Avi K

BT, Rav Moshe wrote that there is no marit ayin by mistakes in halacha. People are required t learn. Marit ayin is only where a reasonable person could make a mistake regarding a fact (e.g. if somebody walks into a treif restaurant to buy a Coke). However, he was machmir on himself.

Regarding emergencies, these are obviously exceptions but someone whose wife wants him to pick up something on the way home can hear it afterwards on the voice mail.

This is a violation of the kedusha of the bet knesset even when nobody else is there (Orech Chaim 151:1).During the Chazarat HaShatz it is much more severe (124:4 with Mishna Berura subsection 17 and 124:7 with Mishna Berura subsection 27).

Hopefully very difficult so that they will make aliya instead.

The Maharal asks why Kamtza is also blamed when he wasn’t even there.He says that the atmosphere of divisiveness was so strong that the baal haseuda chose Kamtza as a friend solely because he was an enemy of Bar Kamtza. Bar Kamtza being a Tzadukki would fit in with the idea of two factions. However, in light of the Maharal’s interpretation it could be that Kamtza was not a worthy person in other ways but he was one of “unzer mentschen” simply because of his enmity towards Bar Kamtza. The use of the “bar” could also signify that things got to the point where families were split. In addition, the fact that his anger was such that he slandered the Jews to the Romans (and used the term “Jews” rather than “rabbanim’)may indicate that he felt himself it got to the point where the two factions considered theselves two separate peoples.

Sam, ???? means red.

CG, “the real English Geordies” are not a problem? Not even before and after soccer games?

The UK is in a terrible state.

The Holocaust cannot be forgotten just as the Churban habayit cannot (until it is rebuilt bb”a). The problem is the cottage industry that has grown up around it with whole shelves in bookstores being dedicated to it. IMHO, this is obscene and counter-productive. We should be looking towards the future, building our state, always improving.

As for prohibitions on “racist” speech, that can be a double-edged sword.As Rav Zalman Melamed pointed out, one could make a case for the Havdala nusach (“who differentiated us from the other peoples”) as falling under the prohibition. Bettter to err on the side of free speech unless there is a real danger of violence.

He must be mekubal.If he is someone like Rav Mordechai Eliahu his advice must be taken very serious. However, he was a rare exception (according to his aide Rav Zafrani there a only a few such people in each generation). In other words, he must be a gadol (in which case he will deny that he is a mekubal – and, in fact, Rav Eliahu did not discuss Kabbala with his son and heir Rav Shmuel, or at least Rav Shmuel says). Unfortunately, there are many charlatans who tell people breeak up marriages, rip off people for money and even tell people to do severe aveirot (with them and I will not go into detail).

BTW, neither Rav Kuk nor Rav Soloveichik would give absolute advice. They would set for the alternatives and their ramifications (which they received from their analytical abilities developed over years of learning at the highest levels) and then give the questioner responsibility for his life. Even Rav Eliahu gave alternatives. I had a neighbor who went to him on some personal matter and he suggested that she add a name. He then gave her a list from which to choose.

CG, what about all of the “regular” crime – like the recent riots there? When the first Gulf War started the chevruta of a friend of mine receievd frantic phone call fom his mother. When she finally calmed down she evry matter-of-factly said “BTW, last week your brother was held up at gunpoint”.

In nay case, we live here because EY is a part of us (see the beginning of “Orot” and see Chesed LeAvraham Mayaan Shelishi on people who succeed here and those who do not and spend their time being motzi dibata) and because of the mitzva.I even know someone who went to Chutz LaAretz for three weeks to visit his brother and became physically ill from Galut.

Writersoul, how do you know? It is absolutely prohibited to steal and it does not matter if the victim is a Jew or a Goy Choshen Mishpat 348:2 and 359:1). If they really would throw something away maybe it is considered hefker. Rav Belsky writes an e-column called “Honest”. I suggest referring specific questions to him or one’s LOR.

CG, virtually all of the poskim agree that there is a mitzva d’Oraita to live in EY (Rambam Hilchot Ishut 13,19-20, Rif Ketubot 110b, Rosh there 13:18, Semag Lav 81, Piskei HaRid, Ritva, and Nimukei Yosef there, Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer 75:3-4 regarding compelling one’s spouse to make aliya even from a pleasant town to an unpleasant town and even from a Jewish area to a non-Jewish area, Pitchei Teshuva there seif katan 6)and is equal to all of the mitzvot (Sifi Re’eh 53).It pushes off kibud av ve’em (Shulchna Aruch Yoreh Deah 140:12) even if they told him explicitly not to make aliya (ibid Halacha 15). Of course, he can leave temporarily from time to time to visit them (Mishna Berura 531:14).

Health, according to Yechezkel the US. Or they could miss slightly and hit Ramallah.

CG, Britainastan? Are you kidding?The wife of a friend of mine went to Manchester for a bar mitzva. She said that the moment she left the Jewish area she was filled with fear.

Both of you are over on hotzaat dibat haAretz and the Chetr HaMeraglim.

Ymb,

1. Where does the Maharal say that? That is truly amazing as only the big three are yehareg uval yaavor. In any case, in Chiddushei Agadot on the Gemara he says explicitly that all three are the kiyum of the Galut.

2. There is much that you are missing.Obviusly Rav Meir Simcha is talking about a forcible aliya before the time like Ephraim. However, being that the other nations agreed that is a sign that it is not before the time (and certainly not by force) it is not the case so we do not need a navi.

BTW, many Jews in Britain and the Continent, especially, but not only, frum Jews are buying “insurance policy” apartments here as the atmosphere there is similar to that of just before the Holocaust.

So would I. This sounds like suicide. Maybe he only had one year left. Even if he had 120 it’s suicide by gramma.

CG, I do live in Israel and have not renounced my American citizenship (I hold dual citizenship). As I previously posted the State Dept. makes it virtually impossible to do so. Even Lee Harvey Oswald did not succeed despite having defected to the FSU during the hight of the Cold War. Actually, I haven’t bothered to renew my US passport even though it expired a few years ago. However, I am planning to do as it would be nice to visit my family and not have to request a visa. Also one never knows if one will need to attend to some personal matter at the drop of a hat – as happened when my father z”l passed away unexpectedly. I was referrring to the idea of a passport as an “insurance policy” in case Israel goes down c”v.

Bark mitzvas. Separate kitchens for Pesach in private homes. “Glatt kosher” gambling cruises.

CG, Ivrit is a living language, developing language. Many new words were indeed “invented” by scholars (their religious levels here are as irrelevant as the fact that the Ford Motor Company was founded by one of the more dastardly anti-Semites in American history). So too are all modern European languages as they contain words which were coined by scientists as they made discoveries (generally from Greek). English is a mix of French and German for historical reasons. Yiddish is a mix of Germanic and Slavic with some Hebrew as well as borrowings from other local languages (hence “American Yiddish”).

Moi aussi, I neither hate nor love Yiddish. It is for me a quaint relic to be dusted off when the great-aunt who gave it visits and then put back in the closet.

Bear, today we live in a global economy where everyone depends on everyone else.People who are unhappy here would have also been unhappy there (and I know several). The point is that it is a mitzva to make aliya and participate in some way in Israeli life.As for Israel (some of them “Charedi”) drug dealers, let them lie in jail and stop causing tremendous damage.

Rav Mordechai Eliahu zatzal was once approached in a dream by a recently deceased talmid chahcham who told him that he was not being allowed into Gan Eden because he did not repay a debt before being niftar. Rav Eliahu wentto the lender who agreed to rip up the shtar. The deceased then came back in another dream and thanked Rav Eliahu. BTW, I knew a rav who before going into the hospital for a stomach cancer operation paid all his debts. Unfortunately, the operation was not successful.

Ymb, the three shevuot are null and void (if they ever were obligatory – they are not paskened in any of the halachic codes) for the following reasons:

1. The Goyim were over several times on their part of the bargain not to persecute us too much (Crusades, Gezerot Tach veTat, pogroms, Holocaust).

2. They agreed to establish a Jewish state at the San Remo Conference so it is not rebellion against them (Rav Meir Simcha).

3. The dod has knocked.

147, according to Kabbbala, people do get new bodies even before tehiyat hameitim. This is part of the process of tikkun – and actually telling the neshama that it has to come back here is more painful for it than for a live person to hear that he is dying.In nay case, it is obviously within Hashem’s power to reconstitute a body if He wants so I think that you misunderstood Rav Miller.

me, anyone who wants to “keep his options often” as “hishtadlut” is oevr on the Sin of the Spies (unless he is already receiving benefits as a citizen of another counntry and woiuld lose them).You are also incorrect about keeping your US passport current. The only reason for that is to be able to visit your family and friends in America without need of a visa. However, even if it lapses you can renew it if you have proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate issued in the US. It just costs $25 extra if the old passport was not issued within 15 years. In fact, a friend of mine let his passport lapse as after his parents also made aliya he saw no reason to go back – then he was invited to a wedding and decided to go. You are correct, however, regarding America’s acceptance of dual citizenship (the way it is conferred here, ditto doing the Army – apeak to someone at NBN or AACI). In fact, the State Dept. very much does not like to revoke someone’s citizenship and even makes it difficult to repudiate it. On the other hand, without Israeli citizenship one cannot participate in the political process (big mitzva as is doing the Army for a boy) or hold certain jobs.

Greatest, according to Rav Yaakov’s Artscroll biography he adopted that minahg because he used it as excuse not to eat by someone without offending or embarrassing him. He then kept it so as not to ahve told a lie. His second wife was Chassidic so that may also have been a consideration.

Greatest, you remind of the satire of a certain newspaper that carried the headline “if you can’t live in Brooklyn at least be buried there”. What about a Chassidic bet din beating up anybody who eats gebruchts during Pesach and a Litvish bet din beating up anybody who does not? What about Rav Ovadia’s bet din beating up anybody who does not go 100% like the Bet Yosef – including his kulot (Rav Ovadia also oposes the Rema’s chumrot)?

Health, we are all in the time of the footsteps of Mahich. Slowly in stages (Yerushalmi Berachot 1,1).