Ben Levi

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 50 posts - 451 through 500 (of 847 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: Yom Kippur and Atheists #974070
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Intellectually speaking I find the question to be quite ludicrous.

    Basically the question is,

    “I don’t believe in the concept of Yom Kippur so what should I do to keep Yom Kippur”?

    Like I said ridiculous.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973961
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    BTW as for the actual calculations in question I admit that this stuff is not my strong point however from what I understood from what I studied part of the differences in calculation have to do with the fact that we Chazal count the seasons differently then seculars six as opposed to four.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973960
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Wolfish Musings.

    I think shopaholic simply stated a fact literature about astronomy that discusses the Astronomy of Chazal generally acknowledges that Chazal in their writings displayed a knowledge of astronomy that was far beyond what was known in their times.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973959
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Lakewood001.

    Actually most of Nach was written by the protagonist.

    Most of Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash are redacted versions of Collected writing rulings and discussions of Sages over a period of time so they could not have been written in “real time”. There are exceptions where isolated Midrashim may actually have been written by the protagonist (Parts of Pirkei D’rabi Elizer for example)

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973958
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    ZD

    I have no idea what the point of your post on Nero is from what you write it sounds like this.

    Chazal state that Nero converted and Rebbi cam from him.

    The Romans do not account for his end so most think he was either murdered or committed suicide (in other words they do not know his end).

    OK, makes sense.

    Do you honestly think that the Romans were going to tell the story of how an Emperor of their converted to one their main enemies?

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973946
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    lakewood001

    The Rambam does not state that Chazal knew more science then the average citizen of their time.

    He (arguably one of the greatest Doctors of his time) stated that anyone who studies Chazal sees they new more science then was known in their time period.

    Really you should actually study stuff.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973945
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Lakewood

    What do you mean its based off any “religious text” its “fact”.

    What makes any “religious text” less or more “fact” then any other?

    I hope you don’t mean Historical chronicles since most Historians take any particular nations historical chronicles with a healthy dose of skepticism since al Nations (except the Jews) were in the habit of recording their good things and twisting their defeats and losses into victories and benefits.

    Also as you have stated that you regard Josephus’s historical documents rwritten under the eyes of the Romans with “skepticism”.

    It seems to you regard anything Jewish as possibly false and anything non-Jewish as “fact”.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973944
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    truthsharer,

    Sure leeches are back in style, however not even close to the amounts that Dr. Rush and physicians in his day made use of.

    Stating that Chazal were not interested in experimentation is 100% wrong. When it came to relying Halachicay on any scientific theory they absolutely experimented an example is in the first perek of Kesubos. Another example would be Rosh Hashonah which clearly contains numerous examples of evidence based calculations resulting from observation in calculating the Molad and other parts of Kiddush HaChodesh.

    Further more this point was actually emphasized by Rav Chaim Volozhiner in Shaar Daled of Nefesh HaChayim where he discusses the need to be expert in certain anatomy’s such as grasshoppers in order to properly rule on them in regard to what is the proper “lishmoh” of Torah learning.

    As for the statement of Pi, that’s a pretty bad example as the Gemorah (Sukah) there states clearly it is rounding out meausements because of Lo Duk, furthermore the Gemorah on Amud Beis expliclty rounds up the area needed for a circular circle.

    The theory that Chazal did not experiment comes from the fact that Galileo proved many parts of Aristotle’s theory through experimentation, consequently people have decided that it must be Chazal had the same approach.

    However anyone who has studied Takmud knows the comparisons have no basis in reality as Chazal clearly show the need for experimentenation before relying on any theory in a Halachic manner.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973940
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Sam2

    My point was that to state all science builds on previous science is foolish and usually said by people who have never studied the evolvement of scientific thought.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973927
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Most of science builds on the science of previous years.

    Just an example offhand.

    Ever heard of Dr. Benjamin Rush?

    He was one of the foremost Dr’s in the Colonies at the time of the American Revolution.

    He also was a fervent believer in bloodletting in a major way.

    I thin it was Hamiton? he attended and his efforts to save the mans life are described now-a-days as “torturing him to death.

    In fact the “cutting edge” medicine practiced then in hindsight is pretty much considered “barbaric” in hindsight.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973922
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    And just to add.

    I don’t have the time to look things up now but I for some reason I think that Lakewood001 is confusing things a drop.

    The Gemora in RH discusses many calculations of Rabban Gamliel regarding the positioning of the new moon.

    Sure these were known.

    I did not discuss calculation of the positioning of the New Moon.

    I discussed the time difference that elapses between New Moons to the exact millisecond.

    From what I have seen that fact was written in the Gemorah but not known to be accurate till the 1990’s

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973920
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    BYM

    So what?

    When did I state that Chazal knew every scientific fact known today? I am not stating they did or didn’t it’s irrelevant.

    The question was what indications do we have of Chazal’s greatness.

    I answered simply.

    The Rambam had a pretty thorough knowledge of Shas and likewise had a pretty thorough knowledge of the Science that was known in his day.

    And based on that the Rambam states that it’s obvious to anyone who learns Chazal that they knew far more scientific facts then were known in their days and could only have developed that knowledge from Torah.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973917
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    But then again I really don’t know why you would believe that there were any calculations made or known to the Gentiles at the time since all our literature you contend could have been made up or falsified.

    Does’nt it go both ways?

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973916
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Actually Rabban Gamliel lived in 30, sorry.

    Which is way before not way after.

    And if you would bother looking at the Gemorah you would see that it’s pretty hard to state that the calculations were known since B”D was going to accept the Eidim and declare RC and RG did not allow based on his Mesorah.

    The Gemorah further indicates that RG’s ruling needed public enforcement by Rabban Gamliel giving a Hesped on what would have been Rosh Chodesh, which pretty much indicates the calculations were not a “know entity”.

    You really really should try learning things inside first and not rely that in turn rely on excerpts.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973913
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Just to add.

    That if Gedolei HaDor in our generation are capable of displaying an ability to somehow know things others don’t I would assume that Chazal had the same capability.

    And while I personally am a “Kalte Litvak” I can’t really deny things when they happen state.

    I was admitted to a Major Hospital and had several top doctors on my case and they were “pessimistic’ of my chance s for a compete recovery.

    Gedolei Yisroel in EY were approached and they stated I would recover completely, one of them also stated explicitly that the Doctors would be unable to figure out the cause.

    I recovered completely , and in fact was the featured exhibit at a department wide Medical Conference.

    And towards the end of my hospital stay one of the unobservant Doctors admitted that in my case it seems the “rabbis were right”. And actually during a follow up visit some time later this specialist stated there are some cases which are pretty humbling.

    And for the record they could not figure out the underlying etiology.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973911
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    As for the Rambam.

    Actually Rabbi Jonathan Rietti has a complete lecture detailing things the Rambam learnt from the Torah that were not known in his time.

    As I recall one of them was that the Rambam states the human balance rests in the ear and derives this from the similarities in the Hebrew word for ear and scales.

    We now know the Rambam was right.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973910
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    lakewood001.

    Actually as for Chazal here’s one example.

    The Gemara in Rosh Hashona (Chuf Hey) relates that Rabban Gamliel had a tradition regarding the time between one new moon to another, the Gemara details this time difference.

    NASA has come up with a computerized model to figure out the time difference.

    Guess what?

    It’s virtually the same.

    For further info check out Dictionary of Astronomy from Oxford Press 1997.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973908
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Sam2

    Actually I provided you with a virtually exact quote of the Rambam if you have access to Shmoneh Prukim you can find it yourself.

    in reply to: Why Would a Girl Even Want to Learn Talmud? #973888
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Lakewood001

    An inkling of Chazal’s greatness is actually written by the Rambam in Shmoneh Prukim L’Harambam.

    The Rambam was the Sultans personal physician so one would think that he was pretty knowledgeable in medical matters.

    He writes regarding Chazal’s Aggadata that there are three groups of people and the one’s that he calls “fools” are those that say that Chazal only knew the science of their times.

    The Rambam writes that anyone who know’s science and is familiar with Chazal’s teachings can see plainly that they knew far more regarding science then anyone else at their time.

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972341
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    mdd.

    Here’s how that logic went.

    During the elections: “how can you say such things about Lapid and Bennet just because lapid is Tommy’s son and Bennet is married toa frei women. How can you accuse them of such things” It’s a scare tactic just to get people not to vote for them, it’s a lie, ectt…..

    After the elections: “of course they would’nt have done such things, they were provoked!”

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972338
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    The essential point is as follows.

    When Netanyahu ran the Ministry of Finance the Israeli economy was on the verge of coplapse and there was an acknowledgment of the need to do something.

    Netanyahu implemented a Conservative philisophic view of cutting taxes, cutting red tape (Change buisnesses are now legal because of him) and cutting government spending.

    The Chareidim protested because of the fact that the cuts hit them very hard, the yeshivos were hit hard and the child allownace was cut to the present day pitiful levels.

    However the Chareidim acknowledged that Netanyahu did not do what he did in order to effect social change nor was it to carry out punishment on yeshivos or chareidim.

    Netanyahu did what he did becuase he is an MIT grad who had an economic philosophy.

    And guess what it worked, when the rest of World was collapsing the Israeli economy grew and grew.

    Lapid has done the opposite he’s chosen to use the failed policies of Europe raising taxes and cutting spending at the same time, however he has openly stated he hopes the majority of his cuts will be made in a way to affect 10% of the population.

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972337
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Gavra-at-work

    Actually Lapid is most definetly not in agreement with you.

    Lapid has raised taxes not lowered them

    Bibi perhaps does agree with you as at heart he is a conservative economist and he actually did implement the conservative policies.

    At the time Chareidim protested but not even close to the levels no but they contiued to back him with the recognition that plenty of Chareidim benefited from them as well.

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972324
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Charlie I wrote a detailed explanation why the Conservative economic policies are fundementally different from Yesh Atids which are basically predicated on economic ignorance.

    Please stop misrepresenting things.

    Especially when as a buissnes owner I (along with my employees who should have gotten raises this year) am suffering from the economically ignorant policies of your political party.

    Unfortunatley my buisness is not yet big enough to be able to qualify for Federal loans to do nothing that I don’t have to pay back like Solyndra or A123 or any of the other “green jobs” my tax money and my employees tax money was used for.

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972316
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Actually the universal Kollel system is a myth as 40% of Chareidim work.

    And look lets see if the kollelim last without the Isreali Government.

    I bet on the Kollelim outlasting Lapid seems you bet on Lapid.

    We’ll see whso right.

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972314
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Dr. Hall

    Chareidim in the USA do not vote for politicans who woud do what Lapid has done.

    Lapid has followed the exact same failed ‘Economic Poicies” of every Liberal when they start running out of Money.

    He’s raised Taxes and cut Benefits.

    Conservatives propose cutting Tazes and cutting benefits.

    The Difference is that Cutting Taxes means that working becomes more worth it.

    I own a buisness.

    It is extremley difficult to find workers unless you are willing to pay them a fortune.

    Why?

    Government benefits means that if do not work they earn more money then if they work.

    Now if they are hired and have to start paying taxes the amount they have to pay is ridiculous to the point it makes it not worth it to work at all since it’s harder and harder to make enough to make ends meet.

    When close to 50% of what you make is going to taxes it’s hard to justify working.

    Which makes it hard for an amployer to find a worker since any buisness who pays every starting employee 150,000 dollars wil go bankrupt.

    So if it’s cut and cut drastically al of a sudden things change.

    basically it’s why Obama’s economic policies failed.

    While Bush came in during a recession, cut taxes and people barely remember the recession existed.

    Reagen came in after Carters years of misery implemented huge accross the board tax cuts (was goinfg to cut government spending but Tip O’Neill reneged on the signed agreement) and we had astronpmical growth.

    It’s hard for a guy like Obama and his team of acedemics who have never had to start a buisness and turn a profit to really understand.

    Oh Well.

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972312
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    MDD.

    How do u know the Chareidim would not be happy?

    Facts are they never tried it!

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972311
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    To state that Computers are (widespread’ even amongst the Chareidim is False.

    I lived in Isreal recently for a while and have immediate family living there now.

    For the most part the only Chareidim that have Computers are the ones who need them for work.

    Considering the fact that alot of Women (particularly Americans i.e citibrook) do need them for work they have computers.

    If you think Chareidi families live a life of luxury you rreally are delusional.

    How about taking a trip to a Chareidi center and visiting the homes?

    in reply to: Do I have to forgive Dov Lipman? #972292
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Is there anyone here that is even trying to be a drop objective.

    Do you have any idea what the Tax Burden on an Isreai Worker is?

    A non-worker pays a huge VAT tax.

    A tax that would get even Democrats to vote Republican if Obama said he wanted to implement it.

    On top of that there is a myriad of other taxes.

    If Shraga18 works he’s gotta pay them (or his boss pays them for him) all of them.

    On top of that the price of food in Isreal is more expensive then in the US (and a godd part of the reason is what again the Government)!

    And Shraga 18 is supposed to have looked at the measly pittance he got back in the form of child support as a gift?

    Are you nuts?

    How about the Isreali Government stop funding the theaters in Tel Aviv to the tune of 40%, stop funding every liberal stupidity that ir-religous liberal Jews feel compelled to fund then lower their ridicuous VAT taxes to say 5% instead of the 18% (somewhere around there thats what it is now) and we’ll call it even.

    The Government can keep thier child checks and my family can actually afford to buy food.

    And yeah, VAT has to be payed by everybody including Chareidim who actually pay more of it becuase they buy more food since the large families eat more then 1-2 kids and a puppy.

    So when some Tzedaka orginization gives you some money to buy basic groceries for kids to eat, close to 20% of that goes back to the government.

    ( But of course I would’nt be surprised if Lipman and Lapid decided to pass an exemption on dog and cat food as a measure to curb tzar balei chayim right after lipman finishes with his duck bill to protect the ducks)

    in reply to: Why do you believe in Science? #976752
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    I am not stating that there is a need to insert the supernatural.

    I am simply stating the reality.

    A miracle by definition requires a break from the Law of Nature.

    you are right there times something happens and we sim ply do not know why.

    There are other times though when the Laws of Nature dictate that a certain thing wil take place

    .

    When it does not it’s an anomaly.

    In my personal case the Medical Community were in their words “pessimistic” about any chance of full recovery.

    Gedolei Yisroel, who were asked, stated confidently that the Dr’s were wrong and I would recover.

    When the Gedolim were correct and the Dr’s wrong and an ir-religous DR. had a moment of truth and acknowledged that in this case the “Rabbis were right”.

    This even though the Rabbis were in a different country.

    And no only that one Godal was able to state with certainty that the DR’s wpuld be unable to pin down the exact casue of what happened.

    And lo and behold, they could’nt.

    Now could they find out what happened that will allow them

    to come up with some cure for people who were in my situation?

    I sure hope so.

    But the facts remain that in my case there was nothing they did that caused the results that happened. And they acknowledge that there is no medical explanation for what occured.

    In fact medically it’s taught that what happened is virtually impossible.

    So again I don;t have the need to “insert” the supernatural. B”h it inserted itself.

    in reply to: Why do you believe in Science? #976748
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    For-real.

    Actually stating a recovery is miraculas” is acknowledging the ones that do not end “well”.

    A miracle means acknowledging that according to the “rules of nature” things should have not ended well. For this to be the case the majority of cases must not end well.

    In my case in particular something had occured which is deemed “non-recoverabe” from in fact it is taught in medical school to be a “point of no-rturn” regarding certain things (I don’t want to get to specific).

    Yet, I did recover, and recovered fully B”H.

    An expert who had been called in to my case used the words “humbling” and stated things like that “happen occasionally”.

    They are not supposed to, they do not know why, but they do.

    In other words,

    They know that the Laws of Nature dictate that a=b, yet they also know that sometimes anomaly’s happen that fly in the face of the Laws of Nature.

    They can’t explain them, they acknowledge they don’t make sense but also acknowledge they’re occurence.

    I call it a Miracle.

    They call it unexplainible.

    in reply to: Why do you believe in Science? #976744
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Toi, your point is wel taken.

    Beningnuman, great posts, thanks.

    Lakewood001.

    There is an essentiall difference between a religoun claiming that there were isolated instances of Miracles occuring in front of thousands of people (something btw, that the Torah would not dispute as being possible)to what the Torah descrobes.

    The Jewish religoun is predicated on the notion thatg the seminal events that brought the Jewish people in to being which are,

    1) Yetzias Mitzrayim.

    2) Mamad Har Sinai.

    3) Kevishas Eretz Yisroel.

    All took place to the Jewish Nation as a whole. Each and every other religoun asks that for the most part one individual 9at a most a small group of individuals) are to be believed in order to accept that religoun.

    The Jewish religoun makes no such demand.

    In order fort the other religouns to be false one person(or small group of people) would have to be a charismatic lier.

    For the Torah to be false Chas v’sholom, It would have taken an entire Nation to have collective amnesia over what had happened to them and then accept upon themselvesan entire new history.

    And this firm belief also would have reqired them convincing themselves that their fathers had told them this each year Pesach time, they had always been putting on Tefililin each day that told them this and they had always been placing mezuzahs on the door that said the same thing.

    in reply to: Why do you believe in Science? #976742
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    lakewood001

    It s actually a pretty foolish statement to say “everything” seems to work according to the Laws of Nature.

    Personallly I was hospitalized according to the “law of Naute” I should never have recovered.

    Thank G-d, I did recover. one of the irreligous DR’s (a top one in his field BTW) answer was “well medicine does not explain everything, there are some things we just don’t understand.)

    Another reletive of mine was involved in a difficult case that wound up being a disagreement between two doctors, again one of the irreligous Dr’s told him ” what you think this is science? It’s medicine he thinks what he thinks, I think what I think.

    And when both of them had basically given up the family in question went to Rav Chaim Kanievsky who gave a brocha and there was then a complete recovery to the doctors astonishment.

    in reply to: Why do you believe in Science? #976726
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    There really are some pretty striking differences between the Torah and the books of other religouns i.e the Koran and Bible of the Christians.

    1) The Koran and Christian Bible both acknowledge that the Torah was factual and Correct they just claimed to be the “updated version”. Which is in direct conflict to the Torah they claimed to be correct, since the Torah states expliclty that there will be no “updated version”.

    2) Non-Jewish historians (I think Paul Johnson deals with this) actually point out the difference that in Books recording the history of nations normally a great deal is made of the Nations accomplishments while the failures are either ignored or glossed over. However the Torah seems to focus on failings while glossing over the “accomplishemts”.

    3) The core bedrock historical occurance used by the Torah to “verify” itsellf so to speak, is a occurance which the Torah states took place publicly about 87 generations ago, and was witnessed by millions not individually, there is no other religoun that has ever made this claim.

    in reply to: Israeli shopping websites #970353
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    For bedding and other stuff you can purchase from Blanket Express plus( something like that). A website run out of Beitar.

    in reply to: Regarding the Draft #967772
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    ROB?

    Whats not to understand.

    The Gemorah states expliclty that one must be consistent in “paskening” if one decides to follow the Halachic Reasoning of one “side” in Halach athat must be followed both L’chumrah and L’Kula.

    As for Koach D’Hetaira Adif.

    I was trying to demonstrate to you that “halacha” does not assign a “value” to Kulah, rather it simply means it is more difficult to be able to go Lkulah it requires more erudition a solid method or reasoning ect.

    It does not mean Kulos are better then Chumros.

    Au Contrair.

    In fact Mesilas Yeshorim (Chapter 11 or therebouts) states that one of the defining principals of a “parush” is that they will go L’chumrah even if the bare bones Halacha is not like that.

    in reply to: Regarding the Draft #967763
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    ROB

    The Gemorah in Eiruvin Daf Vav Amud Beis states openly one who grabs the Kulos of Beis Hillel and of Beis Shammai is a “fool”. Rather if one wishes to follow BS they must do both Chumros as well as Kulos and if they follow BH they must do both Chumros as well as kulos.

    In English its termed “intellectual honesty”.

    And the term “Koach D’heteirah Adif” is commonly understood to mean that it is harder to be meikel since once must have an ironclad “sevara” or Kabbola while anyone who is in doubt can be machmir. See Rashi in Kesubos Dav Zayin Amud Aleph who seems to be following this understanding.

    in reply to: Where are the Manhigim? #965932
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    I don’t get it

    The Meah Shearim” crow for the most part takes no funding from the State as a matter of principle.

    True there are basic services which they use but they also pay the same 8% tax as everyone so they are paying for those.

    Yet now they are being threatened that their young men will be thrown in Jail if they refuse to join the Army of a State they have been ideologically oppossed to since its inception.

    Do you really epect them to just queitly march off to jail?

    in reply to: Where are the Manhigim? #965898
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Some people realy really missed the boat.

    To state that the Rabbonim condone violence is basically the willful distortion of facts.

    In the wider “chareidi” population there has not even been a peaceful demonstration let alone violent.

    Why?

    Because Rav Shteinman along with Rav Chaim and Rav Nissim have stated for what ever reason they have “hafgonos” will not work and other methods must be used

    .

    Even though they have made clear their students wil go to jail before they go the Army.

    So now lets focus in on Meah Shearim.

    What is Meah Shearim?

    It is the continuation of the “Old Yishuv” started by Men who traveled at great personal sacrifice to Eretz Yisroel soley to live in Eretz Yisroel because of the Kedusha of the land.

    When Zionism was started they opposed it tooth and nail.

    They were assured by the newcomers to the Land (after a member of the Eida Charedis was murdered by the Zionists Dr. De Haan) if they would compromise and not publicly oppose them it would be a “live and let live” situation.

    So the majority compromised.

    However though they comprimised because the nature of a “Jewish State” was so abhorrent to them, they refused to accept a penny from them.

    To this very day their Shuls, Yeshivos, and Mikvaos refuse to accept a dime of Money from the State. They take nothing from the “welfare state” either period.

    Yet the “state” continually provokes them.

    Each year a march is held in their streets to promote “Womens Equality”.

    At their Simchas Beis HaShoiva police are sent in to make certain their is no Mechitza.

    Again and again the Secular Government attempts to force their schools to adopt what the Secular Government considers a “core curriculum”.

    Then when the government passes Laws stating that it is not enpugh that they cannot legaly work, it is not enough that they pay 8% taxes to a government they take virtualy nothing frmo.

    If their Young Men refuse to go to the Army of a State they are opposed to on principle they will be Jailed.

    And then a young man shows up and some kids think he’s “recruiting” others to the Army they are principaly opposed top.

    So the Kids begin to shout at him, not physicaly attack, but shout and yell.

    And not adults, not the adults who are facing jail for their beliefs, but kids.

    I think that is quite admirable restraint.

    in reply to: US Supreme Court recent rulings #965323
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Jeishfeminist

    There’s a very good article regarding JONAH in particular and reparetive therapy in general that touches on Dr. Spitzer as well, in Dialogue Vol 3 Fall 2012.

    The dialogue Journal is reviewed by Rav Shlomo Miller, Rav Feldman, and Rav Moshe Meiselman and features articles on Homosexuality by Rav Ahron Feldman as well as Rabbi Hillel Godlberg.

    The arilce about the clinical aspects is written by Dr. Elan Karten Ph.D.

    I think you’ll find it pretty enlightening.

    in reply to: Being in an elevator alone with a woman #964740
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Burnt Steak,

    You should be taken Seriously, the fact that the elevator can be stopped at any time on any floor by anyone is in fact one of the main reasons most Poskim rule that such a case is mutar.

    The exception is Rav Shmuel Wosner shlita who seems to rule stringently in cases of elevators for reason of Chatzi Shiur.

    However bottom line is most Poskim rule that in todays elevators Yichud is not a problem though it should be avoided if at all possible.

    in reply to: Labeled OU-D but no dairy ingredients. Why then is it OU-D? #1155091
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Yes there are gov. regulations.

    I once asked Rabbi Yisroel Belsky about this and he stated that the food “industry” has become increasingly more “defensive” about it’s labeling on account of some law suits.

    End Result is that many things that are made in factories that aso produce dairy items are labeled “dairy” so the company can protect itself.

    This has ramifications to the Kashrus labeling as well since they can’t reay label something as pareve if the actual label says “dairy”.

    in reply to: Greatest Frum Jewish Philanthropists #1029977
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Sam2/

    I don’t know what you mean by going to far, I simply qouted word for word from Dialogue, and what I qouted is a fact based article.

    in reply to: Greatest Frum Jewish Philanthropists #1029972
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    rd

    Please see the above quote, where word for word is brought concerning a stement by one of YCT’s leading rabbinical products that is directly opposed to Torah.

    in reply to: Greatest Frum Jewish Philanthropists #1029969
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Actually Rabbi Hillel goldberg put it best.

    Writing in regard to Seth Farber (one of YCT’s leading scholars, using the term very, very genorously) in Dialogue Vol. 3

    “the most powerful fallacy of all is that one can advocate policies directly forbidden by the Torah and still be Orthodox. Rabbi Farber for example write “There should be no penalty in the ORthodox world for being a non-celibate homosexual jew…if G-d overlooks the inevitable 9ones rachmona patrei) so should we” G-d may overlook it after the fact to approve the performance of forbidden acts before the fact contrary to the Talmudic dictum Kol Haomer Hakodosh Boruch Hu Vatron, Yivatru Chayuv”

    BTW Dialogue is a publication that has a Rabbinic Boeard consisting of Rabbi Shlomo Miller, Rabbi Aron Feldman, Rabbi Moshe Meiselmanwith the Brocha of Rav Aoron Leib Shteinman and in fact Rabbi Aron Feldman is a contributor to the issue qouted from.

    in reply to: Greatest Frum Jewish Philanthropists #1029968
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Sorry, Double post.

    in reply to: Balak and Yair Lapid who's better? #960914
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    DaMoshe

    You have that wrong about Yair Lapid.

    He also is deliberatley mechallel Shabbos Bfarhesia.

    He also feels the need to pass a law legalizing Toeiva marriage, wants to rubn busses on Shabbos.

    basically any and everything to uproot Torah U’Mitzvos.

    in reply to: Greatest Frum Jewish Philanthropists #1029959
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Rav Mordechai Gifter zt”l sated he did not like the term orthodox and preferred the term “torah Jews”.

    YCT proves Rav Gifter zt”l correct.

    They might be “orthodox” what ever that means.

    But they have no idea what the Torah is.

    in reply to: Greatest Frum Jewish Philanthropists #1029942
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    I do admit that if Romney would actually have been elected, I would have had no idea what zchus Adelson would have had in being a part of one of the greatest Chasodim G-d did for the Jewish People in recent memory.

    in reply to: Vaccines in the frum community #963014
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    Health,

    Come’ on you obviously did’nt get the point of my post!

    in reply to: Vaccines in the frum community #963009
    Ben Levi
    Participant

    I personally feel that since there are Dr.s with medical degrees that are wary of vaccines people have a full right not to take them.

    Furthermore I think it should be regarded as a legitamate view that vaccines are dangerous, since as I said before there are MD’s who are wary of them.

    I also strongly feel that it is disrespectful to question the motives or scientific background of these Dr’s simply because they have a view that is different then your’s.

    I think the world would be a better place if we were more tolerant and open minded of those with views other then our own.

    Of course I personally strictly vax at all ages day and night and everything in between. I just feel that we should be more tolerant.

    On a related not this applies to Chareidi Halacha as well where everybody with Semicha and a beard and Kippah should be viewed as legitimate with the ability to Halachicly argue with Gedolei Yisroel such as Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita and Rav Shteinman shlita.

    And of course I mean this in all seriousness since I am fully Chareidi with a beard, seforim and all (I even have a facebook page!)

Viewing 50 posts - 451 through 500 (of 847 total)