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yswo,
First, Medinat Yisrael annexed East Jerusalem, so as far as it is concerned the Kotel Plaza is under its jurisdiction.
Second, Jews should be able to visit Jewish holy sites — including Machpelah and Kever Rachel — no matter whose sovereignty is manifest. The problem was not that Machpelah was a mosque but that Muslim rulers did not permit Jews access. The Israeli government by its declaring it to be a “National” site misses the point. Jews should have been able to visit the Kotel, Kever Rachel, and Machpelah prior to 1967.
mdd,
You speak of Modern Orthodox as if there is something wrong with it.
And if you think that Rav Broyde is mispresenting the sources, why don’t you publish an article that lists the sources that he either failed to include in his analysis or misinterpreted.
And regarding the opinions that say that haircovering is d’rabbanan or mutar (only three of the latter AFAIK), you are certainly permitted to write an article that points out how they are in error.
I’m not a posek, not even a talmid chacham. But I object to writing real halachic opinions by distinguished orthodox rabbis out of our mesorah even if most pasken otherwise. And in the case of haircovering being d’oraita or d’rabbanan, the burden is on you in disagreeing with Rav Broyde to prove that he has erred in his survey of the sources. Ad hominem attacks like “MO shtick” are not convincing. A lot of rishonim do not agree with you regarding haircovering being d’oraita.
In the modern orthodox world, almost all rabbis have undergraduate degrees and many have masters degrees or doctorates, not as a “back up” but because it makes them better rabbis. Some of the more common choices of fields include Jewish history, Jewish philosophy, academic bible or talmud, education, and psychology.
mdd,
If you read Rav Broyde’s essay you will find that there are more opinions that say that haircovering is d’rabbanon, and even a few (three, to be precise) that say it is simply a minhag.
Also, wigs seem to have disppeared from the Jewish world for a thousand years. They returned in early modern times in imitation of European gentiles.
ofcourse,
I know of at least one American rabbi who forbade wigs: Rabbi Isaac S. Hurewitz, in his Yad ha-Levi.
Ayn Rand, born a Jew, was an outspoken atheist and hedonist. She found no purpose in the commandments to take care of the welfare of our fellows or respect the established relationships of others, and justified her self-centered behavior with elaborate logical arguments. She considered religion of all sorts to be contrary to reason. Her “Collective” of followers had many of the characteristics of a religious cult.
BTW HaShem tells us not to take government (or any other) money to which we are not entitled.
“Is there any concrete proof that everything the Meforshim and Mussar Seforim say is directly from the Torah? “
No.
In fact, one can seriously argue that there is disproof because different Meforshim often explictly and emphatically disagree with one another. For example Rashi and Ramban can’t both be right about the sequence of the Torah narrative.
That doesn’t mean that we don’t take all of them seriously, even the inconvenient ones.
In the Bronx, in South Riverdale.
popa,
Many great rabbis have objected to wigs. You can read their responsa.
” a guy whose go-to example of anti-torah philosophy is Ayn Rand”
Anyone who thinks Ayn Rand’s philosophy is not anti-Torah is wrong.
EDITED
While I would not judge any particular individual, I recently served on a federal grand jury and one of the indictments we handed down was on a woman who was charged with hiding assets when applying for government benefits. Lying on an application for government benefits is a felony and can get you some good learning time in the Otisville kollel.
If you think they are charging too much, don’t buy it!
And what is wrong with a multimillion dollar profit-making business as long as it observes secular law and halachah? May there be more frum multimillion dollar profit-making businesses!
“Charlie, how in the world did you get that P’sak? It doesn’t make sense.”
I asked my rabbi; he wasn’t sure so he checked with HIS poskim. I was frankly stunned by the responsum (as was another rabbi when I mentioned it). The logic was that animals exist to serve humans and if their going into heat was a big problem for the humans (and if you have ever seen a female cat in heat you will know what that means) then it is permissible to have it sterilized.
” If you did it yourself it’s a clear Lav “
I would never do that on something like that. I had expected to be told to sell the cat to a non-Jew for the purpose of the operation, and then to buy it back.
“and as far as I know the vast majority (if not all) the Poskim hold that Sirus is Assur for a Goy also.”
I don’t think you are correct on that; we talk a lot about the seven Noachide laws and this would be an eighth Noachide law. It certainly does not appear to be the majority opinion in the gemara. And the reason given in the gemara is pru urvu, which is not one of the seven Noachide commandments (even though it was given to Adam Rishon).
“Also is there anything wrong with a religious girl wearing a jean skirt? “
My wife often wears long denim skirts. So it is by definition ok ;).
‘Can you honestly say that, in modern Orthodox settings you have encountered, you have never heard a disparaging comment about the “black hats”? I know I have.’
Yes, I have, but OTOH a lot of modern orthodox rabbis wear black hats, at least on Shabat. My own rabbi wears a fedora over his kippah sruga!
mikehall,
There are opinions recorded (even in the gemara) that it is asur even for a non-Jew to sterilize an animal. As I reported earlier, I was given a psak that even I as a Jew could have my animal sterilized, but there are clearly a wide variety of opinions on this.
Learn the halachot of orlah!
How is it that the #1 and #2 threads in the coffee room both have to do with jeans?
“Jeans are very appropriate when engaged in tasks that could stain or rip a more expensive pair of pants.”
In much of Europe, jeans can be very expensive. They are considered fashion wear rather than the casual wear that they are in the US.
Modern? Jeans have been around longer than fedora hats!
I don’t currently own any, but I don’t see the problem with them. In Europe they are very fashionable. The Levi’s boutique is on the same block in Rome as the Armani and Gucci boutiques.
” If it is between 2 frum Jewish parties, Beis Din will rule based exclusively on Halacha, not goyish law. Dinei Momunos are binding, and not secular law, if in conflict (i.e. Halacha demands one ruling while goyish law demands the opposite ruling.) “
This is actually a complicated issue. A few years ago a beit din ruled in favor of a teacher who had been dismissed from a yeshiva, forcing the yeshiva to grant the teacher tenure. An out of control judge (who was reported by some to be a member of the Orthodox community!) overturned the beit din’s decision, saying it was irrational and contrary to public policy. Fortuntately the judge was overturned on appeal but it IS true that in the US, religious courts are subject to secular courts. There is actually a serious proposal in Texas that would essentially ban religious courts from using religious law in making decisions; I’m surprised that the Jewish community is not fighting it tooth and nail.
RSRH,
Thanks for that list of sources!
‘I agree with your last post; knowing the “dina malchusa” is imperative for a dayan. However, he must not allow the legal theories behind it to affect his understanding of Choshen Mishpat. ‘
I agree. The theory and motivation behind secular law is very different from that of halachah. You are not a Daat Yachid.
The Mishnah gives 18 as the age for marriage.
I live in a mostly MO neighborhood, one that has a substantial left wing component. I do not personally know anyone in the community who eats “dairy out”.
“There is no real Heter for spaying/neutering a pet “
That is NOT the psak I got.
Homeowner,
Here is my source; camera.org is pretty reliable:
“how would one divine damages for e.g., copyright infringement from the Gemara?”
There is actually quite a bit of halachic literature on this. Communal authorities have at times granted exclusive licenses for some seforim. I’m not familiar with this topic, though; perhaps RSRH can enlighten us.
In any case, copyright infringement is a violation of secular law.
“I do not think correcting misconceptions among those who do care about Jewish law is an empty effort at all”
In addition, dina malchutcha dina IS halachah so it is important that dayanim understand secular law. Aspects of secular law such as taxes affect property cases in batei dinim even according to the most minimal interpretation of dina malchutcha dina. Finally, a beit din must be sure that its decisions are not inconsistent with mandatory provisions of secular law or the secular courts can overturn them. A dayan needs to know a lot of secular law.
“If you’re tired of the snow and the cold,consider Phoenix”
Do visit it in the summer though before you commit, the heat then is unbelievable.
The letter posted by Wolf turns out to be a hoax. It took a long time to realize that it was a hoax because it in fact does accurately reflect Dr. King’s beliefs. He spoke out against the oppression of Jews in the former Soviet Union before American Jewish leaders did. (One can seriously argue that this created a chilul HaShem as a Protestant Christian minister was expressing more interest in the fate of oppressed Jews than were any prominent Jews at the time.) He was outspoken in his support for the State of Israel. He spoke out on these matters at a time when they were not popular causes and there was little to be gained politically by doing so. And he welcomed the support of Jews in the civil rights movement. Far from being an anti-Semite, he was truly a righteous gentile.
The semi-official Bronx celebration of Martin Luther King Day is held in an orthodox synagogue. That is entirely appropriate.
“This was too good to not post “
ROTF!!!!
The province of Ontario pays for Catholic schools but not Jewish schools.
However, the provinces of Quebec and British Columbia pay about half the cost of Jewish schools. (Basically, they cover the cost of the government-mandated secular curriculum.) I visited British Columbia twice this past summer and was very impressed by the small community in Vancouver. It has a Chofetz Chaim yeshiva with some very impressive rabbis. The community in Victoria was tiny but very friendly. In other respects they are expensive cities but the major cost of Jewish living is the schools. And the weather is mild and the natural surroundings are beautiful.
“there are legitimate opinions that in the US, no direct supervision is necessary for milk to be “
It is not opinion but fact that there is no milk (or any other dairy products) from non-kosher animals that is permitted to be sold in the US. That may change, as there is a serious effort to permit camel milk to be sold.
Pittsburgh has a very nice large Lubavich community and a relatively low cost of living.
My wife and I were married in the beit knesset of her synagogue, and the seuda was in the basement. It was a beautiful site for a wedding — far nicer than any wedding hall I’ve ever seen — and we saved a ton of $$.
RSRH,
Are you planning to become a Dayan? We really need our best and brightest young men to pursue such careers. Where are you studying law and learning for semichah? There are very few formal programs for yadin yadin. Please keep us appraised of your progress.
I wish you much success!
The Carlebach Kabalat Shabat.
There are actually a number of Jews currently playing in the National Football League. One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Sid Luckman, was Jewish. Other great Jewish football players have included Ron Mix and Lyle Alzado.
“RSRH- Well said. Your combination of Law Studies together with Choshen Misphpat would make RSRH proud. A true example of T.I.D.E. “
Amen.
I once spent a Shabat in an out of town community that had seen better days. In a beautiful 700 seat beit knesset, there were about 30 people attending a Shabat morning service.
And someone comes up to me and tells me that I am sitting in his seat.
It is certainly noble to want to be independent and if you paid attention to the reading of your ketubah you know that you, and not in-laws, are obligated to support your family.
Are you talking about college, or work? If the former, YU and Touro offer yeshiva-like environments, with great rabbis and college courses in the afternoon. Not everyone there is a left-winger like me! There may not be a need to give up intensive Torah learning.
I would talk to your rabbis, and if you are serious about college to visit the campuses and talk to the rabbis and students at YU and Touro. See what is right FOR YOU. If you really have a yetzer hara to go off the derech at the first week of a college philosophy or literature class, you probably should NOT attend college. But at age 25 you should have the maturity to be able to sort out the wheat from the chaff and understand that Ayn Rand and Henry Miller are inconsistent with Torah. Develop your own hashkafah and do not let others discredit it — even rabbis; many gedolim attended university and they offer a sound derech.
I wish you the best.
deiyezooger,
Candia is the old name for Heraklion, the largest and capital city of Crete, the Greek Island. The word also has been used to refer to the entire Island. The English derivative “Candy” referring to the location appears in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”. I think we have solved our mystery.
Both Toronto and Montreal are great cities.
Montreal has the unusual advantages of (1) low costs of housing, (2) significant government support for Jewish religious schools, (3) an excellent government mandated secular curriculum that all religious schools must follow, and (4) lots and lots of snow!
Derech HaMelech,
Magog is not Canada as the country did not exist at the time of the gemara.
I cancelled the second day of an out of town trip and came home early tonight. I plan to work at home tomorrow.
“Do they actually respect a phd and tenure here despite all the protestations to the contrary? “
I do have a PhD but I don’t have tenure, which is going the way of the dinosaurs.
The political tone in this country has NOT always been like this. The vitriol in recent years reached levels not seen for many decades.
That said, there is no evidence that the prime suspect had any conventional political motives. He does not seem to have been affiliated with any mainstream left or right wing group and the one racist hate group that Fox News said he liked has claimed that it has no association with him. He appears to be just a very dangerous nut who was able to legally obtain a dangerous weapon and conceal it.
Taking a husband’s last name is a GOYISH practice!!! It was FORCED upon Jews in Europe! A Jewish woman NEVER changes her Hebrew name upon marriage. This is one more example of creeping assimilation.
“I think not using stuff made in Germany during the war is a good moral issue.”
Actually I think every Jew should see Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will”, a 1935 Nazi propaganda film. It is one of the most masterful works of propaganda in history and had a lot to do with why the Nazis had little opposition in Germany.
And then follow it up with Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight”, a series of American propaganda films that were used to increase American support for the war. Clips from Riefenstahl’s film were used — and countered.
(And if you really want to see horrible but effective propaganda, see D. W. Griffith’s 1915 “The Birth of a Nation”. It turns the Ku Klux Klan into heroes.)
PLEASE remind my fellow New Yorkers that if you want more services you have to pay higher taxes.