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Absent from the conversation is any mention of the 800 ound gorilla in the room; Is this what G-d wants? Does he want innocnet neshamot humiliated in this fashion? Think of the cynicism and dsdain for religion that this nonsense potentially engenders. And for what? 3/10 of an inch of hemline, or insufficiently opaque pantyhose? I mean for Heaven’s sake, it’s not like thse girls have fathers who teach Torah in khaki pants.
Why not meet the young man, establish a rapport and trust with him, and when the right time comes, ask him about it? I would do that before speaking to anyone else.
I don’t understand why parents tolerate this silliness. A boycott of the schools seems in order. No one should participate in the application process, nor register their daughters in these schools. Things will change very quickly were that to happen.
Really all I meant was that no book can instill a parental instinct. No book can create the mentality of self sacrifice, self abnegation at times even that is crucial to successful parenting. Ironically, when that attitude is in properly in place, books are not really all that necessary. Feivel’s point is valid, but only as applied to specific issues, not in the holistic sense.
All the tips are sound and good. Most importantly be the same confident in control parents you’ve been until now, and the bumps and scrapes will be just that; bumps and scrapes. The older one will get jealous from time to time, the younger one will soon learn how to manipulate the situation as well. You and your husband will be tired irritable and edgy. That’s life, and when your kid crawls into your bed and rests his/her head on your shoulder and you see him sleeping peacfully, or when you see him/her reach a milestone, it all becomes worth it, and you’ll never want it any other way. There is no cook book on how to raise kids. Good parents do fine without the manuals and bad ones founder about with them. Put your kdis first, ahead of all else, and one day you’ll see them do the same.
Finally, please read Amos Elon’s biography of Herzl to find out what disease he had and how it affected his brain. That is probably how he came up with all the mishegoss in Altneuland, some of which is beyond fantasy and full of megalomania.
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I really have no interest in participating in a discussion on the Jewish validity of Zionism. Those who appreciaite it, can derive the satisfaction of that appreciation. Those who don’t can do likewise. But I do want to point out that syphilis is a highly communicable disease. Not long before Herzl’s birth, the only mohel in Vienna was diagnosed with the disease, which led to the Chatham Sofer’s controversial psak that metzitza b’peh can be fulfilled with a pipette as it is not a necessary component of milah. If one wants to assume that Herzl contracted this disease via illicit actions, in the absence of evidence, then why not assume the same about the hapless mohel?
Even the most traditional Jewish music, trope, is based on non-Jewish greek tetrachords.
It seems to me that if an avel can listed to music during his/her aveilut, Lag Baomer is no different. When my father died I was told that I could listen to music as it is not a simcha m’reiut for me. I always listen to music at every opportunity and it is simply part and parcel of my lifestyle. Aveilut does not require one to alter his/her basic lifestyle. It does require that one curtail joyous activities.
Is it ok if we use stoneware and not china? May one use the same flatware on Shabbat that they use the rest of the week?
I heard back from David Seideman. He heard the story from another lawyer, but he never met any non-Jewish lawyer who had a picture of R. Moshe Feinstein in her office.
I happen to be good friends with David Seideman. He was my NCSY advisor, some 25 years ago, his brother and I have a long history. He was my chavrusa for about a year in YU, we went to law school together and were at each other’s weddings. If I’m not mistaken, this brother shlepped to my first son’s bris also. David is a profssional colleague who I always enjoy meeting when I’m in court in the City. We call eachother every so often to discuss cases. I e-mailed him the link to this page asking if there is any truth to the story. Let’s see what his response is.
The Man Who Spoke to G-d is a very important work. I’ve read certain articles three or four times thus far.
noitallmr this rav has more Torah in his pinky finger nail than anyone in this CR has in their entire body. No one ever said enjoyment was forbidden in aveilut. Simcah m’reiut is not allowed. Big difference.
Daylight savings before Pesach cramps the Seder horribly; especially the second night. Even though my wife fed the kids at 6:00 the first day, and thus was able to prepare much of the food for the second seder early, until I got home from schul, arranged the matzah, put on my kittel, etc we didn’t start the 2nd seder until after 9:00 p.m. I doubt I would have made the Seder any slower had we started earlier though. My kids are young and have limited patience. But eating a big meal at 10:00 p.m. is difficult. And I would have much preferred to get to sleep earlier. I foresee very late sedarim into the future as my kids become more and more educated. Naches too has its price.
I didn’t have nearly as impressive a Seder as oosmis1105, but my sedarim were exactly as I planned. I made Kiddush, my six year old daughter said Mah Nishtana, I read about a third of the maggid, and my eight year old son read the rest. He prepared a Haggadah in school with a number of comments and chassidic stories to tell during the Seder. He said it all over the course of both Sedarim. I make it a point not to prolong the Seder in order to enable my kids to stay up for all of it. As such I asleep by midnight both nights. The fringe benefit of that is my son came with me to schul all three days, and davened rather nicely I might say.
Personally I listen to all music during sefira. When my father died, our rav told me that since I always listen to music, it is not a “simcha m’reiut” for me to do so. Since the aveilut of Sefira is no more stringent that the 12 months of mourning for a parent, and in the 24 years since my father died I have become more musically involved and not less, it stands to reason that it is muttar for me to listen to music during sefira and during the three weeks. I do however refrain from live music since concerts are a rare treat for me.
The only similarity between chazzanut and opera is that both rely on bel canto singing. But even that is not entirely correct. Opera is a vocal art. Without a pleasent sounding well trained voice, one cannot be an opera singer. . .period. Chazanut is the art of prayer. While the cantor’s voice is one aspect of his stature, it is of far less importance than other factors, like whol he is as a person, his understanding of nussach, his interpretation of the text of the siddur via the nussach. Some of the greatest chazzanim had small or even unpleasant sounding voices (i.e. Ganchoff, Pinchik, Eshel, Belzer etc.) So I’m sorry; having studied both, there is far more that distinguishes opera from chazzanut than invites comparisson.
Just me you have either listened to very little chazzanut or very little opera, maybe very little of both. But you don’t know what you’re talking about when you say Chazzanut sounds like opera.
With Iran furitively working toward a nuclear weapon and the U.S. doing nothing about it. Wiht disaffection from Judaism continuing to rise, with a complete breakdown in traditional definitions of marriage and family literally on our doorsteps, this is what we worry about; the propriety of a Borsalino at Chucky Cheese, or the need for a black suit in the Bronx Zoo? I swear the lunatics have taken over the assylum.
Squeak, I need to defer to you, as I’m not well enough read on the sbuject to comment further.
I need to add a small disclaimer. I’m not extremely well versed in astronomy, Jewish or otherwise. I’ve only began reading anything beyond the most basic material in preparation for Wednesday. My question to Squeak is based on what I’ve read thus far, but might not be accurate. I haven’t seen a source that says Hillel Hakatan relied on Shmuels 365.25 day year. I’m extrapolating that from other things I’ve read.
Squeak, we have a rare instance in which you and I can publically agree. (See what I mean by the unifying effect of Birchat Hachama?) Indeed Birchat Hachama is an opportunity proclaim that seemingly coincidental “non-events” like the alignment of the sun with other planets at a particualr point in the calendar are also guided by G-d. I was referring to the opinion of many poskim that this bracha is best said “b’rov am.”
As regards your assertion that Chazal used one set of calculations for calculations done by Beth Din and another for calculations done by the laity, please explain then why Hillel Hakatan [seemingly]relied on Shmuels Astronomy and not that of R. Ada b. Shmuel when formulating this calendar? Hillel compensated for the built in error by implmenting a thirteen month year seven times in a nineteen ear cycle. But we know that eventually even that compensation will cease to be effective. R. Ada’s calculations would have obviated the need for the leap year, and would not fall apart eventually.
If only it were accurate. But we know, and even knew then that a year is not 364.25 days. Shmuel was off by about 5-7 minutes. That’s what Birchat Hachama is now aproxcimately 3 weeks after the actual vernal equinox. But, that’s of lesser significance than masses of Jews joining togetgher to praise G-d is. If it serves to let us forget that which divides us for a little way and concntrate onf that which unites, us, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
flatbush27, they should put a picure of you in the dictionary next to the entries fo “open minded” and “tolerant.”
flatbush27
Member
cantor: im not going to discuss the topic of listening to kol koreis or not. issues at the hotels have always been there and now the Gedolim are just stating them and tryimg to persuade people from going. do you deny the problems of hotels stated in the kol korei?
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As a general matter I deny that the problems are significant enough to be a factor in determining whether to go to a hotel for Pesach. I don’t believe that there are more or more significant kashrut issues popping up in a hotel over Pesach, than there are in a kosher hotel setting year round, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that issue was any mroe significant than issues that arise in individiual homes. As to the activities at the hotels, like attracts like. Those who wish to spend their yom tov in the pool or on the basketball court will do so in their homes or will find a hotel where they can. Those who enjoy a Carlebach kumsitz for a Seder will make one at home or find a hotel providing one. Those who wish to hear shiurim or mussar lectures will avail themselves of it in their home communities or find a hotel that provides it.
Flatbush27 it has been shown many times that the kol korehs issued by the Gedolim are unreliable. Oftentimes they are issued based on misinformation, at the instigation of people who have agendas to advance and very often signatories to them deny ever authorizing use of their name or admit that they signed on under false pretenses. There is no basis to believe them or to base one’s conduct on them.
oomis1105, it’s envy.
P.T., assuming you are correct, that Chazal had some special status which we can never attain, l’mai nafke minah, so what? They didn’t disseminate the Divine wisdom they learned all that comprehensively l’dorei dorot. So are still left with the mysterious existence we call life. But, the piyyut aside (and I point out that martyrology we recite on Tisha b’Av does not refer to R. Yishmael ascending on high with an inquiry), I don’t think Chazal had any special or superhuman powers. What primary source says they did?
proud tatty
Member
PY.
I feel that we are going in circles here. But at least you were able to give me something here to work with.
If Chazal or other gedolim knew of any technology, weapon or cure that could have saved any Jew at any time in history, they would have been mechuyav to use it.
They did, why do you insist they did not. They knew that punishments come to Klal Yisroel due to averos, and they knew which ones. They knew what needed to be done to stop the tragedies (nebuch, Klal yisroel did not heed this message at times). You believe in teva. You believe weapons and medicine works without G-d.
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The above notion borders on the pre-ordained fate doctrines of Calvinism. That kind of fatalism is fatal; literally. It’s ironic that fulfilling Divine law often forces us to fight against Divine Will. but it’s what He wants from us. We have a mitzvah in the Torah of “Al taamod al dam re’acha.” Yet the person we are trying to save may have a g’zar din of mavet upon him. How can we go agsinst G-d’s justice? Because it is not for us to discern what G-d wants. It is for us to fulfill His Torah.
Back to the topic (although I’ve long suspected that Joseph is a moderator). I fully accept as Joseph’s original post as true and accurate. I think it is little more than a thorough explication of “Hafoch bo v’ hafoch bo d’kulo bo.” But it ignores another truism in Jewish thought; yeridat hadorot. I have no doubt (Pashuteh Yid’s questions notwithstanding) that Chazal, or those who preceded them, had the ability to discern things about the world in the Torah we cannot. They had that ability either by virtue of added Divine presence in the world, superior intellect, or maybe even hermeneutics and drashot we no longer have. I’m not challenged by the notion that ultimately Chazal’s expressed view of the universe will be vindicated. But as time passed, we no longer have those abilities, and the challenges of corporeality are still manifest. We need to deal with our here and now and not Chazal’s metziut. The issue is not should Chazal have studied the sciences and humanities, but should we. One can legitimately answer “no” to the first query and “yes” to the second, simply as of necessity.
Assuming copyright regulations were followed, Library of Congress should have a copy.
Man people can’t recognize a little tongue in cheek when it bites them!!! My point is that staying at home is no groise metzieh either.
I don’t have emperical data, but my sense tells me that as time goes by, going to a hotel for Pesach, as opposed to staying home, will become the more economical of the two options. Using the price increases in hand made shmura matzah and other Pesach specific products as a guide, the cost per person of staying home for Pesach is increasing at a faster rate than the hotels’ per person charge. If that continues, eventually it will be cheaper to stay home. If you consider the rate of proliferation of Pesach programs as compared to the increase in companies manufacturing kosher for Pesach foods for the retail market, that point may come sooner than we might imagine. The increase of programs will serve to drive the cost of going away down. The paucity of manufacturers of food will drive the cost of staying home up, especially when we factor in the food discounts the programs, who buy is huge volume, can get from the manufacturers. Only in America.
It’s not $2,000.00 per person per day. The typical price range is from $1,500.00 per person for a very ch eap bare bones program to $3,500.00 per person for something more extravegant than I can describe. Those prices however do not include things lie clothes, getting there and off hotel entertainment.
Dd jsut reminded me of another nice set of books about pre-state Jerusalem; the Heavenly City, which I believe was originally entitled Yerushalayim Shel Maaloh. It a wonderful collection of anecdotes and vignettes from the chareidi community of Jerusalem pre-1948. It captures all their poverty, dignity, piety and simplcity of life; the humor is touching. As opposed to current writings which all present such people as “ossified statues of petrified holiness” this book renders them as touchingly human. Although the English version was very poorly proofread, the typos actualy add to the work’s charm.