainly Greek and Latin and may have been used when speaking to baalei battim.
Rambam says in Igeret Teiman that Mashiach will live in obscurity until he is revealed as Mashiach. This would make the question a non-starter.If someone is universally accepted as Mashiach and does what Rambam says Mashiach will do (fight Hashem’s wars, build the Bet HaMikdash, etc.) he will be Mashiach.
Actually, there are are two. Mashiach ben Yoseph and Mashiach ben David. According to Kol HaTor of Rabbi Hillel Rivlin, one of the talmidei HaGra who made aliya,the job of the former is kibbutz galuyot and building the material side of EY whereas the job of the latter is building the spiritual side culminating in the Bet HaMikdash. Rav Kook (Misped b’Yerushalayim) apparently held that Herzl, or perhaps the Zionist movement in general, was MBY. He explained the anti-religious aspects as a result of his concentration on the material.
Akuperma, incorrect pronunciation can lead to big problems. For example, one who pronounces ???? ????????in keriat shema ???? ????????. Similarly, there are those who pronounce the “ch” sound “k” or “h” and wind up saying “mekalkel olam b’hesed”.
Sam, with all due respect to Rav Ovadia’s gadlut, most National Religious Sephardim follow Rav Mordechai Eliahu’s pesakim. Many Jews of North African background follow Rav Mashash’s. Both disagreed with Rav Ovadia’s ruling that Sephardim in EY must follow the Mechaber 100% irregardless of the customs in their previous countries.
1. That is aggadata and aggadata is not to be taken literally (Rambam Intro. to Perek Chelek). Rav Kook explains in “Orot” that we received the taryag mitzvot because that is our natural lifestyle whereas the natural lifestyle of the other nations is the sheva mitzvot. This could be the meaning of that midrash.
2. It is not clear if Mashiach is before or after techiyat hameitim. It seems from Rambam that it is before. Thus, only those alive then, Jews and non-Jews, will see his coming. In fact, when Rav Arye Levin was asked to curse Nasser ym”s he said that he was not in the business of cursing but would give him a beracha that he should see Mashiach’s coming.
There are many people who have semicha but do not use the title “rav” nor are they called by it as they do no hold rabbinic positions nor do they teach limudei kodesh.Thus, the correct form is “MK Lipman”. Having said that, it is certainly improper to denigrate him. Interestingly, there is a group in the US that is pushing for civility in discourse. Chochma bagoyim taamin.
WIY, Rambam says at the beginning of Moreh Nevuchim that it is obligatory to study science in order to gain a greater appreciation of Hashem and to prepare the mind to learn Tora.
Lev, those are halachic terms, not scientific terms.Nobody today denies that many scientific statements in the Gemara are incorrect scientifically.The arguement is whether they meant them literally or metaphorically.
There have always been exceptional women. Beruria, the Maharshal’s grandmother (who was a rosh yeshiva and taught boys from behind a mechitza), Rav Mordechai Eliahu’s grandmother (who was a niece of the Ben Ish Chai and bested the Kaf HaChaim in Halacha). However, as a rule women think more emotionally and men think more logically. As for women lawyers, Nat Lewin once commented that he entered Harvard Law after spending his whole life in yeshivot. Once a professor discussed two contradictory Supreme Court decisions. Lewin jumped up with a great terutz, the whole class burst out laughing and the professor told him that if he did it again he would be out.
Toi,
1.It is true that the median income in Israel is lower than in the US but day school tuition there is astronomical. Many parents have no choice but to send their kids to public school with all that that means. High college tuition results in people starting out $100K in debt. In Israel, tuition is much lower and there are lucrative professions which only require a course. Some are even given in English as well as Hebrew although obviously without language skills a person will be severely limited (as in the US). Medical costs are also much higher and will become even more so under Obamacare – and companies will cut their coverage as a result.
2. In the uS it is also true that many blue-collar workers earn more than white-collar workers. One of the vice presidents in a company for which I worked commented that the high point of his career was when he earned as much as a LIRR conductor.
3. In America whom you know is also very important. However, the capitalist mentality causes people to be more than willing to give a connection in lieu of a handout. In Israel the Chareidi socialist mentality (which also has influenced some parts of the NR sector) gives fish instead of a fishing rod. However, fish can become an endangered species Not to mention the damage to one’s outlook and self-respect. On the other hand, it enables the fish givers to exercise control.
RabbiofBerlin, you are correct.She is a BT. Apparently some people think that the halachot of lashon hara and hotzaat shem ra have been repealed.Of course, BTs don’t count anyway.
Charlie, if a person deliberately becomes poor there is no obligation to help him (Sifre Behar 5,Sefer Chasidim (Margalit) 61, Responsa Chatam Sofer 5 (Choshen Mishpat)174). Moreover, as I previously posted, the existence of these programs creates an attitude that “the State will take care of him” such that even people who want to work are often not helped by those with connections because they see no need to exert themselves. Not to mention the fact that there is an attitude prevalent in the Chareidi community that any work other than low-paying “Chareidi” jobs such as melamed endanger the “purity of the camp” (actually they endanger the control askanim have on the Chareidi public by freeing them from financial dependency).
1. I did not blame “the frummies” but the socialist mentality of “soaking the rich” and protektzia for “our people”.This has affected both the DL and Chareidi communities, with each giving it its own kvetch.Fortunately, this is changing and both groups will also change. MK Lipman and others like him along with the drying up of contributions from abroad due to the ongoing financial crisis.are only giving a counter-push to the extremists who idealize poverty and unemployment as “keeping the camp pure”
2. The vast majority of Chareidim who work work in low-paying “Chareidi” jobs such as BY teacher, melamed, etc.
3. While the older Chareidi neighborhoods indeed have substandard apartments the newer ones, such as Ramot and Ramat Bet Shemesh, have fairly nice ones.
Sh9888, do you live in Israel? From what I hear (I do live in Israel), with the exception of religious education (whose cost is destroying frum Americans economically),prices in Israel are higher than in America. However, people do have luxuries. Cell phones are a luxury. Internet connections are a luxury. Vacations abroad are not only a luxury but according to most poskim assur – and the Pesach seders there are chillulei Hashem. The latter include “glatt kosher” plans. I seriously doubt that they interest many secular people.
“MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT A GIFT! WE PAY TAXES”. So if the allowances were kept at the old levels taxes would have to be raised even higher. Maybe it would be better to get rid of them entirely and save the administrative costs. At the very least, benefits should have an income test. As I pointed out in a previous post, the child allowances are given to ALL mothers who have Israeli resident status even if they are multi-millionaires.
Life in Israel is expensive but people seem to have many luxuries. Someone (such as myself) who does not have a cell phone is regarded with wonder. Computers are also nearly universal – even in the Chareidi community despite all of the rulings. Cars are common as are foreign vacations with some travel agents even offering “glatt kosher” trips (before the recent troubles I expected to see ads for Pesach seders in Egypt in addition to the ones in Europe and on cruises). How do they do it? They work – and very often both parents work. Those who do not want to work or want to work in a not very renumerative field (as do most Chareidim who work at something) have an obligation to first forego luxuries – including the expensive and annoying cell phones – before asking for public assistance.
First of all, the allowances go to all mothers regardless of family income. As for Herzog, he is a socialist and the socialists have always used government (= taxpayers’) money as bribes to stay in power and retain control over people. This is why the flip side is always that they reserve the good jobs for the party faithful (anashim/unzer menschen). Being self-supporting means being free.
Shraga,
1. I know about what I wrote regarding the Chareidi (and those National Religious who have been influenced by Chareidi Socialism) first-hand.
2. I saw the amounts of the cuts.The amounts per family are small. However, over all recipients (every mother who has the legal status of an Israeli resident regardless of income) the saving come to approximately NIS 2.7 billion approx.$750 million). If this small amount is so critical to you, why not cut out non-essentials, such as an Internet connection? If you and your family have cell phones you can cancel them too. They are every expensive and are often a nuisance.In addition, you might take a second job, your wife might work, etc.
YM, Yesh Atid since when is living on handouts the Tora way? On the contrary, Chazal call this “bread of shame”. The Tora way is to find people jobs. Tzedaka is for people who cannot work.
The cuts were part of a general need to cut the government budget and move responsibility to civil society. I have found that one of the problems these programs cause, besides (without regard to your individual case) encouraging people not to work, is that people shirk their duties to their fellows. They develop an attitude that “the state will take care of him” and so long as he is meeting his basic needs he does not need to be helped to find a decent job (many of which are filled by word of mouth, through connections, etc.). On the contrary, he, in the view of many, should be happy that he can more or less get along without having to work. This is especially true in the Chareidi community where there is an ideology that all men should learn full-time whether or not they are suited for it (or for what is available at their ages and subject to the restrictions of the laws covering various benefits).
Perhaps you should thank MK Lipman (and this without knowing what input he had and whether or not he was able to lower the cuts). The cuts may compel the powers who think they are in your community to do something.
Popa,giving a harsh sentence to someone for calling the prosecution anti-Semitic is certainly improper. However, people are people. Statements such as this alienate them and cause them to look unfavorably on the defendant.Not to mention that they may be more stringent davka to show that they cannot be cowed.
Eclipse,
The tzaddik was the Ashkenazi Rashash (Rav Shlomo Shtrassen of Vilna). He lent money to the man who returned it while he (the Rashash) was learning. The Rashash put it in his gemara, turned the page and forgot it. When he was going over his ledger he noticed that the loan was not marked “paid” so he took the man to a din Tora but dropped it when the borrower declared his willingness to swear as he did not want to cause him to take a “false” oath. Of course, everyone believed the Rashash and the man had to leave town. When he went back to the daf he saw the money and remembered. This shows that one must always get a receipt, even from a big talmid chacham.
Regarding the subject of this thread, Wendy Runge committed fraud. The sentence was excessive but not because she is Jewish. In recent years, white-collar defendants in general have received Draconian sentences, even for victimless crimes such as violating some obscure regulation. This is a pendulum swing due to major scandals in which peole who caused great economic harm received at the most a few years in “Club Fed”. Now the pendulum seems to be swinging back as everyone is aware of the injustice as well as social and economic costs of overcriminalization and oversentencing. Hopefully a middle ground will be found.
Toi, on the contrary, Rambam says (Hilchot Melachim 10:4) that Mashiach will fight Hashem’s wars. In other words, there will be an army and it will go all the way.
Likud (what a misnomer), success is that Abu Mazen walks out and the world wakes up. They do not want peace except on condition that we all pack up and leave.
Why are you supporting unrepentant anti-Semitic countries? Visit EY and do many mitzvot.
If the rabbanim would try to rein them in they would have to hide. The Atra Kadisha hooligans stoned Rav Eliashiv when he reached a compromise with the government on alleged Jewish graves in Pisgat Zeev. Imagine what they would do to someone of lesser stature.
At one time men in Israel did not use deodorant. When the first American bachur came to Ponevich and was seen to use deodorant some of the Israelis complaied to Rav Cahaneman that he was over on lo tilbash. Rav Cahaneman said “halavai that all of the bachurs would use it”.
Doniel, he is referring specifically about Selichot and the Yamim Noraim. He adds that any Jewish man is kosher so long as as he is acceptable to the congregation unlike what you wrote. BTW, there are also a few more lechatchila qualifications such as great in Tora and deeds and at least thirty.It would seem that a talmid chacham who is not married would be preferable to an am ha’aretz who is.
Doniel,
1. I did not find such a Rema. Please cite it’s location.
2. Actually, one who does not have children, irregardles of his marital staus, is ineligible to sit on capital cases, as is one who is extremely old (Rambam Hilchot Sanhedrin 3:2).
Akuperma,
You are partially correct and partially incorrect.
Originally professional litigators were unknown (although contract writing was an honorable profession – this was one of the original meanings of “sofer”). It was also considered wrong to give legal advice to a non-relative or even a relative in the case of a talmid chacham (Ketubot 85b-86a) as this would be to another person’s detriment. Being that in the anarchic situation that followed in the wake of the Roman persecutions many people were afraid to sue strongmen people were allowed to sell their claims to other strongmen. Eventually the rabbanim reluctantly allowed people to be represented by litigators. This was due to the fact that many people lacked halachic knowledge or were tongue-tied when speaking before dayanim. Today litigators, known as “toanim” or “toanim rabbani’im”, and appear in battei din of all streams.
As for general halachic advice, when everyone knew the level of knowledge of their fellows there was indeed no reason for a special certification (although originally Mosaic semicha was required to be a judge and apparently there was also some type of certification in Bavel as most Amoraim are referred to a “rav”). Later the increased impersonal and mobile nature of society as well as the desire to honor people who attained a certain degree of knowledge led to the bestowing of titles such as “moreinu”, “chaver” and “rav”. In the US there are also income tax distinctions that flow from a person being considered “clergy”.
Who cares? Those who follow, or at least respect, the designator of the title.
Katan, I think it is more correct to be the rav of an Orthodox shul that attracts people who are in danger or prospective BTs.As for justifying liberal Orthodoxy, eilu v’eilu. If it is within halachically justifiable bounds it is allowed in that community. One could similarly ask and answer how stringent Orthodoxy is allowed. In the tefilla upon entering the bet midrash we ask Hashem to save us from pronouncing tamei tahor and from pronouncing tahor tamei.
Doniel, Rav Soloveichik allowed some of his talmidim to be rabbis of Conservative temples if he felt that they could improve the situation. A liberal Orthodox rabbi may be just what some people need to stay or become shomer Shabbat, kashrut etc.
Akuperma,
1. You don’t seem to understand Hebrew. It’s ???”? It seems that a title is very important. Nobody complaims about “????? ????” and I imagine that nobody would claim about “pastoral counselor”.
2. Nobody wants to close down yeshivot. If you haven’t noticed, the Dati Leumi sector also has yeshivot. People want those who aren’t learning to do something productive for both the country and themselves. This will also benefit the yeshivot and the general Chareidi community as it will remove the burden of supporting them, get them off the streets and create a pool of financial contributors. The latter is especially important as the economic situation is drying up sources from abroad.
Pixelate, that is an exaggrration. While that is not the normative haalcha there are a few (mainly Sephardic) poskim who agree. Rav Ovadia says not to make an issue of it if one sees a community where it is done. In any case, when I asked a rav the question on the virtual floor he told me “min haShamayim”. However, there are poskim who rely on the AS. It’s a matter of mesoret.
Josh,
1. See Rambam Hilchot Melachim 5:1 and 7:7 that in a defensive war EVERYBODY goes.
2. What about all those who are registered but not learning full time (unless you count coffee makers, Internet cafes, libraries and wandering the streets).
The Mishna Berura (75:2) says that it is sufficient to cover the foreleg to the knee (he does not say if the knee is included).Of course, this also applies to when she is sitting. How much depends on the woman.
Who says that the state defines who is married? If it would be a purely private matter there would be no issue (beyond what they are doing but that is not enforceable other than in a Big Brother regime). Of course, that would also mean no government programs that differentiate between a spouse and a friend whom the person wants to be a beneficiary but that could be solved by allowing people to contractually designate anyone they please with their benefit reduced according to actuarial criteria. Similarly, a flat income tax could be enacted so that there would be no reason for a joint return. Alternately, any two people who can prove that they share a home, even if they are traditional flatmates, could designate themselves a household.
Biology, if he were random, obviously yes. However, if he was an expert in a certain secular field and he stated that a statement of Chazal in his field is incorrect I would have to say that Chazal relied on the secular experts of their time or that they were speaking allegorically or both.
Simcha, you must have great shelom bayit. BTW, there are also erev Shabbat kollelim for baalei battim.
Biology, you are correct. In fact, a certain feminist distorted yesterday’s daf which asks derisively if a chulda (rat) is a prophet. She said that it is talking about Chulda the Prophetess.However, that is only your second question, which seems rhetorical. The first question was “If someone challanges (sic) a Chazal, does that make him an apikorus?” The Maharshal challenged a Chazal and explained why he could do it.
The Chochmat Shlomo says (Sanhedrin 52b) that if there is no nafka mina l’dina it is permitted to disagree with the Gemara.
Littlefishy, Israel is not just another country. It is the representative of Am Yisrael and a refutation of the claims of other religions that Hashem c”v divorced us.Someone who actually prefers another country is over on the sin of the Spies.
To all those who love being in Galut: the Ohr Sameach said that if someone thinks that Berlin is his Yerushalayim Hashem will show him otherwise.